# EDGAR Filing Document

**Accession Number:** 0001547576
**File Stem:** 0001829126-25-005510
**Filing Date:** 2025-7
**Character Count:** 5851146
**Document Hash:** 3f01bd3a939adf74d3fa76ea3353852a
**Contains OCR:** False
**Source Format:** 

## Filing Content

## Filing Summary
**0001829126-25-005510.hdr.sgml**: 20250729

**ACCESSION NUMBER**: 0001829126-25-005510

**CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE**: 485BPOS

**PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT**: 71

**FILED AS OF DATE**: 20250729

**DATE AS OF CHANGE**: 20250729

**EFFECTIVENESS DATE**: 20250801

**FILER**: 

**COMPANY DATA:**
- **COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:** Krane Shares Trust
- **CENTRAL INDEX KEY:** 0001547576

**ORGANIZATION NAME:**
- **EIN:** 456861457
- **STATE OF INCORPORATION:** DE
- **FISCAL YEAR END:** 0331

**FILING VALUES:**
- **FORM TYPE:** 485BPOS
- **SEC ACT:** 1940 Act
- **SEC FILE NUMBER:** 811-22698
- **FILM NUMBER:** 251160885

**BUSINESS ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 280 PARK AVENUE
- **STREET 2:** 32ND FLOOR
- **CITY:** NEW YORK
- **STATE:** NY
- **ZIP:** 10017
- **BUSINESS PHONE:** 212-933-0393

**MAIL ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 280 PARK AVENUE
- **STREET 2:** 32ND FLOOR
- **CITY:** NEW YORK
- **STATE:** NY
- **ZIP:** 10017
**FILER**: 

**COMPANY DATA:**
- **COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:** Krane Shares Trust
- **CENTRAL INDEX KEY:** 0001547576

**ORGANIZATION NAME:**
- **EIN:** 456861457
- **STATE OF INCORPORATION:** DE
- **FISCAL YEAR END:** 0331

**FILING VALUES:**
- **FORM TYPE:** 485BPOS
- **SEC ACT:** 1933 Act
- **SEC FILE NUMBER:** 333-180870
- **FILM NUMBER:** 251160884

**BUSINESS ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 280 PARK AVENUE
- **STREET 2:** 32ND FLOOR
- **CITY:** NEW YORK
- **STATE:** NY
- **ZIP:** 10017
- **BUSINESS PHONE:** 212-933-0393

**MAIL ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 280 PARK AVENUE
- **STREET 2:** 32ND FLOOR
- **CITY:** NEW YORK
- **STATE:** NY
- **ZIP:** 10017

## Series and Classes Contracts Data

### KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF (Series ID: S000041596)

| Class ID   | Class Name                         | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000129136 | KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | KWEB            |

### KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF (Series ID: S000041738)

| Class ID   | Class Name                                           | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000129571 | KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF | KBA             |

### KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF (Series ID: S000049858)

| Class ID   | Class Name                                        | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000157444 | KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF | KGRN            |

### KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF (Series ID: S000056077)

| Class ID   | Class Name                                                 | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000176655 | KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF | KEMQ            |

### KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF (Series ID: S000056904)

| Class ID   | Class Name                                   | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000180685 | KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF | OBOR            |

### KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF (Series ID: S000059793)

| Class ID   | Class Name                                        | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000195632 | KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF | KHYB            |

### KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF (Series ID: S000059796)

| Class ID   | Class Name                                       | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000195635 | KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF | KURE            |

### KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF (Series ID: S000061165)

| Class ID   | Class Name                                                  | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000198139 | KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF | KARS            |

### KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF (Series ID: S000062619)

| Class ID   | Class Name                                | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000203109 | KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF | KBAH            |

### KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF (Series ID: S000063652)

| Class ID   | Class Name                                                      | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000206147 | KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF | KOID            |

### KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF (Series ID: S000064914)

| Class ID   | Class Name                                           | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000210156 | KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF | KEMX            |

### Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF (Series ID: S000065362)

| Class ID   | Class Name                                                 | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000211437 | Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF | IVOL            |

### KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF (Series ID: S000066286)

| Class ID   | Class Name                             | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000214065 | KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF | KRBN            |

### KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF (Series ID: S000069005)

| Class ID   | Class Name                               | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000220718 | KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF | KSTR            |

### KraneShares Value Line(R) Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF (Series ID: S000069664)

| Class ID   | Class Name                                                  | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000222186 | KraneShares Value Line(R) Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF | KVLE            |

### KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF (Series ID: S000070105)

| Class ID   | Class Name                           | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000223017 | KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF | KTEC            |

### KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF (Series ID: S000070143)

| Class ID   | Class Name                                                 | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000223083 | KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF | KMLM            |

### Quadratic Deflation ETF (Series ID: S000070938)

| Class ID   | Class Name              | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000225265 | Quadratic Deflation ETF | BNDD            |

### KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF (Series ID: S000072749)

| Class ID   | Class Name                                           | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000229247 | KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | KCCA            |

### KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF (Series ID: S000072750)

| Class ID   | Class Name                                         | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000229248 | KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | KEUA            |

### KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF (Series ID: S000072751)

| Class ID   | Class Name                                 | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000229249 | KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF | KRGI            |

### KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF (Series ID: S000079434)

| Class ID   | Class Name                                 | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000240471 | KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF | KLIP            |

### KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF (Series ID: S000081606)

| Class ID   | Class Name                                      | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000244533 | KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF | KREV            |

### KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF (Series ID: S000081686)

| Class ID   | Class Name                          | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000244621 | KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF | KLXY            |

### KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF (Series ID: S000083833)

| Class ID   | Class Name                                            | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000247858 | KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | KBUF            |

### KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF (Series ID: S000083834)

| Class ID   | Class Name                                             | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000247859 | KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | KPRO            |

### KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF (Series ID: S000084734)

| Class ID   | Class Name                                  | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000249202 | KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF | KSPY            |

### KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF (Series ID: S000085113)

| Class ID   | Class Name                        | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000249978 | KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF | KCAI            |

### KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF (Series ID: S000085506)

| Class ID   | Class Name                                             | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000250789 | KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF | AGIX            |

### KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF (Series ID: S000085834)

| Class ID   | Class Name                                             | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000251229 | KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF | KCSH            |

### KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF (Series ID: S000088090)

| Class ID   | Class Name                            | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000254137 | KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF | BUYO            |

### KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF (Series ID: S000089268)

| Class ID   | Class Name                         | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000255783 | KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF | KBAB            |

### KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF (Series ID: S000089271)

| Class ID   | Class Name                        | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000255786 | KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF | KPDD            |

?xml version='1.0' encoding='ASCII'?

**As Filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on July 29, 2025**

**File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698**

**U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION**

**Washington, D.C. 20549**

**FORM N-1A**

**REGISTRATION STATEMENT**

***UNDER***

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| ***THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933*** | ☒ |
| **Pre-Effective Amendment No.** | ☐ |
| **Post-Effective Amendment No. 444** | ☒ |

---

**and/or**

**REGISTRATION STATEMENT**

***UNDER***

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| ***THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940*** | ☒ |
| **Amendment No. 447** | ☒ |

---

**KRANESHARES TRUST**

**(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)**

280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor

New York, New York 10017

(Address of Principal Executive Offices, Zip Code)

(212) 933-0393

(Registrant's Telephone Number, including Area Code)

Jonathan Krane

280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor

New York, New York 10017

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

Copy to:

Stacy L. Fuller

Franklin H. Na

K&L Gates LLP

1601 K Street NW

Washington, D.C. 20006-1600

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

☐ Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485

☒ On August 1, 2025 pursuant to paragraph (b)(1)(iii) of Rule 485

☐ 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485

☐ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485

☐ 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485

☐ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485

**If appropriate, check the following box:** 

☐ This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment

**KraneShares Trust**

Prospectus

August 1, 2025

KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF - (KWEB)<br> KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF (Formerly, KraneShares Asia Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Index ETF) - (KOID)<br> KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF - (KBA)<br> KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF - (KHYB)<br> KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF - (KARS)<br> KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF - (KEMQ)<br> KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF - (KURE)<br> KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF - (KBAH)<br> KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF - (KGRN)<br> KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF - (KEMX)<br> KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF - (OBOR)<br> KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF - (KSTR)<br> KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF - (KTEC)<br> KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF (Formerly, KraneShares China Internet and Covered Call Strategy ETF) - (KLIP)<br> KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF - (KLXY)<br> KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF - (KREV)<br> KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF - (KVLE)<br> KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF - (KMLM)<br> KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF - (KRBN)<br> KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF - (KEUA)<br> KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF - (KCCA)<br> KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF - (KRGI)<br> KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF - (KSPY)<br> KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF - (AGIX)<br> KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF - (KCSH)<br> KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF - (KCAI)<br> KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF - (BUYO)<br>

Fund shares are not individually redeemable. Fund shares for all Funds except KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF and KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF are or will be listed on NYSE Arca, Inc. ("Exchange"). Fund shares of KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF and KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF are listed on NASDAQ Stock Market LLC ("Exchange").

These securities have not been approved or disapproved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") or the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC"), nor have the SEC or CFTC passed upon the adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

**KraneShares Trust**

**Table of Contents**

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Fund Summary** |  |
| [KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF](#kraneshares_002) | 1 |
| [KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF](#kraneshares_003) | 13 |
| [KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF](#kraneshares_004) | 24 |
| [KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF](#kraneshares_005) | 36 |
| [KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF](#kraneshares_006) | 45 |
| [KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF](#kraneshares_007) | 57 |
| [KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF](#kraneshares_008) | 69 |
| [KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF](#kraneshares_009) | 81 |
| [KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF](#kraneshares_010) | 92 |
| [KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF](#kraneshares_011) | 104 |
| [KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF](#kraneshares_012) | 113 |
| [KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF](#kraneshares_013) | 125 |
| [KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF](#kraneshares_014) | 137 |
| [KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF](#kraneshares_015) | 149 |
| [KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF](#kraneshares_016) | 162 |
| [KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF](#kraneshares_017) | 171 |
| [KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF](#kraneshares_019) | 180 |
| [KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF](#kraneshares_018) | 188 |
| [KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF](#kraneshares_020) | 199 |
| [KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF](#kraneshares_021) | 211 |
| [KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF](#kraneshares_022) | 222 |
| [KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF](#kraneshares_023) | 232 |
| [KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF](#kraneshares_024) | 241 |
| [KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF](#kraneshares_025) | 250 |
| [KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF](#kraneshares_026) | 259 |
| [KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF](#kraneshares_027) | 266 |
| [KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF](#kraneshares_028) | 277 |
| **[Additional Information About the Funds](#kraneshares_029)** | 284 |
| [Additional Information about Actively Managed ETFs](#kraneshares_030) | 284 |
| [Additional Information about Underlying Indexes](#kraneshares_031) | 288 |
| **[Management](#kraneshares_032)** | 353 |
| [Investment Adviser](#kraneshares_033) | 353 |
| [Investment Sub-Advisers](#kraneshares_034) | 357 |
| [Portfolio Managers](#kraneshares_035) | 359 |
| **[Shareholder Information](#kraneshares_036)** | 363 |
| [Calculating NAV](#kraneshares_037) | 363 |
| [Buying and Selling Fund Shares](#kraneshares_038) | 366 |
| [Active Investors and Market Timing](#kraneshares_039) | 366 |
| [Investments by Registered Investment Companies](#kraneshares_040) | 366 |
| [Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries](#kraneshares_041) | 367 |
| [Distribution Plan](#kraneshares_042) | 367 |
| [Dividends and Distributions](#kraneshares_043) | 368 |
| [Additional Tax Information](#kraneshares_044) | 368 |
| [Index Provider Information and Disclaimers](#kraneshares_045) | 371 |
| [Additional Disclaimers](#kraneshares_046) | 379 |
| **[Financial Highlights](#kraneshares_047)** | 382 |
| **[Additional Information](#kraneshares_048)** | 406 |

---

i

**KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF** 

**Investment Objective**

The KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF (the "Fund") seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of a specific foreign equity securities index. The Fund's current index is the CSI Overseas China Internet Index (the "Underlying Index").

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)**

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.68% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees\* | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses\*\* | 0.02% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 0.70% |

---

\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

\*\* Although the Fund's investment adviser, Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") receives 10% of the net revenue generated by the Fund's securities lending activities and such amount is included in "Other Expenses," the Fund receives 90% of such net revenues. Please see the "Management" section of the Prospectus for more information.

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| $72 | $224 | $390 | $871 |

---

**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 54% of the average value of its portfolio. This rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Fund's shares.

1 KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF

**Principal Investment Strategies**

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in instruments in its Underlying Index or in instruments that have economic characteristics similar to those in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is designed to measure the equity market performance of investable publicly traded "China-based companies" whose primary business or businesses are in the Internet and Internet-related sectors ("China Internet Companies") (as defined below), and are listed outside of mainland China, as determined by the index provider, China Securities Index Co., Ltd. ("Index Provider").

● The Index Provider defines China-based companies as those that: (i) are incorporated in mainland China; (ii) have their headquarters in mainland China; or (iii) derive at least 50% of its revenue from goods produced or sold, or services performed, in mainland China.

● China Internet Companies include, but are not limited to, companies that develop and market Internet software and/or provide Internet services; manufacture home entertainment software and educational software for home use; provide retail or commercial services primarily through the Internet; and develop and market mobile Internet software and/or provide mobile Internet services.

The Underlying Index excludes securities that during the past year had a daily average trading value of less than $3 million or a daily average market cap of less than $2 billion. Constituents of the Underlying Index are ranked by free-float market capitalization in U.S. Dollars and then weighted so that no constituent exceeds 10% at each rebalance with the top five constituents capped at 40%. Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in securities of China Internet Companies.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in instruments that are not included in the Underlying Index, but that Krane believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. These investments may include equity securities and depositary receipts of issuers whose securities are not constituents of the Underlying Index, derivative instruments (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options), other investment companies (including exchange traded funds or "ETFs") and cash or cash equivalents (including money market funds). The other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates.

The following China-related securities may be included in the Underlying Index and/or represent investments of the Fund:

● China A-Shares, which are shares of companies incorporated in mainland China that are traded on the Chinese exchanges and denominated in domestic renminbi. China A-Shares are primarily purchased and sold in the domestic Chinese market. To the extent the Fund invests in China A-Shares, it expects to do so through the trading and clearing facilities of a participating exchange located outside of mainland China ("Stock Connect Programs"). A Qualified Foreign Investor ("QFI") license may also be acquired to invest directly in China A-Shares.

● China B-Shares, which are shares of companies listed on the Shanghai or Shenzhen Stock Exchange but quoted and traded in foreign currencies (such as Hong Kong Dollars or U.S. Dollars), which were primarily created for trading by foreign investors.

● China H-Shares, which are shares of companies incorporated in mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange ("H-Shares"), where they are traded in Hong Kong dollars and may be traded by foreign investors.

● China N-Shares, which are shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on an American stock exchange, such as NYSE or NASDAQ ("N-Shares").

2 KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF

● P-Chips, which are shares of private sector companies with a majority of their business operations in mainland China and controlling private Chinese shareholders, which are incorporated outside of mainland China and traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong dollars.

● Red Chips, which are shares of companies with a majority of their business operations in mainland China and controlled by the central, provincial or municipal governments of the PRC, whose shares are traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong dollars.

● S-Chips, which are shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on the Singapore Exchange. S-Chip shares are issued by companies incorporated anywhere, but many are registered in Singapore, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, or Bermuda.

Although the Fund expects to replicate (or hold all constituents of) the Underlying Index, the Fund reserves the right to use representative sampling to track the Underlying Index. "Representative sampling" is a strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index.

As of May 31, 2025, the Underlying Index included 29 securities of companies with a market capitalization range of approximately $2 million to $598 billion and an average market capitalization of approximately $54 billion. The Underlying Index is rebalanced and reconstituted semi-annually.

The Fund is non-diversified. To the extent the Underlying Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund is expected to be concentrated in that industry. As of May 31, 2025, issuers in the Communication Services sector (43.2%) and Consumer Discretionary sector (38.8%) represented significant portions of the Underlying Index.

The Fund may engage in securities lending.

**Principal Risks**

As with all ETFs, a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**China Risk.** The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions in the People's Republic of China ("China" or the "PRC") and surrounding Asian countries and may demonstrate significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. Investments in Chinese securities, including those that are Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, subject the Fund to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. Over the last few decades, the Chinese government has undertaken reform of economic and market practices and has expanded the sphere of private ownership of property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. Chinese companies are also subject to the risk that Chinese authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. In addition, the Chinese economy is export-driven and highly reliant on trading with key partners. A downturn in the economies of China's primary trading partners could slow or eliminate the growth of the Chinese economy and adversely impact the Fund's investments. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. The RMB is not freely convertible, but rather is subject to approval of PRC authorities. Although Chinese authorities have indicated an intent to move to a freely convertible RMB, there is no assurance that repatriation strictions will not continue. The Chinese government may introduce new laws and regulations that could have an adverse effect on the Fund. Although China has begun the process of privatizing certain sectors of its economy, privatized entities may lose money and/or be re-nationalized.

3 KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF

Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Incidents involving China's or the region's security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments.

In the Chinese securities markets, a small number of issuers may represent a large portion of the entire market. The Chinese securities markets are subject to more frequent trading halts, low trading volume and price volatility. Recent developments in relations between the United States and China have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the two countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on China's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on the Fund. In addition, worsening trade relations between the two countries could adversely impact the Fund, particularly to the extent that the Chinese government restricts foreign investments in on-shore Chinese companies or the U.S. government restricts investments by U.S. investors in China. This may also result in market volatility and volatility in the price of Fund shares.

The Underlying Index may include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government. So long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments, the Fund is generally expected to invest in such companies, consistent with its objective to track the performance of the Underlying Index.

In recent years, Chinese entities have incurred significant levels of debt and Chinese financial institutions currently hold relatively large amounts of non-performing debt. Thus, there exists a possibility that widespread defaults could occur, which could trigger a financial crisis, freeze Chinese debt and finance markets and make Chinese securities illiquid.

Disclosure and regulatory standards in emerging market countries, such as China, are in many respects less stringent than U.S. standards. There is substantially less publicly available information about Chinese issuers than there is about U.S. issuers. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements or due to worsening relations between the U.S. and China, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities.

The tax laws and regulations in China are somewhat unclear and are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. The interpretation, application and enforcement of such laws and regulations by the applicable authorities may vary over time and from region to region, and could have an adverse effect on the Fund and its shareholders, particularly in relation to tax imposed upon foreign investors' capital gains. Uncertainties in Chinese tax rules could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund.

**A-Shares Risk.** A-Shares are issued by companies incorporated in mainland China and are traded on Chinese exchanges. Investments in A-Shares are made available to domestic Chinese investors and certain foreign investors, including those who have been approved as a QFI and through the Stock Connect Programs, which currently include the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shanghai-London Stock Connect, and China-Japan Stock Connect. Investments by foreign investors in A-Shares are subject to various restrictions, regulations and limits. Investments in A-Shares are heavily regulated and the recoupment and repatriation of assets invested in A-Shares is subject to restrictions by the Chinese government. A-Shares may be subject to frequent and widespread trading halts and may become illiquid. This could cause volatility in the Fund's share price and subject the Fund to a greater risk of trading halts.

**Custody Risks.** In accordance with Chinese regulations and the terms of a QFI license and insofar as Krane acquires a QFI, A-Shares will be held in the joint names of the Fund and Krane. Thus, the Fund's assets may not be as well protected as they would be if it were possible for them to be registered and held solely in the name of the Fund. There is a risk that creditors of Krane may assert that the securities are owned by Krane and that regulatory actions taken against Krane may affect the Fund.

4 KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF

**Hong Kong Risk.** The economy of Hong Kong has few natural resources and any fluctuation or shortage in the commodity markets could have a significant adverse effect on the Hong Kong economy. Hong Kong is also heavily dependent on international trade and finance. Additionally, the continuation and success of the current political, economic, legal and social policies of Hong Kong is dependent on and subject to the control of the Chinese government. China may change its policies regarding Hong Kong at any time. Any such change may adversely affect market conditions and the performance of Chinese and Hong Kong issuers and, thus, the value of securities in the Fund's portfolio.

**Stock Connect Program Risk.** The Stock Connect Programs are subject to daily quota limitations, and an investor cannot purchase and sell the same security on the same trading day, which may restrict the Fund's ability to invest in A-Shares through the Programs and to enter into or exit trades on a timely basis. The Shanghai and Shenzhen markets may be open at a time when the participating exchanges located outside of mainland China are not active, with the result that prices of A-Shares may fluctuate at times when the Fund is unable to add to or exit its positions. Only certain China A-Shares are eligible to be accessed through the Stock Connect Programs. Such securities may lose their eligibility at any time, in which case they could be sold but could no longer be purchased through the Stock Connect Programs. Because the Stock Connect Programs are still evolving, the actual effect on the market for trading A-Shares with the introduction of large numbers of foreign investors is still relatively unknown. Further, regulations or restrictions, such as limitations on redemptions or suspension of trading, may adversely impact the program. There is no guarantee that the participating exchanges will continue to support the Stock Connect Programs in the future.

Investments in China A-Shares may not be covered by the securities investor protection programs of either exchange and, without the protection of such programs, will be subject to the risk of default by the broker. Because of the way in which China A-Shares are held in the Stock Connect Programs, the Fund may not be able to exercise the rights of a direct shareholder and may be limited in its ability to pursue claims against the issuer of a security, and may suffer losses in the event the legal or "nominee holder" of the China A-Shares under the Stock Connect Programs becomes insolvent.

**Chinese Equity Markets.** The use of B-shares, H-shares, N-Shares, Red-Chips, P-Chips, S-Chips by Chinese companies to obtain listings are subject to the political and economic policies in China and the markets on which they are listed. Further, the markets on which these shares are listed may behave very differently from the mainland Chinese markets, and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the two.

**Special Risk Considerations of Investing in China.** For purposes of raising capital offshore on exchanges outside of China, including on U.S. exchanges, many Chinese-based operating companies are structured as Variable Interest Entities ("VIEs"). In this structure, the Chinese-based operating company is the VIE and establishes an entity, which is typically offshore in a foreign jurisdiction, such as the Cayman Islands. The offshore entity lists on a foreign exchange and enters into contractual arrangements with the VIE. This structure allows Chinese companies in which the government restricts foreign ownership to raise capital from foreign investors. While the offshore entity has no equity ownership of the VIE, these contractual arrangements permit the offshore entity to consolidate the VIE's financial statements with its own for accounting purposes and provide for economic exposure to the performance of the underlying Chinese operating company. Therefore, an investor in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, will have exposure to the Chinese-based operating company only through contractual arrangements and has no ownership in the Chinese-based operating company. Furthermore, because the offshore entity only has specific rights provided for in these service agreements with the VIE, its abilities to control the activities at the Chinese-based operating company are limited and the operating company may engage in activities that negatively impact investment value. While the VIE structure has been widely adopted, it is not formally recognized under Chinese law and therefore there is a risk that the Chinese government could prohibit the existence of such structures or negatively impact the VIE's contractual arrangements with the listed offshore entity by making them invalid. If these contracts were found to be unenforceable under Chinese law, investors in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, may suffer significant losses with little or no recourse available. If the Chinese government determines that the agreements establishing the VIE structures do not comply with Chinese law and regulations, including those related to restrictions on foreign ownership, it could subject a Chinese-based issuer to penalties, revocation of business and operating licenses, or forfeiture of ownership interest.

**Internet Companies Risk.** Investments in Internet companies may be volatile. Internet companies are subject to intense competition, the risk of product obsolescence, changes in consumer preferences and legal, regulatory and political changes. They are also especially at risk of hacking and other cybersecurity events. In addition, it can be difficult to determine what qualifies as an Internet company.

5 KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF

**Equity Securities Risk.** The values of equity securities are subject to factors such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes. In the event of liquidation, equity securities are generally subordinate in rank to debt and other securities of the same issuer.

**Emerging Markets Risk.** Securities issued by entities with substantial operations or holdings in emerging market countries may involve additional risks and are subject to greater risk of loss than investments in developed markets. This is due to, among other things, greater market volatility, greater risk of asset seizures and capital controls, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, greater risk of market shutdown, and more governmental limitations on foreign investments in emerging market countries than typically found in developed markets. The economies of emerging markets, and China in particular, may be heavily reliant upon international trade and may suffer disproportionately if international trading declines or is disrupted. Such conditions may lead to potential errors in index data, index computation and/or index construction and may limit the ability to oversee the Index Provider's due diligence process over index data, which may adversely impact the Fund's performance and its ability to track the performance of the Underlying Index.

**Foreign Securities Risk.** Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may be less liquid than investments in U.S. issuers, may have less governmental regulation and oversight, and are typically subject to different investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities entail the risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations, political or economic instability, less complete financial information about the issuers, the possible imposition of withholding or confiscatory taxes, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, and the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency. Foreign market trading hours, clearance and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund's ability to buy and sell securities. Additionally, foreign issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, recordkeeping, and financial reporting requirements. Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by governmental authorities. If the Fund holds positions in such suspended securities, the Fund may be adversely impacted. Certain countries in which the Fund may invest may be subject to extended settlement delays and/or foreign holidays, during which the Fund will unlikely be able to convert holdings to cash. All of these factors could result in a loss to the Fund.

**Geographic Focus Risk.** The Fund's investments are expected to be focused in a particular country, countries, or region to approximately the same degree as the Underlying Index and therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country, countries or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified fund.

**Currency Risk.** To the extent that the Fund is exposed directly or indirectly to foreign currencies, including through its investments, or invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies and vice versa. This may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**Concentration Risk.** The Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Underlying Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The securities of companies in an industry or group of industries could react similarly to market developments. Thus, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that affect one industry or group of industries or sector While the Fund's sector and industry exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Underlying Index, the Fund is currently subject to the principal risks described below.

6 KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF

**Communication Services Sector Risk.** The communication services sector may be dominated by a small number of companies which may lead to additional volatility in the sector. Communication services companies are particularly vulnerable to the potential obsolescence of products and services due to technological advances and the innovation of competitors. Communication services companies may also be affected by other competitive pressures, such as pricing competition, as well as research and development costs, substantial capital requirements, and government regulation. Fluctuating domestic and international demand, shifting demographics, and often unpredictable changes in consumer demand can drastically affect a communication services company's profitability. Compliance with governmental regulations, delays or failure to receive regulatory approvals, or the enactment of new regulatory requirements may negatively affect the business of telecommunication services companies. Certain companies in the communication services sector may be particular targets of network security breaches, hacking and potential theft of proprietary or consumer information, or disruptions in services, which would have a material adverse effect on their businesses.

**Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk.** The success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied closely to the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence. Success depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes can also affect the demand for, and success of, consumer products in the marketplace.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to "Authorized Participants." Unlike many other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Thus, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in other ETFs as the Fund may recognize a capital gain that it could have avoided by making redemptions in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. Further, paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds at an inopportune time. Cash transactions may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes, including brokerage fees, that might not have occurred if the Fund utilized in-kind transactions. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted.

**International Closed Market Trading Risk.** To the extent the Fund's investments trade in markets that are closed when the Fund and Exchange are open, there are likely to be deviations between current pricing of an underlying security and the prices at which the underlying securities are valued for purposes of the Fund's NAV. As a result, Shares may appear to trade at a significant discount or premium to NAV greater than those incurred by other ETFs. In addition, shareholders may not be able to purchase or redeem their shares of the Fund, or purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop-loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

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**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, market turmoil, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants, or the lack of an active trading market. Markets for securities or financial instruments could be disrupted by a number of events, including, but not limited to, an economic crisis, natural disasters, new legislation or regulatory changes inside or outside the U.S. Liquid investments may become less liquid after being purchased by the Fund, particularly during periods of market stress. In addition, if a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt.

**Small- and Mid-Capitalization Company Risk.** Investing in the securities of small and medium capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization companies. Since small and medium-sized companies may have limited operating histories, product lines and financial resources, the securities of these companies may be less liquid and more volatile. They may also be sensitive to (expected) changes in interest rates and earnings.

**Large Capitalization Company Risk.** Large capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges and attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. As such, returns on investments in stocks of large capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small and mid capitalization companies.

**Passive Investment and Index Risk.** There is no guarantee that the Underlying Index will create the desired exposure and the Fund is not actively managed. It does not seek to "beat" the Underlying Index or take temporary defensive positions when markets decline. Therefore, the Fund may purchase or hold securities with current or projected underperformance.

There is no guarantee that the methodology the Index Provider uses to identify constituents for the Underlying Index will achieve its intended result or provide an accurate assessment of included constituents. The Underlying Index relies on various sources of information to assess the potential constituents of the Underlying Index, including information that may be based on assumptions or estimates. Neither the Fund nor Krane can offer assurances that the Index Provider's sources of information are reliable. There can be no guarantee that the methodology underlying the Underlying Index, the Underlying Index construction and computation processes, or the daily calculation of the Underlying Index or its methodology will be free from error or that an error will be identified and/or corrected, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund.

**Management Risk.** The Fund may not fully replicate the Underlying Index and may hold less than the total number of securities in the Underlying Index. Therefore, the Fund is subject to the risk that Krane's security selection process may not produce the intended results.

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**Tracking Error Risk.** The Fund's return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Underlying Index. This may be due to, among other factors, the Fund holding cash under certain circumstances in lieu of Underlying Index securities, such as when the Fund is subject to delays converting U.S. dollars into a foreign currency to purchase foreign securities and unable to invest in certain constituents of the Underlying Index due to regulatory constraints, trading suspensions, and legal restrictions imposed by foreign governments. To the extent that the Fund employs a representative sampling strategy or calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the Underlying Index is based on securities' closing prices on local foreign markets, the Fund's ability to track the Underlying Index may be adversely affected.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**High Portfolio Turnover Risk.** The Fund may incur high portfolio turnover rates, which may increase the Fund's brokerage commission costs and negatively impact the Fund's performance. Such portfolio turnover also may generate net short-term capital gains.

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. In addition, the securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days that the Fund does not price its shares; as a result, the value of Fund shares may change on days when investors cannot purchase or sell their Fund holdings.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. The Fund's investments in issuers whose control persons are not certain creates a risk that tax authorities may retrospectively deem the Fund to have failed the asset diversification requirements. If the Fund were to fail the favorable tax treatment requirements, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, which would adversely affect its performance.

**Depositary Receipts Risk.** The Fund may hold the securities of foreign companies in the form of depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts. Investing in depositary receipts entails the risks associated with foreign investments, such as fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the securities of U.S. issuers. In addition, the value of the securities underlying the depositary receipts may change materially when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, which will affect the value of the depositary receipts.

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**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

**IPO Risk.** Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile. At any particular time or from time to time, the Fund may not be able to invest in securities issued in IPOs, or invest to the extent desired, because, for example, only a small portion (if any) of the securities being offered in an IPO may be available to the Fund. In addition, as the Fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the Fund's performance will generally decrease.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane is subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

**Securities Lending Risk.** To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: (1) the securities in which the collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the applicable rebate rates paid to borrowers and related administrative costs; (2) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions; and (3) although borrowers of the Fund's securities typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities, there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. Krane is subject to potential conflicts of interest because the compensation paid to it increases in connection with any net income received by the Fund from the securities lending program.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

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**Performance Information**

The following bar chart and table illustrate the variability of the Fund's returns and indicate the risks of investing in the Fund by showing how the Fund's average annual total returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance and an additional index with characteristics relevant to the Fund. All returns include the reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As always, please note that the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. In addition, prior to December 1, 2015, a sub-adviser was responsible for day-to-day portfolio management of the Fund's assets. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.kraneshares.com.

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As of June 30, 2025, the Fund's calendar year-to-date total return was 16.01%.

**Best and Worst Quarter Returns (for the period reflected in the bar chart above)** 

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Return** | **Quarter Ended/Year** |
| Highest Return | 37.44% | 6/30/2020 |
| Lowest Return | -32.36% | 9/30/2021 |

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**Average Annual Total Returns for the periods ended December 31, 2024**

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF** | **1 year** | **5 years** | **10 years** |
| Return Before Taxes | 13.25% | -7.26% | 0.75% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | 11.75% | -7.97% | 0.22% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 7.89% | -5.44% | 0.49% |
| MSCI China All Shares Index<br> (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 16.38% | -1.78% | 1.22% |
| CSI Overseas China Internet Index<br> (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 11.95% | -7.11% | 0.98% |

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Average annual total returns are shown on a before- and after-tax basis for the Fund. After-tax returns for the Fund are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement plans.

**Management**

**Investment Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Managers**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of the Fund since January 2020. Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, also serves as a portfolio manager of the Fund. Mr. Shelon supports Mr. Maund and Krane's investment team for the Fund and has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since 2018.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.kraneshares.com.

**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 IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

12 KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF

**KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF (formerly, KraneShares Asia Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Index ETF)**

**Investment Objective**

The KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF (the "Fund") seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of a specific equity securities index. The Fund's current index is the MerQube Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index (the "Underlying Index").

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees** (fees paid directly from your investment)

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.78% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees\* | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses\*\* | 0.01% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 0.79% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Fee Waiver\*\*\* | -0.10% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver** | 0.69% |

---

\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

\*\* Based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year; actual expenses may vary.

\*\*\* The Fund's investment adviser, Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser"), has contractually agreed to waive its management fee by 0.10% of the Fund's average daily net assets ("Fee Waiver"). The Fee Waiver will continue until August 1, 2026, and may only be terminated prior thereto by the Board.

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same, except that it reflects the Fee Waiver for the period described above. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** |
| $70 | $242 |

---

**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. Because the Fund had not commenced investment operations as of the date of this prospectus, it does not have portfolio turnover information for the prior fiscal year to report.

13 KraneShares Global Humanoid andEmbodied Intelligence Index ETF

**Principal Investment Strategies**

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in securities of the Underlying Index and other instruments that have economic characteristics similar to those in the Underlying Index.

The Underlying Index is an equal weighted index designed to measure the performance of companies involved in the advancement of humanoid and embodied intelligence technology or acting as a supply chain solution for a humanoid and embodied intelligence company. Humanoid and embodied intelligence refers to artificial intelligence systems that are integrated into physical systems, such as robotics systems and autonomous vehicles, which can learn and adapt through direct interaction with the environment using sensors or other similar systems.

The Underlying Index draws constituents from the universe of companies classified within certain activity groups within The Refinitiv<sup>®</sup> Business Classification ("TRBC") that MerQube, Inc. ("Index Provider") has determined are related to humanoid and embodied intelligence. If an existing index constituent changes to an ineligible activity group, it is removed from the Underlying Index at the next rebalance.

To be included in the Underlying Index, at the time of each reconstitution, securities must, among other things: (1) meet certain minimum market capitalization requirements; and (2) meet certain minimum liquidity requirements as measured by the one and six month average daily value traded. Eligible securities of the Underlying Index are ranked as of each reconstitution based on a proprietary Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Exposure Score (described below) and their market capitalization, and the top 50 securities are selected for inclusion in the Underlying Index. At each reconstitution, securities are equally weighted. The number of shares of each security is set in advance based on security prices as of five business days prior to reconstitution so the reconstitution weights will not be precisely equal due to market movements.

A proprietary Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Exposure Score is provided to the Index Provider by the Adviser for each security within the eligible universe, which is calculated based on company documents, publications, news items and other sources. The Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Exposure Score attempts to measure the extent to which a company is involved in the advancement of humanoid and embodied intelligence technology or acting as a supply chain solution for a humanoid and embodied intelligence company as listed in the categories below:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(1) Humanoid Integration and Manufacturing: companies in this category focus on designing, assembling and commercializing complete humanoid robots.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(2) Actuation Systems: companies in this category focus on the actuation systems that enable the precise movement and force control of humanoid robots. This category includes components critical for joint articulation, energy efficiency and compact design.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(3) Mechanical Systems: companies in this category focus on the mechanical components that form the structural foundation of humanoid robots, ensuring durability, weight optimization and smooth motion transmission.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(4) Sensing & Perception: companies in this category focus on the sensors and perception systems that allow humanoid robots to interpret their environment, enabling tasks like navigation, object manipulation and human interaction.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(5) Semiconductors and Technology: companies in this category provide the computational backbone for humanoid and embodied intelligence, motor control and sensor processing.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(6) Critical Material: companies in this category supply the critical materials used in high-performance motors and humanoid robot manufacturing.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in instruments that are not included in the Underlying Index, but that Krane believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. These investments may include equity securities and depositary receipts of issuers whose securities are not components of the Underlying Index, derivative instruments (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options), other investment companies (including exchange traded funds or "ETFs") and cash or cash equivalents (including money market funds). The other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates.

14 KraneShares Global Humanoid andEmbodied Intelligence Index ETF

Although the Fund expects to replicate (or hold all constituents of) the Underlying Index, the Fund reserves the right to use a representative sampling strategy to track the Underlying Index. "Representative sampling" is a strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have an investment profile similar to that of the Underlying Index.

The Fund is non-diversified. To the extent the Underlying Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund is expected to be concentrated in that industry. As of May 31, 2025, issuers in the Information Technology sector (39.6%), Industrials sector (34.1%), and Consumer Discretionary sector (20.4%) represented significant portions of the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is rebalanced and reconstituted quarterly.

There is no limit on the Fund's investments in foreign securities. To the extent the Underlying Index includes foreign securities, the Fund is expected to invest in such foreign securities. As of June 30, 2025, the largest country representations in the Underlying Index were United States (31.5%), China (30.1%) and Japan (11.5%).

The Fund may engage in securities lending.

**Principal Risks** 

As with all ETFs, a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Technology Risk.** Humanoid and embodied intelligence technology companies typically have high research and capital expenditures and, as a result, their profitability can vary widely, if they are profitable at all. The space in which they are engaged is highly competitive and issuers' products and services may become obsolete very quickly. These companies are heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by loss or impairment of those rights. The issuers are also subject to legal, regulatory and political changes that may have a large impact on their profitability. A failure in an issuer's product or even questions about the safety of the product could be devastating to the issuer, especially if it is the marquee product of the issuer. It can be difficult to accurately capture what qualifies as a humanoid and embodied intelligence technology company.

Certain humanoid and embodied intelligence technology companies may face special risks that their products or services may not prove to be commercially successful. Such companies are also strongly affected by worldwide scientific or technological developments. As a result, their products may rapidly become obsolete. Such companies are also often subject to governmental regulation and may, therefore, be adversely affected by governmental policies. In addition, certain of such companies in which the Fund may invest may not currently be profitable and there can be no assurance that such companies will be profitable in the future.

**China Risk.** The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions in the People's Republic of China ("China" or the "PRC") and surrounding Asian countries and may demonstrate significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. Investments in Chinese securities, including those that are Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, subject the Fund to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. Over the last few decades, the Chinese government has undertaken reform of economic and market practices and has expanded the sphere of private ownership of property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. Chinese companies are also subject to the risk that Chinese authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. In addition, the Chinese economy is export-driven and highly reliant on trading with key partners. A downturn in the economies of China's primary trading partners could slow or eliminate the growth of the Chinese economy and adversely impact the Fund's investments. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. The RMB is not freely convertible, but rather is subject to approval of PRC authorities. Although Chinese authorities have indicated an intent to move to a freely convertible RMB, there is no assurance that repatriation strictions will not continue. The Chinese government may introduce new laws and regulations that could have an adverse effect on the Fund. Although China has begun the process of privatizing certain sectors of its economy, privatized entities may lose money and/or be re-nationalized.

15 KraneShares Global Humanoid andEmbodied Intelligence Index ETF

Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Incidents involving China's or the region's security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments.

The Chinese securities markets are subject to more frequent trading halts, low trading volume and price volatility. Recent developments in relations between the United States and China have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the two countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on China's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on the Fund. In addition, worsening trade relations between the two countries could adversely impact the Fund, particularly to the extent that the Chinese government restricts foreign investments in on-shore Chinese companies or the U.S. government restricts investments by U.S. investors in China. This may also result in market volatility and volatility in the price of Fund shares.

The Underlying Index may include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government. So long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments, the Fund is generally expected to invest in such companies, consistent with its objective to track the performance of the Underlying Index.

In recent years, Chinese entities have incurred significant levels of debt and Chinese financial institutions currently hold relatively large amounts of non-performing debt. Thus, there exists a possibility that widespread defaults could occur, which could trigger a financial crisis, freeze Chinese debt and finance markets and make Chinese securities illiquid.

Disclosure and regulatory standards in emerging market countries, such as China, are in many respects less stringent than U.S. standards. There is substantially less publicly available information about Chinese issuers than there is about U.S. issuers. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements or due to worsening relations between the U.S. and China, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities.

The tax laws and regulations in China are somewhat unclear and are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. The interpretation, application and enforcement of such laws and regulations by the applicable authorities may vary over time and from region to region, and could have an adverse effect on the Fund and its shareholders, particularly in relation to tax imposed upon foreign investors' capital gains. Uncertainties in Chinese tax rules could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund.

**A-Shares Risk.** A-Shares are issued by companies incorporated in mainland China and are traded on Chinese exchanges. Investments in A-Shares are made available to domestic Chinese investors and certain foreign investors, including those who have been approved as a QFI and through the Stock Connect Programs, which currently include the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shanghai-London Stock Connect, and China-Japan Stock Connect. Investments by foreign investors in A-Shares are subject to various restrictions, regulations and limits. Investments in A-Shares are heavily regulated and the recoupment and repatriation of assets invested in A-Shares is subject to restrictions by the Chinese government. A-Shares may be subject to frequent and widespread trading halts and may become illiquid. This could cause volatility in the Fund's share price and subject the Fund to a greater risk of trading halts.

**Custody Risks.** In accordance with Chinese regulations and the terms of a QFI license and insofar as Krane acquires a QFI, A-Shares will be held in the joint names of the Fund and Krane. Thus, the Fund's assets may not be as well protected as they would be if it were possible for them to be registered and held solely in the name of the Fund. There is a risk that creditors of Krane may assert that the securities are owned by Krane and that regulatory actions taken against Krane may affect the Fund.

16 KraneShares Global Humanoid andEmbodied Intelligence Index ETF

**Hong Kong Risk.** The economy of Hong Kong has few natural resources and any fluctuation or shortage in the commodity markets could have a significant adverse effect on the Hong Kong economy. Hong Kong is also heavily dependent on international trade and finance. Additionally, the continuation and success of the current political, economic, legal and social policies of Hong Kong is dependent on and subject to the control of the Chinese government. China may change its policies regarding Hong Kong at any time. Any such change may adversely affect market conditions and the performance of Chinese and Hong Kong issuers and, thus, the value of securities in the Fund's portfolio.

**Stock Connect Program Risk.** The Stock Connect Programs are subject to daily quota limitations, and an investor cannot purchase and sell the same security on the same trading day, which may restrict the Fund's ability to invest in A-Shares through the Programs and to enter into or exit trades on a timely basis. The Shanghai and Shenzhen markets may be open at a time when the participating exchanges located outside of mainland China are not active, with the result that prices of A-Shares may fluctuate at times when the Fund is unable to add to or exit its positions. Only certain China A-Shares are eligible to be accessed through the Stock Connect Programs. Such securities may lose their eligibility at any time, in which case they could be sold but could no longer be purchased through the Stock Connect Programs. Because the Stock Connect Programs are still evolving, the actual effect on the market for trading A-Shares with the introduction of large numbers of foreign investors is still relatively unknown. Further, regulations or restrictions, such as limitations on redemptions or suspension of trading, may adversely impact the program. There is no guarantee that the participating exchanges will continue to support the Stock Connect Programs in the future.

Investments in China A-Shares may not be covered by the securities investor protection programs of either exchange and, without the protection of such programs, will be subject to the risk of default by the broker. Because of the way in which China A-Shares are held in the Stock Connect Programs, the Fund may not be able to exercise the rights of a direct shareholder and may be limited in its ability to pursue claims against the issuer of a security, and may suffer losses in the event the legal or "nominee holder" of the China A-Shares under the Stock Connect Programs becomes insolvent.

**Chinese Equity Markets.** The use of B-shares, H-shares, N-Shares, Red-Chips, P-Chips, S-Chips by Chinese companies to obtain listings are subject to the political and economic policies in China and the markets on which they are listed. Further, the markets on which these shares are listed may behave very differently from the mainland Chinese markets, and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the two.

**Special Risk Considerations of Investing in China.** For purposes of raising capital offshore on exchanges outside of China, including on U.S. exchanges, many Chinese-based operating companies are structured as Variable Interest Entities ("VIEs"). In this structure, the Chinese-based operating company is the VIE and establishes an entity, which is typically offshore in a foreign jurisdiction, such as the Cayman Islands. The offshore entity lists on a foreign exchange and enters into contractual arrangements with the VIE. This structure allows Chinese companies in which the government restricts foreign ownership to raise capital from foreign investors. While the offshore entity has no equity ownership of the VIE, these contractual arrangements permit the offshore entity to consolidate the VIE's financial statements with its own for accounting purposes and provide for economic exposure to the performance of the underlying Chinese operating company. Therefore, an investor in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, will have exposure to the Chinese-based operating company only through contractual arrangements and has no ownership in the Chinese-based operating company. Furthermore, because the offshore entity only has specific rights provided for in these service agreements with the VIE, its abilities to control the activities at the Chinese-based operating company are limited and the operating company may engage in activities that negatively impact investment value. While the VIE structure has been widely adopted, it is not formally recognized under Chinese law and therefore there is a risk that the Chinese government could prohibit the existence of such structures or negatively impact the VIE's contractual arrangements with the listed offshore entity by making them invalid. If these contracts were found to be unenforceable under Chinese law, investors in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, may suffer significant losses with little or no recourse available. If the Chinese government determines that the agreements establishing the VIE structures do not comply with Chinese law and regulations, including those related to restrictions on foreign ownership, it could subject a Chinese-based issuer to penalties, revocation of business and operating licenses, or forfeiture of ownership interest.

17 KraneShares Global Humanoid andEmbodied Intelligence Index ETF

**Equity Securities Risk.** The values of equity securities are subject to factors such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes. In the event of liquidation, equity securities are generally subordinate in rank to debt and other securities of the same issuer.

**Emerging Markets Risk.** Securities issued by entities with substantial operations or holdings in emerging market countries may involve additional risks and are subject to greater risk of loss than investments in developed markets. This is due to, among other things, greater market volatility, greater risk of asset seizures and capital controls, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, greater risk of market shutdown, and more governmental limitations on foreign investments in emerging market countries than typically found in developed markets. The economies of emerging markets, and China in particular, may be heavily reliant upon international trade and may suffer disproportionately if international trading declines or is disrupted. Such conditions may lead to potential errors in index data, index computation and/or index construction and may limit the ability to oversee the Index Provider's due diligence process over index data, which may adversely impact the Fund's performance and its ability to track the performance of the Underlying Index.

**Foreign Securities Risk.** Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may be less liquid than investments in U.S. issuers, may have less governmental regulation and oversight, and are typically subject to different investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities entail the risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations, political or economic instability, less complete financial information about the issuers, the possible imposition of withholding or confiscatory taxes, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, and the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency. Foreign market trading hours, clearance and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund's ability to buy and sell securities. Additionally, foreign issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, recordkeeping, and financial reporting requirements. Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by governmental authorities. If the Fund holds positions in such suspended securities, the Fund may be adversely impacted. Certain countries in which the Fund may invest may be subject to extended settlement delays and/or foreign holidays, during which the Fund will unlikely be able to convert holdings to cash. All of these factors could result in a loss to the Fund.

**Geographic Focus Risk.** The Fund's investments are expected to be focused in a particular country, countries, or region to approximately the same degree as the Underlying Index and therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country, countries or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified fund.

**Currency Risk.** To the extent that the Fund is exposed directly or indirectly to foreign currencies, including through its investments, or invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies and vice versa. This may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**Concentration Risk.** The Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Underlying Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The securities of companies in an industry or group of industries could react similarly to market developments. Thus, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that affect one industry or group of industries or sector. While the Fund's sector and industry exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Underlying Index, the Fund is currently subject to the principal risks described below.

18 KraneShares Global Humanoid andEmbodied Intelligence Index ETF

**Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk.** The success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied closely to the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence. Success depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes can also affect the demand for, and success of, consumer products in the marketplace.

**Industrials Sector Risk.** The industrials sector may be affected by changes in the supply and demand for products and services, product obsolescence, claims for environmental damage or product liability and general economic conditions, among other factors. Government regulation will also affect the performance of investments in such industrials sector issuers, particularly aerospace and defense companies, which rely to a significant extent on government demand for their products and services. Transportation companies, another component of the industrials sector, are subject to sharp price movements resulting from changes in the economy, fuel prices, labor agreements and insurance costs.

**Information Technology Sector Risk.** Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology advances could have a major effect on the value of stocks in the information technology sector. The value of stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from competitors with lower production costs. Information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies in the information technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel.

**Japan Risk.** The Japanese economy is heavily dependent upon international trade and may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability, which could negatively affect the Fund. The Japanese yen has fluctuated widely during recent periods and may be affected by currency volatility elsewhere in Asia, especially Southeast Asia. In addition, the yen has had a history of unpredictable and volatile movements against the U.S. dollar. Japan has also experienced natural disasters, such as earthquakes and tidal waves, of varying degrees of severity, which could negatively affect the Fund. The Japanese economy has in the past been negatively affected at times by government intervention and protectionism, an unstable financial services sector, and a heavy reliance on international trade, a significant portion of which is conducted with nearby developing nations in East and Southeast Asia.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to "Authorized Participants." Unlike many other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Thus, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in other ETFs as the Fund may recognize a capital gain that it could have avoided by making redemptions in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. Further, paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds at an inopportune time. Cash transactions may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes, including brokerage fees, that might not have occurred if the Fund utilized in-kind transactions. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted.

19 KraneShares Global Humanoid andEmbodied Intelligence Index ETF

**International Closed Market Trading Risk.** To the extent the Fund's investments trade in markets that are closed when the Fund and Exchange are open, there are likely to be deviations between current pricing of an underlying security and the prices at which the underlying securities are valued for purposes of the Fund's NAV. As a result, Shares may appear to trade at a significant discount or premium to NAV greater than those incurred by other ETFs. In addition, shareholders may not be able to purchase or redeem their shares of the Fund, or purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

**New Fund Risk.** If the Fund does not grow in size, it will be at greater risk than larger funds of wider bid-ask spreads for its shares, trading at a greater premium or discount to NAV, liquidation and/or a stop to trading.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, market turmoil, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants, or the lack of an active trading market. Markets for securities or financial instruments could be disrupted by a number of events, including, but not limited to, an economic crisis, natural disasters, new legislation or regulatory changes inside or outside the U.S. Liquid investments may become less liquid after being purchased by the Fund, particularly during periods of market stress. In addition, if a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt.

**Small- and Mid-Capitalization Company Risk.** Investing in the securities of small and medium capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization companies. Since small and medium-sized companies may have limited operating histories, product lines and financial resources, the securities of these companies may be less liquid and more volatile. They may also be sensitive to (expected) changes in interest rates and earnings.

20 KraneShares Global Humanoid andEmbodied Intelligence Index ETF

**Large Capitalization Company Risk.** Large capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges and attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. As such, returns on investments in stocks of large capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small and mid capitalization companies.

**Passive Investment and Index Risk.** There is no guarantee that the Underlying Index will create the desired exposure and the Fund is not actively managed. It does not seek to "beat" the Underlying Index or take temporary defensive positions when markets decline. Therefore, the Fund may purchase or hold securities with current or projected underperformance.

There is no guarantee that the methodology the Index Provider uses to identify constituents for the Underlying Index will achieve its intended result or provide an accurate assessment of included constituents. The Underlying Index relies on various sources of information to assess the potential constituents of the Underlying Index, including information that may be based on assumptions or estimates. Neither the Fund nor Krane can offer assurances that the Index Provider's sources of information are reliable. There can be no guarantee that the methodology underlying the Underlying Index, the Underlying Index construction and computation processes, or the daily calculation of the Underlying Index or its methodology will be free from error or that an error will be identified and/or corrected, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund.

**Management Risk.** The Fund may not fully replicate the Underlying Index and may hold less than the total number of securities in the Underlying Index. Therefore, the Fund is subject to the risk that Krane's security selection process may not produce the intended results.

**Tracking Error Risk.** The Fund's return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Underlying Index. This may be due to, among other factors, the Fund holding cash under certain circumstances in lieu of Underlying Index securities, such as when the Fund is subject to delays converting U.S. dollars into a foreign currency to purchase foreign securities and unable to invest in certain constituents of the Underlying Index due to regulatory constraints, trading suspensions, and legal restrictions imposed by foreign governments. To the extent that the Fund employs a representative sampling strategy or calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the Underlying Index is based on securities' closing prices on local foreign markets, the Fund's ability to track the Underlying Index may be adversely affected.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**High Portfolio Turnover Risk.** The Fund may incur high portfolio turnover rates, which may increase the Fund's brokerage commission costs and negatively impact the Fund's performance. Such portfolio turnover also may generate net short-term capital gains.

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. In addition, the securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days that the Fund does not price its shares; as a result, the value of Fund shares may change on days when investors cannot purchase or sell their Fund holdings.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

21 KraneShares Global Humanoid andEmbodied Intelligence Index ETF

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. The Fund's investments in issuers whose control persons are not certain creates a risk that tax authorities may retrospectively deem the Fund to have failed the asset diversification requirements. If the Fund were to fail the favorable tax treatment requirements, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, which would adversely affect its performance.

**Depositary Receipts Risk.** The Fund may hold the securities of foreign companies in the form of depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts. Investing in depositary receipts entails the risks associated with foreign investments, such as fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the securities of U.S. issuers. In addition, the value of the securities underlying the depositary receipts may change materially when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, which will affect the value of the depositary receipts.

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane is subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

**Securities Lending Risk.** To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: (1) the securities in which the collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the applicable rebate rates paid to borrowers and related administrative costs; (2) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions; and (3) although borrowers of the Fund's securities typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities, there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. Krane is subject to potential conflicts of interest because the compensation paid to it increases in connection with any net income received by the Fund from the securities lending program.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

22 KraneShares Global Humanoid andEmbodied Intelligence Index ETF

**Performance Information**

Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included in this Prospectus that will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the variability of the Fund's return based on net assets and comparing the variability of the Fund's return to a broad measure of market performance. Once available, the Fund's current performance information will be available at www.kraneshares.com. Past performance does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.

**Management** 

**Investment Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Managers**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, also serves as a portfolio manager of the Fund. Mr. Shelon supports Mr. Maund and Krane's investment team for the Fund and has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares** 

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.kraneshares.com.

**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 IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

23 KraneShares Global Humanoid andEmbodied Intelligence Index ETF

**KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF**

**Investment Objective**

The KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF (the "Fund") seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, track the price and yield performance of a specific foreign equity securities index. The Fund's current index is the MSCI China A 50 Connect Index (USD) (the "Underlying Index").

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)**

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.78% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees\* | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses | 0.01% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 0.79% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Fee Waiver\*\* | -0.23% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver** | 0.56% |

---

\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

\*\* The Fund's investment adviser, Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser"), has contractually agreed to waive its management fee by 0.23% of the Fund's average daily net assets ("Fee Waiver"). The Fee Waiver will continue until August 1, 2026, and may only be terminated prior thereto by the Board.

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same, except that it reflects the Fee Waiver for the period described above. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| $57 | $229 | $416 | $956 |

---

**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 77% of the average value of its portfolio. This rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Fund's shares.

24 KraneShares Bosera MSCIChina A 50 Connect Index ETF

**Principal Investment Strategies**

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in securities of the Underlying Index and other instruments that have economic characteristics similar to such securities, including depositary receipts. The Underlying Index reflects the large- and mid-cap Chinese renminbi ("RMB")-denominated equity securities listed on the Shenzhen or Shanghai Stock Exchanges ("A-Shares") that are accessible through the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect or Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect programs (together, the "Stock Connect Programs"). The Underlying Index is constructed by selecting the two securities with the largest weights in each of the 11 Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS<sup>®</sup>) sectors in the large-capitalization portion of the MSCI China A Index (the "Parent Index"). The remaining securities are selected from the Parent Index by largest security weight until the total security count reaches 50. The Underlying Index constituents are then weighted based on (a) the free-float market capitalization weights of the Parent Index and (b) the GICS sector weight allocation of the Parent Index.

A-Shares are issued by companies incorporated in mainland China. Under current regulations in the People's Republic of China ("China" or the "PRC"), foreign investors can invest in A-Shares only through certain institutional investors that have obtained a license from the Chinese regulators or through the Stock Connect Programs. Bosera Asset Management (International) Co., Ltd. ("Bosera"), the Fund's sub-adviser, has received a license as a Qualified Foreign Investor ("QFI") from the China Securities Regulatory Commission ("CSRC"). In addition, the Fund may invest in A-Shares through the Stock Connect Programs.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in instruments that are not included in the Underlying Index, but that Krane and/or Bosera believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. These investments may include equity securities and depositary receipts of issuers whose securities are not constituents of the Underlying Index, derivative instruments (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options), other investment companies (including exchange traded funds or "ETFs") and cash or cash equivalents (including money market funds). The other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane, Bosera and/or its affiliates.

In addition to China A-Shares, which are described above, the Fund may invest in the following China-related securities:

● China B-Shares, which are shares of companies listed on the Shanghai or Shenzhen Stock Exchange but quoted and traded in foreign currencies (such as Hong Kong Dollars or U.S. Dollars), which were primarily created for trading by foreign investors.

● China H-Shares, which are shares of companies incorporated in mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange ("H-Shares"), where they are traded in Hong Kong dollars and may be traded by foreign investors.

● China N-Shares, which are shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on an American stock exchange, such as NYSE or NASDAQ ("N-Shares").

● P-Chips, which are shares of private sector companies with a majority of their business operations in mainland China and controlling private Chinese shareholders, which are incorporated outside of mainland China and traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong dollars.

● Red Chips, which are shares of companies with a majority of their business operations in mainland China and controlled by the central, provincial or municipal governments of the PRC, whose shares are traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong dollars.

● S-Chips, which are shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on the Singapore Exchange. S-Chip shares are issued by companies incorporated anywhere, but many are registered in Singapore, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, or Bermuda.

Although the Fund expects to replicate (or hold all constituents of) the Underlying Index, the Fund reserves the right to use representative sampling to track the Underlying Index. "Representative sampling" is a strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index.

25 KraneShares Bosera MSCIChina A 50 Connect Index ETF

As of May 31, 2025, the Underlying Index included 50 securities of companies with a market capitalization range of approximately $10.9 billion to $328.1 billion and an average market capitalization of approximately $71.4 billion. The Underlying Index is rebalanced and reconstituted quarterly.

To the extent the Underlying Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund is expected to be concentrated in that industry. As of May 31, 2025, issuers in the Financials sector (24.1%), Information Technology sector (16.0%), Industrials sector (15.4%), and Consumer Staples sector (11.7%) represented significant portions of the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is provided by MSCI Inc. ("Index Provider").

The Fund may engage in securities lending.

**Principal Risks**

As with all ETFs, a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**China Risk.** The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions in the People's Republic of China ("China" or the "PRC") and surrounding Asian countries and may demonstrate significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. Investments in Chinese securities, including those that are Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, subject the Fund to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. Over the last few decades, the Chinese government has undertaken reform of economic and market practices and has expanded the sphere of private ownership of property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. Chinese companies are also subject to the risk that Chinese authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. In addition, the Chinese economy is export-driven and highly reliant on trading with key partners. A downturn in the economies of China's primary trading partners could slow or eliminate the growth of the Chinese economy and adversely impact the Fund's investments. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. The RMB is not freely convertible, but rather is subject to approval of PRC authorities. Although Chinese authorities have indicated an intent to move to a freely convertible RMB, there is no assurance that repatriation strictions will not continue. The Chinese government may introduce new laws and regulations that could have an adverse effect on the Fund. Although China has begun the process of privatizing certain sectors of its economy, privatized entities may lose money and/or be re-nationalized.

Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Incidents involving China's or the region's security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments.

In the Chinese securities markets, a small number of issuers may represent a large portion of the entire market. The Chinese securities markets are subject to more frequent trading halts, low trading volume and price volatility. Recent developments in relations between the United States and China have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the two countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on China's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on the Fund. In addition, worsening trade relations between the two countries could adversely impact the Fund, particularly to the extent that the Chinese government restricts foreign investments in on-shore Chinese companies or the U.S. government restricts investments by U.S. investors in China. This may also result in market volatility and volatility in the price of Fund shares.

The Underlying Index may include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government. So long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments, the Fund is generally expected to invest in such companies, consistent with its objective to track the performance of the Underlying Index.

26 KraneShares Bosera MSCIChina A 50 Connect Index ETF

In recent years, Chinese entities have incurred significant levels of debt and Chinese financial institutions currently hold relatively large amounts of non-performing debt. Thus, there exists a possibility that widespread defaults could occur, which could trigger a financial crisis, freeze Chinese debt and finance markets and make Chinese securities illiquid.

Disclosure and regulatory standards in emerging market countries, such as China, are in many respects less stringent than U.S. standards. There is substantially less publicly available information about Chinese issuers than there is about U.S. issuers. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements or due to worsening relations between the U.S. and China, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities.

The tax laws and regulations in China are somewhat unclear and are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. The interpretation, application and enforcement of such laws and regulations by the applicable authorities may vary over time and from region to region, and could have an adverse effect on the Fund and its shareholders, particularly in relation to tax imposed upon foreign investors' capital gains. Uncertainties in Chinese tax rules could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund.

**A-Shares Risk.** A-Shares are issued by companies incorporated in mainland China and are traded on Chinese exchanges. Investments in A-Shares are made available to domestic Chinese investors and certain foreign investors, including those who have been approved as a QFI and through the Stock Connect Programs, which currently include the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shanghai-London Stock Connect, and China-Japan Stock Connect. Investments by foreign investors in A-Shares are subject to various restrictions, regulations and limits. Investments in A-Shares are heavily regulated and the recoupment and repatriation of assets invested in A-Shares is subject to restrictions by the Chinese government. A-Shares may be subject to frequent and widespread trading halts and may become illiquid. This could cause volatility in the Fund's share price and subject the Fund to a greater risk of trading halts.

**Custody Risks.** In accordance with Chinese regulations and the terms of a QFI license, A-Shares will be held in the joint names of the Fund and Bosera. Thus, the Fund's assets may not be as well protected as they would be if it were possible for them to be registered and held solely in the name of the Fund. There is a risk that creditors of Bosera may assert that the securities are owned by Bosera and that regulatory actions taken against Bosera may affect the Fund.

**Hong Kong Risk.** The economy of Hong Kong has few natural resources and any fluctuation or shortage in the commodity markets could have a significant adverse effect on the Hong Kong economy. Hong Kong is also heavily dependent on international trade and finance. Additionally, the continuation and success of the current political, economic, legal and social policies of Hong Kong is dependent on and subject to the control of the Chinese government. China may change its policies regarding Hong Kong at any time. Any such change may adversely affect market conditions and the performance of Chinese and Hong Kong issuers and, thus, the value of securities in the Fund's portfolio.

**Stock Connect Program Risk.** The Stock Connect Programs are subject to daily quota limitations, and an investor cannot purchase and sell the same security on the same trading day, which may restrict the Fund's ability to invest in A-Shares through the Programs and to enter into or exit trades on a timely basis. The Shanghai and Shenzhen markets may be open at a time when the participating exchanges located outside of mainland China are not active, with the result that prices of A-Shares may fluctuate at times when the Fund is unable to add to or exit its positions. Only certain China A-Shares are eligible to be accessed through the Stock Connect Programs. Such securities may lose their eligibility at any time, in which case they could be sold but could no longer be purchased through the Stock Connect Programs. Because the Stock Connect Programs are still evolving, the actual effect on the market for trading A-Shares with the introduction of large numbers of foreign investors is still relatively unknown. Further, regulations or restrictions, such as limitations on redemptions or suspension of trading, may adversely impact the program. There is no guarantee that the participating exchanges will continue to support the Stock Connect Programs in the future.

Investments in China A-Shares may not be covered by the securities investor protection programs of either exchange and, without the protection of such programs, will be subject to the risk of default by the broker. Because of the way in which China A-Shares are held in the Stock Connect Programs, the Fund may not be able to exercise the rights of a direct shareholder and may be limited in its ability to pursue claims against the issuer of a security, and may suffer losses in the event the legal or "nominee holder" of the China A-Shares under the Stock Connect Programs becomes insolvent.

27 KraneShares Bosera MSCIChina A 50 Connect Index ETF

**Chinese Equity Markets.** The use of B-shares, H-shares, N-Shares, Red-Chips, P-Chips, S-Chips by Chinese companies to obtain listings are subject to the political and economic policies in China and the markets on which they are listed. Further, the markets on which these shares are listed may behave very differently from the mainland Chinese markets, and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the two.

**Special Risk Considerations of Investing in China.** For purposes of raising capital offshore on exchanges outside of China, including on U.S. exchanges, many Chinese-based operating companies are structured as Variable Interest Entities ("VIEs"). In this structure, the Chinese-based operating company is the VIE and establishes an entity, which is typically offshore in a foreign jurisdiction, such as the Cayman Islands. The offshore entity lists on a foreign exchange and enters into contractual arrangements with the VIE. This structure allows Chinese companies in which the government restricts foreign ownership to raise capital from foreign investors. While the offshore entity has no equity ownership of the VIE, these contractual arrangements permit the offshore entity to consolidate the VIE's financial statements with its own for accounting purposes and provide for economic exposure to the performance of the underlying Chinese operating company. Therefore, an investor in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, will have exposure to the Chinese-based operating company only through contractual arrangements and has no ownership in the Chinese-based operating company. Furthermore, because the offshore entity only has specific rights provided for in these service agreements with the VIE, its abilities to control the activities at the Chinese-based operating company are limited and the operating company may engage in activities that negatively impact investment value. While the VIE structure has been widely adopted, it is not formally recognized under Chinese law and therefore there is a risk that the Chinese government could prohibit the existence of such structures or negatively impact the VIE's contractual arrangements with the listed offshore entity by making them invalid. If these contracts were found to be unenforceable under Chinese law, investors in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, may suffer significant losses with little or no recourse available. If the Chinese government determines that the agreements establishing the VIE structures do not comply with Chinese law and regulations, including those related to restrictions on foreign ownership, it could subject a Chinese-based issuer to penalties, revocation of business and operating licenses, or forfeiture of ownership interest.

**Equity Securities Risk.** The values of equity securities are subject to factors such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes. In the event of liquidation, equity securities are generally subordinate in rank to debt and other securities of the same issuer.

**Emerging Markets Risk.** Securities issued by entities with substantial operations or holdings in emerging market countries may involve additional risks and are subject to greater risk of loss than investments in developed markets. This is due to, among other things, greater market volatility, greater risk of asset seizures and capital controls, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, greater risk of market shutdown, and more governmental limitations on foreign investments in emerging market countries than typically found in developed markets. The economies of emerging markets, and China in particular, may be heavily reliant upon international trade and may suffer disproportionately if international trading declines or is disrupted. Such conditions may lead to potential errors in index data, index computation and/or index construction and may limit the ability to oversee the Index Provider's due diligence process over index data, which may adversely impact the Fund's performance and its ability to track the performance of the Underlying Index.

**Foreign Securities Risk.** Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may be less liquid than investments in U.S. issuers, may have less governmental regulation and oversight, and are typically subject to different investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities entail the risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations, political or economic instability, less complete financial information about the issuers, the possible imposition of withholding or confiscatory taxes, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, and the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency. Foreign market trading hours, clearance and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund's ability to buy and sell securities. Additionally, foreign issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, recordkeeping, and financial reporting requirements. Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by governmental authorities. If the Fund holds positions in such suspended securities, the Fund may be adversely impacted. Certain countries in which the Fund may invest may be subject to extended settlement delays and/or foreign holidays, during which the Fund will unlikely be able to convert holdings to cash. All of these factors could result in a loss to the Fund.

28 KraneShares Bosera MSCIChina A 50 Connect Index ETF

**Geographic Focus Risk.** The Fund's investments are expected to be focused in a particular country, countries, or region to approximately the same degree as the Underlying Index and therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country, countries or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified fund.

**Currency Risk.** To the extent that the Fund is exposed directly or indirectly to foreign currencies, including through its investments, or invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies and vice versa. This may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

**Concentration Risk.** The Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Underlying Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The securities of companies in an industry or group of industries could react similarly to market developments. Thus, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that affect one industry or group of industries or sector While the Fund's sector and industry exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Underlying Index, the Fund is currently subject to the principal risks described below.

**Financials Sector Risk.** The performance of companies in the financials sector may be adversely impacted by many factors, including, among others, government regulations, economic conditions, credit rating downgrades, changes in interest rates, and decreased liquidity in credit markets. This sector has experienced significant losses in the recent past, and the impact of more stringent capital requirements and of recent or future regulation on any individual financial company or on the sector as a whole cannot be predicted.

**Industrials Sector Risk.** The industrials sector may be affected by changes in the supply and demand for products and services, product obsolescence, claims for environmental damage or product liability and general economic conditions, among other factors. Government regulation will also affect the performance of investments in such industrials sector issuers, particularly aerospace and defense companies, which rely to a significant extent on government demand for their products and services. Transportation companies, another component of the industrials sector, are subject to sharp price movements resulting from changes in the economy, fuel prices, labor agreements and insurance costs.

**Information Technology Sector Risk.** The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in securities issued by companies in the information technology sector in order to track the Underlying Index's allocation to that sector. Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology advances could have a major effect on the value of stocks in the information technology sector. The value of stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from competitors with lower production costs. Information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies in the information technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel.

29 KraneShares Bosera MSCIChina A 50 Connect Index ETF

**Consumer Staples Sector Risk.** Companies in the consumer staples sector may be affected by general economic conditions, commodity production and pricing, consumer confidence and spending, consumer preferences, interest rates, and product cycles. They are subject to government regulation affecting their products which may negatively impact such companies' performance. For instance, for food and beverage companies, government regulations may affect the permissibility of using various food additives and production methods, which could affect company profitability. In particular, tobacco companies may be adversely affected by the adoption of proposed legislation and/or by litigation. Food and beverage companies risk further loss of market share and revenue due to contamination and resulting product recalls. Also, the success of food, beverage, household and personal products may be strongly affected by fads, marketing campaigns, changes in commodity prices and other factors affecting supply and demand.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to "Authorized Participants." Unlike many other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Thus, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in other ETFs as the Fund may recognize a capital gain that it could have avoided by making redemptions in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. Further, paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds at an inopportune time. Cash transactions may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes, including brokerage fees, that might not have occurred if the Fund utilized in-kind transactions. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted.

**International Closed Market Trading Risk.** To the extent the Fund's investments trade in markets that are closed when the Fund and Exchange are open, there are likely to be deviations between current pricing of an underlying security and the prices at which the underlying securities are valued for purposes of the Fund's NAV. As a result, Shares may appear to trade at a significant discount or premium to NAV greater than those incurred by other ETFs. In addition, shareholders may not be able to purchase or redeem their shares of the Fund, or purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

30 KraneShares Bosera MSCIChina A 50 Connect Index ETF

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, market turmoil, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants, or the lack of an active trading market. Markets for securities or financial instruments could be disrupted by a number of events, including, but not limited to, an economic crisis, natural disasters, new legislation or regulatory changes inside or outside the U.S. Liquid investments may become less liquid after being purchased by the Fund, particularly during periods of market stress. In addition, if a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt.

**Mid-Capitalization Company Risk.** Investing in the securities of medium capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization companies. Since medium-sized companies may have limited operating histories, product lines and financial resources, the securities of these companies may be less liquid and more volatile. They may also be sensitive to (expected) changes in interest rates and earnings.

**Large Capitalization Company Risk.** Large capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges and attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. As such, returns on investments in stocks of large capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small and mid capitalization companies.

**Passive Investment and Index Risk.** There is no guarantee that the Underlying Index will create the desired exposure and the Fund is not actively managed. It does not seek to "beat" the Underlying Index or take temporary defensive positions when markets decline. Therefore, the Fund may purchase or hold securities with current or projected underperformance.

There is no guarantee that the methodology the Index Provider uses to identify constituents for the Underlying Index will achieve its intended result or provide an accurate assessment of included constituents. The Underlying Index relies on various sources of information to assess the potential constituents of the Underlying Index, including information that may be based on assumptions or estimates. Neither the Fund nor Krane can offer assurances that the Index Provider's sources of information are reliable. There can be no guarantee that the methodology underlying the Underlying Index, the Underlying Index construction and computation processes, or the daily calculation of the Underlying Index or its methodology will be free from error or that an error will be identified and/or corrected, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund.

**Management Risk.** The Fund may not fully replicate the Underlying Index and may hold less than the total number of securities in the Underlying Index. Therefore, the Fund is subject to the risk that Bosera's security selection process may not produce the intended results.

31 KraneShares Bosera MSCIChina A 50 Connect Index ETF

**Tracking Error Risk.** The Fund's return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Underlying Index. This may be due to, among other factors, the Fund holding cash under certain circumstances in lieu of Underlying Index securities, such as when the Fund is subject to delays converting U.S. dollars into a foreign currency to purchase foreign securities and unable to invest in certain constituents of the Underlying Index due to regulatory constraints, trading suspensions, and legal restrictions imposed by foreign governments. To the extent that the Fund employs a representative sampling strategy or calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the Underlying Index is based on securities' closing prices on local foreign markets, the Fund's ability to track the Underlying Index may be adversely affected.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**High Portfolio Turnover Risk.** The Fund may incur high portfolio turnover rates, which may increase the Fund's brokerage commission costs and negatively impact the Fund's performance. Such portfolio turnover also may generate net short-term capital gains.

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. In addition, the securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days that the Fund does not price its shares; as a result, the value of Fund shares may change on days when investors cannot purchase or sell their Fund holdings.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. The Fund's investments in issuers whose control persons are not certain creates a risk that tax authorities may retrospectively deem the Fund to have failed the asset diversification requirements. If the Fund were to fail the favorable tax treatment requirements, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, which would adversely affect its performance.

**Depositary Receipts Risk.** The Fund may hold the securities of foreign companies in the form of depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts. Investing in depositary receipts entails the risks associated with foreign investments, such as fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the securities of U.S. issuers. In addition, the value of the securities underlying the depositary receipts may change materially when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, which will affect the value of the depositary receipts.

32 KraneShares Bosera MSCIChina A 50 Connect Index ETF

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

**IPO Risk.** Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile. At any particular time or from time to time, the Fund may not be able to invest in securities issued in IPOs, or invest to the extent desired, because, for example, only a small portion (if any) of the securities being offered in an IPO may be available to the Fund. In addition, as the Fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the Fund's performance will generally decrease.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane, a sub-adviser, and/or their affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane and a sub-adviser are subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane, a sub-adviser and/or their affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

**Securities Lending Risk.** To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: (1) the securities in which the collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the applicable rebate rates paid to borrowers and related administrative costs; (2) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions; and (3) although borrowers of the Fund's securities typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities, there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. Krane is subject to potential conflicts of interest because the compensation paid to it increases in connection with any net income received by the Fund from the securities lending program.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

33 KraneShares Bosera MSCIChina A 50 Connect Index ETF

**Performance Information**

The following bar chart and table illustrate the variability of the Fund's returns and indicate the risks of investing in the Fund by showing how the Fund's average annual total returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance and an additional index with characteristics relevant to the Fund. All returns include the reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As always, please note that the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. In addition, the Fund previously changed the indexes whose performance it sought to track, before fees and expenses, as detailed in the footnote to the Average Annual Total Returns table. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>.

![](pro-kba_001.jpg)

As of June 30, 2025, the Fund's calendar year-to-date total return was 3.05%.

**Best and Worst Quarter Returns (for the period reflected in the bar chart above)** 

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Return** | **Quarter Ended/Year** |
| Highest Return | 29.70% | 3/31/2019 |
| Lowest Return | -29.82% | 9/30/2015 |

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**Average Annual Total Returns for the periods ended December 31, 2024**

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF** | **1 year** | **5 years** | **10 years** |
| Return Before Taxes | 16.06% | 0.68% | 0.32% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | 15.96% | -0.67% | -1.23% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 10.41% | 0.91% | 0.25% |
| MSCI China All Shares Index<br> (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 16.38% | -1.78% | 1.22% |
| Custom Blended KBA Index (Net)<br> (Reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or other taxes)\* | 17.11% | 1.41% | 0.97% |

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Custom Blended KBA Index (Net) (Reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or other taxes)

34 KraneShares Bosera MSCIChina A 50 Connect Index ETF

\* The Custom Blended KBA Index consists of the MSCI China A Index from the inception of the Fund through October 23, 2014, the MSCI China A International Index from October 23, 2014 through December 26, 2017, the MSCI China A Inclusion Index from December 26, 2017 through May 29, 2019, the MSCI China A Index from May 29, 2019 through January 5, 2022, and the MSCI China A 50 Connect Index after January 4, 2022. As described in the prior sentence, the Fund sought investment results that, before fees and expenses, corresponded to the price and yield performance of the various indices for the various time periods noted.

Average annual total returns are shown on a before- and after-tax basis for the Fund. After-tax returns for the Fund are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement plans.

**Management**

**Investment Manager and Sub-Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC serves as the investment manager to the Fund.

Bosera Asset Management (International) Co., Ltd. serves as the sub-adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Manager**

Mrs. Qiong Wan, Fund Manager at Bosera, has been the Fund's portfolio manager since 2016.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.kraneshares.com.

**Tax Information**

Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

35 KraneShares Bosera MSCIChina A 50 Connect Index ETF

**KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF**

**Investment Objective**

The KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF (the "Fund") seeks to provide a total return that, before fees and expenses, exceeds that of the JP Morgan Asia Credit Index (JACI) Non-Investment Grade Corporate Index (the "Underlying Index") over a complete market cycle.

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)**

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.68% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees\* | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses | 0.01% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 0.69% |

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\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| $70 | $221 | $384 | $859 |

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**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 158% of the average value of its portfolio. This rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Fund's shares.

36 KraneShares Asia PacificHigh Income USD Bond ETF

**Principal Investment Strategies**

Under normal circumstances, the Fund seeks to achieve its objective by investing at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in fixed income securities of issuers located in the Asia-Pacific region and other instruments that have economic characteristics similar to such securities. In addition, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in U.S. dollar-denominated securities.

The Fund may invest in fixed income securities, of any credit quality, duration or maturity, issued by corporate, quasi-sovereign (including government-linked agencies, supranational organizations, etc.) and sovereign issuers, including convertible bonds. The Fund seeks to invest in high income producing instruments and will seek to invest primarily in fixed income securities that are below investment grade (commonly known as "junk bonds") or unrated. Below investment grade securities are generally defined as those fixed income securities that, at the time of investment, are rated below the four highest categories (i.e., rated Ba1/BB+ or lower) by at least one independent credit rating agency or, if unrated, are determined by Nikko Asset Management Americas, Inc. or its affiliates (the "Sub-Adviser") to be of comparable quality.

The Asia-Pacific region is defined to encompass countries represented in the J.P. Morgan Asia Credit Index or countries classified in Bloomberg's country of risk from the Asia-Pacific or Central Asia regions, including developed and emerging market countries.

An issuer is considered to be "located" in a country or a region, and a security or instrument is deemed to be an Asia-Pacific (or specific country) security or instrument, if it has substantial ties to that country or region. The Sub-Adviser currently makes that determination based primarily on one or more of the following criteria: (A) with respect to a company or issuer, whether (i) it is organized under the laws of that country or any country in that region; (ii) it derives at least 50% of its revenues or profits from goods produced or sold, investments made, or services performed, or has at least 50% of its assets located, within that country or region; (iii) it has the primary trading markets for its securities in that country or region; (iv) it has its principal place of business in or is otherwise headquartered in that country or region; or (v) it is a governmental entity or an agency, instrumentality or a political subdivision of that country or any country in that region; and (B) with respect to an instrument or issue, whether (i) its issuer is headquartered or organized in that country or region; (ii) it is issued to finance a project with significant assets or operations in that country or region; (iii) it is principally secured or backed by assets located in that country or region; (iv) it is a component of or its issuer is included in a recognized securities index for the country or region; or (v) it is denominated in the currency of an Asia-Pacific country and addresses at least one of the other above criteria. The term "located" and the associated criteria listed above have been defined in such a way that the Sub-Adviser has latitude in determining whether an issuer should be included within a region or country.

The Sub-Adviser uses top-down macro research and bottom-up credit research to construct the Fund's portfolio using a proprietary process that involves, among other factors, a combination of quantitative and qualitative factors to assess an issuer's credit profile, and the Sub-Adviser's assessment of a security's value and relative value compared to other similar securities. The Sub-Adviser monitors the Fund's portfolio securities to ensure that the investment thesis remains valid and will exit a position if its assessment of a security has changed.

The Fund is non-diversified and therefore may invest a larger percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or smaller number of issuers than diversified funds. The Fund also may invest a large percentage of its net assets in issuers in a single region or country within the Asia-Pacific region and may invest in issuers of any market capitalization. The Fund currently expects to invest more than 25% of its assets in the real estate sector. The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"), if the investment companies invest principally in the types of investments in which the Fund may invest directly.

The Fund may also invest in derivative instruments (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) as a means of hedging risk and/or for investment purposes, which may include altering the Fund's exposure to currencies, interest rates, sectors and individual issuers.

The Fund may engage in securities lending.

37 KraneShares Asia PacificHigh Income USD Bond ETF

**Principal Risks**

As with all ETFs, a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**Asia-Pacific Risk.** Investments in securities of issuers in Asia-Pacific countries involve risks that are specific to the Asia-Pacific region, including certain legal, regulatory, political and economic risks. Certain Asia-Pacific countries have experienced expropriation and/or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, political instability, armed conflict and social instability as a result of religious, ethnic, socio-economic and/or political unrest. Some economies in this region are dependent on a range of commodities, and are strongly affected by international commodity prices and particularly vulnerable to price changes for these products. The market for securities in this region may also be directly influenced by the flow of international capital, and by the economic and market conditions of neighbouring countries. Many Asia-Pacific economies have experienced rapid growth and industrialization, and there is no assurance that this growth rate will be maintained. Some Asia-Pacific economies are highly dependent on trade and economic conditions in other countries can impact these economies.

**High Yield and Unrated Securities Risk.** Securities that are unrated or rated below investment grade (or "junk bonds") are subject to greater risk of loss of income and principal than highly rated securities because their issuers may be more likely to default. Junk bonds are inherently speculative. The prices of unrated and high yield securities are likely to be more volatile than those of highly rated securities, and the secondary market for them is generally less liquid than that for highly rated securities.

**Fixed Income Securities Risk.** Fixed income securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a security will not make timely interest payments or repay the principal of the debt issued (i.e., default on its obligations). A downgrade or default on securities held by the Fund could adversely affect the Fund's performance. Generally, the longer the maturity and the lower the credit quality of a security, the more sensitive it is to credit risk. Interest rate risk refers to fluctuations in the value of a debt resulting from changes in the level of interest rates. When interest rates go up, the prices of most debt instruments generally go down; and when interest rates go down, the prices of most debt instruments generally go up. Debt instruments with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes, typically making them more volatile. Interest rates have recently increased and may continue increasing, thereby heightening the risks associated with rising interest rates.

**Emerging Markets Risk.** Securities issued by entities with substantial operations or holdings in emerging market countries may involve additional risks and are subject to greater risk of loss than investments in developed markets. This is due to, among other things, greater market volatility, greater risk of asset seizures and capital controls, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, greater risk of market shutdown, and more governmental limitations on foreign investments in emerging market countries than typically found in developed markets. The economies of emerging markets, and China in particular, may be heavily reliant upon international trade and may suffer disproportionately if international trading declines or is disrupted.

**Foreign Securities Risk.** Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may be less liquid than investments in U.S. issuers, may have less governmental regulation and oversight, and are typically subject to different investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities entail the risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations, political or economic instability, less complete financial information about the issuers, the possible imposition of withholding or confiscatory taxes, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, and the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency. Foreign market trading hours, clearance and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund's ability to buy and sell securities. Additionally, foreign issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, recordkeeping, and financial reporting requirements. Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by governmental authorities. If the Fund holds positions in such suspended securities, the Fund may be adversely impacted. Certain countries in which the Fund may invest may be subject to extended settlement delays and/or foreign holidays, during which the Fund will unlikely be able to convert holdings to cash. All of these factors could result in a loss to the Fund.

38 KraneShares Asia PacificHigh Income USD Bond ETF

**Convertible Securities Risk.** The value of a convertible security, which is a form of hybrid security (i.e., a security with both debt and equity characteristics), typically increases or decreases with the price of the underlying common stock. In general, a convertible security is subject to the market risks of stocks when the underlying stock's price is high relative to the conversion price and is subject to the market risks of debt securities when the underlying stock's price is low relative to the conversion price. The general market risks of debt securities that are common to convertible securities include, but are not limited to, interest rate risk and credit risk. Many convertible securities have credit ratings that are below investment grade and are subject to the same risks as an investment in lower-rated debt securities. To the extent the Fund invests in convertible securities issued by small- or mid-capitalization companies, it will be subject to the risks of investing in such companies.

**Geographic Focus Risk.** The Fund's investments will be focused in a particular country, countries, or region and therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country, countries or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified fund.

**Real Estate Sector Risk.** The Fund may invest in securities within the real estate sector. Investments in real estate issuers may be volatile. Real estate issuers are susceptible to the risks associated with direct ownership of real estate, including declines in the real estate market, decreases in property revenues, increases in interest rates, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, legal and regulatory changes, a lack of credit or capital, defaults by borrowers or tenants, environmental problems and natural disasters.

**Financials Sector Risk.** The performance of companies in the financials sector may be adversely impacted by many factors, including, among others, government regulations, economic conditions, credit rating downgrades, changes in interest rates, and decreased liquidity in credit markets. This sector has experienced significant losses in the recent past, and the impact of more stringent capital requirements and of recent or future regulation on any individual financial company or on the sector as a whole cannot be predicted.

**Currency Risk.** To the extent that the Fund is exposed directly or indirectly to foreign currencies, including through its investments, or invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies and vice versa. This may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**Sovereign and Quasi-Sovereign Debt Risk.** The governmental authority that controls the repayment of sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt may be unwilling or unable to repay the principal and/or interest when due including due to the extent of its foreign reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the debtor's policy towards the International Monetary Fund, and the political constraints to which the debtor is subject. If an issuer of government or quasi-government debt defaults on payments of principal and/or interest, the Fund may have limited legal recourse against the issuer and/or guarantor. During periods of economic uncertainty, the market prices of sovereign and quasi-sovereign bonds may be more volatile and result in losses. In the past, certain governments of emerging market countries have declared themselves unable to meet their financial obligations on a timely basis, which has resulted in losses for investors.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

39 KraneShares Asia PacificHigh Income USD Bond ETF

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to "Authorized Participants." Unlike many other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Thus, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in other ETFs as the Fund may recognize a capital gain that it could have avoided by making redemptions in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. Further, paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds at an inopportune time. Cash transactions may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes, including brokerage fees, that might not have occurred if the Fund utilized in-kind transactions. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted.

**International Closed Market Trading Risk.** To the extent the Fund's investments trade in markets that are closed when the Fund and Exchange are open, there are likely to be deviations between current pricing of an underlying security and the prices at which the underlying securities are valued for purposes of the Fund's NAV. As a result, Shares may appear to trade at a significant discount or premium to NAV greater than those incurred by other ETFs. In addition, shareholders may not be able to purchase or redeem their shares of the Fund, or purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**Small Fund Risk.** The Fund is small and does not yet have a significant number of shares outstanding. Small funds are at greater risk than larger funds of wider bid-ask spreads for its shares, trading at a greater premium or discount to NAV, liquidation and/or a stop to trading.

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, market turmoil, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants, or the lack of an active trading market. Markets for securities or financial instruments could be disrupted by a number of events, including, but not limited to, an economic crisis, natural disasters, new legislation or regulatory changes inside or outside the U.S. Liquid investments may become less liquid after being purchased by the Fund, particularly during periods of market stress. In addition, if a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt.

40 KraneShares Asia PacificHigh Income USD Bond ETF

**Small- and Mid-Capitalization Company Risk.** Investing in the securities of small and medium capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization companies. Since small and medium-sized companies may have limited operating histories, product lines and financial resources, the securities of these companies may be less liquid and more volatile. They may also be sensitive to (expected) changes in interest rates and earnings.

**Large Capitalization Company Risk.** Large capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges and attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. As such, returns on investments in stocks of large capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small and mid-capitalization companies.

**Management Risk.** The Fund is actively-managed and may not meet its investment objective based on the Sub-Adviser's success or failure to implement investment strategies for the Fund. The Sub-Adviser's evaluations and assumptions regarding investments, interest rates, inflation, and other factors may not successfully achieve the Fund's investment objective given actual market conditions.

**High Portfolio Turnover Risk.** The Fund may incur high portfolio turnover rates, which may increase the Fund's brokerage commission costs and negatively impact the Fund's performance. Such portfolio turnover also may generate net short-term capital gains.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. In addition, the securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days that the Fund does not price its shares; as a result, the value of Fund shares may change on days when investors cannot purchase or sell their Fund holdings.

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

41 KraneShares Asia PacificHigh Income USD Bond ETF

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. The Fund's investments in issuers whose control persons are not certain creates a risk that tax authorities may retrospectively deem the Fund to have failed the asset diversification requirements. If the Fund were to fail the favorable tax treatment requirements, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, which would adversely affect its performance.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane, a sub-adviser, and/or their affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane and a sub-adviser are subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane, a sub-adviser and/or their affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

**Securities Lending Risk.** To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: (1) the securities in which the collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the applicable rebate rates paid to borrowers and related administrative costs; (2) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions; and (3) although borrowers of the Fund's securities typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities, there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. Krane is subject to potential conflicts of interest because the compensation paid to it increases in connection with any net income received by the Fund from the securities lending program.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

42 KraneShares Asia PacificHigh Income USD Bond ETF

**Performance Information**

The following bar chart and table illustrate the variability of the Fund's returns and indicate the risks of investing in the Fund by showing how the Fund's average annual total returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance and an additional index with characteristics relevant to the Fund. All returns include the reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As always, please note that the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.kraneshares.com. In addition, prior to August 1, 2021, CCB Securities Ltd. was responsible for day-to-day portfolio management of the Fund and the Fund previously sought to track the performance of the Solactive USD China Corporate High Yield Bond Index, before fees and expenses. Its performance prior to that date would have been different if the current goal and principal investment strategies had been in effect.

![](pro-khyb_001.jpg)

As of June 30, 2025, the Fund's calendar year-to-date total return was 3.53%.

**Best and Worst Quarter Returns (for the period reflected in the bar chart above)**

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Return** | **Quarter Ended/Year** |
| Highest Return | 8.71% | 12/31/2022 |
| Lowest Return | -9.59% | 12/31/2021 |

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**Average Annual Total Returns for the periods ended December 31, 2024**

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF** | **1 year** | **5 years** | **Since Inception<br>(6-26-2018)** |
| Return Before Taxes | 10.53% | -1.17% | 0.50% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | 6.19% | -4.78% | -2.74% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 6.18% | -2.36% | -0.94% |
| JP Morgan Asia Credit Index (JACI) Diversified<br> (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 5.72% | 0.87% | 2.60% |
| JP Morgan Asia Credit Index (JACI) Non-Investment Grade Corporate Index<br> (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 13.95% | -1.76% | 0.51% |

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43 KraneShares Asia PacificHigh Income USD Bond ETF

Average annual total returns are shown on a before- and after-tax basis for the Fund. After-tax returns for the Fund are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement plans.

**Management**

**Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

Nikko Asset Management Americas, Inc. serves as the sub-adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Manager**

Wai Hoong Leong, CFA, Senior Portfolio Manager, and Jian Wei Loh, Senior Portfolio Manager, at the Sub-Adviser serve as portfolio managers for the Fund since August 2021 and February 2024, respectively.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.kraneshares.com.

**Tax Information**

Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

44 KraneShares Asia PacificHigh Income USD Bond ETF

**KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF**

**Investment Objective**

The KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF (the "Fund") seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of a specific equity securities index. The Fund's current index is the Bloomberg Electric Vehicles Index (the "Underlying Index").

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)**

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.68% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees\* | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses\*\* | 0.04% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 0.72% |

---

\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

\*\* Although the Fund's investment adviser, Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") receives 10% of the net revenue generated by the Fund's securities lending activities and such amount is included in "Other Expenses," the Fund receives 90% of such net revenues. Please see the "Management" section of the Prospectus for more information.

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| $74 | $230 | $401 | $894 |

---

**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 39% of the average value of its portfolio. This rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Fund's shares.

45 KraneShares Electric Vehicles andFuture Mobility Index ETF

**Principal Investment Strategies**

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in instruments in its Underlying Index or in instruments that have economic characteristics similar to those in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is designed to measure the equity market performance of companies engaged in the production of electric vehicles or their components or in other initiatives that are expected to change the future of mobility, as determined by Bloomberg Indices, the provider of the Underlying Index ("Index Provider"). This includes companies that are expected to derive significant revenues from electric vehicles, energy storage technologies, lithium and copper mining, and hydrogen fuel cells.

To be eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index, a security must be a member of the Bloomberg World Equity Aggregate Index and classified as belonging to the vehicles, electrical vehicle components, batteries, hydrogen fuel cells, or raw materials sector classifications as determined by the Bloomberg Intelligence Theme-Basket committee. To determine eligibility, Bloomberg Intelligence uses a multistep process that (1) proposes companies and key terms associated with the above-named sector classifications; (2) searches filings of actively traded public companies for occurrences of key terms to affirm proposed companies and find missing companies; and (3) back-tests to see how closely the identified companies trade together as a group. Finally, the Bloomberg Intelligence Theme-Basket committee reviews the results to determine the final composition of the Underlying Index. The securities are screened for extreme event controversy, United Nations Global Compact violations, and controversial business involvements.

Electric vehicles and mobility are not recognized industries, sub-industries or sectors. Therefore, to identify issuers engaged in those industries, the Index Provider cannot solely rely on traditional categorizations such as the Global Industry Classification Standard.

The Underlying Index is a modified market capitalization weighted index. The initial weight of each security is determined by dividing the free float market capitalization of each security by the sum of the free float market capitalizations of all the securities in the index. Using a three-step capping process, the initial weights are distributed such that the top eight securities are subject to a 4% cap and must achieve a proprietary thematic score of 2 or higher. Securities after the top eight are subject to a 2.5% cap and must also achieve a proprietary thematic score of 2 or higher. Securities with a thematic score of 1 are subject to a 1.0% cap. Any excess weight from capping is then redistributed proportionally to the remaining uncapped issuers. If there are multiple securities per issuer, then the issuer weight is redistributed proportionally to all of the securities within the issuer based on the free float market capitalization of each security.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in instruments that are not included in the Underlying Index, but that Krane believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. These investments may include equity securities and depositary receipts of issuers whose securities are not constituents of the Underlying Index, derivative instruments (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options), other investment companies (including exchange traded funds or "ETFs") and cash or cash equivalents (including money market funds). The other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates.

Although the Fund expects to replicate (or hold all constituents of) the Underlying Index, the Fund reserves the right to use representative sampling to track the Underlying Index. "Representative sampling" is a strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index.

To the extent the Underlying Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund is expected to be concentrated in that industry. As of May 31, 2025, the Underlying Index included 53 securities of companies with a market capitalization range of approximately $951.9 million to $1.1 trillion and an average market capitalization of approximately $36.1 billion. As of May 31, 2025, issuers in the Consumer Discretionary sector (50.3%), Materials sector (24.2%), and Industrials sector (23.3%) represented significant portions of the Underlying Index. As of May 31, 2025, the largest markets represented in the Underlying Index were China, United States and South Korea. The Underlying Index is reconstituted and rebalanced quarterly.

The Fund may engage in securities lending.

46 KraneShares Electric Vehicles andFuture Mobility Index ETF

**Principal Risks**

As with all ETFs, a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**Autonomous Vehicles and Future Mobility Companies Risk.** Investments in autonomous vehicles and future mobility companies may be volatile. These companies are subject to intense competition, the risk of product obsolescence, changes in consumer preferences and legal, regulatory and political changes. Many of these companies make significant expenditures on research and development, and are heavily dependent on intellectual property rights, which may be challenged by other similar companies. A loss or impairment of intellectual property rights may adversely affect autonomous vehicles and future mobility companies. These vehicles may incorporate raw materials from companies concentrated in certain commodities, and may also rely on fuel sources that are more sensitive to commodities market activity than traditional vehicle fuels, which exposes the autonomous vehicles and future mobility companies to the price fluctuation of those commodities. They are also especially at risk of hacking, other cybersecurity events, and traffic accidents related to autonomous vehicles.

**China Risk.** The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions in the People's Republic of China ("China" or the "PRC") and surrounding Asian countries and may demonstrate significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. Investments in Chinese securities, including those that are Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, subject the Fund to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. Over the last few decades, the Chinese government has undertaken reform of economic and market practices and has expanded the sphere of private ownership of property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. Chinese companies are also subject to the risk that Chinese authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. In addition, the Chinese economy is export-driven and highly reliant on trading with key partners. A downturn in the economies of China's primary trading partners could slow or eliminate the growth of the Chinese economy and adversely impact the Fund's investments. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. The RMB is not freely convertible, but rather is subject to approval of PRC authorities. Although Chinese authorities have indicated an intent to move to a freely convertible RMB, there is no assurance that repatriation strictions will not continue. The Chinese government may introduce new laws and regulations that could have an adverse effect on the Fund. Although China has begun the process of privatizing certain sectors of its economy, privatized entities may lose money and/or be re-nationalized.

Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Incidents involving China's or the region's security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments.

In the Chinese securities markets, a small number of issuers may represent a large portion of the entire market. The Chinese securities markets are subject to more frequent trading halts, low trading volume and price volatility. Recent developments in relations between the United States and China have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the two countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on China's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on the Fund. In addition, worsening trade relations between the two countries could adversely impact the Fund, particularly to the extent that the Chinese government restricts foreign investments in on-shore Chinese companies or the U.S. government restricts investments by U.S. investors in China. This may also result in market volatility and volatility in the price of Fund shares.

47 KraneShares Electric Vehicles andFuture Mobility Index ETF

The Underlying Index may include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government. So long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments, the Fund is generally expected to invest in such companies, consistent with its objective to track the performance of the Underlying Index.

In recent years, Chinese entities have incurred significant levels of debt and Chinese financial institutions currently hold relatively large amounts of non-performing debt. Thus, there exists a possibility that widespread defaults could occur, which could trigger a financial crisis, freeze Chinese debt and finance markets and make Chinese securities illiquid.

Disclosure and regulatory standards in emerging market countries, such as China, are in many respects less stringent than U.S. standards. There is substantially less publicly available information about Chinese issuers than there is about U.S. issuers. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements or due to worsening relations between the U.S. and China, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities.

The tax laws and regulations in China are somewhat unclear and are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. The interpretation, application and enforcement of such laws and regulations by the applicable authorities may vary over time and from region to region, and could have an adverse effect on the Fund and its shareholders, particularly in relation to tax imposed upon foreign investors' capital gains. Uncertainties in Chinese tax rules could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund.

**A-Shares Risk.** A-Shares are issued by companies incorporated in mainland China and are traded on Chinese exchanges. Investments in A-Shares are made available to domestic Chinese investors and certain foreign investors, including those who have been approved as a QFI and through the Stock Connect Programs, which currently include the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shanghai-London Stock Connect, and China-Japan Stock Connect. Investments by foreign investors in A-Shares are subject to various restrictions, regulations and limits. Investments in A-Shares are heavily regulated and the recoupment and repatriation of assets invested in A-Shares is subject to restrictions by the Chinese government. A-Shares may be subject to frequent and widespread trading halts and may become illiquid. This could cause volatility in the Fund's share price and subject the Fund to a greater risk of trading halts.

**Custody Risks.** In accordance with Chinese regulations and the terms of a QFI license and insofar as Krane acquires a QFI, A-Shares will be held in the joint names of the Fund and Krane. Thus, the Fund's assets may not be as well protected as they would be if it were possible for them to be registered and held solely in the name of the Fund. There is a risk that creditors of Krane may assert that the securities are owned by Krane and that regulatory actions taken against Krane may affect the Fund.

**Hong Kong Risk.** The economy of Hong Kong has few natural resources and any fluctuation or shortage in the commodity markets could have a significant adverse effect on the Hong Kong economy. Hong Kong is also heavily dependent on international trade and finance. Additionally, the continuation and success of the current political, economic, legal and social policies of Hong Kong is dependent on and subject to the control of the Chinese government. China may change its policies regarding Hong Kong at any time. Any such change may adversely affect market conditions and the performance of Chinese and Hong Kong issuers and, thus, the value of securities in the Fund's portfolio.

**Stock Connect Program Risk.** The Stock Connect Programs are subject to daily quota limitations, and an investor cannot purchase and sell the same security on the same trading day, which may restrict the Fund's ability to invest in A-Shares through the Programs and to enter into or exit trades on a timely basis. The Shanghai and Shenzhen markets may be open at a time when the participating exchanges located outside of mainland China are not active, with the result that prices of A-Shares may fluctuate at times when the Fund is unable to add to or exit its positions. Only certain China A-Shares are eligible to be accessed through the Stock Connect Programs. Such securities may lose their eligibility at any time, in which case they could be sold but could no longer be purchased through the Stock Connect Programs. Because the Stock Connect Programs are still evolving, the actual effect on the market for trading A-Shares with the introduction of large numbers of foreign investors is still relatively unknown. Further, regulations or restrictions, such as limitations on redemptions or suspension of trading, may adversely impact the program. There is no guarantee that the participating exchanges will continue to support the Stock Connect Programs in the future.

48 KraneShares Electric Vehicles andFuture Mobility Index ETF

Investments in China A-Shares may not be covered by the securities investor protection programs of either exchange and, without the protection of such programs, will be subject to the risk of default by the broker. Because of the way in which China A-Shares are held in the Stock Connect Programs, the Fund may not be able to exercise the rights of a direct shareholder and may be limited in its ability to pursue claims against the issuer of a security, and may suffer losses in the event the legal or "nominee holder" of the China A-Shares under the Stock Connect Programs becomes insolvent.

**Chinese Equity Markets.** The use of B-shares, H-shares, N-Shares, Red-Chips, P-Chips, S-Chips by Chinese companies to obtain listings are subject to the political and economic policies in China and the markets on which they are listed. Further, the markets on which these shares are listed may behave very differently from the mainland Chinese markets, and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the two.

**Special Risk Considerations of Investing in China.** For purposes of raising capital offshore on exchanges outside of China, including on U.S. exchanges, many Chinese-based operating companies are structured as Variable Interest Entities ("VIEs"). In this structure, the Chinese-based operating company is the VIE and establishes an entity, which is typically offshore in a foreign jurisdiction, such as the Cayman Islands. The offshore entity lists on a foreign exchange and enters into contractual arrangements with the VIE. This structure allows Chinese companies in which the government restricts foreign ownership to raise capital from foreign investors. While the offshore entity has no equity ownership of the VIE, these contractual arrangements permit the offshore entity to consolidate the VIE's financial statements with its own for accounting purposes and provide for economic exposure to the performance of the underlying Chinese operating company. Therefore, an investor in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, will have exposure to the Chinese-based operating company only through contractual arrangements and has no ownership in the Chinese-based operating company. Furthermore, because the offshore entity only has specific rights provided for in these service agreements with the VIE, its abilities to control the activities at the Chinese-based operating company are limited and the operating company may engage in activities that negatively impact investment value. While the VIE structure has been widely adopted, it is not formally recognized under Chinese law and therefore there is a risk that the Chinese government could prohibit the existence of such structures or negatively impact the VIE's contractual arrangements with the listed offshore entity by making them invalid. If these contracts were found to be unenforceable under Chinese law, investors in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, may suffer significant losses with little or no recourse available. If the Chinese government determines that the agreements establishing the VIE structures do not comply with Chinese law and regulations, including those related to restrictions on foreign ownership, it could subject a Chinese-based issuer to penalties, revocation of business and operating licenses, or forfeiture of ownership interest.

**Equity Securities Risk.** The values of equity securities are subject to factors such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes. In the event of liquidation, equity securities are generally subordinate in rank to debt and other securities of the same issuer.

**Emerging Markets Risk.** Securities issued by entities with substantial operations or holdings in emerging market countries may involve additional risks and are subject to greater risk of loss than investments in developed markets. This is due to, among other things, greater market volatility, greater risk of asset seizures and capital controls, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, greater risk of market shutdown, and more governmental limitations on foreign investments in emerging market countries than typically found in developed markets. The economies of emerging markets, and China in particular, may be heavily reliant upon international trade and may suffer disproportionately if international trading declines or is disrupted. Such conditions may lead to potential errors in index data, index computation and/or index construction and may limit the ability to oversee the Index Provider's due diligence process over index data, which may adversely impact the Fund's performance and its ability to track the performance of the Underlying Index.

49 KraneShares Electric Vehicles andFuture Mobility Index ETF

**Foreign Securities Risk.** Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may be less liquid than investments in U.S. issuers, may have less governmental regulation and oversight, and are typically subject to different investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities entail the risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations, political or economic instability, less complete financial information about the issuers, the possible imposition of withholding or confiscatory taxes, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, and the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency. Foreign market trading hours, clearance and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund's ability to buy and sell securities. Additionally, foreign issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, recordkeeping, and financial reporting requirements. Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by governmental authorities. If the Fund holds positions in such suspended securities, the Fund may be adversely impacted. Certain countries in which the Fund may invest may be subject to extended settlement delays and/or foreign holidays, during which the Fund will unlikely be able to convert holdings to cash. All of these factors could result in a loss to the Fund.

**Geographic Focus Risk.** The Fund's investments are expected to be focused in a particular country, countries, or region to approximately the same degree as the Underlying Index and therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country, countries or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified fund.

**South Korea Risk.** The Fund is susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory and geographic events affecting South Korea. The South Korean economy is dependent on the economies of other Asian countries, especially China and Southeast Asia, and the United States as key trading partners. Furthermore, South Korea's economy may be significantly affected by currency fluctuations and increasing competition from Asia's other low-cost emerging economies. Also, tensions with North Korea could escalate and lead to further uncertainty in the political and economic climate of South Korea.

**Currency Risk.** To the extent that the Fund is exposed directly or indirectly to foreign currencies, including through its investments, or invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies and vice versa. This may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

**Concentration Risk.** The Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Underlying Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The securities of companies in an industry or group of industries could react similarly to market developments. Thus, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that affect one industry or group of industries or sector While the Fund's sector and industry exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Underlying Index, the Fund is currently subject to the principal risks described below.

**Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk.** The success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied closely to the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence. Success depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes can also affect the demand for, and success of, consumer products in the marketplace.

**Materials Sector Risk.** The materials sector may be adversely impacted by the volatility of commodity prices, exchange rates, depletion of resources, over-production, litigation and government regulations, among other factors.

**Industrials Sector Risk.** The industrials sector may be affected by changes in the supply and demand for products and services, product obsolescence, claims for environmental damage or product liability and general economic conditions, among other factors. Government regulation will also affect the performance of investments in such industrials sector issuers, particularly aerospace and defense companies, which rely to a significant extent on government demand for their products and services. Transportation companies, another component of the industrials sector, are subject to sharp price movements resulting from changes in the economy, fuel prices, labor agreements and insurance costs.

50 KraneShares Electric Vehicles andFuture Mobility Index ETF

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to "Authorized Participants." Unlike many other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Thus, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in other ETFs as the Fund may recognize a capital gain that it could have avoided by making redemptions in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. Further, paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds at an inopportune time. Cash transactions may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes, including brokerage fees, that might not have occurred if the Fund utilized in-kind transactions. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted.

**International Closed Market Trading Risk.** To the extent the Fund's investments trade in markets that are closed when the Fund and Exchange are open, there are likely to be deviations between current pricing of an underlying security and the prices at which the underlying securities are valued for purposes of the Fund's NAV. As a result, Shares may appear to trade at a significant discount or premium to NAV greater than those incurred by other ETFs. In addition, shareholders may not be able to purchase or redeem their shares of the Fund, or purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, market turmoil, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants, or the lack of an active trading market. Markets for securities or financial instruments could be disrupted by a number of events, including, but not limited to, an economic crisis, natural disasters, new legislation or regulatory changes inside or outside the U.S. Liquid investments may become less liquid after being purchased by the Fund, particularly during periods of market stress. In addition, if a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt.

51 KraneShares Electric Vehicles andFuture Mobility Index ETF

**Small- and Mid-Capitalization Company Risk.** Investing in the securities of small and medium capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization companies. Since small and medium-sized companies may have limited operating histories, product lines and financial resources, the securities of these companies may be less liquid and more volatile. They may also be sensitive to (expected) changes in interest rates and earnings.

**Large Capitalization Company Risk.** Large capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges and attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. As such, returns on investments in stocks of large capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small and mid capitalization companies.

**Passive Investment and Index Risk.** There is no guarantee that the Underlying Index will create the desired exposure and the Fund is not actively managed. It does not seek to "beat" the Underlying Index or take temporary defensive positions when markets decline. Therefore, the Fund may purchase or hold securities with current or projected underperformance.

There is no guarantee that the methodology the Index Provider uses to identify constituents for the Underlying Index will achieve its intended result or provide an accurate assessment of included constituents. The Underlying Index relies on various sources of information to assess the potential constituents of the Underlying Index, including information that may be based on assumptions or estimates. Neither the Fund nor Krane can offer assurances that the Index Provider's sources of information are reliable. There can be no guarantee that the methodology underlying the Underlying Index, the Underlying Index construction and computation processes, or the daily calculation of the Underlying Index or its methodology will be free from error or that an error will be identified and/or corrected, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund.

**Management Risk.** The Fund may not fully replicate the Underlying Index and may hold less than the total number of securities in the Underlying Index. Therefore, the Fund is subject to the risk that Krane's security selection process may not produce the intended results.

**Tracking Error Risk.** The Fund's return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Underlying Index. This may be due to, among other factors, the Fund holding cash under certain circumstances in lieu of Underlying Index securities, such as when the Fund is subject to delays converting U.S. dollars into a foreign currency to purchase foreign securities and unable to invest in certain constituents of the Underlying Index due to regulatory constraints, trading suspensions, and legal restrictions imposed by foreign governments. To the extent that the Fund employs a representative sampling strategy or calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the Underlying Index is based on securities' closing prices on local foreign markets, the Fund's ability to track the Underlying Index may be adversely affected.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**High Portfolio Turnover Risk.** The Fund may incur high portfolio turnover rates, which may increase the Fund's brokerage commission costs and negatively impact the Fund's performance. Such portfolio turnover also may generate net short-term capital gains.

52 KraneShares Electric Vehicles andFuture Mobility Index ETF

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. In addition, the securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days that the Fund does not price its shares; as a result, the value of Fund shares may change on days when investors cannot purchase or sell their Fund holdings.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. The Fund's investments in issuers whose control persons are not certain creates a risk that tax authorities may retrospectively deem the Fund to have failed the asset diversification requirements. If the Fund were to fail the favorable tax treatment requirements, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, which would adversely affect its performance.

**Depositary Receipts Risk.** The Fund may hold the securities of foreign companies in the form of depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts. Investing in depositary receipts entails the risks associated with foreign investments, such as fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the securities of U.S. issuers. In addition, the value of the securities underlying the depositary receipts may change materially when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, which will affect the value of the depositary receipts.

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane is subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

53 KraneShares Electric Vehicles andFuture Mobility Index ETF

**Securities Lending Risk.** To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: (1) the securities in which the collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the applicable rebate rates paid to borrowers and related administrative costs; (2) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions; and (3) although borrowers of the Fund's securities typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities, there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. Krane is subject to potential conflicts of interest because the compensation paid to it increases in connection with any net income received by the Fund from the securities lending program.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

54 KraneShares Electric Vehicles andFuture Mobility Index ETF

**Performance Information**

The following bar chart and table illustrate the variability of the Fund's returns and indicate the risks of investing in the Fund by showing how the Fund's average annual total returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance and an additional index with characteristics relevant to the Fund. All returns include the reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As always, please note that the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.kraneshares.com. In addition, prior to June 16, 2021, the Fund previously sought to track the performance of the Solactive Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index, before fees and expenses.

![](pro-kars_001.jpg)

As of June 30, 2025, the Fund's calendar year-to-date total return was 4.01%.

**Best and Worst Quarter Returns (for the period reflected in the bar chart above)** 

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Return** | **Quarter Ended/Year** |
| Highest Return | 38.18% | 12/31/2020 |
| Lowest Return | -19.61% | 3/31/2020 |

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**Average Annual Total Returns for the periods ended December 31, 2024**

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF** | **1 Year** | **5 years** | **Since Inception<br>(1-18-2018)** |
| Return Before Taxes | -17.68% | -0.31% | -0.55% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | -17.66% | -0.78% | -0.98% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | -10.19% | -0.02% | -0.25% |
| MSCI ACWI<br> (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 17.49% | 10.06% | 8.55% |
| Custom Blended KARS Index<br> (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)\* | -16.64% | 0.77% | 0.12% |

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\* The Custom Blended KARS Index consists of the Solactive Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index from the inception of the Fund through June 15, 2021 and the Bloomberg Electric Vehicles Total Return Index going forward.

55 KraneShares Electric Vehicles andFuture Mobility Index ETF

Average annual total returns are shown on a before- and after-tax basis for the Fund. After-tax returns for the Fund are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement plans.

**Management**

**Investment Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Managers**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of the Fund since January 2020. Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, also serves as a portfolio manager of the Fund. Mr. Shelon supports Mr. Maund and Krane's investment team for the Fund and has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since 2018. Anthony Sassine, Senior Investment Strategist of the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since August 1, 2022.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.kraneshares.com.

**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 IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

56 KraneShares Electric Vehicles andFuture Mobility Index ETF

**KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF**

**Investment Objective**

The KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF (the "Fund") seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, track the price and yield performance of a specific foreign equity securities index. The Fund's current index is the Solactive Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index (the "Underlying Index").

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)**

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.78% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees\* | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses\*\* | 0.02% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 0.80% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Fee Waiver\*\*\* | -0.30% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver** | 0.50% |

---

\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

\*\* Although the Fund's investment adviser, Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") receives 10% of the net revenue generated by the Fund's securities lending activities and such amount is included in "Other Expenses," the Fund receives 90% of such net revenues. Please see the "Management" section of the Prospectus for more information.

\*\*\* Krane has contractually agreed to waive its management fee by 0.30% of the Fund's average daily net assets ("Fee Waiver"). The Fee Waiver will continue until August 1, 2026, and may only be terminated prior thereto by the Board.

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same, except that it reflects the Fee Waiver for the period described above. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| $51 | $225 | $415 | $962 |

---

**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 63% of the average value of its portfolio. This rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Fund's shares.

57 KraneShares Emerging MarketsConsumer Technology Index ETF

**Principal Investment Strategies**

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in instruments in its Underlying Index or in instruments that have economic characteristics similar to those in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is composed of the equity securities of the 50 largest companies by market capitalization that derive the most revenue from an Emerging Market (as defined below) and classified by the FactSet Revere Business Industry Classification system or FactSet Standard Classification system as in the consumer or technology sector. At each rebalance date, the Underlying Index assigns the following weights to its constituents based on their market capitalization from largest to smallest:

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Rank** | **Weight** |
| 1 to 10 | 3.5% |
| 11 to 30 | 2.5% |
| 31 to 50 | 0.75% |

---

Solactive AG ("Index Provider") defines an "Emerging Market" as: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Malaysia, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. However, the Underlying Index excludes stocks whose primary listing exchange is the Shanghai or the Shenzhen Stock Exchange and stocks or that are primarily traded over the counter.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in instruments that are not included in the Underlying Index, but that Krane believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. These investments may include equity securities and depositary receipts of issuers whose securities are not constituents of the Underlying Index, derivative instruments (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options), other investment companies (including exchange traded funds or "ETFs") and cash or cash equivalents (including money market funds). The other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates.

The following China-related securities may be included in this 20% basket:

● China A-Shares, which are shares of companies incorporated in mainland China that are traded on the Chinese exchanges and denominated in domestic renminbi. China A-Shares are primarily purchased and sold in the domestic Chinese market. To the extent the Fund invests in China A-Shares, it expects to do so through the trading and clearing facilities of a participating exchange located outside of mainland China ("Stock Connect Programs"). A Qualified Foreign Investor ("QFI") license may also be acquired to invest directly in China A-Shares.

● China B-Shares, which are shares of companies listed on the Shanghai or Shenzhen Stock Exchange but quoted and traded in foreign currencies (such as Hong Kong Dollars or U.S. Dollars), which were primarily created for trading by foreign investors.

● China N-Shares, which are shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on an American stock exchange, such as NYSE or NASDAQ ("N-Shares").

● P-Chips, which are shares of private sector companies with a majority of their business operations in mainland China and controlling private Chinese shareholders, which are incorporated outside of mainland China and traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong dollars.

● Red Chips, which are shares of companies with a majority of their business operations in mainland China and controlled by the central, provincial or municipal governments of the PRC, whose shares are traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong dollars.

● S-Chips, which are shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on the Singapore Exchange. S-Chip shares are issued by companies incorporated anywhere, but many are registered in Singapore, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, or Bermuda.

58 KraneShares Emerging MarketsConsumer Technology Index ETF

Although the Fund expects to replicate (or hold all constituents of) the Underlying Index, the Fund reserves the right to use representative sampling to track the Underlying Index. "Representative sampling" is a strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index.

As of May 31, 2025, the Underlying Index included 50 securities of companies with a market capitalization range of approximately $1 billion to $844 billion and an average market capitalization of approximately $57 billion. As of May 31, 2025, the largest markets represented in the Underlying Index were China, South Korea and Taiwan.

To the extent the Underlying Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund is expected to be concentrated in that industry. As of May 31, 2025, issuers in the Communication Services sector (36.8%), Consumer Discretionary sector (27.7%), and Information Technology sector (27.3%) represented significant portions of the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is rebalanced and reconstituted quarterly.

The Fund may engage in securities lending.

**Principal Risks**

As with all ETFs, a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**Emerging Markets Risk.** Securities issued by entities with substantial operations or holdings in emerging market countries may involve additional risks and are subject to greater risk of loss than investments in developed markets. This is due to, among other things, greater market volatility, greater risk of asset seizures and capital controls, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, greater risk of market shutdown, and more governmental limitations on foreign investments in emerging market countries than typically found in developed markets. The economies of emerging markets, and China in particular, may be heavily reliant upon international trade and may suffer disproportionately if international trading declines or is disrupted. Such conditions may lead to potential errors in index data, index computation and/or index construction and may limit the ability to oversee the Index Provider's due diligence process over index data, which may adversely impact the Fund's performance and its ability to track the performance of the Underlying Index.

**Concentration Risk.** The Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Underlying Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The securities of companies in an industry or group of industries could react similarly to market developments. Thus, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that affect one industry or group of industries or sector While the Fund's sector and industry exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Underlying Index, the Fund is currently subject to the principal risks described below.

**Communication Services Sector Risk.** The communication services sector may be dominated by a small number of companies which may lead to additional volatility in the sector. Communication services companies are particularly vulnerable to the potential obsolescence of products and services due to technological advances and the innovation of competitors. Communication services companies may also be affected by other competitive pressures, such as pricing competition, as well as research and development costs, substantial capital requirements, and government regulation. Fluctuating domestic and international demand, shifting demographics, and often unpredictable changes in consumer demand can drastically affect a communication services company's profitability. Compliance with governmental regulations, delays or failure to receive regulatory approvals, or the enactment of new regulatory requirements may negatively affect the business of telecommunication services companies. Certain companies in the communication services sector may be particular targets of network security breaches, hacking and potential theft of proprietary or consumer information, or disruptions in services, which would have a material adverse effect on their businesses.

59 KraneShares Emerging MarketsConsumer Technology Index ETF

**Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk.** The success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied closely to the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence. Success depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes can also affect the demand for, and success of, consumer products in the marketplace.

**Information Technology Sector Risk.** Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology advances could have a major effect on the value of stocks in the information technology sector. The value of stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from competitors with lower production costs. Information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies in the information technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel.

**China Risk.** The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions in the People's Republic of China ("China" or the "PRC") and surrounding Asian countries and may demonstrate significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. Investments in Chinese securities, including those that are Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, subject the Fund to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. Over the last few decades, the Chinese government has undertaken reform of economic and market practices and has expanded the sphere of private ownership of property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. Chinese companies are also subject to the risk that Chinese authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. In addition, the Chinese economy is export-driven and highly reliant on trading with key partners. A downturn in the economies of China's primary trading partners could slow or eliminate the growth of the Chinese economy and adversely impact the Fund's investments. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. The RMB is not freely convertible, but rather is subject to approval of PRC authorities. Although Chinese authorities have indicated an intent to move to a freely convertible RMB, there is no assurance that repatriation strictions will not continue. The Chinese government may introduce new laws and regulations that could have an adverse effect on the Fund. Although China has begun the process of privatizing certain sectors of its economy, privatized entities may lose money and/or be re-nationalized.

Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Incidents involving China's or the region's security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments.

In the Chinese securities markets, a small number of issuers may represent a large portion of the entire market. The Chinese securities markets are subject to more frequent trading halts, low trading volume and price volatility. Recent developments in relations between the United States and China have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the two countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on China's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on the Fund. In addition, worsening trade relations between the two countries could adversely impact the Fund, particularly to the extent that the Chinese government restricts foreign investments in on-shore Chinese companies or the U.S. government restricts investments by U.S. investors in China. This may also result in market volatility and volatility in the price of Fund shares.

60 KraneShares Emerging MarketsConsumer Technology Index ETF

The Underlying Index may include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government. So long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments, the Fund is generally expected to invest in such companies, consistent with its objective to track the performance of the Underlying Index.

In recent years, Chinese entities have incurred significant levels of debt and Chinese financial institutions currently hold relatively large amounts of non-performing debt. Thus, there exists a possibility that widespread defaults could occur, which could trigger a financial crisis, freeze Chinese debt and finance markets and make Chinese securities illiquid.

Disclosure and regulatory standards in emerging market countries, such as China, are in many respects less stringent than U.S. standards. There is substantially less publicly available information about Chinese issuers than there is about U.S. issuers. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements or due to worsening relations between the U.S. and China, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities.

The tax laws and regulations in China are somewhat unclear and are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. The interpretation, application and enforcement of such laws and regulations by the applicable authorities may vary over time and from region to region, and could have an adverse effect on the Fund and its shareholders, particularly in relation to tax imposed upon foreign investors' capital gains. Uncertainties in Chinese tax rules could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund.

**A-Shares Risk.** A-Shares are issued by companies incorporated in mainland China and are traded on Chinese exchanges. Investments in A-Shares are made available to domestic Chinese investors and certain foreign investors, including those who have been approved as a QFI and through the Stock Connect Programs, which currently include the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shanghai-London Stock Connect, and China-Japan Stock Connect. Investments by foreign investors in A-Shares are subject to various restrictions, regulations and limits. Investments in A-Shares are heavily regulated and the recoupment and repatriation of assets invested in A-Shares is subject to restrictions by the Chinese government. A-Shares may be subject to frequent and widespread trading halts and may become illiquid. This could cause volatility in the Fund's share price and subject the Fund to a greater risk of trading halts.

**Custody Risks.** In accordance with Chinese regulations and the terms of a QFI license and insofar as Krane acquires a QFI, A-Shares will be held in the joint names of the Fund and Krane. Thus, the Fund's assets may not be as well protected as they would be if it were possible for them to be registered and held solely in the name of the Fund. There is a risk that creditors of Krane may assert that the securities are owned by Krane and that regulatory actions taken against Krane may affect the Fund.

**Hong Kong Risk.** The economy of Hong Kong has few natural resources and any fluctuation or shortage in the commodity markets could have a significant adverse effect on the Hong Kong economy. Hong Kong is also heavily dependent on international trade and finance. Additionally, the continuation and success of the current political, economic, legal and social policies of Hong Kong is dependent on and subject to the control of the Chinese government. China may change its policies regarding Hong Kong at any time. Any such change may adversely affect market conditions and the performance of Chinese and Hong Kong issuers and, thus, the value of securities in the Fund's portfolio.

**Stock Connect Program Risk.** The Stock Connect Programs are subject to daily quota limitations, and an investor cannot purchase and sell the same security on the same trading day, which may restrict the Fund's ability to invest in A-Shares through the Programs and to enter into or exit trades on a timely basis. The Shanghai and Shenzhen markets may be open at a time when the participating exchanges located outside of mainland China are not active, with the result that prices of A-Shares may fluctuate at times when the Fund is unable to add to or exit its positions. Only certain China A-Shares are eligible to be accessed through the Stock Connect Programs. Such securities may lose their eligibility at any time, in which case they could be sold but could no longer be purchased through the Stock Connect Programs. Because the Stock Connect Programs are still evolving, the actual effect on the market for trading A-Shares with the introduction of large numbers of foreign investors is still relatively unknown. Further, regulations or restrictions, such as limitations on redemptions or suspension of trading, may adversely impact the program. There is no guarantee that the participating exchanges will continue to support the Stock Connect Programs in the future.

61 KraneShares Emerging MarketsConsumer Technology Index ETF

Investments in China A-Shares may not be covered by the securities investor protection programs of either exchange and, without the protection of such programs, will be subject to the risk of default by the broker. Because of the way in which China A-Shares are held in the Stock Connect Programs, the Fund may not be able to exercise the rights of a direct shareholder and may be limited in its ability to pursue claims against the issuer of a security, and may suffer losses in the event the legal or "nominee holder" of the China A-Shares under the Stock Connect Programs becomes insolvent.

**Chinese Equity Markets.** The use of B-shares, H-shares, N-Shares, Red-Chips, P-Chips, S-Chips by Chinese companies to obtain listings are subject to the political and economic policies in China and the markets on which they are listed. Further, the markets on which these shares are listed may behave very differently from the mainland Chinese markets, and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the two.

**Special Risk Considerations of Investing in China.** For purposes of raising capital offshore on exchanges outside of China, including on U.S. exchanges, many Chinese-based operating companies are structured as Variable Interest Entities ("VIEs"). In this structure, the Chinese-based operating company is the VIE and establishes an entity, which is typically offshore in a foreign jurisdiction, such as the Cayman Islands. The offshore entity lists on a foreign exchange and enters into contractual arrangements with the VIE. This structure allows Chinese companies in which the government restricts foreign ownership to raise capital from foreign investors. While the offshore entity has no equity ownership of the VIE, these contractual arrangements permit the offshore entity to consolidate the VIE's financial statements with its own for accounting purposes and provide for economic exposure to the performance of the underlying Chinese operating company. Therefore, an investor in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, will have exposure to the Chinese-based operating company only through contractual arrangements and has no ownership in the Chinese-based operating company. Furthermore, because the offshore entity only has specific rights provided for in these service agreements with the VIE, its abilities to control the activities at the Chinese-based operating company are limited and the operating company may engage in activities that negatively impact investment value. While the VIE structure has been widely adopted, it is not formally recognized under Chinese law and therefore there is a risk that the Chinese government could prohibit the existence of such structures or negatively impact the VIE's contractual arrangements with the listed offshore entity by making them invalid. If these contracts were found to be unenforceable under Chinese law, investors in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, may suffer significant losses with little or no recourse available. If the Chinese government determines that the agreements establishing the VIE structures do not comply with Chinese law and regulations, including those related to restrictions on foreign ownership, it could subject a Chinese-based issuer to penalties, revocation of business and operating licenses, or forfeiture of ownership interest.

**Equity Securities Risk.** The values of equity securities are subject to factors such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes. In the event of liquidation, equity securities are generally subordinate in rank to debt and other securities of the same issuer.

**Foreign Securities Risk.** Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may be less liquid than investments in U.S. issuers, may have less governmental regulation and oversight, and are typically subject to different investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities entail the risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations, political or economic instability, less complete financial information about the issuers, the possible imposition of withholding or confiscatory taxes, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, and the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency. Foreign market trading hours, clearance and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund's ability to buy and sell securities. Additionally, foreign issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, recordkeeping, and financial reporting requirements. Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by governmental authorities. If the Fund holds positions in such suspended securities, the Fund may be adversely impacted. Certain countries in which the Fund may invest may be subject to extended settlement delays and/or foreign holidays, during which the Fund will unlikely be able to convert holdings to cash. All of these factors could result in a loss to the Fund.

**Geographic Focus Risk.** The Fund's investments are expected to be focused in a particular country, countries, or region to approximately the same degree as the Underlying Index and therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country, countries or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified fund.

62 KraneShares Emerging MarketsConsumer Technology Index ETF

**South Korea Risk.** The Fund is susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory and geographic events affecting South Korea. The South Korean economy is dependent on the economies of other Asian countries, especially China and Southeast Asia, and the United States as key trading partners. Furthermore, South Korea's economy may be significantly affected by currency fluctuations and increasing competition from Asia's other low-cost emerging economies. Also, tensions with North Korea could escalate and lead to further uncertainty in the political and economic climate of South Korea.

**Taiwan Risk.** Investments in Taiwanese issuers involve risks that are specific to Taiwan, including legal, regulatory, political and economic risks. Political and economic developments of Taiwan's neighbors may have an adverse effect on Taiwan's economy. Specifically, Taiwan's geographic proximity and history of political contention with China have resulted in ongoing tensions, which may materially affect the Taiwanese economy and its securities market and may have an adverse impact on the values of the Fund's investments in Taiwan, or make such investments impracticable or impossible.

**Currency Risk.** To the extent that the Fund is exposed directly or indirectly to foreign currencies, including through its investments, or invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies and vice versa. This may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

**Internet Companies Risk.** Investments in Internet companies may be volatile. Internet companies are subject to intense competition, the risk of product obsolescence, changes in consumer preferences and legal, regulatory and political changes. They are also especially at risk of hacking and other cybersecurity events. In addition, it can be difficult to determine what qualifies as an Internet company.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to "Authorized Participants." Unlike many other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Thus, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in other ETFs as the Fund may recognize a capital gain that it could have avoided by making redemptions in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. Further, paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds at an inopportune time. Cash transactions may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes, including brokerage fees, that might not have occurred if the Fund utilized in-kind transactions. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted.

**International Closed Market Trading Risk**. To the extent the Fund's investments trade in markets that are closed when the Fund and Exchange are open, there are likely to be deviations between current pricing of an underlying security and the prices at which the underlying securities are valued for purposes of the Fund's NAV. As a result, Shares may appear to trade at a significant discount or premium to NAV greater than those incurred by other ETFs. In addition, shareholders may not be able to purchase or redeem their shares of the Fund, or purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

63 KraneShares Emerging MarketsConsumer Technology Index ETF

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**Small Fund Risk.** The Fund is small and does not yet have a significant number of shares outstanding. Small funds are at greater risk than larger funds of wider bid-ask spreads for its shares, trading at a greater premium or discount to NAV, liquidation and/or a stop to trading.

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, market turmoil, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants, or the lack of an active trading market. Markets for securities or financial instruments could be disrupted by a number of events, including, but not limited to, an economic crisis, natural disasters, new legislation or regulatory changes inside or outside the U.S. Liquid investments may become less liquid after being purchased by the Fund, particularly during periods of market stress. In addition, if a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt.

**Small- and Mid-Capitalization Company Risk.** Investing in the securities of small and medium capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization companies. Since small and medium-sized companies may have limited operating histories, product lines and financial resources, the securities of these companies may be less liquid and more volatile. They may also be sensitive to (expected) changes in interest rates and earnings.

**Large Capitalization Company Risk.** Large capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges and attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. As such, returns on investments in stocks of large capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small and mid capitalization companies.

**Passive Investment and Index Risk.** There is no guarantee that the Underlying Index will create the desired exposure and the Fund is not actively managed. It does not seek to "beat" the Underlying Index or take temporary defensive positions when markets decline. Therefore, the Fund may purchase or hold securities with current or projected underperformance.

There is no guarantee that the methodology the Index Provider uses to identify constituents for the Underlying Index will achieve its intended result or provide an accurate assessment of included constituents. The Underlying Index relies on various sources of information to assess the potential constituents of the Underlying Index, including information that may be based on assumptions or estimates. Neither the Fund nor Krane can offer assurances that the Index Provider's sources of information are reliable. There can be no guarantee that the methodology underlying the Underlying Index, the Underlying Index construction and computation processes, or the daily calculation of the Underlying Index or its methodology will be free from error or that an error will be identified and/or corrected, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund.

64 KraneShares Emerging MarketsConsumer Technology Index ETF

**Management Risk.** The Fund may not fully replicate the Underlying Index and may hold less than the total number of securities in the Underlying Index. Therefore, the Fund is subject to the risk that Krane's security selection process may not produce the intended results.

**Tracking Error Risk.** The Fund's return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Underlying Index. This may be due to, among other factors, the Fund holding cash under certain circumstances in lieu of Underlying Index securities, such as when the Fund is subject to delays converting U.S. dollars into a foreign currency to purchase foreign securities and unable to invest in certain constituents of the Underlying Index due to regulatory constraints, trading suspensions, and legal restrictions imposed by foreign governments. To the extent that the Fund employs a representative sampling strategy or calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the Underlying Index is based on securities' closing prices on local foreign markets, the Fund's ability to track the Underlying Index may be adversely affected.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**High Portfolio Turnover Risk.** The Fund may incur high portfolio turnover rates, which may increase the Fund's brokerage commission costs and negatively impact the Fund's performance. Such portfolio turnover also may generate net short-term capital gains.

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. In addition, the securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days that the Fund does not price its shares; as a result, the value of Fund shares may change on days when investors cannot purchase or sell their Fund holdings.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. The Fund's investments in issuers whose control persons are not certain creates a risk that tax authorities may retrospectively deem the Fund to have failed the asset diversification requirements. If the Fund were to fail the favorable tax treatment requirements, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, which would adversely affect its performance.

**Depositary Receipts Risk.** The Fund may hold the securities of foreign companies in the form of depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts. Investing in depositary receipts entails the risks associated with foreign investments, such as fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the securities of U.S. issuers. In addition, the value of the securities underlying the depositary receipts may change materially when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, which will affect the value of the depositary receipts.

65 KraneShares Emerging MarketsConsumer Technology Index ETF

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane is subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

**Securities Lending Risk.** To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: (1) the securities in which the collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the applicable rebate rates paid to borrowers and related administrative costs; (2) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions; and (3) although borrowers of the Fund's securities typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities, there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. Krane is subject to potential conflicts of interest because the compensation paid to it increases in connection with any net income received by the Fund from the securities lending program.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

66 KraneShares Emerging MarketsConsumer Technology Index ETF

**Performance Information**

The following bar chart and table illustrate the variability of the Fund's returns and indicate the risks of investing in the Fund by showing how the Fund's average annual total returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance and an additional index with characteristics relevant to the Fund. All returns include the reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As always, please note that the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>.

![](pro-kemq_001.jpg)

As of June 30, 2025, the Fund's calendar year-to-date total return was 33.61%.

**Best and Worst Quarter Returns (for the period reflected in the bar chart above)** 

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Return** | **Quarter Ended/Year** |
| Highest Return | 32.94% | 6/30/2020 |
| Lowest Return | -24.11% | 3/31/2022 |

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**Average Annual Total Returns for the periods ended December 31, 2024**

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF** | **1 year** | **5 years** | **Since Inception<br>(10-11-2017)** |
| Return Before Taxes | 13.98% | -6.22% | -4.64% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | 13.70% | -6.42% | -4.85% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 8.32% | -4.56% | -3.38% |
| MSCI Emerging Markets Index<br> (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 7.50% | 1.70% | 1.88% |
| Solactive Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index<br> (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 13.44% | -5.50% | -3.70% |

---

67 KraneShares Emerging MarketsConsumer Technology Index ETF

Average annual total returns are shown on a before- and after-tax basis for the Fund. After-tax returns for the Fund are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement plans.

**Management**

**Investment Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Managers**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of the Fund since January 2020. Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, also serves as a portfolio manager of the Fund. Mr. Shelon supports Mr. Maund and Krane's investment team for the Fund and has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since 2018.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.kraneshares.com.

**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 IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

68 KraneShares Emerging MarketsConsumer Technology Index ETF

**KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF**

**Investment Objective**

The KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF (the "Fund") seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, track the price and yield performance of a specific foreign equity securities index. The Fund's current index is the MSCI China All Shares Health Care 10/40 Index (the "Underlying Index").

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)**

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.78% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees\* | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses\*\* | 0.01% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 0.79% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Fee Waiver\*\*\* | -0.14% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver** | 0.65% |

---

\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

\*\* Although the Fund's investment adviser, Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") receives 10% of the net revenue generated by the Fund's securities lending activities and such amount is included in "Other Expenses," the Fund receives 90% of such net revenues. Please see the "Management" section of the Prospectus for more information.

\*\*\* Krane has contractually agreed to waive its management fee by 0.14% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets ("Fee Waiver"). The Fee Waiver will continue until August 1, 2026, and may only be terminated prior thereto by the Board.

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same, except that it reflects the Fee Waiver for the period described above. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| $66 | $238 | $425 | $965 |

---

**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 77% of the average value of its portfolio. This rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Fund's shares.

69 KraneShares MSCI All ChinaHealth Care Index ETF

**Principal Investment Strategies**

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in instruments in its Underlying Index or in instruments that have economic characteristics similar to those in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is a free float adjusted market capitalization weighted index, subject to the 10/40 Constraint (as defined below), which is designed to measure the equity market performance of Chinese companies in the healthcare sector, as classified by the Global Industry Classification Standard. The securities eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index include all types of publicly issued shares of Chinese issuers, such as A-Shares, B-Shares, H-Shares, P-Chips and Red Chips, which are described below. The issuers included in the Underlying Index may include mid-cap and large-cap companies.

To determine the investable universe of Chinese equity securities for the Underlying Index, the index provider, MSCI Inc. ("Index Provider"), applies investability screens to securities within the healthcare sector based on the MSCI Global Investable Market Indexes Methodology, along with MSCI's investability and minimum size criteria for emerging markets. To be included in the Underlying Index, at the time of each rebalance, securities must, among other things: (1) be within the top 85% of the investable universe (based on market capitalization); and (2) meet certain liquidity requirements as measured by the three-month annual traded value ratio, the twelve-month annual traded value ratio and three-month frequency of trading percentage.

Underlying Index constituents are weighted by the security's free-float adjusted market capitalization, as calculated based on MSCI's Foreign Inclusion Factor ("FIF") and subject to Foreign Ownership Limits ("FOLs"), but is modified so that, as of the rebalance date, no issuer constitutes more than 10% of the Underlying Index and so that the cumulative weight of all constituents with a weight of over 5% does not exceed 40% of the Underlying Index ("10/40 Constraint"). The FIF of a security is defined as the proportion of shares outstanding that is available for investment in the public equity markets by foreign investors. For China A-Shares, an FIF of 100% is applied to their free-float adjusted market capitalization for calculating their final weight in the Underlying Index. The FOL of a security is defined as the proportion of share capital of the security that is available for purchase to foreign investors.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in instruments that are not included in the Underlying Index, but that Krane believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. These investments may include equity securities and depositary receipts of issuers whose securities are not constituents of the Underlying Index, derivative instruments (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options), other investment companies (including exchange traded funds or "ETFs") and cash or cash equivalents (including money market funds). The other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates.

The following China-related securities may be included in the Underlying Index and/or represent investments of the Fund:

● China A-Shares, which are shares of companies incorporated in mainland China that are traded on the Chinese exchanges and denominated in domestic renminbi. China A-Shares are primarily purchased and sold in the domestic Chinese market. To the extent the Fund invests in China A-Shares, it expects to do so through the trading and clearing facilities of a participating exchange located outside of mainland China ("Stock Connect Programs"). A Qualified Foreign Investor ("QFI") license may also be acquired to invest directly in China A-Shares.

● China B-Shares, which are shares of companies listed on the Shanghai or Shenzhen Stock Exchange but quoted and traded in foreign currencies (such as Hong Kong Dollars or U.S. Dollars), which were primarily created for trading by foreign investors.

● China H-Shares, which are shares of companies incorporated in mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange ("H-Shares"), where they are traded in Hong Kong dollars and may be traded by foreign investors.

● China N-Shares, which are shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on an American stock exchange, such as NYSE or NASDAQ ("N-Shares").

● P-Chips, which are shares of private sector companies with a majority of their business operations in mainland China and controlling private Chinese shareholders, which are incorporated outside of mainland China and traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong dollars.

70 KraneShares MSCI All ChinaHealth Care Index ETF

● Red Chips, which are shares of companies with a majority of their business operations in mainland China and controlled by the central, provincial or municipal governments of the PRC, whose shares are traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong dollars.

● S-Chips, which are shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on the Singapore Exchange. S-Chip shares are issued by companies incorporated anywhere, but many are registered in Singapore, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, or Bermuda.

Although the Fund expects to replicate (or hold all constituents of) the Underlying Index, the Fund reserves the right to use representative sampling to track the Underlying Index. "Representative sampling" is a strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index.

As of May 31, 2025, the Underlying Index included 45 securities of companies with a market capitalization range of approximately $3.3 billion to $50.2 billion and an average market capitalization of approximately $11.1 billion. The Underlying Index is rebalanced quarterly and whenever the 10/40 Constraint is breached, which may occur due to market movements.

The Fund is non-diversified. To the extent the Underlying Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund is expected to be concentrated in that industry. The Underlying Index includes securities of issuers engaged in the healthcare sector, but its exposure to the industries within that sector are not fixed and subject to change.

The Fund may engage in securities lending.

**Principal Risks**

As with all ETFs, a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**China Risk.** The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions in the People's Republic of China ("China" or the "PRC") and surrounding Asian countries and may demonstrate significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. Investments in Chinese securities, including those that are Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, subject the Fund to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. Over the last few decades, the Chinese government has undertaken reform of economic and market practices and has expanded the sphere of private ownership of property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. Chinese companies are also subject to the risk that Chinese authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. In addition, the Chinese economy is export-driven and highly reliant on trading with key partners. A downturn in the economies of China's primary trading partners could slow or eliminate the growth of the Chinese economy and adversely impact the Fund's investments. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. The RMB is not freely convertible, but rather is subject to approval of PRC authorities. Although Chinese authorities have indicated an intent to move to a freely convertible RMB, there is no assurance that repatriation strictions will not continue. The Chinese government may introduce new laws and regulations that could have an adverse effect on the Fund. Although China has begun the process of privatizing certain sectors of its economy, privatized entities may lose money and/or be re-nationalized.

71 KraneShares MSCI All ChinaHealth Care Index ETF

Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Incidents involving China's or the region's security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments.

In the Chinese securities markets, a small number of issuers may represent a large portion of the entire market. The Chinese securities markets are subject to more frequent trading halts, low trading volume and price volatility. Recent developments in relations between the United States and China have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the two countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on China's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on the Fund. In addition, worsening trade relations between the two countries could adversely impact the Fund, particularly to the extent that the Chinese government restricts foreign investments in on-shore Chinese companies or the U.S. government restricts investments by U.S. investors in China. This may also result in market volatility and volatility in the price of Fund shares.

The Underlying Index may include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government. So long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments, the Fund is generally expected to invest in such companies, consistent with its objective to track the performance of the Underlying Index.

In recent years, Chinese entities have incurred significant levels of debt and Chinese financial institutions currently hold relatively large amounts of non-performing debt. Thus, there exists a possibility that widespread defaults could occur, which could trigger a financial crisis, freeze Chinese debt and finance markets and make Chinese securities illiquid.

Disclosure and regulatory standards in emerging market countries, such as China, are in many respects less stringent than U.S. standards. There is substantially less publicly available information about Chinese issuers than there is about U.S. issuers. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements or due to worsening relations between the U.S. and China, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities.

The tax laws and regulations in China are somewhat unclear and are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. The interpretation, application and enforcement of such laws and regulations by the applicable authorities may vary over time and from region to region, and could have an adverse effect on the Fund and its shareholders, particularly in relation to tax imposed upon foreign investors' capital gains. Uncertainties in Chinese tax rules could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund.

**A-Shares Risk.** A-Shares are issued by companies incorporated in mainland China and are traded on Chinese exchanges. Investments in A-Shares are made available to domestic Chinese investors and certain foreign investors, including those who have been approved as a QFI and through the Stock Connect Programs, which currently include the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shanghai-London Stock Connect, and China-Japan Stock Connect. Investments by foreign investors in A-Shares are subject to various restrictions, regulations and limits. Investments in A-Shares are heavily regulated and the recoupment and repatriation of assets invested in A-Shares is subject to restrictions by the Chinese government. A-Shares may be subject to frequent and widespread trading halts and may become illiquid. This could cause volatility in the Fund's share price and subject the Fund to a greater risk of trading halts.

**Custody Risks.** In accordance with Chinese regulations and the terms of a QFI license and insofar as Krane acquires a QFI, A-Shares will be held in the joint names of the Fund and Krane. Thus, the Fund's assets may not be as well protected as they would be if it were possible for them to be registered and held solely in the name of the Fund. There is a risk that creditors of Krane may assert that the securities are owned by Krane and that regulatory actions taken against Krane may affect the Fund.

72 KraneShares MSCI All ChinaHealth Care Index ETF

**Hong Kong Risk.** The economy of Hong Kong has few natural resources and any fluctuation or shortage in the commodity markets could have a significant adverse effect on the Hong Kong economy. Hong Kong is also heavily dependent on international trade and finance. Additionally, the continuation and success of the current political, economic, legal and social policies of Hong Kong is dependent on and subject to the control of the Chinese government. China may change its policies regarding Hong Kong at any time. Any such change may adversely affect market conditions and the performance of Chinese and Hong Kong issuers and, thus, the value of securities in the Fund's portfolio.

**Stock Connect Program Risk.** The Stock Connect Programs are subject to daily quota limitations, and an investor cannot purchase and sell the same security on the same trading day, which may restrict the Fund's ability to invest in A-Shares through the Programs and to enter into or exit trades on a timely basis. The Shanghai and Shenzhen markets may be open at a time when the participating exchanges located outside of mainland China are not active, with the result that prices of A-Shares may fluctuate at times when the Fund is unable to add to or exit its positions. Only certain China A-Shares are eligible to be accessed through the Stock Connect Programs. Such securities may lose their eligibility at any time, in which case they could be sold but could no longer be purchased through the Stock Connect Programs. Because the Stock Connect Programs are still evolving, the actual effect on the market for trading A-Shares with the introduction of large numbers of foreign investors is still relatively unknown. Further, regulations or restrictions, such as limitations on redemptions or suspension of trading, may adversely impact the program. There is no guarantee that the participating exchanges will continue to support the Stock Connect Programs in the future.

Investments in China A-Shares may not be covered by the securities investor protection programs of either exchange and, without the protection of such programs, will be subject to the risk of default by the broker. Because of the way in which China A-Shares are held in the Stock Connect Programs, the Fund may not be able to exercise the rights of a direct shareholder and may be limited in its ability to pursue claims against the issuer of a security, and may suffer losses in the event the legal or "nominee holder" of the China A-Shares under the Stock Connect Programs becomes insolvent.

**Chinese Equity Markets.** The use of B-shares, H-shares, N-Shares, Red-Chips, P-Chips, S-Chips by Chinese companies to obtain listings are subject to the political and economic policies in China and the markets on which they are listed. Further, the markets on which these shares are listed may behave very differently from the mainland Chinese markets, and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the two.

**Special Risk Considerations of Investing in China.** For purposes of raising capital offshore on exchanges outside of China, including on U.S. exchanges, many Chinese-based operating companies are structured as Variable Interest Entities ("VIEs"). In this structure, the Chinese-based operating company is the VIE and establishes an entity, which is typically offshore in a foreign jurisdiction, such as the Cayman Islands. The offshore entity lists on a foreign exchange and enters into contractual arrangements with the VIE. This structure allows Chinese companies in which the government restricts foreign ownership to raise capital from foreign investors. While the offshore entity has no equity ownership of the VIE, these contractual arrangements permit the offshore entity to consolidate the VIE's financial statements with its own for accounting purposes and provide for economic exposure to the performance of the underlying Chinese operating company. Therefore, an investor in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, will have exposure to the Chinese-based operating company only through contractual arrangements and has no ownership in the Chinese-based operating company. Furthermore, because the offshore entity only has specific rights provided for in these service agreements with the VIE, its abilities to control the activities at the Chinese-based operating company are limited and the operating company may engage in activities that negatively impact investment value. While the VIE structure has been widely adopted, it is not formally recognized under Chinese law and therefore there is a risk that the Chinese government could prohibit the existence of such structures or negatively impact the VIE's contractual arrangements with the listed offshore entity by making them invalid. If these contracts were found to be unenforceable under Chinese law, investors in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, may suffer significant losses with little or no recourse available. If the Chinese government determines that the agreements establishing the VIE structures do not comply with Chinese law and regulations, including those related to restrictions on foreign ownership, it could subject a Chinese-based issuer to penalties, revocation of business and operating licenses, or forfeiture of ownership interest.

73 KraneShares MSCI All ChinaHealth Care Index ETF

**Concentration Risk.** The Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Underlying Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The securities of companies in an industry or group of industries could react similarly to market developments. Thus, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that affect one industry or group of industries or sector While the Fund's sector and industry exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Underlying Index, the Fund is currently subject to the principal risks described below.

**Healthcare Sector Risk.** The profitability of companies in the healthcare sector may be affected by government regulations and government healthcare programs, government reimbursement for medical expenses, increases or decreases in the cost of medical products and services, limited product lines, increased emphasis on the delivery of healthcare through outpatient services and product liability claims. Many healthcare companies are heavily dependent on patent protection, which may be time consuming and costly, and the expiration of a company's patent may adversely affect that company's profitability. Healthcare companies are subject to competitive forces that may result in pricing pressure, including price discounting, and may be thinly capitalized and susceptible to product obsolescence. Many new products in the healthcare sector require significant research and development and may be subject to regulatory approvals, which may be time consuming and costly and with no guarantee that the product will come to market.

**Equity Securities Risk.** The values of equity securities are subject to factors such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes. In the event of liquidation, equity securities are generally subordinate in rank to debt and other securities of the same issuer.

**Emerging Markets Risk.** Securities issued by entities with substantial operations or holdings in emerging market countries may involve additional risks and are subject to greater risk of loss than investments in developed markets. This is due to, among other things, greater market volatility, greater risk of asset seizures and capital controls, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, greater risk of market shutdown, and more governmental limitations on foreign investments in emerging market countries than typically found in developed markets. The economies of emerging markets, and China in particular, may be heavily reliant upon international trade and may suffer disproportionately if international trading declines or is disrupted. Such conditions may lead to potential errors in index data, index computation and/or index construction and may limit the ability to oversee the Index Provider's due diligence process over index data, which may adversely impact the Fund's performance and its ability to track the performance of the Underlying Index.

**Foreign Securities Risk.** Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may be less liquid than investments in U.S. issuers, may have less governmental regulation and oversight, and are typically subject to different investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities entail the risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations, political or economic instability, less complete financial information about the issuers, the possible imposition of withholding or confiscatory taxes, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, and the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency. Foreign market trading hours, clearance and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund's ability to buy and sell securities. Additionally, foreign issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, recordkeeping, and financial reporting requirements. Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by governmental authorities. If the Fund holds positions in such suspended securities, the Fund may be adversely impacted. Certain countries in which the Fund may invest may be subject to extended settlement delays and/or foreign holidays, during which the Fund will unlikely be able to convert holdings to cash. All of these factors could result in a loss to the Fund.

**Geographic Focus Risk.** The Fund's investments are expected to be focused in a particular country, countries, or region to approximately the same degree as the Underlying Index and therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country, countries or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified fund.

74 KraneShares MSCI All ChinaHealth Care Index ETF

**Currency Risk.** To the extent that the Fund is exposed directly or indirectly to foreign currencies, including through its investments, or invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies and vice versa. This may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to "Authorized Participants." Unlike many other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Thus, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in other ETFs as the Fund may recognize a capital gain that it could have avoided by making redemptions in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. Further, paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds at an inopportune time. Cash transactions may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes, including brokerage fees, that might not have occurred if the Fund utilized in-kind transactions. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted.

**International Closed Market Trading Risk.** To the extent the Fund's investments trade in markets that are closed when the Fund and Exchange are open, there are likely to be deviations between current pricing of an underlying security and the prices at which the underlying securities are valued for purposes of the Fund's NAV. As a result, Shares may appear to trade at a significant discount or premium to NAV greater than those incurred by other ETFs. In addition, shareholders may not be able to purchase or redeem their shares of the Fund, or purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

75 KraneShares MSCI All ChinaHealth Care Index ETF

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, market turmoil, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants, or the lack of an active trading market. Markets for securities or financial instruments could be disrupted by a number of events, including, but not limited to, an economic crisis, natural disasters, new legislation or regulatory changes inside or outside the U.S. Liquid investments may become less liquid after being purchased by the Fund, particularly during periods of market stress. In addition, if a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt.

**Mid-Capitalization Company Risk.** Investing in the securities of medium capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization companies. Since medium-sized companies may have limited operating histories, product lines and financial resources, the securities of these companies may be less liquid and more volatile. They may also be sensitive to (expected) changes in interest rates and earnings.

**Large Capitalization Company Risk.** Large capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges and attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. As such, returns on investments in stocks of large capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small and mid capitalization companies.

**Passive Investment and Index Risk.** There is no guarantee that the Underlying Index will create the desired exposure and the Fund is not actively managed. It does not seek to "beat" the Underlying Index or take temporary defensive positions when markets decline. Therefore, the Fund may purchase or hold securities with current or projected underperformance.

There is no guarantee that the methodology the Index Provider uses to identify constituents for the Underlying Index will achieve its intended result or provide an accurate assessment of included constituents. The Underlying Index relies on various sources of information to assess the potential constituents of the Underlying Index, including information that may be based on assumptions or estimates. Neither the Fund nor Krane can offer assurances that the Index Provider's sources of information are reliable. There can be no guarantee that the methodology underlying the Underlying Index, the Underlying Index construction and computation processes, or the daily calculation of the Underlying Index or its methodology will be free from error or that an error will be identified and/or corrected, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund.

**Management Risk.** The Fund may not fully replicate the Underlying Index and may hold less than the total number of securities in the Underlying Index. Therefore, the Fund is subject to the risk that Krane's security selection process may not produce the intended results.

76 KraneShares MSCI All ChinaHealth Care Index ETF

**Tracking Error Risk.** The Fund's return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Underlying Index. This may be due to, among other factors, the Fund holding cash under certain circumstances in lieu of Underlying Index securities, such as when the Fund is subject to delays converting U.S. dollars into a foreign currency to purchase foreign securities and unable to invest in certain constituents of the Underlying Index due to regulatory constraints, trading suspensions, and legal restrictions imposed by foreign governments. To the extent that the Fund employs a representative sampling strategy or calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the Underlying Index is based on securities' closing prices on local foreign markets, the Fund's ability to track the Underlying Index may be adversely affected.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**High Portfolio Turnover Risk.** The Fund may incur high portfolio turnover rates, which may increase the Fund's brokerage commission costs and negatively impact the Fund's performance. Such portfolio turnover also may generate net short-term capital gains.

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. In addition, the securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days that the Fund does not price its shares; as a result, the value of Fund shares may change on days when investors cannot purchase or sell their Fund holdings.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. The Fund's investments in issuers whose control persons are not certain creates a risk that tax authorities may retrospectively deem the Fund to have failed the asset diversification requirements. If the Fund were to fail the favorable tax treatment requirements, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, which would adversely affect its performance.

**Depositary Receipts Risk.** The Fund may hold the securities of foreign companies in the form of depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts. Investing in depositary receipts entails the risks associated with foreign investments, such as fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the securities of U.S. issuers. In addition, the value of the securities underlying the depositary receipts may change materially when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, which will affect the value of the depositary receipts.

77 KraneShares MSCI All ChinaHealth Care Index ETF

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

**IPO Risk.** Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile. At any particular time or from time to time, the Fund may not be able to invest in securities issued in IPOs, or invest to the extent desired, because, for example, only a small portion (if any) of the securities being offered in an IPO may be available to the Fund. In addition, as the Fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the Fund's performance will generally decrease.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane is subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

**Securities Lending Risk.** To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: (1) the securities in which the collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the applicable rebate rates paid to borrowers and related administrative costs; (2) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions; and (3) although borrowers of the Fund's securities typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities, there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. Krane is subject to potential conflicts of interest because the compensation paid to it increases in connection with any net income received by the Fund from the securities lending program.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

78 KraneShares MSCI All ChinaHealth Care Index ETF

**Performance Information**

The following bar chart and table illustrate the variability of the Fund's returns and indicate the risks of investing in the Fund by showing how the Fund's average annual total returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance and an additional index with characteristics relevant to the Fund. All returns include the reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As always, please note that the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.kraneshares.com.

![](pro-kure_001.jpg)

As of June 30, 2025, the Fund's calendar year-to-date total return was 17.55%.

**Best and Worst Quarter Returns (for the period reflected in the bar chart above)** 

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Return** | **Quarter Ended/Year** |
| Highest Return | 33.43% | 6/30/2020 |
| Lowest Return | -23.35% | 9/30/2022 |

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**Average Annual Total Returns for the periods ended December 31, 2024**

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF** | **1 year** | **5 years** | **Since Inception<br>(1-31-2018)** |
| Return Before Taxes | -17.44% | -6.44% | -5.57% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | -17.55% | -7.04% | -6.02% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | -10.01% | -4.33% | -3.75% |
| MSCI China All Shares Index<br> (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 16.38% | -1.78% | -3.05% |
| MSCI China All Shares Health Care 10/40 Index<br> (Reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or other taxes) | -16.69% | -5.56% | -4.85% |

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79 KraneShares MSCI All ChinaHealth Care Index ETF

Average annual total returns are shown on a before- and after-tax basis for the Fund. After-tax returns for the Fund are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement plans.

**Management**

**Investment Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Managers**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of the Fund since January 2020. Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, also serves as a portfolio manager of the Fund. Mr. Shelon supports Mr. Maund and Krane's investment team for the Fund and has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since 2018.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.kraneshares.com.

**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 IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

80 KraneShares MSCI All ChinaHealth Care Index ETF

**KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF**

**Investment Objective**

The KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF (the "Fund") seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, track the price and yield performance of a specific equity securities index. The Fund's current index is the MSCI China A 100% Hedged to USD Index (the "Underlying Index").

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)**

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.78% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees\* | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses\*\* | 0.01% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 0.79% |

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\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

\*\* Based on estimated amounts for 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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** |
| $81 | $252 |

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**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. Because the Fund had not commenced investment operations as of the date of this prospectus, it does not have portfolio turnover information for the prior fiscal year to report.

81 KraneShares MSCI ChinaA Hedged Index ETF

**Principal Investment Strategies**

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in instruments in its Underlying Index or in instruments that have economic characteristics similar to those in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is designed to measure the equity market performance of large- and mid-cap Chinese companies with renminbi ("RMB")-denominated equity securities that are listed on the Shenzhen or Shanghai Stock Exchange ("A-Shares") and accessible through the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect or Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect Programs The Underlying Index is calculated using the offshore RMB exchange rate. Underlying Index constituents are weighted by the security's free-float adjusted market capitalization calculated based on MSCI's Foreign Inclusion Factor ("FIF") and subject to Foreign Ownership Limits ("FOLs"). The FIF of a security is defined as the proportion of shares outstanding that is available for investment in the public equity markets by foreign investors. The FOL of a security is defined as the proportion of share capital of the security that is available for purchase to foreign investors.

The Underlying Index applies a published one-month currency forward rate to the Fund's total RMB exposure to adjust the value of the RMB against the U.S. dollar. The Fund intends to enter into forward currency contracts or futures contracts to effectuate the hedging strategy embedded in the Underlying Index. Although the hedged nature of the Underlying Index is designed to minimize the impact of currency fluctuations on returns, it does not eliminate the Fund's exposure to the RMB.

A-Shares are shares of companies incorporated in mainland China and traded on the Chinese exchanges. China A-Shares are primarily purchased and sold in the domestic Chinese market. Direct investments in China A-Shares are possible only through the trading and clearing facilities of a participating exchange located outside of mainland China ("Stock Connect Programs") or a Qualified Foreign Investor ("QFI") license. Currently, the Fund plans to achieve its investment objective, principally by investing in China A-Shares through the Stock Connect Programs, but may gain exposure to A-Shares through a QFI.

The Fund's investment adviser, Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser"), may invest up to 20% of its assets in investments that are not included in the Underlying Index, but which Krane believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. These investments may include equity securities and depositary receipts of issuers whose securities are not constituents of the Underlying Index, derivative instruments (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options), other investment companies (including exchange traded funds or "ETFs") and cash or cash equivalents (including money market funds). The other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates.

In addition to China A-Shares, which are described above, the following China-related securities may be included in this 20% basket in addition to China A-Shares:

● China B-Shares, which are shares of companies listed on the Shanghai or Shenzhen Stock Exchange but quoted and traded in foreign currencies (such as Hong Kong Dollars or U.S. Dollars), which were primarily created for trading by foreign investors.

● China H-Shares, which are shares of companies incorporated in mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange ("H-Shares"), where they are traded in Hong Kong dollars and may be traded by foreign investors.

● China N-Shares, which are shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on an American stock exchange, such as NYSE or NASDAQ ("N-Shares").

● P-Chips, which are shares of private sector companies with a majority of their business operations in mainland China and controlling private Chinese shareholders, which are incorporated outside of mainland China and traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong dollars.

● Red Chips, which are shares of companies with a majority of their business operations in mainland China and controlled by the central, provincial or municipal governments of the PRC, whose shares are traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong dollars.

● S-Chips, which are shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on the Singapore Exchange. S-Chip shares are issued by companies incorporated anywhere, but many are registered in Singapore, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, or Bermuda.

82 KraneShares MSCI ChinaA Hedged Index ETF

Although the Fund expects to replicate (or hold all constituents of) the Underlying Index, the Fund reserves the right to use representative sampling to track the Underlying Index. "Representative sampling" is a strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index.

As of May 31, 2025, the Underlying Index included 404 securities of companies with a market capitalization range of approximately $2.7 million to $328.1 billion and an average market capitalization of approximately $17.9 billion. The Underlying Index is rebalanced quarterly.

The Fund is non-diversified. To the extent the Underlying Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund is expected to be concentrated in that industry. As of May 31, 2025, issuers in the Financials sector (24.1%), Information Technology sector (15.8%), Industrials sector (15.5%), and Consumer Staples sector (11.8%) represented significant portions of the Underlying Index.

The Fund may engage in securities lending.

**Principal Risks**

As with all ETFs, a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**China Risk.** The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions in the People's Republic of China ("China" or the "PRC") and surrounding Asian countries and may demonstrate significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. Investments in Chinese securities, including those that are Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, subject the Fund to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. Over the last few decades, the Chinese government has undertaken reform of economic and market practices and has expanded the sphere of private ownership of property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. Chinese companies are also subject to the risk that Chinese authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. In addition, the Chinese economy is export-driven and highly reliant on trading with key partners. A downturn in the economies of China's primary trading partners could slow or eliminate the growth of the Chinese economy and adversely impact the Fund's investments. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. The RMB is not freely convertible, but rather is subject to approval of PRC authorities. Although Chinese authorities have indicated an intent to move to a freely convertible RMB, there is no assurance that repatriation strictions will not continue. The Chinese government may introduce new laws and regulations that could have an adverse effect on the Fund. Although China has begun the process of privatizing certain sectors of its economy, privatized entities may lose money and/or be re-nationalized.

Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Incidents involving China's or the region's security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments.

In the Chinese securities markets, a small number of issuers may represent a large portion of the entire market. The Chinese securities markets are subject to more frequent trading halts, low trading volume and price volatility. Recent developments in relations between the United States and China have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the two countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on China's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on the Fund. In addition, worsening trade relations between the two countries could adversely impact the Fund, particularly to the extent that the Chinese government restricts foreign investments in on-shore Chinese companies or the U.S. government restricts investments by U.S. investors in China. This may also result in market volatility and volatility in the price of Fund shares.

83 KraneShares MSCI ChinaA Hedged Index ETF

The Underlying Index may include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government. So long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments, the Fund is generally expected to invest in such companies, consistent with its objective to track the performance of the Underlying Index.

In recent years, Chinese entities have incurred significant levels of debt and Chinese financial institutions currently hold relatively large amounts of non-performing debt. Thus, there exists a possibility that widespread defaults could occur, which could trigger a financial crisis, freeze Chinese debt and finance markets and make Chinese securities illiquid.

Disclosure and regulatory standards in emerging market countries, such as China, are in many respects less stringent than U.S. standards. There is substantially less publicly available information about Chinese issuers than there is about U.S. issuers. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements or due to worsening relations between the U.S. and China, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities.

The tax laws and regulations in China are somewhat unclear and are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. The interpretation, application and enforcement of such laws and regulations by the applicable authorities may vary over time and from region to region, and could have an adverse effect on the Fund and its shareholders, particularly in relation to tax imposed upon foreign investors' capital gains. Uncertainties in Chinese tax rules could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund.

**A-Shares Risk.** A-Shares are issued by companies incorporated in mainland China and are traded on Chinese exchanges. Investments in A-Shares are made available to domestic Chinese investors and certain foreign investors, including those who have been approved as a QFI and through the Stock Connect Programs, which currently include the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shanghai-London Stock Connect, and China-Japan Stock Connect. Investments by foreign investors in A-Shares are subject to various restrictions, regulations and limits. Investments in A-Shares are heavily regulated and the recoupment and repatriation of assets invested in A-Shares is subject to restrictions by the Chinese government. A-Shares may be subject to frequent and widespread trading halts and may become illiquid. This could cause volatility in the Fund's share price and subject the Fund to a greater risk of trading halts.

**Custody Risks.** In accordance with Chinese regulations and the terms of a QFI license and insofar as Krane acquires a QFI, A-Shares will be held in the joint names of the Fund and Krane. Thus, the Fund's assets may not be as well protected as they would be if it were possible for them to be registered and held solely in the name of the Fund. There is a risk that creditors of Krane may assert that the securities are owned by Krane and that regulatory actions taken against Krane may affect the Fund.

**Hong Kong Risk.** The economy of Hong Kong has few natural resources and any fluctuation or shortage in the commodity markets could have a significant adverse effect on the Hong Kong economy. Hong Kong is also heavily dependent on international trade and finance. Additionally, the continuation and success of the current political, economic, legal and social policies of Hong Kong is dependent on and subject to the control of the Chinese government. China may change its policies regarding Hong Kong at any time. Any such change may adversely affect market conditions and the performance of Chinese and Hong Kong issuers and, thus, the value of securities in the Fund's portfolio.

**Stock Connect Program Risk.** The Stock Connect Programs are subject to daily quota limitations, and an investor cannot purchase and sell the same security on the same trading day, which may restrict the Fund's ability to invest in A-Shares through the Programs and to enter into or exit trades on a timely basis. The Shanghai and Shenzhen markets may be open at a time when the participating exchanges located outside of mainland China are not active, with the result that prices of A-Shares may fluctuate at times when the Fund is unable to add to or exit its positions. Only certain China A-Shares are eligible to be accessed through the Stock Connect Programs. Such securities may lose their eligibility at any time, in which case they could be sold but could no longer be purchased through the Stock Connect Programs. Because the Stock Connect Programs are still evolving, the actual effect on the market for trading A-Shares with the introduction of large numbers of foreign investors is still relatively unknown. Further, regulations or restrictions, such as limitations on redemptions or suspension of trading, may adversely impact the program. There is no guarantee that the participating exchanges will continue to support the Stock Connect Programs in the future.

84 KraneShares MSCI ChinaA Hedged Index ETF

Investments in China A-Shares may not be covered by the securities investor protection programs of either exchange and, without the protection of such programs, will be subject to the risk of default by the broker. Because of the way in which China A-Shares are held in the Stock Connect Programs, the Fund may not be able to exercise the rights of a direct shareholder and may be limited in its ability to pursue claims against the issuer of a security, and may suffer losses in the event the legal or "nominee holder" of the China A-Shares under the Stock Connect Programs becomes insolvent.

**Chinese Equity Markets.** The use of B-shares, H-shares, N-Shares, Red-Chips, P-Chips, S-Chips by Chinese companies to obtain listings are subject to the political and economic policies in China and the markets on which they are listed. Further, the markets on which these shares are listed may behave very differently from the mainland Chinese markets, and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the two.

**Special Risk Considerations of Investing in China.** For purposes of raising capital offshore on exchanges outside of China, including on U.S. exchanges, many Chinese-based operating companies are structured as Variable Interest Entities ("VIEs"). In this structure, the Chinese-based operating company is the VIE and establishes an entity, which is typically offshore in a foreign jurisdiction, such as the Cayman Islands. The offshore entity lists on a foreign exchange and enters into contractual arrangements with the VIE. This structure allows Chinese companies in which the government restricts foreign ownership to raise capital from foreign investors. While the offshore entity has no equity ownership of the VIE, these contractual arrangements permit the offshore entity to consolidate the VIE's financial statements with its own for accounting purposes and provide for economic exposure to the performance of the underlying Chinese operating company. Therefore, an investor in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, will have exposure to the Chinese-based operating company only through contractual arrangements and has no ownership in the Chinese-based operating company. Furthermore, because the offshore entity only has specific rights provided for in these service agreements with the VIE, its abilities to control the activities at the Chinese-based operating company are limited and the operating company may engage in activities that negatively impact investment value. While the VIE structure has been widely adopted, it is not formally recognized under Chinese law and therefore there is a risk that the Chinese government could prohibit the existence of such structures or negatively impact the VIE's contractual arrangements with the listed offshore entity by making them invalid. If these contracts were found to be unenforceable under Chinese law, investors in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, may suffer significant losses with little or no recourse available. If the Chinese government determines that the agreements establishing the VIE structures do not comply with Chinese law and regulations, including those related to restrictions on foreign ownership, it could subject a Chinese-based issuer to penalties, revocation of business and operating licenses, or forfeiture of ownership interest.

**Hedging Risk.** The Fund's hedging strategies may not be successful, and even if they are successful, the Fund's exposure to RMB is not expected to be fully hedged at all times or over time. Investments in forward foreign currency contracts and futures contracts may not perfectly offset actual fluctuations in the exchange rate between RMB and the U.S. dollar, including because currency exchange rates are volatile. In addition, forward foreign currency contracts are over-the-counter contracts that depend on performance by a counterparty; if such counterparty fails to perform, the Fund may lose money. Hedging will cause the Fund to have lower performance when the RMB is rising in value than it would if it did not hedge its RMB exposure.

**Equity Securities Risk.** The values of equity securities are subject to factors such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes. In the event of liquidation, equity securities are generally subordinate in rank to debt and other securities of the same issuer.

**Emerging Markets Risk.** Securities issued by entities with substantial operations or holdings in emerging market countries may involve additional risks and are subject to greater risk of loss than investments in developed markets. This is due to, among other things, greater market volatility, greater risk of asset seizures and capital controls, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, greater risk of market shutdown, and more governmental limitations on foreign investments in emerging market countries than typically found in developed markets. The economies of emerging markets, and China in particular, may be heavily reliant upon international trade and may suffer disproportionately if international trading declines or is disrupted. Such conditions may lead to potential errors in index data, index computation and/or index construction and may limit the ability to oversee the index provider's due diligence process over index data, which may adversely impact the Fund's performance and its ability to track the performance of the Underlying Index.

85 KraneShares MSCI ChinaA Hedged Index ETF

**Foreign Securities Risk.** Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may be less liquid than investments in U.S. issuers, may have less governmental regulation and oversight, and are typically subject to different investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities entail the risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations, political or economic instability, less complete financial information about the issuers, the possible imposition of withholding or confiscatory taxes, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, and the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency. Foreign market trading hours, clearance and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund's ability to buy and sell securities. Additionally, foreign issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, recordkeeping, and financial reporting requirements. Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by governmental authorities. If the Fund holds positions in such suspended securities, the Fund may be adversely impacted. Certain countries in which the Fund may invest may be subject to extended settlement delays and/or foreign holidays, during which the Fund will unlikely be able to convert holdings to cash. All of these factors could result in a loss to the Fund.

**Geographic Focus Risk.** The Fund's investments are expected to be focused in a particular country, countries, or region to approximately the same degree as the Underlying Index and therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country, countries or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified fund.

**Currency Risk.** To the extent that the Fund is exposed directly or indirectly to foreign currencies, including through its investments, or invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies and vice versa. This may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**Concentration Risk.** The Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Underlying Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The securities of companies in an industry or group of industries could react similarly to market developments. Thus, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that affect one industry or group of industries or sector While the Fund's sector and industry exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Underlying Index, the Fund is currently subject to the principal risks described below.

**Financials Sector Risk.** The performance of companies in the financials sector may be adversely impacted by many factors, including, among others, government regulations, economic conditions, credit rating downgrades, changes in interest rates, and decreased liquidity in credit markets. This sector has experienced significant losses in the recent past, and the impact of more stringent capital requirements and of recent or future regulation on any individual financial company or on the sector as a whole cannot be predicted.

**Industrials Sector Risk.** The industrials sector may be affected by changes in the supply and demand for products and services, product obsolescence, claims for environmental damage or product liability and general economic conditions, among other factors. Government regulation will also affect the performance of investments in such industrials sector issuers, particularly aerospace and defense companies, which rely to a significant extent on government demand for their products and services. Transportation companies, another constituents of the industrials sector, are subject to sharp price movements resulting from changes in the economy, fuel prices, labor agreements and insurance costs.

86 KraneShares MSCI ChinaA Hedged Index ETF

**Information Technology Sector Risk.** Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology advances could have a major effect on the value of stocks in the information technology sector. The value of stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from competitors with lower production costs. Information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies in the information technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel.

**Consumer Staples Sector Risk.** Companies in the consumer staples sector may be affected by general economic conditions, commodity production and pricing, consumer confidence and spending, consumer preferences, interest rates, and product cycles. They are subject to government regulation affecting their products which may negatively impact such companies' performance. For instance, for food and beverage companies, government regulations may affect the permissibility of using various food additives and production methods, which could affect company profitability. In particular, tobacco companies may be adversely affected by the adoption of proposed legislation and/or by litigation. Food and beverage companies risk further loss of market share and revenue due to contamination and resulting product recalls. Also, the success of food, beverage, household and personal products may be strongly affected by fads, marketing campaigns, changes in commodity prices and other factors affecting supply and demand.

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to "Authorized Participants." Unlike many other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Thus, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in other ETFs as the Fund may recognize a capital gain that it could have avoided by making redemptions in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. Further, paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds at an inopportune time. Cash transactions may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes, including brokerage fees, that might not have occurred if the Fund utilized in-kind transactions. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted.

87 KraneShares MSCI ChinaA Hedged Index ETF

**International Closed Market Trading Risk.** To the extent the Fund's investments trade in markets that are closed when the Fund and Exchange are open, there are likely to be deviations between current pricing of an underlying security and the prices at which the underlying securities are valued for purposes of the Fund's NAV. As a result, Shares may appear to trade at a significant discount or premium to NAV greater than those incurred by other ETFs. In addition, shareholders may not be able to purchase or redeem their shares of the Fund, or purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

**New Fund Risk.** If the Fund does not grow in size, it will be at greater risk than larger funds of wider bid-ask spreads for its shares, trading at a greater premium or discount to NAV, liquidation and/or a stop to trading.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, market turmoil, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants, or the lack of an active trading market. Markets for securities or financial instruments could be disrupted by a number of events, including, but not limited to, an economic crisis, natural disasters, new legislation or regulatory changes inside or outside the U.S. Liquid investments may become less liquid after being purchased by the Fund, particularly during periods of market stress. In addition, if a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt.

**Mid-Capitalization Company Risk.** Investing in the securities of medium capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization companies. Since medium-sized companies may have limited operating histories, product lines and financial resources, the securities of these companies may be less liquid and more volatile. They may also be sensitive to (expected) changes in interest rates and earnings.

**Large Capitalization Company Risk.** Large capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges and attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. As such, returns on investments in stocks of large capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small and mid capitalization companies.

88 KraneShares MSCI ChinaA Hedged Index ETF

**Passive Investment and Index Risk.** There is no guarantee that the Underlying Index will create the desired exposure and the Fund is not actively managed. It does not seek to "beat" the Underlying Index or take temporary defensive positions when markets decline. Therefore, the Fund may purchase or hold securities with current or projected underperformance.

There is no guarantee that the methodology the Index Provider uses to identify constituents for the Underlying Index will achieve its intended result or provide an accurate assessment of included constituents. The Underlying Index relies on various sources of information to assess the potential constituents of the Underlying Index, including information that may be based on assumptions or estimates. Neither the Fund nor Krane can offer assurances that the Index Provider's sources of information are reliable. There can be no guarantee that the methodology underlying the Underlying Index, the Underlying Index construction and computation processes, or the daily calculation of the Underlying Index or its methodology will be free from error or that an error will be identified and/or corrected, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund.

**Management Risk.** The Fund may not fully replicate the Underlying Index and may hold less than the total number of securities in the Underlying Index. Therefore, the Fund is subject to the risk that Krane's security selection process may not produce the intended results.

**Tracking Error Risk.** The Fund's return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Underlying Index. This may be due to, among other factors, the Fund holding cash under certain circumstances in lieu of Underlying Index securities, such as when the Fund is subject to delays converting U.S. dollars into a foreign currency to purchase foreign securities and unable to invest in certain constituents of the Underlying Index due to regulatory constraints, trading suspensions, and legal restrictions imposed by foreign governments. To the extent that the Fund employs a representative sampling strategy or calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the Underlying Index is based on securities' closing prices on local foreign markets, the Fund's ability to track the Underlying Index may be adversely affected.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. In addition, the securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days that the Fund does not price its shares; as a result, the value of Fund shares may change on days when investors cannot purchase or sell their Fund holdings.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

89 KraneShares MSCI ChinaA Hedged Index ETF

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. The Fund's investments in issuers whose control persons are not certain creates a risk that tax authorities may retrospectively deem the Fund to have failed the asset diversification requirements. If the Fund were to fail the favorable tax treatment requirements, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, which would adversely affect its performance.

**Depositary Receipts Risk.** The Fund may hold the securities of foreign companies in the form of depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts. Investing in depositary receipts entails the risks associated with foreign investments, such as fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the securities of U.S. issuers. In addition, the value of the securities underlying the depositary receipts may change materially when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, which will affect the value of the depositary receipts.

**IPO Risk.** Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile. At any particular time or from time to time, the Fund may not be able to invest in securities issued in IPOs, or invest to the extent desired, because, for example, only a small portion (if any) of the securities being offered in an IPO may be available to the Fund. In addition, as the Fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the Fund's performance will generally decrease.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane is subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

**Securities Lending Risk.** To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: (1) the securities in which the collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the applicable rebate rates paid to borrowers and related administrative costs; (2) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions; and (3) although borrowers of the Fund's securities typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities, there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. Krane is subject to potential conflicts of interest because the compensation paid to it increases in connection with any net income received by the Fund from the securities lending program.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

90 KraneShares MSCI ChinaA Hedged Index ETF

**Performance Information**

Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included in this Prospectus that will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the variability of the Fund's return based on net assets and comparing the variability of the Fund's return to a broad measure of market performance. Once available, the Fund's current performance information will be available at www.kraneshares.com. Past performance does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.

**Management**

**Investment Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Manager**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, also serves as a portfolio manager of the Fund. Mr. Shelon supports Mr. Maund and Krane's investment team for the Fund and has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since inception.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.kraneshares.com.

**Tax Information**

Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

91 KraneShares MSCI ChinaA Hedged Index ETF

**KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF** 

**Investment Objective**

The KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF (the "Fund") seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond to the price and yield performance of a specific foreign equity securities index. The Fund's current index is the MSCI China IMI Environment 10/40 Index (the "Underlying Index").

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees** (fees paid directly from your investment)

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.78% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees\* | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses | 0.01% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 0.79% |

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\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| $81 | $252 | $439 | $978 |

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**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 36% of the average value of its portfolio. This rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Fund's shares.

92 KraneShares MSCI ChinaClean Technology Index ETF

**Principal Investment Strategies**

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in instruments in its Underlying Index or in instruments that have economic characteristics similar to those in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is a free-float adjusted market capitalization weighted index modified per the 10/40 Constraint (as defined below) designed to measure the equity market performance of Chinese companies in the industrial, utility, real estate and technology sectors that contribute to a more environmentally sustainable economy by making more efficient use of scarce natural resources or by mitigating environmental degradation ("clean technologies"). Companies in the Underlying Index derive at least 50% of their revenues, as determined by MSCI Inc. (the "Index Provider") from (1) alternative energy; (2) sustainable water; (3) green building; (4) pollution prevention; and (5) energy efficiency. The issuers included in the Underlying Index may include small-cap, mid-cap and large-cap companies.

The Underlying Index is modified so that, as of the rebalance date, no issuer constitutes more than 10% of the Underlying Index and so that the cumulative weight of all constituents with a weight of over 5% does not exceed 40% of the Underlying Index (the "10/40 Constraint").

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in instruments that are not included in the Underlying Index, but that the Fund's investment adviser, Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser"), believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. These investments may include equity securities and depositary receipts of issuers whose securities are not constituents of the Underlying Index, derivative instruments (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options), other investment companies (including exchange traded funds or "ETFs") and cash or cash equivalents (including money market funds). The other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates.

The following China-related securities may be included in the Underlying Index and/or represent investments of the Fund:

● China A-Shares, which are shares of companies incorporated in mainland China that are traded on the Chinese exchanges and denominated in domestic renminbi. China A-Shares are primarily purchased and sold in the domestic Chinese market. To the extent the Fund invests in China A-Shares, it expects to do so through the trading and clearing facilities of a participating exchange located outside of mainland China ("Stock Connect Programs"). A Qualified Foreign Investor ("QFI") license may also be acquired to invest directly in China A-Shares.

● China B-Shares, which are shares of companies listed on the Shanghai or Shenzhen Stock Exchange but quoted and traded in foreign currencies (such as Hong Kong Dollars or U.S. Dollars), which were primarily created for trading by foreign investors.

● China H-Shares, which are shares of companies incorporated in mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange ("H-Shares"), where they are traded in Hong Kong dollars and may be traded by foreign investors.

● China N-Shares, which are shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on an American stock exchange, such as NYSE or NASDAQ ("N-Shares").

● P-Chips, which are shares of private sector companies with a majority of their business operations in mainland China and controlling private Chinese shareholders, which are incorporated outside of mainland China and traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong dollars.

● Red Chips, which are shares of companies with a majority of their business operations in mainland China and controlled by the central, provincial or municipal governments of the PRC, whose shares are traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong dollars.

● S-Chips, which are shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on the Singapore Exchange. S-Chip shares are issued by companies incorporated anywhere, but many are registered in Singapore, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, or Bermuda.

93 KraneShares MSCI ChinaClean Technology Index ETF

Although the Fund expects to replicate (or hold all constituents of) the Underlying Index, the Fund reserves the right to use representative sampling to track the Underlying Index. "Representative sampling" is a strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index.

As of May 31, 2025, the Underlying Index included 46 securities of companies with a market capitalization range of approximately $447.9 million to $159.0 billion and an average market capitalization of approximately $21.7 billion.

The Fund is non-diversified. To the extent the Underlying Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund is expected to be concentrated in that industry. As of May 31, 2025, issuers in the Consumer Discretionary sector (44.6%), Utilities sector (21.6%), Industrials sector (19.0%), and Information Technology sector (14.9%) represented significant portions of the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is rebalanced quarterly.

The Fund may engage in securities lending.

**Principal Risks**

As with all ETFs, a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**China Risk.** The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions in the People's Republic of China ("China" or the "PRC") and surrounding Asian countries and may demonstrate significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. Investments in Chinese securities, including those that are Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, subject the Fund to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. Over the last few decades, the Chinese government has undertaken reform of economic and market practices and has expanded the sphere of private ownership of property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. Chinese companies are also subject to the risk that Chinese authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. In addition, the Chinese economy is export-driven and highly reliant on trading with key partners. A downturn in the economies of China's primary trading partners could slow or eliminate the growth of the Chinese economy and adversely impact the Fund's investments. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. The RMB is not freely convertible, but rather is subject to approval of PRC authorities. Although Chinese authorities have indicated an intent to move to a freely convertible RMB, there is no assurance that repatriation strictions will not continue. The Chinese government may introduce new laws and regulations that could have an adverse effect on the Fund. Although China has begun the process of privatizing certain sectors of its economy, privatized entities may lose money and/or be re-nationalized.

Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Incidents involving China's or the region's security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments.

In the Chinese securities markets, a small number of issuers may represent a large portion of the entire market. The Chinese securities markets are subject to more frequent trading halts, low trading volume and price volatility. Recent developments in relations between the United States and China have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the two countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on China's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on the Fund. In addition, worsening trade relations between the two countries could adversely impact the Fund, particularly to the extent that the Chinese government restricts foreign investments in on-shore Chinese companies or the U.S. government restricts investments by U.S. investors in China. This may also result in market volatility and volatility in the price of Fund shares.

94 KraneShares MSCI ChinaClean Technology Index ETF

The Underlying Index may include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government. So long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments, the Fund is generally expected to invest in such companies, consistent with its objective to track the performance of the Underlying Index.

In recent years, Chinese entities have incurred significant levels of debt and Chinese financial institutions currently hold relatively large amounts of non-performing debt. Thus, there exists a possibility that widespread defaults could occur, which could trigger a financial crisis, freeze Chinese debt and finance markets and make Chinese securities illiquid.

Disclosure and regulatory standards in emerging market countries, such as China, are in many respects less stringent than U.S. standards. There is substantially less publicly available information about Chinese issuers than there is about U.S. issuers. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements or due to worsening relations between the U.S. and China, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities.

The tax laws and regulations in China are somewhat unclear and are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. The interpretation, application and enforcement of such laws and regulations by the applicable authorities may vary over time and from region to region, and could have an adverse effect on the Fund and its shareholders, particularly in relation to tax imposed upon foreign investors' capital gains. Uncertainties in Chinese tax rules could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund.

**A-Shares Risk.** A-Shares are issued by companies incorporated in mainland China and are traded on Chinese exchanges. Investments in A-Shares are made available to domestic Chinese investors and certain foreign investors, including those who have been approved as a QFI and through the Stock Connect Programs, which currently include the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shanghai-London Stock Connect, and China-Japan Stock Connect. Investments by foreign investors in A-Shares are subject to various restrictions, regulations and limits. Investments in A-Shares are heavily regulated and the recoupment and repatriation of assets invested in A-Shares is subject to restrictions by the Chinese government. A-Shares may be subject to frequent and widespread trading halts and may become illiquid. This could cause volatility in the Fund's share price and subject the Fund to a greater risk of trading halts.

**Custody Risks.** In accordance with Chinese regulations and the terms of a QFI license and insofar as Krane acquires a QFI, A-Shares will be held in the joint names of the Fund and Krane. Thus, the Fund's assets may not be as well protected as they would be if it were possible for them to be registered and held solely in the name of the Fund. There is a risk that creditors of Krane may assert that the securities are owned by Krane and that regulatory actions taken against Krane may affect the Fund.

**Hong Kong Risk.** The economy of Hong Kong has few natural resources and any fluctuation or shortage in the commodity markets could have a significant adverse effect on the Hong Kong economy. Hong Kong is also heavily dependent on international trade and finance. Additionally, the continuation and success of the current political, economic, legal and social policies of Hong Kong is dependent on and subject to the control of the Chinese government. China may change its policies regarding Hong Kong at any time. Any such change may adversely affect market conditions and the performance of Chinese and Hong Kong issuers and, thus, the value of securities in the Fund's portfolio.

**Stock Connect Program Risk.** The Stock Connect Programs are subject to daily quota limitations, and an investor cannot purchase and sell the same security on the same trading day, which may restrict the Fund's ability to invest in A-Shares through the Programs and to enter into or exit trades on a timely basis. The Shanghai and Shenzhen markets may be open at a time when the participating exchanges located outside of mainland China are not active, with the result that prices of A-Shares may fluctuate at times when the Fund is unable to add to or exit its positions. Only certain China A-Shares are eligible to be accessed through the Stock Connect Programs. Such securities may lose their eligibility at any time, in which case they could be sold but could no longer be purchased through the Stock Connect Programs. Because the Stock Connect Programs are still evolving, the actual effect on the market for trading A-Shares with the introduction of large numbers of foreign investors is still relatively unknown. Further, regulations or restrictions, such as limitations on redemptions or suspension of trading, may adversely impact the program. There is no guarantee that the participating exchanges will continue to support the Stock Connect Programs in the future.

95 KraneShares MSCI ChinaClean Technology Index ETF

Investments in China A-Shares may not be covered by the securities investor protection programs of either exchange and, without the protection of such programs, will be subject to the risk of default by the broker. Because of the way in which China A-Shares are held in the Stock Connect Programs, the Fund may not be able to exercise the rights of a direct shareholder and may be limited in its ability to pursue claims against the issuer of a security, and may suffer losses in the event the legal or "nominee holder" of the China A-Shares under the Stock Connect Programs becomes insolvent.

**Chinese Equity Markets.** The use of B-shares, H-shares, N-Shares, Red-Chips, P-Chips, S-Chips by Chinese companies to obtain listings are subject to the political and economic policies in China and the markets on which they are listed. Further, the markets on which these shares are listed may behave very differently from the mainland Chinese markets, and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the two.

**Special Risk Considerations of Investing in China.** For purposes of raising capital offshore on exchanges outside of China, including on U.S. exchanges, many Chinese-based operating companies are structured as Variable Interest Entities ("VIEs"). In this structure, the Chinese-based operating company is the VIE and establishes an entity, which is typically offshore in a foreign jurisdiction, such as the Cayman Islands. The offshore entity lists on a foreign exchange and enters into contractual arrangements with the VIE. This structure allows Chinese companies in which the government restricts foreign ownership to raise capital from foreign investors. While the offshore entity has no equity ownership of the VIE, these contractual arrangements permit the offshore entity to consolidate the VIE's financial statements with its own for accounting purposes and provide for economic exposure to the performance of the underlying Chinese operating company. Therefore, an investor in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, will have exposure to the Chinese-based operating company only through contractual arrangements and has no ownership in the Chinese-based operating company. Furthermore, because the offshore entity only has specific rights provided for in these service agreements with the VIE, its abilities to control the activities at the Chinese-based operating company are limited and the operating company may engage in activities that negatively impact investment value. While the VIE structure has been widely adopted, it is not formally recognized under Chinese law and therefore there is a risk that the Chinese government could prohibit the existence of such structures or negatively impact the VIE's contractual arrangements with the listed offshore entity by making them invalid. If these contracts were found to be unenforceable under Chinese law, investors in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, may suffer significant losses with little or no recourse available. If the Chinese government determines that the agreements establishing the VIE structures do not comply with Chinese law and regulations, including those related to restrictions on foreign ownership, it could subject a Chinese-based issuer to penalties, revocation of business and operating licenses, or forfeiture of ownership interest.

**Clean Technology Risk.** Issuers engaged in clean technology business lines may be difficult to identify and investments in them may be volatile. They may be highly dependent upon government subsidies, contracts with government entities, and the successful development of new and proprietary technologies. Such technologies risk rapid product obsolescence, short product cycles, and competition from new market entrants. Current valuation methods used to value companies involved in alternative and clean power technology sectors have not been in widespread use for a significant period of time, and it is difficult to value share prices of such issuers. In addition, seasonal weather conditions, fluctuations in supply of and demand for clean energy products (including, in relation to traditional energy products, such as oil and gas), changes in energy prices, and international political events may cause fluctuations in the performance of these issuers and the prices of their securities. Other countries, including the U.S., may take steps against Chinese companies engaged in clean technology services and products, such as through the imposition of tariffs and anti-dumping duties. Even companies that are classified as being involved in clean technology services and products may not necessarily compare favorably with respect to their clean technology practices and impact to those of other issuers.

**Equity Securities Risk.** The values of equity securities are subject to factors such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes. In the event of liquidation, equity securities are generally subordinate in rank to debt and other securities of the same issuer.

96 KraneShares MSCI ChinaClean Technology Index ETF

**Emerging Markets Risk.** Securities issued by entities with substantial operations or holdings in emerging market countries may involve additional risks and are subject to greater risk of loss than investments in developed markets. This is due to, among other things, greater market volatility, greater risk of asset seizures and capital controls, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, greater risk of market shutdown, and more governmental limitations on foreign investments in emerging market countries than typically found in developed markets. The economies of emerging markets, and China in particular, may be heavily reliant upon international trade and may suffer disproportionately if international trading declines or is disrupted. Such conditions may lead to potential errors in index data, index computation and/or index construction and may limit the ability to oversee the Index Provider's due diligence process over index data, which may adversely impact the Fund's performance and its ability to track the performance of the Underlying Index.

**Foreign Securities Risk.** Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may be less liquid than investments in U.S. issuers, may have less governmental regulation and oversight, and are typically subject to different investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities entail the risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations, political or economic instability, less complete financial information about the issuers, the possible imposition of withholding or confiscatory taxes, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, and the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency. Foreign market trading hours, clearance and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund's ability to buy and sell securities. Additionally, foreign issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, recordkeeping, and financial reporting requirements. Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by governmental authorities. If the Fund holds positions in such suspended securities, the Fund may be adversely impacted. Certain countries in which the Fund may invest may be subject to extended settlement delays and/or foreign holidays, during which the Fund will unlikely be able to convert holdings to cash. All of these factors could result in a loss to the Fund.

**Geographic Focus Risk.** The Fund's investments are expected to be focused in a particular country, countries, or region to approximately the same degree as the Underlying Index and therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country, countries or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified fund.

**Currency Risk.** To the extent that the Fund is exposed directly or indirectly to foreign currencies, including through its investments, or invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies and vice versa. This may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**Concentration Risk.** Because the Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Underlying Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that may affect that industry or group of industries or sector. Market conditions, interest rates, and economic, regulatory, or financial developments could significantly affect a single industry or a group of related industries, and the securities of companies in that industry or group of industries could react similarly to these or other developments. From time to time, the Fund may invest a significant percentage of its assets in issuers in a single industry (or the same group of industries) or sector of the economy. While the Fund's sector and industry exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Underlying Index, the Fund is currently subject to the principal risks described below. The Fund may have significant exposure to other industries or sectors over time.

**Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk.** The success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied closely to the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence. Success depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes can also affect the demand for, and success of, consumer products in the marketplace.

97 KraneShares MSCI ChinaClean Technology Index ETF

**Industrials Sector Risk.** The industrials sector may be affected by changes in the supply and demand for products and services, product obsolescence, claims for environmental damage or product liability and general economic conditions, among other factors. Government regulation will also affect the performance of investments in such industrials sector issuers, particularly aerospace and defense companies, which rely to a significant extent on government demand for their products and services. Transportation companies, another constituents of the industrials sector, are subject to sharp price movements resulting from changes in the economy, fuel prices, labor agreements and insurance costs.

**Information Technology Sector Risk.** Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology advances could have a major effect on the value of stocks in the information technology sector. The value of stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from competitors with lower production costs. Information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies in the information technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel.

**Utilities Sector Risk**. Companies in the utilities industry may have difficulty obtaining an adequate return on invested capital, raising capital, and financing large construction programs during periods of inflation or unsettled capital markets; face restrictions on operations and increased cost and delays attributable to environmental considerations and regulation; find that existing plants, equipment or products have been rendered obsolete by technological innovations; and be subject to increased costs because of the scarcity of certain fuels or the effects of man-made disasters. Deregulation is subjecting utility companies to greater competition and may adversely affect profitability. As deregulation allows utility companies to diversify outside of their original geographic regions and their traditional lines of business, utility companies may engage in riskier ventures. Government regulators monitor and control utility operations, revenues and costs, and therefore may limit utility profits. Regulatory authorities may also restrict utility companies' access to new markets, thereby diminishing these companies' long-term prospects. Energy conservation and changes in climate policy may have a significant adverse impact on the revenues and expenses of utility companies.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to "Authorized Participants." Unlike many other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Thus, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in other ETFs as the Fund may recognize a capital gain that it could have avoided by making redemptions in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. Further, paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds at an inopportune time. Cash transactions may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes, including brokerage fees, that might not have occurred if the Fund utilized in-kind transactions. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted.

98 KraneShares MSCI ChinaClean Technology Index ETF

**International Closed Market Trading Risk.** To the extent the Fund's investments trade in markets that are closed when the Fund and Exchange are open, there are likely to be deviations between current pricing of an underlying security and the prices at which the underlying securities are valued for purposes of the Fund's NAV. As a result, Shares may appear to trade at a significant discount or premium to NAV greater than those incurred by other ETFs. In addition, shareholders may not be able to purchase or redeem their shares of the Fund, or purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, market turmoil, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants, or the lack of an active trading market. Markets for securities or financial instruments could be disrupted by a number of events, including, but not limited to, an economic crisis, natural disasters, new legislation or regulatory changes inside or outside the U.S. Liquid investments may become less liquid after being purchased by the Fund, particularly during periods of market stress. In addition, if a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt.

**Small- and Mid-Capitalization Company Risk.** Investing in the securities of small and medium capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization companies. Since small and medium-sized companies may have limited operating histories, product lines and financial resources, the securities of these companies may be less liquid and more volatile. They may also be sensitive to (expected) changes in interest rates and earnings.

**Large Capitalization Company Risk.** Large capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges and attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. As such, returns on investments in stocks of large capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small and mid capitalization companies.

**Passive Investment and Index Risk.** There is no guarantee that the Underlying Index will create the desired exposure and the Fund is not actively managed. It does not seek to "beat" the Underlying Index or take temporary defensive positions when markets decline. Therefore, the Fund may purchase or hold securities with current or projected underperformance.

There is no guarantee that the methodology the Index Provider uses to identify constituents for the Underlying Index will achieve its intended result or provide an accurate assessment of included constituents. The Underlying Index relies on various sources of information to assess the potential constituents of the Underlying Index, including information that may be based on assumptions or estimates. Neither the Fund nor Krane can offer assurances that the Index Provider's sources of information are reliable. There can be no guarantee that the methodology underlying the Underlying Index, the Underlying Index construction and computation processes, or the daily calculation of the Underlying Index or its methodology will be free from error or that an error will be identified and/or corrected, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund.

99 KraneShares MSCI ChinaClean Technology Index ETF

**Management Risk.** The Fund may not fully replicate the Underlying Index and may hold less than the total number of securities in the Underlying Index. Therefore, the Fund is subject to the risk that Krane's security selection process may not produce the intended results.

**Tracking Error Risk.** The Fund's return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Underlying Index. This may be due to, among other factors, the Fund holding cash under certain circumstances in lieu of Underlying Index securities, such as when the Fund is subject to delays converting U.S. dollars into a foreign currency to purchase foreign securities and unable to invest in certain constituents of the Underlying Index due to regulatory constraints, trading suspensions, and legal restrictions imposed by foreign governments. To the extent that the Fund employs a representative sampling strategy or calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the Underlying Index is based on securities' closing prices on local foreign markets, the Fund's ability to track the Underlying Index may be adversely affected.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**High Portfolio Turnover Risk.** The Fund may incur high portfolio turnover rates, which may increase the Fund's brokerage commission costs and negatively impact the Fund's performance. Such portfolio turnover also may generate net short-term capital gains.

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. In addition, the securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days that the Fund does not price its shares; as a result, the value of Fund shares may change on days when investors cannot purchase or sell their Fund holdings.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. The Fund's investments in issuers whose control persons are not certain creates a risk that tax authorities may retrospectively deem the Fund to have failed the asset diversification requirements. If the Fund were to fail the favorable tax treatment requirements, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, which would adversely affect its performance.

**Depositary Receipts Risk.** The Fund may hold the securities of foreign companies in the form of depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts. Investing in depositary receipts entails the risks associated with foreign investments, such as fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the securities of U.S. issuers. In addition, the value of the securities underlying the depositary receipts may change materially when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, which will affect the value of the depositary receipts.

100 KraneShares MSCI ChinaClean Technology Index ETF

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

**IPO Risk.** Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile. At any particular time or from time to time, the Fund may not be able to invest in securities issued in IPOs, or invest to the extent desired, because, for example, only a small portion (if any) of the securities being offered in an IPO may be available to the Fund. In addition, as the Fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the Fund's performance will generally decrease.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane is subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

**Securities Lending Risk.** To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: (1) the securities in which the collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the applicable rebate rates paid to borrowers and related administrative costs; (2) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions; and (3) although borrowers of the Fund's securities typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities, there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. Krane is subject to potential conflicts of interest because the compensation paid to it increases in connection with any net income received by the Fund from the securities lending program.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

101 KraneShares MSCI ChinaClean Technology Index ETF

**Performance Information**

The following bar chart and table illustrate the variability of the Fund's returns and indicate the risks of investing in the Fund by showing how the Fund's average annual total returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance and an additional index with characteristics relevant to the Fund. All returns include the reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As always, please note that the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>.

![](pro-kgrn_001.jpg)

As of June 30, 2025, the Fund's calendar year-to-date total return was 14.09%.

**Best and Worst Quarter Returns (for the period reflected in the bar chart above)** 

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Return** | **Quarter Ended/Year** |
| Highest Return | 43.63% | 9/30/2020 |
| Lowest Return | -31.48% | 9/30/2022 |

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**Average Annual Total Returns for the periods ended December 31, 2024**

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF** | **1 year** | **5 years** | **Since Inception<br> (10-12-2017)** |
| Return Before Taxes | 0.20% | 5.10% | 0.45% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | -0.15% | 4.86% | -0.06% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 0.36% | 3.99% | 0.21% |
| MSCI China All Shares Index<br> (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 16.38% | -1.78% | -1.23% |
| MSCI China IMI Environment 10/40 Index (Net)<br> (Reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or other taxes) | 1.32% | 3.52% | -0.34% |

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MSCI China All Shares Index Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

MSCI China IMI Environment 10/40 Index (Net) (Reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or other taxes)

102 KraneShares MSCI ChinaClean Technology Index ETF

Average annual total returns are shown on a before- and after-tax basis for the Fund. After-tax returns for the Fund are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement plans.

**Management**

**Investment Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Manager**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of the Fund since January 2020. Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, also serves as a portfolio manager of the Fund. Mr. Shelon supports Mr. Maund and Krane's investment team for the Fund and has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since 2018.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>.

**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 IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

103 KraneShares MSCI ChinaClean Technology Index ETF

**KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF**

**Investment Objective**

The KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF (the "Fund") seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of a specific equity securities index. The Fund's current index is the MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index (the "Underlying Index").

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees** (fees paid directly from your investment)

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.58% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees\* | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses | 0.01% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 0.59% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Fee Waiver\*\* | -0.35% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver** | 0.24% |

---

\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

\*\* The Fund's investment adviser, Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser"), has contractually agreed to waive its management fee by 0.35% of the Fund's average daily net assets ("Fee Waiver"). The Fee Waiver will continue until August 1, 2026, and may only be terminated prior thereto by the Board.

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same, except that it reflects the Fee Waiver for the period described above. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| $25 | $154 | $294 | $704 |

---

**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 3% of the average value of its portfolio. This rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Fund's shares.

104 KraneShares MSCI EmergingMarkets ex China Index ETF

**Principal Investment Strategies**

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in instruments in its Underlying Index or in instruments that have economic characteristics similar to those in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index designed to measure the equity market performance of mid- and large-cap companies of emerging market countries, excluding China. The Underlying Index is based on the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, but excludes the securities of Chinese issuers. The Underlying Index generally classifies an issuer as coming from a particular country based on where it is incorporated and where its stock is primarily listed. When an issuer's securities are primarily listed outside of its country of incorporation, the Underlying Index also considers the following factors, among others, in determining where the issuer is from: (1) the secondary listings, if any, of the issuer's securities; (2) the geographic distribution of the issuer's shareholder base; (3) the location of its headquarters; (4) the geographic distribution of its operations (in terms of assets and revenues); (5) the issuer's history, and (6) the country with which investors associate the issuer. Each issuer and its securities are classified in only one country.

The Underlying Index, as of each rebalance, includes equity securities that, among other matters: (1) are issued by companies from Emerging Market countries (as defined below); and (2) are issued by companies whose free-float market capitalizations are in the top 85% of the Emerging Market from which they come.

As of May 31, 2025, the Underlying Index included issuers from the following "Emerging Markets": Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in instruments that are not included in the Underlying Index, but that Krane believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. These investments may include equity securities and depositary receipts of issuers whose securities are not constituents of the Underlying Index, derivative instruments (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options), other investment companies (including exchange traded funds or "ETFs") and cash or cash equivalents (including money market funds). The other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates.

Although the Fund reserves the right to replicate (or hold all constituents of) the Underlying Index, the Fund expects to use representative sampling to track the Underlying Index. "Representative sampling" is a strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index.

To the extent the Underlying Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund is expected to be concentrated in that industry. As of May 31, 2025, the Underlying Index included 638 securities of companies with a market capitalization range of approximately $2.0 billion to $1.6 trillion and an average market capitalization of approximately $20.0 billion. As of May 31, 2025, the largest country representations in the Underlying Index were India (26.3%), Taiwan (26.1%), and Korea (13.6%). As of May 31, 2025, issuers in the Information Technology sector (29.1%) and Financials sector (27.4%) represented significant portions of the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is rebalanced quarterly.

The Fund may engage in securities lending.

**Principal Risks**

As with all ETFs, a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

105 KraneShares MSCI EmergingMarkets ex China Index ETF

**Emerging Markets Risk.** Securities issued by entities with substantial operations or holdings in emerging market countries may involve additional risks and are subject to greater risk of loss than investments in developed markets. This is due to, among other things, greater market volatility, greater risk of asset seizures and capital controls, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, greater risk of market shutdown, and more governmental limitations on foreign investments in emerging market countries than typically found in developed markets. The economies of emerging markets, and China in particular, may be heavily reliant upon international trade and may suffer disproportionately if international trading declines or is disrupted. Such conditions may lead to potential errors in index data, index computation and/or index construction and may limit the ability to oversee the index provider's due diligence process over index data, which may adversely impact the Fund's performance and its ability to track the performance of the Underlying Index.

**Geographic Focus Risk.** The Fund's investments are expected to be focused in a particular country, countries, or region to approximately the same degree as the Underlying Index and therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country, countries or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified fund.

**Equity Securities Risk.** The values of equity securities are subject to factors such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes. In the event of liquidation, equity securities are generally subordinate in rank to debt and other securities of the same issuer.

**Foreign Securities Risk.** Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may be less liquid than investments in U.S. issuers, may have less governmental regulation and oversight, and are typically subject to different investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities entail the risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations, political or economic instability, less complete financial information about the issuers, the possible imposition of withholding or confiscatory taxes, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, and the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency. Foreign market trading hours, clearance and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund's ability to buy and sell securities. Additionally, foreign issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, recordkeeping, and financial reporting requirements. Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by governmental authorities. If the Fund holds positions in such suspended securities, the Fund may be adversely impacted. Certain countries in which the Fund may invest may be subject to extended settlement delays and/or foreign holidays, during which the Fund will unlikely be able to convert holdings to cash. All of these factors could result in a loss to the Fund.

**Taiwan Risk.** Investments in Taiwanese issuers involve risks that are specific to Taiwan, including legal, regulatory, political and economic risks. Political and economic developments of Taiwan's neighbors may have an adverse effect on Taiwan's economy. Specifically, Taiwan's geographic proximity and history of political contention with China have resulted in ongoing tensions, which may materially affect the Taiwanese economy and its securities market and may have an adverse impact on the values of the Fund's investments in Taiwan, or make such investments impracticable or impossible.

**India Risk.** Investments in Indian issuers involve risks that are specific to India, including legal, regulatory, political, currency and economic risks. Political and legal uncertainty, greater government control over the economy, currency fluctuations or blockage, and the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets may result in higher potential for losses. The securities markets in India are relatively underdeveloped and may subject the Fund to higher transaction costs or greater uncertainty than investments in more developed securities markets.

**South Korea Risk.** The Fund is susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory and geographic events affecting South Korea. The South Korean economy is dependent on the economies of other Asian countries, especially China and Southeast Asia, and the United States as key trading partners. Furthermore, South Korea's economy may be significantly affected by currency fluctuations and increasing competition from Asia's other low-cost emerging economies. Also, tensions with North Korea could escalate and lead to further uncertainty in the political and economic climate of South Korea.

106 KraneShares MSCI EmergingMarkets ex China Index ETF

**Currency Risk.** To the extent that the Fund is exposed directly or indirectly to foreign currencies, including through its investments, or invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies and vice versa. This may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

**Concentration Risk.** The Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Underlying Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The securities of companies in an industry or group of industries could react similarly to market developments. Thus, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that affect one industry or group of industries or sector While the Fund's sector and industry exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Underlying Index, the Fund is currently subject to the principal risks described below.

**Financials Sector Risk.** The performance of companies in the financials sector may be adversely impacted by many factors, including, among others, government regulations, economic conditions, credit rating downgrades, changes in interest rates, and decreased liquidity in credit markets. This sector has experienced significant losses in the recent past, and the impact of more stringent capital requirements and of recent or future regulation on any individual financial company or on the sector as a whole cannot be predicted.

**Information Technology Sector Risk.** Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology advances could have a major effect on the value of stocks in the information technology sector. The value of stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from competitors with lower production costs. Information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies in the information technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to "Authorized Participants." Unlike many other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Thus, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in other ETFs as the Fund may recognize a capital gain that it could have avoided by making redemptions in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. Further, paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds at an inopportune time. Cash transactions may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes, including brokerage fees, that might not have occurred if the Fund utilized in-kind transactions. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted.

107 KraneShares MSCI EmergingMarkets ex China Index ETF

**International Closed Market Trading Risk.** To the extent the Fund's investments trade in markets that are closed when the Fund and Exchange are open, there are likely to be deviations between current pricing of an underlying security and the prices at which the underlying securities are valued for purposes of the Fund's NAV. As a result, Shares may appear to trade at a significant discount or premium to NAV greater than those incurred by other ETFs. In addition, shareholders may not be able to purchase or redeem their shares of the Fund, or purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, market turmoil, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants, or the lack of an active trading market. Markets for securities or financial instruments could be disrupted by a number of events, including, but not limited to, an economic crisis, natural disasters, new legislation or regulatory changes inside or outside the U.S. Liquid investments may become less liquid after being purchased by the Fund, particularly during periods of market stress. In addition, if a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt.

**Small- and Mid-Capitalization Company Risk.** Investing in the securities of small and medium capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization companies. Since small and medium-sized companies may have limited operating histories, product lines and financial resources, the securities of these companies may be less liquid and more volatile. They may also be sensitive to (expected) changes in interest rates and earnings.

**Large Capitalization Company Risk.** Large capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges and attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. As such, returns on investments in stocks of large capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small and mid capitalization companies.

**Passive Investment and Index Risk.** There is no guarantee that the Underlying Index will create the desired exposure and the Fund is not actively managed. It does not seek to "beat" the Underlying Index or take temporary defensive positions when markets decline. Therefore, the Fund may purchase or hold securities with current or projected underperformance.

108 KraneShares MSCI EmergingMarkets ex China Index ETF

There is no guarantee that the methodology the Index Provider uses to identify constituents for the Underlying Index will achieve its intended result or provide an accurate assessment of included constituents. The Underlying Index relies on various sources of information to assess the potential constituents of the Underlying Index, including information that may be based on assumptions or estimates. Neither the Fund nor Krane can offer assurances that the Index Provider's sources of information are reliable. There can be no guarantee that the methodology underlying the Underlying Index, the Underlying Index construction and computation processes, or the daily calculation of the Underlying Index or its methodology will be free from error or that an error will be identified and/or corrected, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund.

**Management Risk.** The Fund may not fully replicate the Underlying Index and may hold less than the total number of securities in the Underlying Index. Therefore, the Fund is subject to the risk that Krane's security selection process may not produce the intended results.

**Tracking Error Risk.** The Fund's return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Underlying Index. This may be due to, among other factors, the Fund holding cash under certain circumstances in lieu of Underlying Index securities, such as when the Fund is subject to delays converting U.S. dollars into a foreign currency to purchase foreign securities and unable to invest in certain constituents of the Underlying Index due to regulatory constraints, trading suspensions, and legal restrictions imposed by foreign governments. To the extent that the Fund employs a representative sampling strategy or calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the Underlying Index is based on securities' closing prices on local foreign markets, the Fund's ability to track the Underlying Index may be adversely affected.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. In addition, the securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days that the Fund does not price its shares; as a result, the value of Fund shares may change on days when investors cannot purchase or sell their Fund holdings.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. The Fund's investments in issuers whose control persons are not certain creates a risk that tax authorities may retrospectively deem the Fund to have failed the asset diversification requirements. If the Fund were to fail the favorable tax treatment requirements, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, which would adversely affect its performance.

109 KraneShares MSCI EmergingMarkets ex China Index ETF

**Depositary Receipts Risk.** The Fund may hold the securities of foreign companies in the form of depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts. Investing in depositary receipts entails the risks associated with foreign investments, such as fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the securities of U.S. issuers. In addition, the value of the securities underlying the depositary receipts may change materially when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, which will affect the value of the depositary receipts.

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

**IPO Risk.** Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile. At any particular time or from time to time, the Fund may not be able to invest in securities issued in IPOs, or invest to the extent desired, because, for example, only a small portion (if any) of the securities being offered in an IPO may be available to the Fund. In addition, as the Fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the Fund's performance will generally decrease.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane is subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

**Securities Lending Risk.** To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: (1) the securities in which the collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the applicable rebate rates paid to borrowers and related administrative costs; (2) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions; and (3) although borrowers of the Fund's securities typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities, there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. Krane is subject to potential conflicts of interest because the compensation paid to it increases in connection with any net income received by the Fund from the securities lending program.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

110 KraneShares MSCI EmergingMarkets ex China Index ETF

**Performance Information**

The following bar chart and table illustrate the variability of the Fund's returns and indicate the risks of investing in the Fund by showing how the Fund's average annual total returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance and an additional index with characteristics relevant to the Fund. All returns include the reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As always, please note that the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>.

![](pro-kemx_001.jpg)

As of June 30, 2025, the Fund's calendar year-to-date total return was 15.20%.

**Best and Worst Quarter Returns (for the period reflected in the bar chart above)** 

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Return** | **Quarter Ended/Year** |
| Highest Return | 27.71% | 12/31/2020 |
| Lowest Return | -30.11% | 3/31/2020 |

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**Average Annual Total Returns for the periods ended December 31, 2024**

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF** | **1 year** | **5 years** | **Since Inception<br>(04-12-2019)** |
| Return Before Taxes | 2.03% | 4.48% | 5.36% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | 1.15% | 3.73% | 4.54% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 1.66% | 3.47% | 4.12% |
| MSCI Emerging Markets Index<br> (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 7.50% | 1.70% | 2.31% |
| MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index<br> (Reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or other taxes) | 3.56% | 4.45% | 4.97% |

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111 KraneShares MSCI EmergingMarkets ex China Index ETF

MSCI Emerging Markets Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index (Reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or other taxes)

Average annual total returns are shown on a before- and after-tax basis for the Fund. After-tax returns for the Fund are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement plans.

**Management**

**Investment Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Managers**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of the Fund since January 2020. Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, also serves as a portfolio manager. Mr. Shelon supports Mr. Maund and Krane's investment team for the Fund and has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.kraneshares.com.

**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 IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

112 KraneShares MSCI EmergingMarkets ex China Index ETF

**KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF**

**Investment Objective**

The KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF (the "Fund") seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, track the price and yield performance of a specific foreign equity securities index. The Fund's current index is the MSCI Global China Infrastructure Exposure Index (the "Underlying Index").

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees** (fees paid directly from your investment)

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.78% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees\* | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses | 0.01% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 0.79% |

---

\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| $81 | $252 | $439 | $978 |

---

**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 19% of the average value of its portfolio. This rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Fund's shares.

113 KraneShares MSCI OneBelt One Road Index ETF

**Principal Investment Strategies**

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in instruments in its Underlying Index or in instruments that have economic characteristics similar to those in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is designed to measure the equity market performance of listed companies with high revenue exposure to the Chinese government's "One Belt, One Road" initiative, as determined by the provider of the Underlying Index, MSCI Inc. ("Index Provider") based on companies' industry classifications. The One Belt, One Road initiative is designed to increase the interconnectedness between China and other Eurasian countries by making infrastructure investments that are expected to increase such interconnectedness, such as building new roads and improved communications networks. The Underlying Index is designed generally to include the securities of issuers from emerging and frontier markets and exclude issuers from developed markets, such as the Americas, most European markets, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

The Underlying Index is modified so that as of each Underlying Index rebalance, 45% of the weight of the Underlying Index is allocated to Chinese issuers and 55% is allocated to issuers of other countries. Within these allocations, issuers are weighted based on their free-float market capitalization, except that no country's issuers (except for China) will represent more than 10% of the Underlying Index as of each Underlying Index rebalance. The Underlying Index may include the securities of small-cap, mid-cap and large-cap issuers, subject to a minimum market capitalization screen for liquidity.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in instruments that are not included in the Underlying Index, but that the Fund's investment adviser, Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser"), believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. These investments may include equity securities and depositary receipts of issuers whose securities are not constituents of the Underlying Index, derivative instruments (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options), other investment companies (including exchange traded funds or "ETFs") and cash or cash equivalents (including money market funds). The other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. The Fund will not purchase shares of an investment company if it would cause the Fund to (i) own more than 3% of such investment company's voting shares; (ii) invest more than 5% of its total assets in such investment company; or (iii) invest more than 10% of its total assets in investment companies.

The following China-related securities may be included in the Underlying Index and/or represent investments of the Fund:

● China A-Shares, which are shares of companies incorporated in mainland China that are traded on the Chinese exchanges and denominated in domestic renminbi. China A-Shares are primarily purchased and sold in the domestic Chinese market. To the extent the Fund invests in China A-Shares, it expects to do so through the trading and clearing facilities of a participating exchange located outside of mainland China ("Stock Connect Programs"). A Qualified Foreign Investor ("QFI") license may also be acquired to invest directly in China A-Shares.

● China B-Shares, which are shares of companies listed on the Shanghai or Shenzhen Stock Exchange but quoted and traded in foreign currencies (such as Hong Kong Dollars or U.S. Dollars), which were primarily created for trading by foreign investors.

● China H-Shares, which are shares of companies incorporated in mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange ("H-Shares"), where they are traded in Hong Kong dollars and may be traded by foreign investors.

● China N-Shares, which are shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on an American stock exchange, such as NYSE or NASDAQ ("N-Shares").

● P-Chips, which are shares of private sector companies with a majority of their business operations in mainland China and controlling private Chinese shareholders, which are incorporated outside of mainland China and traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong dollars.

114 KraneShares MSCI OneBelt One Road Index ETF

● Red Chips, which are shares of companies with a majority of their business operations in mainland China and controlled by the central, provincial or municipal governments of the PRC, whose shares are traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong dollars.

● S-Chips, which are shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on the Singapore Exchange. S-Chip shares are issued by companies incorporated anywhere, but many are registered in Singapore, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, or Bermuda.

Although the Fund expects to replicate (or hold all constituents of) the Underlying Index, the Fund reserves the right to use representative sampling to track the Underlying Index. "Representative sampling" is a strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index.

As of May 31, 2025, the Underlying Index included 114 securities of companies with a total market capitalization of $1.4 trillion, a market capitalization range of approximately $594 million to $102 billion and an average market capitalization of approximately $12.3 billion. As of May 31, 2025, the largest country representations in the Underlying Index were China (43.5%), Singapore (10.7%) and Kuwait (10.5%).

To the extent the Underlying Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund is expected to be concentrated in that industry. As of May 31, 2025, issuers in the Industrials sector (28.9%), Financials sector (23.5%), Materials sector (21.3%), and Utilities sector (17.3%) represented significant portions of the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is rebalanced and reconstituted semi-annually, except that the index composition may change quarterly due to changes in the parent index of the Underlying Index.

The Fund may engage in securities lending.

**Principal Risks**

As with all ETFs, a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**Emerging Markets Risk.** Securities issued by entities with substantial operations or holdings in emerging market countries may involve additional risks and are subject to greater risk of loss than investments in developed markets. This is due to, among other things, greater market volatility, greater risk of asset seizures and capital controls, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, greater risk of market shutdown, and more governmental limitations on foreign investments in emerging market countries than typically found in developed markets. The economies of emerging markets, and China in particular, may be heavily reliant upon international trade and may suffer disproportionately if international trading declines or is disrupted. Such conditions may lead to potential errors in index data, index computation and/or index construction and may limit the ability to oversee the Index Provider's due diligence process over index data, which may adversely impact the Fund's performance and its ability to track the performance of the Underlying Index.

**Frontier Markets Risk.** Frontier market countries generally have smaller economies and less developed capital markets or legal, regulatory and political systems than traditional emerging market countries. As a result, the risks of investing in emerging market countries are magnified in frontier market countries.

**Concentration Risk.** The Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Underlying Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The securities of companies in an industry or group of industries could react similarly to market developments. Thus, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that affect one industry or group of industries or sector While the Fund's sector and industry exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Underlying Index, the Fund is currently subject to the principal risks described below.

115 KraneShares MSCI OneBelt One Road Index ETF

**Industrials Sector Risk.** The industrials sector may be affected by changes in the supply and demand for products and services, product obsolescence, claims for environmental damage or product liability and general economic conditions, among other factors. Government regulation will also affect the performance of investments in such industrials sector issuers, particularly aerospace and defense companies, which rely to a significant extent on government demand for their products and services. Transportation companies, another component of the industrials sector, are subject to sharp price movements resulting from changes in the economy, fuel prices, labor agreements and insurance costs.

**Financials Sector Risk.** The performance of companies in the financials sector may be adversely impacted by many factors, including, among others, government regulations, economic conditions, credit rating downgrades, changes in interest rates, and decreased liquidity in credit markets. This sector has experienced significant losses in the recent past, and the impact of more stringent capital requirements and of recent or future regulation on any individual financial company or on the sector as a whole cannot be predicted.

**Materials Sector Risk.** The materials sector may be adversely impacted by the volatility of commodity prices, exchange rates, depletion of resources, over-production, litigation and government regulations, among other factors.

**Utilities Sector Risk**. Companies in the utilities industry may have difficulty obtaining an adequate return on invested capital, raising capital, and financing large construction programs during periods of inflation or unsettled capital markets; face restrictions on operations and increased cost and delays attributable to environmental considerations and regulation; find that existing plants, equipment or products have been rendered obsolete by technological innovations; and be subject to increased costs because of the scarcity of certain fuels or the effects of man-made disasters. Deregulation is subjecting utility companies to greater competition and may adversely affect profitability. As deregulation allows utility companies to diversify outside of their original geographic regions and their traditional lines of business, utility companies may engage in riskier ventures. Government regulators monitor and control utility operations, revenues and costs, and therefore may limit utility profits. Regulatory authorities may also restrict utility companies' access to new markets, thereby diminishing these companies' long-term prospects. Energy conservation and changes in climate policy may have a significant adverse impact on the revenues and expenses of utility companies.

**China Risk.** The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions in the People's Republic of China ("China" or the "PRC") and surrounding Asian countries and may demonstrate significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. Investments in Chinese securities, including those that are Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, subject the Fund to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. Over the last few decades, the Chinese government has undertaken reform of economic and market practices and has expanded the sphere of private ownership of property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. Chinese companies are also subject to the risk that Chinese authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. In addition, the Chinese economy is export-driven and highly reliant on trading with key partners. A downturn in the economies of China's primary trading partners could slow or eliminate the growth of the Chinese economy and adversely impact the Fund's investments. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. The RMB is not freely convertible, but rather is subject to approval of PRC authorities. Although Chinese authorities have indicated an intent to move to a freely convertible RMB, there is no assurance that repatriation strictions will not continue. The Chinese government may introduce new laws and regulations that could have an adverse effect on the Fund. Although China has begun the process of privatizing certain sectors of its economy, privatized entities may lose money and/or be re-nationalized.

Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Incidents involving China's or the region's security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments.

116 KraneShares MSCI OneBelt One Road Index ETF

In the Chinese securities markets, a small number of issuers may represent a large portion of the entire market. The Chinese securities markets are subject to more frequent trading halts, low trading volume and price volatility. Recent developments in relations between the United States and China have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the two countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on China's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on the Fund. In addition, worsening trade relations between the two countries could adversely impact the Fund, particularly to the extent that the Chinese government restricts foreign investments in on-shore Chinese companies or the U.S. government restricts investments by U.S. investors in China. This may also result in market volatility and volatility in the price of Fund shares.

The Underlying Index may include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government. So long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments, the Fund is generally expected to invest in such companies, consistent with its objective to track the performance of the Underlying Index.

In recent years, Chinese entities have incurred significant levels of debt and Chinese financial institutions currently hold relatively large amounts of non-performing debt. Thus, there exists a possibility that widespread defaults could occur, which could trigger a financial crisis, freeze Chinese debt and finance markets and make Chinese securities illiquid.

Disclosure and regulatory standards in emerging market countries, such as China, are in many respects less stringent than U.S. standards. There is substantially less publicly available information about Chinese issuers than there is about U.S. issuers. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements or due to worsening relations between the U.S. and China, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities.

The tax laws and regulations in China are somewhat unclear and are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. The interpretation, application and enforcement of such laws and regulations by the applicable authorities may vary over time and from region to region, and could have an adverse effect on the Fund and its shareholders, particularly in relation to tax imposed upon foreign investors' capital gains. Uncertainties in Chinese tax rules could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund.

**A-Shares Risk.** A-Shares are issued by companies incorporated in mainland China and are traded on Chinese exchanges. Investments in A-Shares are made available to domestic Chinese investors and certain foreign investors, including those who have been approved as a QFI and through the Stock Connect Programs, which currently include the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shanghai-London Stock Connect, and China-Japan Stock Connect. Investments by foreign investors in A-Shares are subject to various restrictions, regulations and limits. Investments in A-Shares are heavily regulated and the recoupment and repatriation of assets invested in A-Shares is subject to restrictions by the Chinese government. A-Shares may be subject to frequent and widespread trading halts and may become illiquid. This could cause volatility in the Fund's share price and subject the Fund to a greater risk of trading halts.

**Custody Risks.** In accordance with Chinese regulations and the terms of a QFI license and insofar as Krane acquires a QFI, A-Shares will be held in the joint names of the Fund and Krane. Thus, the Fund's assets may not be as well protected as they would be if it were possible for them to be registered and held solely in the name of the Fund. There is a risk that creditors of Krane may assert that the securities are owned by Krane and that regulatory actions taken against Krane may affect the Fund.

**Stock Connect Program Risk.** The Stock Connect Programs are subject to daily quota limitations, and an investor cannot purchase and sell the same security on the same trading day, which may restrict the Fund's ability to invest in A-Shares through the Programs and to enter into or exit trades on a timely basis. The Shanghai and Shenzhen markets may be open at a time when the participating exchanges located outside of mainland China are not active, with the result that prices of A-Shares may fluctuate at times when the Fund is unable to add to or exit its positions. Only certain China A-Shares are eligible to be accessed through the Stock Connect Programs. Such securities may lose their eligibility at any time, in which case they could be sold but could no longer be purchased through the Stock Connect Programs. Because the Stock Connect Programs are still evolving, the actual effect on the market for trading A-Shares with the introduction of large numbers of foreign investors is still relatively unknown. Further, regulations or restrictions, such as limitations on redemptions or suspension of trading, may adversely impact the program. There is no guarantee that the participating exchanges will continue to support the Stock Connect Programs in the future.

117 KraneShares MSCI OneBelt One Road Index ETF

Investments in China A-Shares may not be covered by the securities investor protection programs of either exchange and, without the protection of such programs, will be subject to the risk of default by the broker. Because of the way in which China A-Shares are held in the Stock Connect Programs, the Fund may not be able to exercise the rights of a direct shareholder and may be limited in its ability to pursue claims against the issuer of a security, and may suffer losses in the event the legal or "nominee holder" of the China A-Shares under the Stock Connect Programs becomes insolvent.

**Chinese Equity Markets.** The use of B-shares, H-shares, N-Shares, Red-Chips, P-Chips, S-Chips by Chinese companies to obtain listings are subject to the political and economic policies in China and the markets on which they are listed. Further, the markets on which these shares are listed may behave very differently from the mainland Chinese markets, and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the two.

**Special Risk Considerations of Investing in China.** For purposes of raising capital offshore on exchanges outside of China, including on U.S. exchanges, many Chinese-based operating companies are structured as Variable Interest Entities ("VIEs"). In this structure, the Chinese-based operating company is the VIE and establishes an entity, which is typically offshore in a foreign jurisdiction, such as the Cayman Islands. The offshore entity lists on a foreign exchange and enters into contractual arrangements with the VIE. This structure allows Chinese companies in which the government restricts foreign ownership to raise capital from foreign investors. While the offshore entity has no equity ownership of the VIE, these contractual arrangements permit the offshore entity to consolidate the VIE's financial statements with its own for accounting purposes and provide for economic exposure to the performance of the underlying Chinese operating company. Therefore, an investor in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, will have exposure to the Chinese-based operating company only through contractual arrangements and has no ownership in the Chinese-based operating company. Furthermore, because the offshore entity only has specific rights provided for in these service agreements with the VIE, its abilities to control the activities at the Chinese-based operating company are limited and the operating company may engage in activities that negatively impact investment value. While the VIE structure has been widely adopted, it is not formally recognized under Chinese law and therefore there is a risk that the Chinese government could prohibit the existence of such structures or negatively impact the VIE's contractual arrangements with the listed offshore entity by making them invalid. If these contracts were found to be unenforceable under Chinese law, investors in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, may suffer significant losses with little or no recourse available. If the Chinese government determines that the agreements establishing the VIE structures do not comply with Chinese law and regulations, including those related to restrictions on foreign ownership, it could subject a Chinese-based issuer to penalties, revocation of business and operating licenses, or forfeiture of ownership interest.

**Singapore Risk.** Investments in Singaporean issuers involve risks that are specific to Singapore, including legal, regulatory, political, currency and economic risks. In addition, because Singapore's economy is export-driven, Singapore relies heavily on its trading partners. Political and economic developments of Singapore's neighbors may have an adverse effect on Singapore's economy.

**Kuwait Risk.** Investments in Kuwaiti issuers and companies that have commercial or economic exposure to Kuwait involve risks including legal, regulatory, political, currency and economic risks. Kuwait is highly reliant on income from the sale of oil and trade with other countries involved in the sale of oil, and its economy is therefore vulnerable to changes in the market for oil and foreign currency values. As global demand for oil fluctuates, Kuwait may be significantly impacted.

**Equity Securities Risk.** The values of equity securities are subject to factors such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes. In the event of liquidation, equity securities are generally subordinate in rank to debt and other securities of the same issuer.

**Foreign Securities Risk.** Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may be less liquid than investments in U.S. issuers, may have less governmental regulation and oversight, and are typically subject to different investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities entail the risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations, political or economic instability, less complete financial information about the issuers, the possible imposition of withholding or confiscatory taxes, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, and the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency. Foreign market trading hours, clearance and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund's ability to buy and sell securities. Additionally, foreign issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, recordkeeping, and financial reporting requirements. Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by governmental authorities. If the Fund holds positions in such suspended securities, the Fund may be adversely impacted. Certain countries in which the Fund may invest may be subject to extended settlement delays and/or foreign holidays, during which the Fund will unlikely be able to convert holdings to cash. All of these factors could result in a loss to the Fund.

118 KraneShares MSCI OneBelt One Road Index ETF

**Geographic Focus Risk.** The Fund's investments are expected to be focused in a particular country, countries, or region to approximately the same degree as the Underlying Index and therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country, countries or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified fund.

**Currency Risk.** To the extent that the Fund is exposed directly or indirectly to foreign currencies, including through its investments, or invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies and vice versa. This may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to "Authorized Participants." Unlike many other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Thus, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in other ETFs as the Fund may recognize a capital gain that it could have avoided by making redemptions in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. Further, paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds at an inopportune time. Cash transactions may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes, including brokerage fees, that might not have occurred if the Fund utilized in-kind transactions. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted.

**International Closed Market Trading Risk.** To the extent the Fund's investments trade in markets that are closed when the Fund and Exchange are open, there are likely to be deviations between current pricing of an underlying security and the prices at which the underlying securities are valued for purposes of the Fund's NAV. As a result, Shares may appear to trade at a significant discount or premium to NAV greater than those incurred by other ETFs. In addition, shareholders may not be able to purchase or redeem their shares of the Fund, or purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

119 KraneShares MSCI OneBelt One Road Index ETF

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**Small Fund Risk.** The Fund is small and does not yet have a significant number of shares outstanding. Small funds are at greater risk than larger funds of wider bid-ask spreads for its shares, trading at a greater premium or discount to NAV, liquidation and/or a stop to trading.

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, market turmoil, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants, or the lack of an active trading market. Markets for securities or financial instruments could be disrupted by a number of events, including, but not limited to, an economic crisis, natural disasters, new legislation or regulatory changes inside or outside the U.S. Liquid investments may become less liquid after being purchased by the Fund, particularly during periods of market stress. In addition, if a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt.

**Small- and Mid-Capitalization Company Risk.** Investing in the securities of small and medium capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization companies. Since small and medium-sized companies may have limited operating histories, product lines and financial resources, the securities of these companies may be less liquid and more volatile. They may also be sensitive to (expected) changes in interest rates and earnings.

**Large Capitalization Company Risk.** Large capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges and attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. As such, returns on investments in stocks of large capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small and mid capitalization companies.

**Passive Investment and Index Risk.** There is no guarantee that the Underlying Index will create the desired exposure and the Fund is not actively managed. It does not seek to "beat" the Underlying Index or take temporary defensive positions when markets decline. Therefore, the Fund may purchase or hold securities with current or projected underperformance.

There is no guarantee that the methodology the Index Provider uses to identify constituents for the Underlying Index will achieve its intended result or provide an accurate assessment of included constituents. The Underlying Index relies on various sources of information to assess the potential constituents of the Underlying Index, including information that may be based on assumptions or estimates. Neither the Fund nor Krane can offer assurances that the Index Provider's sources of information are reliable. There can be no guarantee that the methodology underlying the Underlying Index, the Underlying Index construction and computation processes, or the daily calculation of the Underlying Index or its methodology will be free from error or that an error will be identified and/or corrected, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund.

**Management Risk.** The Fund may not fully replicate the Underlying Index and may hold less than the total number of securities in the Underlying Index. Therefore, the Fund is subject to the risk that Krane's security selection process may not produce the intended results.

120 KraneShares MSCI OneBelt One Road Index ETF

**Tracking Error Risk.** The Fund's return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Underlying Index. This may be due to, among other factors, the Fund holding cash under certain circumstances in lieu of Underlying Index securities, such as when the Fund is subject to delays converting U.S. dollars into a foreign currency to purchase foreign securities and unable to invest in certain constituents s of the Underlying Index due to regulatory constraints, trading suspensions, and legal restrictions imposed by foreign governments. To the extent that the Fund employs a representative sampling strategy or calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the Underlying Index is based on securities' closing prices on local foreign markets, the Fund's ability to track the Underlying Index may be adversely affected.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. In addition, the securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days that the Fund does not price its shares; as a result, the value of Fund shares may change on days when investors cannot purchase or sell their Fund holdings.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. The Fund's investments in issuers whose control persons are not certain creates a risk that tax authorities may retrospectively deem the Fund to have failed the asset diversification requirements. If the Fund were to fail the favorable tax treatment requirements, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, which would adversely affect its performance.

**Depositary Receipts Risk.** The Fund may hold the securities of foreign companies in the form of depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts. Investing in depositary receipts entails the risks associated with foreign investments, such as fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the securities of U.S. issuers. In addition, the value of the securities underlying the depositary receipts may change materially when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, which will affect the value of the depositary receipts.

121 KraneShares MSCI OneBelt One Road Index ETF

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

**IPO Risk.** Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile. At any particular time or from time to time, the Fund may not be able to invest in securities issued in IPOs, or invest to the extent desired, because, for example, only a small portion (if any) of the securities being offered in an IPO may be available to the Fund. In addition, as the Fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the Fund's performance will generally decrease.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane is subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

**Securities Lending Risk.** To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: (1) the securities in which the collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the applicable rebate rates paid to borrowers and related administrative costs; (2) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions; and (3) although borrowers of the Fund's securities typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities, there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. Krane is subject to potential conflicts of interest because the compensation paid to it increases in connection with any net income received by the Fund from the securities lending program.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

122 KraneShares MSCI OneBelt One Road Index ETF

**Performance Information**

The following bar chart and table illustrate the variability of the Fund's returns and indicate the risks of investing in the Fund by showing how the Fund's average annual total returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance and an additional index with characteristics relevant to the Fund. All returns include the reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As always, please note that the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>.

Total Annual Returns For Calender Years Ended December 31

![](pro-obor_001.jpg)

As of June 30, 2025, the Fund's calendar year-to-date total return was 11.01%.

**Best and Worst Quarter Returns (for the period reflected in the bar chart above)** 

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Return** | **Quarter Ended/Year** |
| Highest Return | 26.74% | 12/31/2020 |
| Lowest Return | -26.85% | 3/31/2020 |

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**Average Annual Total Returns for the periods ended December 31, 2024**

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF** | **1 year** | **5 years** | **Since Inception<br>(9-7-2017)** |
| Return Before Taxes | 8.74% | 0.83% | 1.15% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | 7.91% | 0.37% | 0.67% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 5.98% | 1.00% | 1.18% |
| MSCI ACWI<br> (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 17.49% | 10.06% | 9.86% |
| MSCI Global China Infrastructure Exposure Index (Net)<br> (Reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or other taxes)\* | 9.66% | 1.54% | 2.20% |

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\* The MSCI Global China Infrastructure Exposure Index (Net) reflects the reinvestment of any cash distributions after deduction of any withholding tax using the maximum rate applicable to non-resident institutional investors who do not benefit from double taxation treaties.

MSCI ACWI (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

MSCI Global China Infrastructure Exposure Index (Net) (Reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or other taxes)

123 KraneShares MSCI OneBelt One Road Index ETF

Average annual total returns are shown on a before- and after-tax basis for the Fund. After-tax returns for the Fund are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement plans.

**Management**

**Investment Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Manager**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of the Fund since January 2020. Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, also serves as a portfolio manager of the Fund. Mr. Shelon supports Mr. Maund and Krane's investment team for the Fund and has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since 2018.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.kraneshares.com.

**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 IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

124 KraneShares MSCI OneBelt One Road Index ETF

**KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF**

**Investment Objective**

The KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF (the "Fund") seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of a specific equity securities index. The Fund's current index is the SSE Science and Technology Innovation Board 50 Index (the "Underlying Index").

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees** (fees paid directly from your investment)

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.88% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees\* | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses | 0.01% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 0.89% |

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\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| $91 | $284 | $493 | $1096 |

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**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 57% of the average of its portfolio. This rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Fund's shares.

**Principal Investment Strategies**

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in instruments in its Underlying Index or in instruments that have economic characteristics similar to those in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index includes the stocks of the top 50 companies by free-float market capitalizations listed on the SSE Science and Technology Innovation Board (the "STAR Board"). The STAR Board is a new listing exchange run by the Shanghai Stock Exchange that focuses on Chinese science and technology companies. According to the Shanghai Stock Exchange, companies listed on the STAR Board are mainly from high-tech and strategic emerging industries, and most focus on next-generation information technology, biomedicine, high-end equipment and similar industries.

125 KraneShares SSESTAR Market 50 Index ETF

To be eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index, a STAR Board company's securities must meet certain market capitalization and liquidity screens and have been trading for at least one month. Once included, Underlying Index constituents are weighted based on their free-float market capitalization on the STAR Board, subject to a 10% cap. Although, the Underlying Index is designed to include 50 constituents, it may include as few as 30 constituents, if there are an insufficient number of STAR Board companies whose securities satisfy the screening and trading requirements.

The stocks included in the Underlying Index will consist of China A-Shares. China A-Shares are Chinese renminbi ("RMB")-denominated equity securities ("A-Shares") issued by companies incorporated in mainland China. Direct investments in A-Shares are currently possible only through the trading and clearing facilities of a participating exchange located outside of mainland China ("Stock Connect Programs") or Qualified Foreign Investor ("QFI") license. Bosera Asset Management (International) Co., Ltd. ("Bosera"), the Fund's sub-adviser, has received a license as a QFI from the China Securities Regulatory Commission ("CSRC"). In addition, the Fund may invest in A-Shares through the Stock Connect Programs.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in instruments that are not included in the Underlying Index, but that the Fund's investment adviser, Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") and/or Bosera believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. These investments may include equity securities and depositary receipts of issuers whose securities are not constituents of the Underlying Index, derivative instruments (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options), other investment companies (including exchange traded funds or "ETFs") and cash or cash equivalents (including money market funds). Certain other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane, Bosera and/or their affiliates.

In addition to China A-Shares, which are described above, the following China-related securities may be included in this 20% basket:

● China B-Shares, which are shares of companies listed on the Shanghai or Shenzhen Stock Exchange but quoted and traded in foreign currencies (such as Hong Kong Dollars or U.S. Dollars), which were primarily created for trading by foreign investors.

● China H-Shares, which are shares of companies incorporated in mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange ("H-Shares"), where they are traded in Hong Kong dollars and may be traded by foreign investors.

● China N-Shares, which are shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on an American stock exchange, such as NYSE or NASDAQ ("N-Shares").

● P-Chips, which are shares of private sector companies with a majority of their business operations in mainland China and controlling private Chinese shareholders, which are incorporated outside of mainland China and traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong dollars.

● Red Chips, which are shares of companies with a majority of their business operations in mainland China and controlled by the central, provincial or municipal governments of the PRC, whose shares are traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong dollars.

● S-Chips, which are shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on the Singapore Exchange. S-Chip shares are issued by companies incorporated anywhere, but many are registered in Singapore, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, or Bermuda.

Although the Fund expects to replicate (or hold all constituents of) the Underlying Index, the Fund reserves the right to use representative sampling to track the Underlying Index. "Representative sampling" is a strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index.

126 KraneShares SSESTAR Market 50 Index ETF

As of May 31, 2025, the Underlying Index included 50 securities of companies with a total market capitalization of $429 billion, a market capitalization range of approximately $3 billion to $598 billion and an average market capitalization of approximately $54 billion.

The Fund is non-diversified. To the extent the Underlying Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund is expected to be concentrated in that industry. As of May 31, 2025, issuers in the Information Technology sector (76.5%) and Healthcare sector (12.5%) represented significant portions of the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is rebalanced and reconstituted quarterly.

The Fund may engage in securities lending.

**Principal Risks**

As with all ETFs, a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**China Risk.** The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions in the People's Republic of China ("China" or the "PRC") and surrounding Asian countries and may demonstrate significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. Investments in Chinese securities, including those that are Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, subject the Fund to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. Over the last few decades, the Chinese government has undertaken reform of economic and market practices and has expanded the sphere of private ownership of property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. Chinese companies are also subject to the risk that Chinese authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. In addition, the Chinese economy is export-driven and highly reliant on trading with key partners. A downturn in the economies of China's primary trading partners could slow or eliminate the growth of the Chinese economy and adversely impact the Fund's investments. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. The RMB is not freely convertible, but rather is subject to approval of PRC authorities. Although Chinese authorities have indicated an intent to move to a freely convertible RMB, there is no assurance that repatriation strictions will not continue. The Chinese government may introduce new laws and regulations that could have an adverse effect on the Fund. Although China has begun the process of privatizing certain sectors of its economy, privatized entities may lose money and/or be re-nationalized.

Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Incidents involving China's or the region's security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments.

In the Chinese securities markets, a small number of issuers may represent a large portion of the entire market. The Chinese securities markets are subject to more frequent trading halts, low trading volume and price volatility. Recent developments in relations between the United States and China have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the two countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on China's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on the Fund. In addition, worsening trade relations between the two countries could adversely impact the Fund, particularly to the extent that the Chinese government restricts foreign investments in on-shore Chinese companies or the U.S. government restricts investments by U.S. investors in China. This may also result in market volatility and volatility in the price of Fund shares.

The Underlying Index may include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government. So long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments, the Fund is generally expected to invest in such companies, consistent with its objective to track the performance of the Underlying Index.

127 KraneShares SSESTAR Market 50 Index ETF

In recent years, Chinese entities have incurred significant levels of debt and Chinese financial institutions currently hold relatively large amounts of non-performing debt. Thus, there exists a possibility that widespread defaults could occur, which could trigger a financial crisis, freeze Chinese debt and finance markets and make Chinese securities illiquid.

Disclosure and regulatory standards in emerging market countries, such as China, are in many respects less stringent than U.S. standards. There is substantially less publicly available information about Chinese issuers than there is about U.S. issuers. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements or due to worsening relations between the U.S. and China, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities.

The tax laws and regulations in China are somewhat unclear and are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. The interpretation, application and enforcement of such laws and regulations by the applicable authorities may vary over time and from region to region, and could have an adverse effect on the Fund and its shareholders, particularly in relation to tax imposed upon foreign investors' capital gains. Uncertainties in Chinese tax rules could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund.

**A-Shares Risk.** A-Shares are issued by companies incorporated in mainland China and are traded on Chinese exchanges. Investments in A-Shares are made available to domestic Chinese investors and certain foreign investors, including those who have been approved as a QFI and through the Stock Connect Programs, which currently include the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shanghai-London Stock Connect, and China-Japan Stock Connect. Investments by foreign investors in A-Shares are subject to various restrictions, regulations and limits. Investments in A-Shares are heavily regulated and the recoupment and repatriation of assets invested in A-Shares is subject to restrictions by the Chinese government. A-Shares may be subject to frequent and widespread trading halts and may become illiquid. This could cause volatility in the Fund's share price and subject the Fund to a greater risk of trading halts.

**Custody Risks.** In accordance with Chinese regulations and the terms of a QFI license, A-Shares will be held in the joint names of the Fund and Bosera. Thus, the Fund's assets may not be as well protected as they would be if it were possible for them to be registered and held solely in the name of the Fund. There is a risk that creditors of Bosera may assert that the securities are owned by Bosera and that regulatory actions taken against Bosera may affect the Fund.

**Hong Kong Risk.** The economy of Hong Kong has few natural resources and any fluctuation or shortage in the commodity markets could have a significant adverse effect on the Hong Kong economy. Hong Kong is also heavily dependent on international trade and finance. Additionally, the continuation and success of the current political, economic, legal and social policies of Hong Kong is dependent on and subject to the control of the Chinese government. China may change its policies regarding Hong Kong at any time. Any such change may adversely affect market conditions and the performance of Chinese and Hong Kong issuers and, thus, the value of securities in the Fund's portfolio.

**Stock Connect Program Risk.** The Stock Connect Programs are subject to daily quota limitations, and an investor cannot purchase and sell the same security on the same trading day, which may restrict the Fund's ability to invest in A-Shares through the Programs and to enter into or exit trades on a timely basis. The Shanghai and Shenzhen markets may be open at a time when the participating exchanges located outside of mainland China are not active, with the result that prices of A-Shares may fluctuate at times when the Fund is unable to add to or exit its positions. Only certain China A-Shares are eligible to be accessed through the Stock Connect Programs. Such securities may lose their eligibility at any time, in which case they could be sold but could no longer be purchased through the Stock Connect Programs. Because the Stock Connect Programs are still evolving, the actual effect on the market for trading A-Shares with the introduction of large numbers of foreign investors is still relatively unknown. Further, regulations or restrictions, such as limitations on redemptions or suspension of trading, may adversely impact the program. There is no guarantee that the participating exchanges will continue to support the Stock Connect Programs in the future.

128 KraneShares SSESTAR Market 50 Index ETF

Investments in China A-Shares may not be covered by the securities investor protection programs of either exchange and, without the protection of such programs, will be subject to the risk of default by the broker. Because of the way in which China A-Shares are held in the Stock Connect Programs, the Fund may not be able to exercise the rights of a direct shareholder and may be limited in its ability to pursue claims against the issuer of a security, and may suffer losses in the event the legal or "nominee holder" of the China A-Shares under the Stock Connect Programs becomes insolvent.

**Chinese Equity Markets.** The use of B-shares, H-shares, N-Shares, Red-Chips, P-Chips, S-Chips by Chinese companies to obtain listings are subject to the political and economic policies in China and the markets on which they are listed. Further, the markets on which these shares are listed may behave very differently from the mainland Chinese markets, and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the two.

**Equity Securities Risk.** The values of equity securities are subject to factors such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes. In the event of liquidation, equity securities are generally subordinate in rank to debt and other securities of the same issuer.

**Emerging Markets Risk.** Securities issued by entities with substantial operations or holdings in emerging market countries may involve additional risks and are subject to greater risk of loss than investments in developed markets. This is due to, among other things, greater market volatility, greater risk of asset seizures and capital controls, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, greater risk of market shutdown, and more governmental limitations on foreign investments in emerging market countries than typically found in developed markets. The economies of emerging markets, and China in particular, may be heavily reliant upon international trade and may suffer disproportionately if international trading declines or is disrupted. Such conditions may lead to potential errors in index data, index computation and/or index construction and may limit the ability to oversee the index provider's due diligence process over index data, which may adversely impact the Fund's performance and its ability to track the performance of the Underlying Index.

**Foreign Securities Risk.** Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may be less liquid than investments in U.S. issuers, may have less governmental regulation and oversight, and are typically subject to different investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities entail the risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations, political or economic instability, less complete financial information about the issuers, the possible imposition of withholding or confiscatory taxes, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, and the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency. Foreign market trading hours, clearance and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund's ability to buy and sell securities. Additionally, foreign issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, recordkeeping, and financial reporting requirements. Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by governmental authorities. If the Fund holds positions in such suspended securities, the Fund may be adversely impacted. Certain countries in which the Fund may invest may be subject to extended settlement delays and/or foreign holidays, during which the Fund will unlikely be able to convert holdings to cash. All of these factors could result in a loss to the Fund.

**Geographic Focus Risk.** The Fund's investments are expected to be focused in a particular country, countries, or region to approximately the same degree as the Underlying Index and therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country, countries or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified fund.

**Currency Risk.** To the extent that the Fund is exposed directly or indirectly to foreign currencies, including through its investments, or invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies and vice versa. This may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

129 KraneShares SSESTAR Market 50 Index ETF

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**Concentration Risk.** The Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Underlying Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The securities of companies in an industry or group of industries could react similarly to market developments. Thus, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that affect one industry or group of industries or sector. While the Fund's sector and industry exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Underlying Index, the Fund is currently subject to the principal risks described below.

**Information Technology Sector Risk.** Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology advances could have a major effect on the value of stocks in the information technology sector. The value of stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from competitors with lower production costs. Information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies in the information technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel.

**Healthcare Sector Risk.** The profitability of companies in the healthcare sector may be affected by government regulations and government healthcare programs, government reimbursement for medical expenses, increases or decreases in the cost of medical products and services, limited product lines, increased emphasis on the delivery of healthcare through outpatient services and product liability claims. Many healthcare companies are heavily dependent on patent protection, which may be time consuming and costly, and the expiration of a company's patent may adversely affect that company's profitability. Healthcare companies are subject to competitive forces that may result in pricing pressure, including price discounting, and may be thinly capitalized and susceptible to product obsolescence. Many new products in the healthcare sector require significant research and development and may be subject to regulatory approvals, which may be time consuming and costly and with no guarantee that the product will come to market.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to "Authorized Participants." Unlike many other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Thus, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in other ETFs as the Fund may recognize a capital gain that it could have avoided by making redemptions in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. Further, paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds at an inopportune time. Cash transactions may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes, including brokerage fees, that might not have occurred if the Fund utilized in-kind transactions. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted.

130 KraneShares SSESTAR Market 50 Index ETF

**International Closed Market Trading Risk.** To the extent the Fund's investments trade in markets that are closed when the Fund and Exchange are open, there are likely to be deviations between current pricing of an underlying security and the prices at which the underlying securities are valued for purposes of the Fund's NAV. As a result, Shares may appear to trade at a significant discount or premium to NAV greater than those incurred by other ETFs. In addition, shareholders may not be able to purchase or redeem their shares of the Fund, or purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**Small Fund Risk.** The Fund is small and does not yet have a significant number of shares outstanding. Small funds are at greater risk than larger funds of wider bid-ask spreads for its shares, trading at a greater premium or discount to NAV, liquidation and/or a stop to trading.

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, market turmoil, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants, or the lack of an active trading market. Markets for securities or financial instruments could be disrupted by a number of events, including, but not limited to, an economic crisis, natural disasters, new legislation or regulatory changes inside or outside the U.S. Liquid investments may become less liquid after being purchased by the Fund, particularly during periods of market stress. In addition, if a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt.

**Small- and Mid-Capitalization Company Risk.** Investing in the securities of small and medium capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization companies. Since small and medium-sized companies may have limited operating histories, product lines and financial resources, the securities of these companies may be less liquid and more volatile. They may also be sensitive to (expected) changes in interest rates and earnings.

**Large Capitalization Company Risk.** Large capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges and attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. As such, returns on investments in stocks of large capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small and mid capitalization companies.

131 KraneShares SSESTAR Market 50 Index ETF

**IPO Risk.** Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile. At any particular time or from time to time, the Fund may not be able to invest in securities issued in IPOs, or invest to the extent desired, because, for example, only a small portion (if any) of the securities being offered in an IPO may be made available to the Fund. In addition, as the Fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the Fund's performance will generally decrease.

**Passive Investment and Index Risk.** There is no guarantee that the Underlying Index will create the desired exposure and the Fund is not actively managed. It does not seek to "beat" the Underlying Index or take temporary defensive positions when markets decline. Therefore, the Fund may purchase or hold securities with current or projected underperformance.

There is no guarantee that the methodology the Index Provider uses to identify constituents for the Underlying Index will achieve its intended result or provide an accurate assessment of included constituents. The Underlying Index relies on various sources of information to assess the potential constituents of the Underlying Index, including information that may be based on assumptions or estimates. Neither the Fund nor Krane can offer assurances that the Index Provider's sources of information are reliable. There can be no guarantee that the methodology underlying the Underlying Index, the Underlying Index construction and computation processes, or the daily calculation of the Underlying Index or its methodology will be free from error or that an error will be identified and/or corrected, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund.

**Management Risk.** The Fund may not fully replicate the Underlying Index and may hold less than the total number of securities in the Underlying Index. Therefore, the Fund is subject to the risk that Bosera's security selection process may not produce the intended results.

**Tracking Error Risk.** The Fund's return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Underlying Index. This may be due to, among other factors, the Fund holding cash under certain circumstances in lieu of Underlying Index securities, such as when the Fund is subject to delays converting U.S. dollars into a foreign currency to purchase foreign securities and unable to invest in certain constituents of the Underlying Index due to regulatory constraints, trading suspensions, and legal restrictions imposed by foreign governments. To the extent that the Fund employs a representative sampling strategy or calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the Underlying Index is based on securities' closing prices on local foreign markets, the Fund's ability to track the Underlying Index may be adversely affected.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**High Portfolio Turnover Risk.** The Fund may incur high portfolio turnover rates, which may increase the Fund's brokerage commission costs and negatively impact the Fund's performance. Such portfolio turnover also may generate net short-term capital gains.

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. In addition, the securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days that the Fund does not price its shares; as a result, the value of Fund shares may change on days when investors cannot purchase or sell their Fund holdings.

132 KraneShares SSESTAR Market 50 Index ETF

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. The Fund's investments in issuers whose control persons are not certain creates a risk that tax authorities may retrospectively deem the Fund to have failed the asset diversification requirements. If the Fund were to fail the favorable tax treatment requirements, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, which would adversely affect its performance.

**Depositary Receipts Risk.** The Fund may hold the securities of foreign companies in the form of depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts. Investing in depositary receipts entails the risks associated with foreign investments, such as fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the securities of U.S. issuers. In addition, the value of the securities underlying the depositary receipts may change materially when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, which will affect the value of the depositary receipts.

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane, a sub-adviser, and/or their affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane and a sub-adviser are subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane, a sub-adviser and/or their affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

**Securities Lending Risk.** To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: (1) the securities in which the collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the applicable rebate rates paid to borrowers and related administrative costs; (2) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions; and (3) although borrowers of the Fund's securities typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities, there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. Krane is subject to potential conflicts of interest because the compensation paid to it increases in connection with any net income received by the Fund from the securities lending program.

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**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

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**Performance Information**

The following bar chart and table illustrate the variability of the Fund's returns and indicate the risks of investing in the Fund by showing how the Fund's average annual total returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance and an additional index with characteristics relevant to the Fund. All returns include the reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As always, please note that the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>.

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As of June 30, 2025, the Fund's calendar year-to-date total return was 4.65%.

**Best and Worst Quarter Returns (for the period reflected in the bar chart above)** 

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Return** | **Quarter Ended/Year** |
| Highest Return | 26.55% | 9/30/2024 |
| Lowest Return | -22.99% | 3/31/2022 |

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**Average Annual Total Returns for the periods ended December 31, 2024**

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF** | **1 year** | **Since Inception<br>(01-26-2021)** |
| Return Before Taxes | 6.40% | -15.11% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | 6.40% | -15.11% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 3.79% | -10.79% |
| MSCI China All Shares Index<br> (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 16.38% | -11.50% |
| SSE Science & Technology Innovation Board 50 Index <br>(Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 13.56% | -11.97% |

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135 KraneShares SSESTAR Market 50 Index ETF

MSCI China All Shares Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

SSE Science & Technology Innovation Board 50 Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

Average annual total returns are shown on a before- and after-tax basis for the Fund. After-tax returns for the Fund are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement plans.

**Management**

**Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. Bosera Asset Management (International) Co., Ltd. serves as the sub-adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Manager**

Ms. Qiong Wan has served as the Fund's portfolio manager since its inception in January 2021.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.kraneshares.com.

**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 IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

136 KraneShares SSESTAR Market 50 Index ETF

**KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF**

**Investment Objective**

The KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF (the "Fund") seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, track the price and yield performance of a specific foreign equity securities index. The Fund's current index is the Hang Seng TECH Index (the "Underlying Index").

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees** (fees paid directly from your investment)

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.68% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees<sup>\*</sup> | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses | 0.01% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 0.69% |

---

\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| $70 | $221 | $384 | $859 |

---

**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 86% of the average value of its portfolio. This rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Fund's shares.

137 KraneShares Hang SengTECH Index ETF

**Principal Investment Strategies**

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in instruments in its Underlying Index or in instruments that have economic characteristics similar to those in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is composed of the equity securities of the 30 technology companies with the largest free float market capitalization that are listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with significant exposure to internet, fintech, cloud computing, e-commerce and digital technology. To be eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index, companies must either (1) be "technology-enabled" (*i.e.*, operate primarily on an internet or mobile platform); (2) have a research & development expenses-to-revenue ratio that is greater than or equal to 5%; or (3) have year-over-year revenue growth that is greater than or equal to 10%. Only Greater China companies (as defined below) in the industrials, consumer discretionary, healthcare, financials and information technology sectors are considered for inclusion in the Underlying Index. Greater China companies are defined as companies that either (a) are incorporated in Hong Kong, (b) derive 50% of their revenue from mainland China; or (c) have their headquarters or principal place of business in Hong Kong, Macau or mainland China. The Underlying Index components will be weighted according to their free float market capitalization, with no issuer representing more than 8% of the Underlying Index at the time the Underlying Index is rebalanced. The Underlying Index is rebalanced quarterly and reconstituted at least quarterly. For initial public offerings ("IPOs"), if the IPO ranks within the top ten of the existing constituents in the Underlying Index on the first day of the IPO's trading and meets the other criteria, the IPO will be added to the Underlying Index approximately ten trading days after the IPO.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in instruments that are not included in the Underlying Index, but that Krane believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. These investments may include equity securities and depositary receipts of issuers whose securities are not components of the Underlying Index, derivative instruments (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options), other investment companies (including exchange traded funds or "ETFs") and cash or cash equivalents (including money market funds). The other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. The Fund will not purchase shares of an investment company if it would cause the Fund to (i) own more than 3% of such investment company's voting shares; (ii) invest more than 5% of its total assets in such investment company; or (iii) invest more than 10% of its total assets in investment companies.

The Underlying Index invests primarily in China H Shares (as described below) and following additional China-related securities may represent investments of the Fund:

● China A-Shares, which are shares of companies incorporated in mainland China that are traded on the Chinese exchanges and denominated in domestic renminbi. China A-Shares are primarily purchased and sold in the domestic Chinese market. To the extent the Fund invests in China A-Shares, it expects to do so through the trading and clearing facilities of a participating exchange located outside of mainland China ("Stock Connect Programs"). A Qualified Foreign Investor ("QFI") license may also be acquired to invest directly in China A-Shares.

● China B Shares, which are shares of companies listed on the Shanghai or Shenzhen Stock Exchange but quoted and traded in foreign currencies (such as Hong Kong Dollars or U.S. Dollars), which were primarily created for trading by foreign investors.

● China H Shares, which are shares of companies incorporated in mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange ("H-Shares"), where they are traded in Hong Kong dollars and may be traded by foreign investors.

● China N Shares, which are shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on an American stock exchange, such as NYSE or NASDAQ ("N-Shares").

● P-Chips, which are shares of private sector companies with a majority of their business operations in mainland China and controlling private Chinese shareholders, which are incorporated outside of mainland China and traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong dollars.

138 KraneShares Hang SengTECH Index ETF

● Red Chips, which are shares of companies with a majority of their business operations in mainland China and controlled by the central, provincial or municipal governments of the PRC, whose shares are traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong dollars.

● S-Chips, which are shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on the Singapore Exchange. S-Chip shares are issued by companies incorporated anywhere, but many are registered in Singapore, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, or Bermuda.

Although the Fund expects to replicate (or hold all constituents of) the Underlying Index, the Fund reserves the right to use representative sampling to track the Underlying Index. "Representative sampling" is a strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index.

As of May 31, 2025, the Underlying Index included 30 securities of companies with a security market capitalization range of approximately $586.2 billion to $2.8 billion and an average security market capitalization of approximately $53.8 billion.

The Fund is non-diversified. To the extent the Underlying Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund is expected to be concentrated in that industry. As of May 31, 2025, issuers in the Consumer Discretionary sector (42.8%), Communication Services sector (27.7%), and Information Technology sector (26.4%) represented significant portions of the Underlying Index.

The Underlying Index is provided by Hang Seng Indexes Company Limited ("Index Provider").

The Fund may engage in securities lending.

**Principal Risks**

As with all ETFs, a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**China Risk.** The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions in the People's Republic of China ("China" or the "PRC") and surrounding Asian countries and may demonstrate significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. Investments in Chinese securities, including those that are Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, subject the Fund to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. Over the last few decades, the Chinese government has undertaken reform of economic and market practices and has expanded the sphere of private ownership of property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. Chinese companies are also subject to the risk that Chinese authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. In addition, the Chinese economy is export-driven and highly reliant on trading with key partners. A downturn in the economies of China's primary trading partners could slow or eliminate the growth of the Chinese economy and adversely impact the Fund's investments. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. The RMB is not freely convertible, but rather is subject to approval of PRC authorities. Although Chinese authorities have indicated an intent to move to a freely convertible RMB, there is no assurance that repatriation strictions will not continue. The Chinese government may introduce new laws and regulations that could have an adverse effect on the Fund. Although China has begun the process of privatizing certain sectors of its economy, privatized entities may lose money and/or be re-nationalized.

Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Incidents involving China's or the region's security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments.

139 KraneShares Hang SengTECH Index ETF

In the Chinese securities markets, a small number of issuers may represent a large portion of the entire market. The Chinese securities markets are subject to more frequent trading halts, low trading volume and price volatility. Recent developments in relations between the United States and China have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the two countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on China's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on the Fund. In addition, worsening trade relations between the two countries could adversely impact the Fund, particularly to the extent that the Chinese government restricts foreign investments in on-shore Chinese companies or the U.S. government restricts investments by U.S. investors in China. This may also result in market volatility and volatility in the price of Fund shares.

The Underlying Index may include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government. So long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments, the Fund is generally expected to invest in such companies, consistent with its objective to track the performance of the Underlying Index.

In recent years, Chinese entities have incurred significant levels of debt and Chinese financial institutions currently hold relatively large amounts of non-performing debt. Thus, there exists a possibility that widespread defaults could occur, which could trigger a financial crisis, freeze Chinese debt and finance markets and make Chinese securities illiquid.

Disclosure and regulatory standards in emerging market countries, such as China, are in many respects less stringent than U.S. standards. There is substantially less publicly available information about Chinese issuers than there is about U.S. issuers. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements or due to worsening relations between the U.S. and China, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities.

The tax laws and regulations in China are somewhat unclear and are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. The interpretation, application and enforcement of such laws and regulations by the applicable authorities may vary over time and from region to region, and could have an adverse effect on the Fund and its shareholders, particularly in relation to tax imposed upon foreign investors' capital gains. Uncertainties in Chinese tax rules could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund.

**A-Shares Risk.** A-Shares are issued by companies incorporated in mainland China and are traded on Chinese exchanges. Investments in A-Shares are made available to domestic Chinese investors and certain foreign investors, including those who have been approved as a QFI and through the Stock Connect Programs, which currently include the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shanghai-London Stock Connect, and China-Japan Stock Connect. Investments by foreign investors in A-Shares are subject to various restrictions, regulations and limits. Investments in A-Shares are heavily regulated and the recoupment and repatriation of assets invested in A-Shares is subject to restrictions by the Chinese government. A-Shares may be subject to frequent and widespread trading halts and may become illiquid. This could cause volatility in the Fund's share price and subject the Fund to a greater risk of trading halts.

**Custody Risks.** In accordance with Chinese regulations and the terms of a QFI license and insofar as Krane acquires a QFI, A-Shares will be held in the joint names of the Fund and Krane. Thus, the Fund's assets may not be as well protected as they would be if it were possible for them to be registered and held solely in the name of the Fund. There is a risk that creditors of Krane may assert that the securities are owned by Krane and that regulatory actions taken against Krane may affect the Fund.

**Hong Kong Risk.** The economy of Hong Kong has few natural resources and any fluctuation or shortage in the commodity markets could have a significant adverse effect on the Hong Kong economy. Hong Kong is also heavily dependent on international trade and finance. Additionally, the continuation and success of the current political, economic, legal and social policies of Hong Kong is dependent on and subject to the control of the Chinese government. China may change its policies regarding Hong Kong at any time. Any such change may adversely affect market conditions and the performance of Chinese and Hong Kong issuers and, thus, the value of securities in the Fund's portfolio.

140 KraneShares Hang SengTECH Index ETF

**Stock Connect Program Risk.** The Stock Connect Programs are subject to daily quota limitations, and an investor cannot purchase and sell the same security on the same trading day, which may restrict the Fund's ability to invest in A-Shares through the Programs and to enter into or exit trades on a timely basis. The Shanghai and Shenzhen markets may be open at a time when the participating exchanges located outside of mainland China are not active, with the result that prices of A-Shares may fluctuate at times when the Fund is unable to add to or exit its positions. Only certain China A-Shares are eligible to be accessed through the Stock Connect Programs. Such securities may lose their eligibility at any time, in which case they could be sold but could no longer be purchased through the Stock Connect Programs. Because the Stock Connect Programs are still evolving, the actual effect on the market for trading A-Shares with the introduction of large numbers of foreign investors is still relatively unknown. Further, regulations or restrictions, such as limitations on redemptions or suspension of trading, may adversely impact the program. There is no guarantee that the participating exchanges will continue to support the Stock Connect Programs in the future.

Investments in China A-Shares may not be covered by the securities investor protection programs of either exchange and, without the protection of such programs, will be subject to the risk of default by the broker. Because of the way in which China A-Shares are held in the Stock Connect Programs, the Fund may not be able to exercise the rights of a direct shareholder and may be limited in its ability to pursue claims against the issuer of a security, and may suffer losses in the event the legal or "nominee holder" of the China A-Shares under the Stock Connect Programs becomes insolvent.

**Chinese Equity Markets.** The use of B-shares, H-shares, N-Shares, Red-Chips, P-Chips, S-Chips by Chinese companies to obtain listings are subject to the political and economic policies in China and the markets on which they are listed. Further, the markets on which these shares are listed may behave very differently from the mainland Chinese markets, and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the two.

**Special Risk Considerations of Investing in China.** For purposes of raising capital offshore on exchanges outside of China, including on U.S. exchanges, many Chinese-based operating companies are structured as Variable Interest Entities ("VIEs"). In this structure, the Chinese-based operating company is the VIE and establishes an entity, which is typically offshore in a foreign jurisdiction, such as the Cayman Islands. The offshore entity lists on a foreign exchange and enters into contractual arrangements with the VIE. This structure allows Chinese companies in which the government restricts foreign ownership to raise capital from foreign investors. While the offshore entity has no equity ownership of the VIE, these contractual arrangements permit the offshore entity to consolidate the VIE's financial statements with its own for accounting purposes and provide for economic exposure to the performance of the underlying Chinese operating company. Therefore, an investor in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, will have exposure to the Chinese-based operating company only through contractual arrangements and has no ownership in the Chinese-based operating company. Furthermore, because the offshore entity only has specific rights provided for in these service agreements with the VIE, its abilities to control the activities at the Chinese-based operating company are limited and the operating company may engage in activities that negatively impact investment value. While the VIE structure has been widely adopted, it is not formally recognized under Chinese law and therefore there is a risk that the Chinese government could prohibit the existence of such structures or negatively impact the VIE's contractual arrangements with the listed offshore entity by making them invalid. If these contracts were found to be unenforceable under Chinese law, investors in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, may suffer significant losses with little or no recourse available. If the Chinese government determines that the agreements establishing the VIE structures do not comply with Chinese law and regulations, including those related to restrictions on foreign ownership, it could subject a Chinese-based issuer to penalties, revocation of business and operating licenses, or forfeiture of ownership interest.

**Concentration Risk.** The Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Underlying Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The securities of companies in an industry or group of industries could react similarly to market developments. Thus, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that affect one industry or group of industries or sector While the Fund's sector and industry exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Underlying Index, the Fund is currently subject to the principal risks described below.

141 KraneShares Hang SengTECH Index ETF

**Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk.** The success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied closely to the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence. Success depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes can also affect the demand for, and success of, consumer products in the marketplace.

**Communication Services Sector Risk.** The communication services sector may be dominated by a small number of companies which may lead to additional volatility in the sector. Communication services companies are particularly vulnerable to the potential obsolescence of products and services due to technological advances and the innovation of competitors. Communication services companies may also be affected by other competitive pressures, such as pricing competition, as well as research and development costs, substantial capital requirements, and government regulation. Fluctuating domestic and international demand, shifting demographics, and often unpredictable changes in consumer demand can drastically affect a communication services company's profitability. Compliance with governmental regulations, delays or failure to receive regulatory approvals, or the enactment of new regulatory requirements may negatively affect the business of telecommunication services companies. Certain companies in the communication services sector may be particular targets of network security breaches, hacking and potential theft of proprietary or consumer information, or disruptions in services, which would have a material adverse effect on their businesses.

**Information Technology Sector Risk.** Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology advances could have a major effect on the value of stocks in the information technology sector. The value of stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from competitors with lower production costs. Information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies in the information technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel.

**Internet Companies Risk.** Investments in Internet companies may be volatile. Internet companies are subject to intense competition, the risk of product obsolescence, changes in consumer preferences and legal, regulatory and political changes. They are also especially at risk of hacking and other cybersecurity events. In addition, it can be difficult to determine what qualifies as an Internet company.

**Equity Securities Risk.** The values of equity securities are subject to factors such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes. In the event of liquidation, equity securities are generally subordinate in rank to debt and other securities of the same issuer.

**Foreign Securities Risk.** Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may be less liquid than investments in U.S. issuers, may have less governmental regulation and oversight, and are typically subject to different investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities entail the risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations, political or economic instability, less complete financial information about the issuers, the possible imposition of withholding or confiscatory taxes, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, and the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency. Foreign market trading hours, clearance and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund's ability to buy and sell securities. Additionally, foreign issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, recordkeeping, and financial reporting requirements. Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by governmental authorities. If the Fund holds positions in such suspended securities, the Fund may be adversely impacted. Certain countries in which the Fund may invest may be subject to extended settlement delays and/or foreign holidays, during which the Fund will unlikely be able to convert holdings to cash. All of these factors could result in a loss to the Fund.

**Geographic Focus Risk.** The Fund's investments are expected to be focused in a particular country, countries, or region to approximately the same degree as the Underlying Index and therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country, countries or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified fund.

142 KraneShares Hang SengTECH Index ETF

**Currency Risk.** To the extent that the Fund is exposed directly or indirectly to foreign currencies, including through its investments, or invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies and vice versa. This may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

**IPO Risk.** Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile. At any particular time or from time to time, the Fund may not be able to invest in securities issued in IPOs, or invest to the extent desired, because, for example, only a small portion (if any) of the securities being offered in an IPO may be made available to the Fund. In addition, as the Fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the Fund's performance will generally decrease.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to "Authorized Participants." Unlike many other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Thus, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in other ETFs as the Fund may recognize a capital gain that it could have avoided by making redemptions in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. Further, paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds at an inopportune time. Cash transactions may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes, including brokerage fees, that might not have occurred if the Fund utilized in-kind transactions. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted.

**International Closed Market Trading Risk.** To the extent the Fund's investments trade in markets that are closed when the Fund and Exchange are open, there are likely to be deviations between current pricing of an underlying security and stale pricing, resulting in the Fund trading at a discount or premium to NAV greater than those incurred by other ETFs.

**Small Fund Risk.** The Fund is small and does not yet have a significant number of shares outstanding. Small funds are at greater risk than larger funds of wider bid-ask spreads for its shares, trading at a greater premium or discount to NAV, liquidation and/or a stop to trading.

143 KraneShares Hang SengTECH Index ETF

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. If a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt.

**Small- and Mid-Capitalization Company Risk.** Investing in the securities of small and medium capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization companies. Since small and medium-sized companies may have limited operating histories, product lines and financial resources, the securities of these companies may be less liquid and more volatile. They may also be sensitive to (expected) changes in interest rates and earnings.

**Large Capitalization Company Risk.** Large capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges and attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. As such, returns on investments in stocks of large capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small and mid-capitalization companies.

**Passive Investment and Index Risk.** There is no guarantee that the Underlying Index will create the desired exposure and the Fund is not actively managed. It does not seek to "beat" the Underlying Index or take temporary defensive positions when markets decline. Therefore, the Fund may purchase or hold securities with current or projected underperformance.

There is no guarantee that the methodology the Index Provider uses to identify constituents for the Underlying Index will achieve its intended result or provide an accurate assessment of included constituents. The Underlying Index relies on various sources of information to assess the potential constituents of the Underlying Index, including information that may be based on assumptions or estimates. Neither the Fund nor Krane can offer assurances that the Index Provider's sources of information are reliable. There can be no guarantee that the methodology underlying the Underlying Index, the Underlying Index construction and computation processes, or the daily calculation of the Underlying Index or its methodology will be free from error or that an error will be identified and/or corrected, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund.

**Management Risk.** The Fund may not fully replicate the Underlying Index and may hold less than the total number of securities in the Underlying Index. Therefore, the Fund is subject to the risk that Krane's security selection process may not produce the intended results.

**Tracking Error Risk.** The Fund's return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Underlying Index. This may be due to, among other factors, the Fund holding cash under certain circumstances in lieu of Underlying Index securities, such as when the Fund is subject to delays converting U.S. dollars into a foreign currency to purchase foreign securities and unable to invest in certain components of the Underlying Index due to regulatory constraints, trading suspensions, and legal restrictions imposed by foreign governments. To the extent that the Fund employs a representative sampling strategy or calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the Underlying Index is based on securities' closing prices on local foreign markets, the Fund's ability to track the Underlying Index may be adversely affected.

144 KraneShares Hang SengTECH Index ETF

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**High Portfolio Turnover Risk.** The Fund may incur high portfolio turnover rates, which may increase the Fund's brokerage commission costs and negatively impact the Fund's performance. Such portfolio turnover also may generate net short-term capital gains.

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. In addition, the securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days that the Fund does not price its shares; as a result, the value of Fund shares may change on days when investors cannot purchase or sell their Fund holdings.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. The Fund's investments in issuers whose control persons are not certain creates a risk that tax authorities may retrospectively deem the Fund to have failed the asset diversification requirements. If the Fund were to fail the favorable tax treatment requirements, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, which would adversely affect its performance.

**Depositary Receipts Risk.** The Fund may hold the securities of foreign companies in the form of depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts. Investing in depositary receipts entails the risks associated with foreign investments, such as fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the securities of U.S. issuers. In addition, the value of the securities underlying the depositary receipts may change materially when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, which will affect the value of the depositary receipts.

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) involve risks, such as possible default by a counterparty, potential losses if markets do not move as expected, and the potential for greater losses than if these techniques had not been used. Investments in derivatives may expose the Fund to leverage, which may cause the Fund to be more volatile than if it had not been leveraged. By investing in derivatives, the Fund could lose more than the amount it invests; some derivatives can have the potential for unlimited loss. Derivatives may also be subject to valuation risk, which is the risk that valuation sources for the derivative will not be readily available in the market which is especially possible in times of market distress, during which market participants may be reluctant to purchase complex instruments or provide price quotes for them. In addition, derivatives can be difficult or impossible to sell at the time of and at the price desired by the seller.

145 KraneShares Hang SengTECH Index ETF

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane is subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

**Securities Lending Risk.** To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: (1) the securities in which the collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the applicable rebate rates paid to borrowers and related administrative costs; (2) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions; and (3) although borrowers of the Fund's securities typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities, there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. Krane is subject to potential conflicts of interest because the compensation paid to it increases in connection with any net income received by the Fund from the securities lending program.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

146 KraneShares Hang SengTECH Index ETF

**Performance Information**

The following bar chart and table illustrate the variability of the Fund's returns and indicate the risks of investing in the Fund by showing how the Fund's average annual total returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance and an additional index with characteristics relevant to the Fund. All returns include the reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As always, please note that the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>.

![](pro-ketc_001.jpg)

As of June 30, 2025, the Fund's calendar year-to-date total return was 17.85%.

**Best and Worst Quarter Returns (for the period reflected in the bar chart above)** 

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Return** | **Quarter Ended/Year** |
| Highest Return | 34.12% | 9/30/2024 |
| Lowest Return | -29.75% | 9/30/2022 |

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**Average Annual Total Returns for the periods ended December 31, 2024**

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF** | **1 year** | **Since Inception<br>(06-08-2021)** |
| Return Before Taxes | 18.46% | -15.38% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | 18.34% | -15.49% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 10.94% | -11.11% |
| MSCI China All Shares Index<br> (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 16.38% | -10.52% |
| Hang Seng TECH Index <br>(Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 20.62% | -14.42% |

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MSCI China All Shares Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

Hang Seng TECH Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

147 KraneShares Hang SengTECH Index ETF

Average annual total returns are shown on a before- and after-tax basis for the Fund. After-tax returns for the Fund are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement plans.

**Management**

**Investment Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Managers**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of the Fund since its the Fund's inception. Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, also serves as a portfolio manager of the Fund. Mr. Shelon supports Mr. Maund and Krane's investment team for the Fund and has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since the inception of the Fund.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.kraneshares.com.

**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 IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

148 KraneShares Hang SengTECH Index ETF

**KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF (formerly, Kraneshares China Internet and Covered Call Strategy ETF)**

**Investment Objective**

The KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF (the "Fund") seeks to provide current income.

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees** (fees paid directly from your investment)

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees\* | 0.25% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees\*\* | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses | 0.01% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses\*\*\* | 0.69% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 0.95% |

---

\* The Fund's management fee has been restated since it is 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets.

\*\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

\*\*\* "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" are expenses incurred indirectly by the Fund through its ownership of shares of other investment companies (such as exchange-traded funds). They are not direct operating expenses paid by Fund shareholders and are not used to calculate the Fund's net asset value ("NAV"). In addition, "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" will not be reflected in the Fund's Financial Statements in its shareholder report. Therefore, the amounts listed in "Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses" will differ from those presented in the Fund's Financial Highlights.

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| $97 | $303 | $525 | $1166 |

---

**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 424% of the average value of its portfolio.

149 KraneShares KWEBCovered Call Strategy ETF

**Principal Investment Strategies**

In seeking to achieve its investment objective, the Fund employs a covered call strategy. Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in the component securities of the CSI Overseas China Internet Index ("Index") or in instruments that have economic characteristics similar to those in the Index and writes (sells) covered call options on the Index or in instruments that have economic characteristics similar to writing covered call options on the Index. Currently, the Fund intends to invest in KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF ("Underlying Fund"), which is an exchange-traded fund advised by Krane that seeks to track the Index, and to write (sell) covered call options on the Underlying Fund. The Fund intends to write covered call options on the Underlying Fund on the full amount of its investment in the Underlying Fund.

Each month, the Fund will write (sell) at the money FLexible EXchange<sup>®</sup> call options ("FLEX options") on the Underlying Fund. The Fund will cover such options by holding the Underlying Fund. FLEX options are exchange-traded options contracts with uniquely customizable terms like exercise price, style, and expiration date. Each FLEX option written will generally (i) have an expiration date greater than 30 days; (ii) have an exercise price generally at the prevailing market price of the Underlying Fund; and (iii) be traded on a national securities exchange. The Fund will attempt to hold each FLEX option written until expiration. However, if there are redemptions in the Fund, it may not be able to hold such options until expiration. In addition, each FLEX option written generally will only be subject to exercise on its expiration date.

A covered call strategy is generally considered to be an investment strategy in which an investor buys a security, and sells (or "writes") a call option on that security in an attempt to generate more income. Each time the Fund writes a covered call option, the Fund receives a payment of money from the investor who buys the option from the Fund, which is called the premium. If the value of the Fund declines because of a decline in the value of the Index, the premium that the Fund received for writing the call option offsets this loss to some extent. By writing covered call options in return for the receipt of premiums, the Fund will give up the opportunity to benefit from potential increases in the value of the Underlying Fund above the exercise prices of such options, but will continue to bear the risk of declines in the value of the Underlying Fund.

The Fund currently intends to distribute on a monthly basis its option premium income so that the Fund's monthly distribution percentage does not exceed 2% of net asset value. The Fund's distribution in December may exceed this amount in order for the Fund to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company.

The Fund's covered call options may partially protect the Fund from a decline in the price of the Index through means of the premiums received by the Fund. However, when the Index is rallying rapidly, the Fund is expected to underperform the Index.

The Index is designed to measure the equity market performance of investable publicly traded "China-based companies" whose primary business or businesses are in the Internet and Internet-related sectors ("China Internet Companies") (as defined below), and are listed outside of mainland China, as determined by China Securities Index Co., Ltd. ("Index Provider").

● The Index Provider defines China-based companies as those that: (i) are incorporated in mainland China; (ii) have their headquarters in mainland China; or (iii) derive at least 50% of its revenue from goods produced or sold, or services performed, in mainland China.

● China Internet Companies include, but are not limited to, companies that develop and market Internet software and/or provide Internet services; manufacture home entertainment software and educational software for home use; provide retail or commercial services primarily through the Internet; and develop and market mobile Internet software and/or provide mobile Internet services.

The Index excludes securities that during the past year had a daily average trading value of less than $3 million or a daily average market cap of less than $2 billion. Constituents of the Index are ranked by free-float market capitalization in U.S. Dollars and then weighted so that no constituent exceeds 10% at each rebalance with the top five constitutents capped at 40%.

150 KraneShares KWEBCovered Call Strategy ETF

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in instruments that are not included in the 80% test noted above. These investments include equity securities and depositary receipts of issuers that are not constituents of the Index, derivative instruments (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) that do not have economic characteristics similar to writing covered call options on the Index, other investment companies (including exchange traded funds or "ETFs") and cash or cash equivalents (including money market funds). The Fund may write (sell) covered call options on these investments. The investment companies in which the Fund will invest may be advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates.

The following China-related securities may be included in the Index and/or represent investments of the Fund:

● China A-Shares, which are shares of companies incorporated in mainland China that are traded on the Chinese exchanges and denominated in domestic renminbi. China A-Shares are primarily purchased and sold in the domestic Chinese market. To the extent the Fund invests in China A-Shares, it expects to do so through the trading and clearing facilities of a participating exchange located outside of mainland China ("Stock Connect Programs"). A Qualified Foreign Investor ("QFI") license may also be acquired to invest directly in China A-Shares.

● China B-Shares, which are shares of companies listed on the Shanghai or Shenzhen Stock Exchange but quoted and traded in foreign currencies (such as Hong Kong Dollars or U.S. Dollars), which were primarily created for trading by foreign investors.

● China H-Shares, which are shares of companies incorporated in mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange ("H-Shares"), where they are traded in Hong Kong dollars and may be traded by foreign investors.

● China N-Shares, which are shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on an American stock exchange, such as NYSE or NASDAQ ("N-Shares").

● P-Chips, which are shares of private sector companies with a majority of their business operations in mainland China and controlling private Chinese shareholders, which are incorporated outside of mainland China and traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong dollars.

● Red Chips, which are shares of companies with a majority of their business operations in mainland China and controlled by the central, provincial or municipal governments of the PRC, whose shares are traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong dollars.

● S-Chips, which are shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on the Singapore Exchange. S-Chip shares are issued by companies incorporated anywhere, but many are registered in Singapore, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, or Bermuda.

As of May 31, 2025, the Index included 29 securities of companies with a market capitalization range of approximately $2 million to $598 billion and an average market capitalization of approximately $54 billion.

The Fund is non-diversified. To the extent the Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund is expected to be concentrated in that industry. As of May 31, 2025, issuers in the Communication Services sector (43.2%) and Consumer Discretionary sector (38.8%) represented significant portions of the Index. The Index is rebalanced and reconstituted semi-annually.

Although the Underlying Fund expects to replicate (or hold all constituents of) the Index, the Underlying Fund reserves the right to use representative sampling to track the Index. "Representative sampling" is a strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have an investment profile similar to the Index.

In addition, the Underlying Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in instruments that are not included in the Index, but that Krane believes will help the Underlying Fund track the Index. The Underlying Fund's prospectus and other reports are available on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov. The Underlying Fund is traded on the NYSE Arca, Inc. under the ticker symbol KWEB.

151 KraneShares KWEBCovered Call Strategy ETF

**Principal Risks**

As with all ETFs, a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund (either directly or through its investments in the Underlying Fund) is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

**Covered Call Options Risk.** By writing covered call options in return for the receipt of premiums, the Fund will give up the opportunity to benefit from potential increases in the value of the Index above the exercise prices of such options, but will continue to bear the risk of declines in the value of the Index. The premiums received from the options may not be sufficient to offset any losses sustained from such declines. In addition, the Fund's ability to sell the securities underlying the options will be limited while the options are in effect unless the Fund cancels out the option positions through the purchase of offsetting identical options prior to the expiration of the written options. As the writer of a call option, the Fund may not be able to control the time when it may be required to fulfill its obligation to the purchaser of the option; however, the terms of the FLEX options typically written by the Fund will generally make them exercisable only on their expiration date. Exchanges may suspend the trading of options in volatile markets. If trading is suspended, the Fund may be unable to write options at times that may be desirable or advantageous to do so.

The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying instrument, or in interest or currency exchange rates, including the anticipated volatility of the underlying instrument (known as implied volatility), which in turn are affected by the performance of the issuer of the underlying instrument, by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political and economic events. As such, prior to the exercise or expiration of the option, the Fund is exposed to implied volatility risk, meaning the value, as based on implied volatility, of an option may increase due to market and economic conditions or views based on the sector or industry in which issuers of the underlying instrument participate, including company-specific factors. If the Fund was required to close out an option position prior to expiration, an increase in implied volatility could result in higher option prices and losses to the Fund, depending on when the option was written. A decrease in implied volatility results in lower option prices, and this could result in lower options premiums at the time that the option is written.

There may be an imperfect correlation between the movement in prices of options and the securities underlying them and there may at times not be a liquid secondary market for various options. The trading in FLEX options may be less deep and liquid than the market for certain other securities. FLEX options may be less liquid than certain non-customized options. In a less liquid market for the FLEX options, the liquidation of a large number of options may more significantly impact the price. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX options and the value of your investment.

152 KraneShares KWEBCovered Call Strategy ETF

**China Risk** **.** The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions in the People's Republic of China ("China" or the "PRC") and surrounding Asian countries and may demonstrate significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. Investments in Chinese securities, including those that are Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, subject the Fund to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. Over the last few decades, the Chinese government has undertaken reform of economic and market practices and has expanded the sphere of private ownership of property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. Chinese companies are also subject to the risk that Chinese authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. In addition, the Chinese economy is export-driven and highly reliant on trading with key partners. A downturn in the economies of China's primary trading partners could slow or eliminate the growth of the Chinese economy and adversely impact the Fund's investments. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. The RMB is not freely convertible, but rather is subject to approval of PRC authorities. Although Chinese authorities have indicated an intent to move to a freely convertible RMB, there is no assurance that repatriation strictions will not continue. The Chinese government may introduce new laws and regulations that could have an adverse effect on the Fund. Although China has begun the process of privatizing certain sectors of its economy, privatized entities may lose money and/or be re-nationalized.

Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Incidents involving China's or the region's security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments.

In the Chinese securities markets, a small number of issuers may represent a large portion of the entire market. The Chinese securities markets are subject to more frequent trading halts, low trading volume and price volatility. Recent developments in relations between the United States and China have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the two countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on China's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on the Fund. In addition, worsening trade relations between the two countries could adversely impact the Fund, particularly to the extent that the Chinese government restricts foreign investments in on-shore Chinese companies or the U.S. government restricts investments by U.S. investors in China. This may also result in market volatility and volatility in the price of Fund shares.

The Index may include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government. So long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments, the Underlying Fund is generally expected to invest in such companies, consistent with its objective to track the performance of the Index.

In recent years, Chinese entities have incurred significant levels of debt and Chinese financial institutions currently hold relatively large amounts of non-performing debt. Thus, there exists a possibility that widespread defaults could occur, which could trigger a financial crisis, freeze Chinese debt and finance markets and make Chinese securities illiquid.

Disclosure and regulatory standards in emerging market countries, such as China, are in many respects less stringent than U.S. standards. There is substantially less publicly available information about Chinese issuers than there is about U.S. issuers. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements or due to worsening relations between the U.S. and China, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities.

The tax laws and regulations in China are somewhat unclear and are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. The interpretation, application and enforcement of such laws and regulations by the applicable authorities may vary over time and from region to region, and could have an adverse effect on the Fund and its shareholders, particularly in relation to tax imposed upon foreign investors' capital gains. Uncertainties in Chinese tax rules could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund.

153 KraneShares KWEBCovered Call Strategy ETF

**A-Shares Risk.** A-Shares are issued by companies incorporated in mainland China and are traded on Chinese exchanges. Investments in A-Shares are made available to domestic Chinese investors and certain foreign investors, including those who have been approved as a QFI and through the Stock Connect Programs, which currently include the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shanghai-London Stock Connect, and China-Japan Stock Connect. Investments by foreign investors in A-Shares are subject to various restrictions, regulations and limits. Investments in A-Shares are heavily regulated and the recoupment and repatriation of assets invested in A-Shares is subject to restrictions by the Chinese government. A-Shares may be subject to frequent and widespread trading halts and may become illiquid. This could cause volatility in the Fund's share price and subject the Fund to a greater risk of trading halts.

**Custody Risks.** In accordance with Chinese regulations and the terms of a QFI license and insofar as Krane acquires a QFI, A-Shares will be held in the joint names of the Fund and Krane. Thus, the Fund's assets may not be as well protected as they would be if it were possible for them to be registered and held solely in the name of the Fund. There is a risk that creditors of Krane may assert that the securities are owned by Krane and that regulatory actions taken against Krane may affect the Fund.

**Hong Kong Risk.** The economy of Hong Kong has few natural resources and any fluctuation or shortage in the commodity markets could have a significant adverse effect on the Hong Kong economy. Hong Kong is also heavily dependent on international trade and finance. Additionally, the continuation and success of the current political, economic, legal and social policies of Hong Kong is dependent on and subject to the control of the Chinese government. China may change its policies regarding Hong Kong at any time. Any such change may adversely affect market conditions and the performance of Chinese and Hong Kong issuers and, thus, the value of securities in the Fund's portfolio.

**Stock Connect Program Risk.** The Stock Connect Programs are subject to daily quota limitations, and an investor cannot purchase and sell the same security on the same trading day, which may restrict the Fund's ability to invest in A-Shares through the Programs and to enter into or exit trades on a timely basis. The Shanghai and Shenzhen markets may be open at a time when the participating exchanges located outside of mainland China are not active, with the result that prices of A-Shares may fluctuate at times when the Fund is unable to add to or exit its positions. Only certain China A-Shares are eligible to be accessed through the Stock Connect Programs. Such securities may lose their eligibility at any time, in which case they could be sold but could no longer be purchased through the Stock Connect Programs. Because the Stock Connect Programs are still evolving, the actual effect on the market for trading A-Shares with the introduction of large numbers of foreign investors is still relatively unknown. Further, regulations or restrictions, such as limitations on redemptions or suspension of trading, may adversely impact the program. There is no guarantee that the participating exchanges will continue to support the Stock Connect Programs in the future.

Investments in China A-Shares may not be covered by the securities investor protection programs of either exchange and, without the protection of such programs, will be subject to the risk of default by the broker. Because of the way in which China A-Shares are held in the Stock Connect Programs, the Fund may not be able to exercise the rights of a direct shareholder and may be limited in its ability to pursue claims against the issuer of a security, and may suffer losses in the event the legal or "nominee holder" of the China A-Shares under the Stock Connect Programs becomes insolvent.

**Chinese Equity Markets.** The use of B-shares, H-shares, N-Shares, Red-Chips, P-Chips, S-Chips by Chinese companies to obtain listings are subject to the political and economic policies in China and the markets on which they are listed. Further, the markets on which these shares are listed may behave very differently from the mainland Chinese markets, and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the two.

154 KraneShares KWEBCovered Call Strategy ETF

**Special Risk Considerations of Investing in China.** For purposes of raising capital offshore on exchanges outside of China, including on U.S. exchanges, many Chinese-based operating companies are structured as Variable Interest Entities ("VIEs"). In this structure, the Chinese-based operating company is the VIE and establishes an entity, which is typically offshore in a foreign jurisdiction, such as the Cayman Islands. The offshore entity lists on a foreign exchange and enters into contractual arrangements with the VIE. This structure allows Chinese companies in which the government restricts foreign ownership to raise capital from foreign investors. While the offshore entity has no equity ownership of the VIE, these contractual arrangements permit the offshore entity to consolidate the VIE's financial statements with its own for accounting purposes and provide for economic exposure to the performance of the underlying Chinese operating company. Therefore, an investor in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, will have exposure to the Chinese-based operating company only through contractual arrangements and has no ownership in the Chinese-based operating company. Furthermore, because the offshore entity only has specific rights provided for in these service agreements with the VIE, its abilities to control the activities at the Chinese-based operating company are limited and the operating company may engage in activities that negatively impact investment value. While the VIE structure has been widely adopted, it is not formally recognized under Chinese law and therefore there is a risk that the Chinese government could prohibit the existence of such structures or negatively impact the VIE's contractual arrangements with the listed offshore entity by making them invalid. If these contracts were found to be unenforceable under Chinese law, investors in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, may suffer significant losses with little or no recourse available. If the Chinese government determines that the agreements establishing the VIE structures do not comply with Chinese law and regulations, including those related to restrictions on foreign ownership, it could subject a Chinese-based issuer to penalties, revocation of business and operating licenses, or forfeiture of ownership interest.

**Internet Companies Risk.** Investments in Internet companies may be volatile. Internet companies are subject to intense competition, the risk of product obsolescence, changes in consumer preferences and legal, regulatory and political changes. They are also especially at risk of hacking and other cybersecurity events. In addition, it can be difficult to determine what qualifies as an Internet company.

**Equity Securities Risk.** The values of equity securities are subject to factors such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes. In the event of liquidation, equity securities are generally subordinate in rank to debt and other securities of the same issuer.

**Emerging Markets Risk.** Securities issued by entities with substantial operations or holdings in emerging market countries may involve additional risks and are subject to greater risk of loss than investments in developed markets. This is due to, among other things, greater market volatility, greater risk of asset seizures and capital controls, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, greater risk of market shutdown, and more governmental limitations on foreign investments in emerging market countries than typically found in developed markets. The economies of emerging markets, and China in particular, may be heavily reliant upon international trade and may suffer disproportionately if international trading declines or is disrupted. Such conditions may lead to potential errors in index data, index computation and/or index construction and may limit the ability to oversee the Index Provider's due diligence process over index data, which may adversely impact an Underlying Fund's performance and its ability to track the performance of the Index.

**Foreign Securities Risk.** Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may be less liquid than investments in U.S. issuers, may have less governmental regulation and oversight, and are typically subject to different investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities entail the risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations, political or economic instability, less complete financial information about the issuers, the possible imposition of withholding or confiscatory taxes, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, and the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency. Foreign market trading hours, clearance and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund's ability to buy and sell securities. Additionally, foreign issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, recordkeeping, and financial reporting requirements. Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by governmental authorities. If the Fund holds positions in such suspended securities, the Fund may be adversely impacted. Certain countries in which the Fund may invest may be subject to extended settlement delays and/or foreign holidays, during which the Fund will unlikely be able to convert holdings to cash. All of these factors could result in a loss to the Fund.

155 KraneShares KWEBCovered Call Strategy ETF

**Geographic Focus Risk.** The Fund's investments are expected to be focused in a particular country, countries, or region to approximately the same degree as the Index and therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country, countries or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified fund.

**Currency Risk.** To the extent that the Fund is exposed directly or indirectly to foreign currencies, including through its investments, or invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies and vice versa. This may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane is subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**Concentration Risk.** The Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The securities of companies in an industry or group of industries could react similarly to market developments. Thus, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that affect one industry or group of industries or sector While the Fund's sector and industry exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Index, the Fund is currently subject to the principal risks described below.

**Communication Services Sector Risk.** The communication services sector may be dominated by a small number of companies which may lead to additional volatility in the sector. Communication services companies are particularly vulnerable to the potential obsolescence of products and services due to technological advances and the innovation of competitors. Communication services companies may also be affected by other competitive pressures, such as pricing competition, as well as research and development costs, substantial capital requirements, and government regulation. Fluctuating domestic and international demand, shifting demographics, and often unpredictable changes in consumer demand can drastically affect a communication services company's profitability. Compliance with governmental regulations, delays or failure to receive regulatory approvals, or the enactment of new regulatory requirements may negatively affect the business of telecommunication services companies. Certain companies in the communication services sector may be particular targets of network security breaches, hacking and potential theft of proprietary or consumer information, or disruptions in services, which would have a material adverse effect on their businesses.

**Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk.** The success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied closely to the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence. Success depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes can also affect the demand for, and success of, consumer products in the marketplace.

156 KraneShares KWEBCovered Call Strategy ETF

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to "Authorized Participants." Unlike many other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Thus, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in other ETFs as the Fund may recognize a capital gain that it could have avoided by making redemptions in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. Further, paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds at an inopportune time. Cash transactions may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes, including brokerage fees, that might not have occurred if the Fund utilized in-kind transactions. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted.

**International Closed Market Trading Risk.** To the extent the Fund's investments trade in markets that are closed when the Fund and Exchange are open, there are likely to be deviations between current pricing of an underlying security and the prices at which the underlying securities are valued for purposes of the Fund's NAV. As a result, Shares may appear to trade at a significant discount or premium to NAV greater than those incurred by other ETFs. In addition, shareholders may not be able to purchase or redeem their shares of the Fund, or purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

157 KraneShares KWEBCovered Call Strategy ETF

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, market turmoil, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants, or the lack of an active trading market. Markets for securities or financial instruments could be disrupted by a number of events, including, but not limited to, an economic crisis, natural disasters, new legislation or regulatory changes inside or outside the U.S. Liquid investments may become less liquid after being purchased by the Fund, particularly during periods of market stress. In addition, if a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt.

**Small- and Mid-Capitalization Company Risk.** Investing in the securities of small and medium capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization companies. Since small and medium-sized companies may have limited operating histories, product lines and financial resources, the securities of these companies may be less liquid and more volatile. They may also be sensitive to (expected) changes in interest rates and earnings.

**Large Capitalization Company Risk.** Large capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges and attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. As such, returns on investments in stocks of large capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small and mid capitalization companies.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**Management Risk.** The Fund is actively-managed and may not meet its investment objective based on the Adviser's success or failure to implement investment strategies for the Fund. The Adviser's evaluations and assumptions regarding investments, interest rates, inflation, and other factors may not successfully achieve the Fund's investment objective given actual market conditions.

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. In addition, the securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days that the Fund does not price its shares; as a result, the value of Fund shares may change on days when investors cannot purchase or sell their Fund holdings.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

158 KraneShares KWEBCovered Call Strategy ETF

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. The Fund's investments in issuers whose control persons are not certain creates a risk that tax authorities may retrospectively deem the Fund to have failed the asset diversification requirements. If the Fund were to fail the favorable tax treatment requirements, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, which would adversely affect its performance.

The Fund's investment strategy may limit its ability to distribute dividends eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income, which for non-corporate shareholders are subject to federal income tax at rates of up to 20%. The Fund's investment strategy may also limit its ability to distribute dividends eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders. In addition, premiums received by the Fund from writing call options will result in short term capital gain distributable by the Fund as ordinary income dividends. For these reasons, a significant portion of distributions received by Fund shareholders may be subject to tax at effective tax rates that are higher than the rates that would apply if the Fund were to engage in a different investment strategy. You should consult your tax advisor as to the tax consequences of acquiring, owning and disposing of shares in the Fund.

**Depositary Receipts Risk.** The Fund may hold the securities of foreign companies in the form of depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts. Investing in depositary receipts entails the risks associated with foreign investments, such as fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the securities of U.S. issuers. In addition, the value of the securities underlying the depositary receipts may change materially when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, which will affect the value of the depositary receipts.

**IPO Risk.** Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile. At any particular time or from time to time, the Fund may not be able to invest in securities issued in IPOs, or invest to the extent desired, because, for example, only a small portion (if any) of the securities being offered in an IPO may be available to the Fund. In addition, as the Fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the Fund's performance will generally decrease.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Option Income Risk.** The Fund generates option premium income generated from the sale of covered call options ("option income"). This option income generally is classified as a return of capital for financial accounting purposes, which is how such income is required to be reported on the 19(a) notices that the Fund is required to issue after its monthly distributions. However, the 19(a) notices do not reflect the tax character of the option income, which is determined after the end of the calendar year. The option income for tax purposes is likely to be considered taxable investment income and may not reduce your tax basis in your shares of the Fund when distributed. The Fund currently intends to distribute on a monthly basis its option income so that the Fund's monthly distribution percentage does not exceed 2% of net asset value. The Fund's distribution in December may exceed this amount in order for the Fund to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

159 KraneShares KWEBCovered Call Strategy ETF

**Performance Information**

The following bar chart and table illustrate the variability of the Fund's returns and indicate the risks of investing in the Fund by showing how the Fund's average annual total returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance and an additional index with characteristics relevant to the Fund. All returns include the reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As always, please note that the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>.

![](pro-klip_001.jpg)

As of June 30, 2025, the Fund's calendar year-to-date total return was 10.02%.

**Best and Worst Quarter Returns (for the period reflected in the bar chart above)** 

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Return** | **Quarter Ended/Year** |
| Highest Return | 5.04% | 9/30/2024 |
| Lowest Return | -1.31% | 6/30/2024 |

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**Average Annual Total Returns for the periods ended December 31, 2024** 

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF** | **1 year** | **Since Inception<br> (01-11-2023)** |
| Return Before Taxes | 4.06% | 6.65% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | -8.64% | -9.57% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 2.27% | -1.57% |
| MSCI China All Shares Index<br> (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 16.38% | -2.75% |
| CSI Overseas China Internet Index<br> (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 11.95% | -5.88% |

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160 KraneShares KWEBCovered Call Strategy ETF

Average annual total returns are shown on a before- and after-tax basis for the Fund. After-tax returns for the Fund are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement plans.

**Management**

**Investment Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Managers**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, supports Krane's investment team for the Fund and also has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.kraneshares.com.

**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 IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

161 KraneShares KWEBCovered Call Strategy ETF

**KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF**

**Investment Objective**

The Fund seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of a specific equity securities index. The Fund's current index is the Solactive Global Luxury Select Index (the "Underlying Index").

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees** (fees paid directly from your investment)

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.68% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees\* | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses | 0.01% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 0.69% |

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\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| $70 | $221 | $384 | $859 |

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**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 55% of the average value of its portfolio.

**Principal Investment Strategies**

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in instruments in its Underlying Index or in instruments that have economic characteristics similar to those in the Underlying Index.

162 KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF

The Underlying Index is a modified, free float adjusted market capitalization weighted index designed to measure the equity performance of companies in developed markets from global luxury-related sectors. The Underlying Index includes companies classified by the FactSet Revere Business Industry Classification system ("RBICS") as being in the travel & leisure, premium ware and apparel, luxury goods, and premium consumer goods industries that include certain luxury-related business descriptions. Solactive AG ("Index Provider") defines developed countries as the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, or United States.

The Index Provider applies various screens so that the securities included in the Underlying Index, at the time of each reconstitution: (1) are issued by companies with a minimum free float market capitalization of $2 billion; (2) have been listed for at least one month and have a minimum average daily trading volume of $2 million as measured over the last one-month and six-month periods; and (3) are listed in a developed country as defined by the Index Provider. Eligible securities of the Underlying Index are ranked as of each reconstitution based on their free float market capitalization as determined by the Index Provider with the top 25 securities in each industry eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index. The top five ranked securities are assigned weights of 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, and 6% respectively. The remaining securities are capped at weights of 4.5%. Any excess weights are redistributed pro rata among the remaining securities. The Underlying Index is reconstituted annually and rebalanced semi-annually.

Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 40% of its total assets in securities that (1) are organized or located outside the United States; (2) trade primarily in a market located outside the United States; or (3) derive at least 50% of their revenue or profits from business outside the United States or have at least 50% of their assets outside the United States.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in instruments that are not included in the Underlying Index, but that the Fund's investment adviser, Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. These investments may include equity securities and depositary receipts of issuers whose securities are not constituents of the Underlying Index, derivative instruments (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options), other investment companies (including exchange traded funds or "ETFs") and cash or cash equivalents (including money market funds). Certain other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or their affiliates.

Although the Fund expects to replicate (or hold all constituents of) the Underlying Index, the Fund reserves the right to use representative sampling to track the Underlying Index. "Representative sampling" is a strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index.

As of May 31, 2025, the Underlying Index included 33 securities of companies with a market capitalization range of approximately $3 billion to $286 billion and an average market capitalization of approximately $57 billion.

The Fund is non-diversified. To the extent the Underlying Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund is expected to be concentrated in that industry. As of May 31, 2025, issuers in the Consumer Discretionary sector (72.7%) and Consumer Staples sector (21.5 %) represented significant portions of the Underlying Index.

The Fund may engage in securities lending.

**Principal Risks**

As with all ETFs, a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

163 KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF

**Luxury Investment Risk.** Companies in luxury-related sectors may face intense competition and may be dependent on their ability to maintain brand image. These companies may be subject to changes in consumer preferences, and technologies employed by companies in luxury-related sectors may become obsolete. The success of companies in luxury-related sectors may depend heavily on the consumer spending of a relatively small segment of the general population and changes in consumer taste among such segment of the population can also affect the demand for, and success of, such companies. Since these types of companies are dependent on consumer spending, they can be especially sensitive to a decline in consumer confidence or any downturns in the broader economy. Demand for luxury products may be seasonal, and incorrect assessment of future demand can lead to overproduction or underproduction, which can impact company profitability.

**Equity Securities Risk.** The values of equity securities are subject to factors such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes. In the event of liquidation, equity securities are generally subordinate in rank to debt and other securities of the same issuer.

**Large Capitalization Company Risk.** Large capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges and attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. As such, returns on investments in stocks of large capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small and mid capitalization companies.

**Foreign Securities Risk.** Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may be less liquid than investments in U.S. issuers, may have less governmental regulation and oversight, and are typically subject to different investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities entail the risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations, political or economic instability, less complete financial information about the issuers, the possible imposition of withholding or confiscatory taxes, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, and the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency. Foreign market trading hours, clearance and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund's ability to buy and sell securities. Additionally, foreign issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, recordkeeping, and financial reporting requirements. Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by governmental authorities. If the Fund holds positions in such suspended securities, the Fund may be adversely impacted. Certain countries in which the Fund may invest may be subject to extended settlement delays and/or foreign holidays, during which the Fund will unlikely be able to convert holdings to cash. All of these factors could result in a loss to the Fund.

**Geographic Focus Risk.** The Fund's investments are expected to be focused in a particular country, countries, or region to approximately the same degree as the Underlying Index and therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country, countries or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified fund.

**Currency Risk.** To the extent that the Fund is exposed directly or indirectly to foreign currencies, including through its investments, or invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies and vice versa. This may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

164 KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF

**Concentration Risk.** The Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Underlying Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The securities of companies in an industry or group of industries could react similarly to market developments. Thus, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that affect one industry or group of industries or sector. While the Fund's sector and industry exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Underlying Index, the Fund is currently subject to the principal risks described below.

**Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk.** The success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied closely to the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence. Success depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes can also affect the demand for, and success of, consumer products in the marketplace.

**Consumer Staples Sector Risk.** Companies in the consumer staples sector may be affected by general economic conditions, commodity production and pricing, consumer confidence and spending, consumer preferences, interest rates, and product cycles. They are subject to government regulation affecting their products which may negatively impact such companies' performance. For instance, for food and beverage companies, government regulations may affect the permissibility of using various food additives and production methods, which could affect company profitability. In particular, tobacco companies may be adversely affected by the adoption of proposed legislation and/or by litigation. Food and beverage companies risk further loss of market share and revenue due to contamination and resulting product recalls. Also, the success of food, beverage, household and personal products may be strongly affected by fads, marketing campaigns, changes in commodity prices and other factors affecting supply and demand.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to "Authorized Participants." Unlike many other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Thus, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in other ETFs as the Fund may recognize a capital gain that it could have avoided by making redemptions in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. Further, paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds at an inopportune time. Cash transactions may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes, including brokerage fees, that might not have occurred if the Fund utilized in-kind transactions. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted.

**International Closed Market Trading Risk**. To the extent the Fund's investments trade in markets that are closed when the Fund and Exchange are open, there are likely to be deviations between current pricing of an underlying security and the prices at which the underlying securities are valued for purposes of the Fund's NAV. As a result, Shares may appear to trade at a significant discount or premium to NAV greater than those incurred by other ETFs. In addition, shareholders may not be able to purchase or redeem their shares of the Fund, or purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

165 KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**Small Fund Risk.** The Fund is small and does not yet have a significant number of shares outstanding. Small funds are at greater risk than larger funds of wider bid-ask spreads for its shares, trading at a greater premium or discount to NAV, liquidation and/or a stop to trading.

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, market turmoil, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants, or the lack of an active trading market. Markets for securities or financial instruments could be disrupted by a number of events, including, but not limited to, an economic crisis, natural disasters, new legislation or regulatory changes inside or outside the U.S. Liquid investments may become less liquid after being purchased by the Fund, particularly during periods of market stress. In addition, if a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt.

**Passive Investment and Index Risk.** There is no guarantee that the Underlying Index will create the desired exposure and the Fund is not actively managed. It does not seek to "beat" the Underlying Index or take temporary defensive positions when markets decline. Therefore, the Fund may purchase or hold securities with current or projected underperformance.

There is no guarantee that the methodology the Index Provider uses to identify constituents for the Underlying Index will achieve its intended result or provide an accurate assessment of included constituents. The Underlying Index relies on various sources of information to assess the potential constituents of the Underlying Index, including information that may be based on assumptions or estimates. Neither the Fund nor Krane can offer assurances that the Index Provider's sources of information are reliable. There can be no guarantee that the methodology underlying the Underlying Index, the Underlying Index construction and computation processes, or the daily calculation of the Underlying Index or its methodology will be free from error or that an error will be identified and/or corrected, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund.

**Management Risk.** The Fund may not fully replicate the Underlying Index and may hold less than the total number of securities in the Underlying Index. Therefore, the Fund is subject to the risk that Krane's security selection process may not produce the intended results.

**Tracking Error Risk.** The Fund's return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Underlying Index. This may be due to, among other factors, the Fund holding cash under certain circumstances in lieu of Underlying Index securities, such as when the Fund is subject to delays converting U.S. dollars into a foreign currency to purchase foreign securities and unable to invest in certain constituents of the Underlying Index due to regulatory constraints, trading suspensions, and legal restrictions imposed by foreign governments. To the extent that the Fund employs a representative sampling strategy or calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the Underlying Index is based on securities' closing prices on local foreign markets, the Fund's ability to track the Underlying Index may be adversely affected.

166 KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. In addition, the securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days that the Fund does not price its shares; as a result, the value of Fund shares may change on days when investors cannot purchase or sell their Fund holdings.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. The Fund's investments in issuers whose control persons are not certain creates a risk that tax authorities may retrospectively deem the Fund to have failed the asset diversification requirements. If the Fund were to fail the favorable tax treatment requirements, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, which would adversely affect its performance.

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

167 KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane is subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

**Securities Lending Risk.** To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: (1) the securities in which the collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the applicable rebate rates paid to borrowers and related administrative costs; (2) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions; and (3) although borrowers of the Fund's securities typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities, there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. Krane is subject to potential conflicts of interest because the compensation paid to it increases in connection with any net income received by the Fund from the securities lending program.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

168 KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF

**Performance Information**

The following bar chart and table illustrate the variability of the Fund's returns and indicate the risks of investing in the Fund by showing how the Fund's average annual total returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance and an additional index with characteristics relevant to the Fund. All returns include the reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As always, please note that the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>.

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As of June 30, 2025, the Fund's calendar year-to-date total return was 2.70%.

**Best and Worst Quarter Returns (for the period reflected in the bar chart above)** 

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Return** | **Quarter Ended/Year** |
| Highest Return | 5.11% | 3/31/2024 |
| Lowest Return | -9.32% | 6/30/2024 |

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**Average Annual Total Returns for the periods ended December 31, 2024** 

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF** | **1 year** | **Since Inception<br> (09-06-2023)** |
| Return Before Taxes | -6.12% | -3.32% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | -6.29% | -3.48% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | -3.51% | -2.53% |
| MSCI ACWI Index<br> (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 17.49% | 19.25% |
| Solactive Global Luxury Select Index<br> (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | -5.99% | -2.76% |

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169 KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF

Average annual total returns are shown on a before- and after-tax basis for the Fund. After-tax returns for the Fund are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement plans.

**Management**

**Investment Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Managers**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, supports Mr. Maund and Krane's investment team for the Fund and has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.kraneshares.com.

**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 IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

170 KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF

**KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF**

**Investment Objective**

The Fund seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, track the performance of the Morningstar<sup>®</sup> Developed Markets China and Emerging Markets Revenue Exposure Index (the "Underlying Index").

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees** (fees paid directly from your investment)

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.68% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees\* | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses\*\* | 0.01% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 0.69% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Fee Waiver**\*\*\*** | -0.04% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver** | 0.65% |

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\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

\*\* Based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

\*\*\* The Fund's investment adviser, Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser"), has contractually agreed to waive its management fee by 0.04% of the Fund's average daily net assets ("Fee Waiver"). The Fee Waiver will continue until August 1, 2026, and may only be terminated prior thereto by the Board.

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same, except that it reflects the Fee Waiver for the period described above. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** |
| $66 | $217 |

---

**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. Because the Fund had not commenced investment operations as of the date of this prospectus, it does not have portfolio turnover information for the prior fiscal year to report.

171 KraneShares Global EM RevenueLeaders Index ETF

**Principal Investment Strategies**

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in instruments in its Underlying Index or in instruments that have economic characteristics similar to those in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is composed of equity securities of multi-national companies in developed markets that derive both (1) at least 30% of their revenue from China, which is an emerging market, and (2) at least 50% of their revenue from emerging market countries. Based on the size of China's emerging market economy relative to the other emerging market countries included in the Underlying Index, the companies included in the Underlying Index may derive the majority of their emerging market revenue from China. The Fund defines a multi-national company as a company that has business operations in at least one country other than its home country.

To be eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index, a security must be a member of the Morningstar Developed Markets Index and have a country of classification other than Hong Kong. The country of classification for a security is assigned by the Morningstar Developed Markets Index by considering their country of incorporation and country of primary listing. The Morningstar Developed Markets Index classifies a country as a developed market if it meets certain criteria related to income per capita, the country's stock markets and the lack of discriminatory controls against foreign investors.

Underlying Index constituents are weighted by the security's free-float adjusted market capitalization, but is modified so that, as of the rebalance date, no security constitutes more than 10% of the Underlying Index, the cumulative weight of all constituents with a weight of over 5% does not exceed 40% of the Underlying Index, and no sector constitutes more than 25% of the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is rebalanced quarterly and reconstituted semi-annually. During each reconstitution, a security is only removed from the Underlying Index if either (1) the revenue from China falls below 20% or (2) the aggregate revenue exposure from emerging market countries falls below 40%.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in instruments that are not included in the Underlying Index, but that the Fund's investment adviser, Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. These investments may include equity securities and depositary receipts of issuers whose securities are not constituents of the Underlying Index, derivative instruments (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options), other investment companies (including exchange traded funds or "ETFs") and cash or cash equivalents (including money market funds). Certain other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or their affiliates.

Although the Fund expects to replicate (or hold all constituents of) the Underlying Index, the Fund reserves the right to use representative sampling to track the Underlying Index. "Representative sampling" is a strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index.

As of May 31, 2025, the Underlying Index included 82 securities of companies with a market capitalization range of approximately $457.3 million to $160.6 billion and an average market capitalization of approximately $17.0 billion. The Underlying Index is provided by Morningstar, Inc. ("Index Provider"). The Index Provider is not affiliated with the Fund or the Adviser.

The Fund is non-diversified. To the extent the Underlying Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund is expected to be concentrated in that industry. As of May 31, 2025, issuers in the Information Technology sector (61.6%) and Industrials sector (14.9%) represented significant portions of the Underlying Index.

The Fund may engage in securities lending.

172 KraneShares Global EM RevenueLeaders Index ETF

**Principal Risks**

As with all ETFs, a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**Foreign Securities Risk.** Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may be less liquid than investments in U.S. issuers, may have less governmental regulation and oversight, and are typically subject to different investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities entail the risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations, political or economic instability, less complete financial information about the issuers, the possible imposition of withholding or confiscatory taxes, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, and the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency. Foreign market trading hours, clearance and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund's ability to buy and sell securities. Additionally, foreign issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, recordkeeping, and financial reporting requirements. Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by governmental authorities. If the Fund holds positions in such suspended securities, the Fund may be adversely impacted. Certain countries in which the Fund may invest may be subject to extended settlement delays and/or foreign holidays, during which the Fund will unlikely be able to convert holdings to cash. All of these factors could result in a loss to the Fund.

**Emerging Markets Risk.** Securities issued by entities with substantial operations or holdings in emerging market countries may involve additional risks and are subject to greater risk of loss than investments in developed markets. This is due to, among other things, greater market volatility, greater risk of asset seizures and capital controls, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, greater risk of market shutdown, and more governmental limitations on foreign investments in emerging market countries than typically found in developed markets. The economies of emerging markets, and China in particular, may be heavily reliant upon international trade and may suffer disproportionately if international trading declines or is disrupted.

**Equity Securities Risk.** The values of equity securities are subject to factors such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes. In the event of liquidation, equity securities are generally subordinate in rank to debt and other securities of the same issuer.

**Geographic Focus Risk.** The Fund's investments are expected to be focused in a particular country, countries, or region to approximately the same degree as the Underlying Index and therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country, countries or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified fund.

**China Risk.** The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions in the People's Republic of China ("China" or the "PRC") and surrounding Asian countries and may demonstrate significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. Investments in Chinese securities, including those that are Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, subject the Fund to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. Over the last few decades, the Chinese government has undertaken reform of economic and market practices and has expanded the sphere of private ownership of property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. Chinese companies are also subject to the risk that Chinese authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. In addition, the Chinese economy is export-driven and highly reliant on trading with key partners. A downturn in the economies of China's primary trading partners could slow or eliminate the growth of the Chinese economy and adversely impact the Fund's investments. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. The RMB is not freely convertible, but rather is subject to approval of PRC authorities. Although Chinese authorities have indicated an intent to move to a freely convertible RMB, there is no assurance that repatriation strictions will not continue. The Chinese government may introduce new laws and regulations that could have an adverse effect on the Fund. Although China has begun the process of privatizing certain sectors of its economy, privatized entities may lose money and/or be re-nationalized.

173 KraneShares Global EM RevenueLeaders Index ETF

Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Incidents involving China's or the region's security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments.

In the Chinese securities markets, a small number of issuers may represent a large portion of the entire market. The Chinese securities markets are subject to more frequent trading halts, low trading volume and price volatility. Recent developments in relations between the United States and China have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the two countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on China's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on the Fund. In addition, worsening trade relations between the two countries could adversely impact the Fund, particularly to the extent that the Chinese government restricts foreign investments in on-shore Chinese companies or the U.S. government restricts investments by U.S. investors in China. This may also result in market volatility and volatility in the price of Fund shares.

The Underlying Index may include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government. So long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments, the Fund is generally expected to invest in such companies, consistent with its objective to track the performance of the Underlying Index.

In recent years, Chinese entities have incurred significant levels of debt and Chinese financial institutions currently hold relatively large amounts of non-performing debt. Thus, there exists a possibility that widespread defaults could occur, which could trigger a financial crisis, freeze Chinese debt and finance markets and make Chinese securities illiquid.

Disclosure and regulatory standards in emerging market countries, such as China, are in many respects less stringent than U.S. standards. There is substantially less publicly available information about Chinese issuers than there is about U.S. issuers. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements or due to worsening relations between the U.S. and China, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities.

The tax laws and regulations in China are somewhat unclear and are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. The interpretation, application and enforcement of such laws and regulations by the applicable authorities may vary over time and from region to region, and could have an adverse effect on the Fund and its shareholders, particularly in relation to tax imposed upon foreign investors' capital gains. Uncertainties in Chinese tax rules could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund.

**Currency Risk.** To the extent that the Fund is exposed directly or indirectly to foreign currencies, including through its investments, or invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies and vice versa. This may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane is subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

174 KraneShares Global EM RevenueLeaders Index ETF

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**Concentration Risk.** The Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Underlying Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The securities of companies in an industry or group of industries could react similarly to market developments. Thus, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that affect one industry or group of industries or sector. While the Fund's sector and industry exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Underlying Index, the Fund is currently subject to the principal risks described below.

**Information Technology Sector Risk.** Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology advances could have a major effect on the value of stocks in the information technology sector. The value of stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from competitors with lower production costs. Information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies in the information technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel.

**Industrials Sector Risk.** The industrials sector may be affected by changes in the supply and demand for products and services, product obsolescence, claims for environmental damage or product liability and general economic conditions, among other factors. Government regulation will also affect the performance of investments in such industrials sector issuers, particularly aerospace and defense companies, which rely to a significant extent on government demand for their products and services. Transportation companies, another constituents of the industrials sector, are subject to sharp price movements resulting from changes in the economy, fuel prices, labor agreements and insurance costs.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**International Closed Market Trading Risk.** To the extent the Fund's investments trade in markets that are closed when the Fund and Exchange are open, there are likely to be deviations between current pricing of an underlying security and the prices at which the underlying securities are valued for purposes of the Fund's NAV. As a result, Shares may appear to trade at a significant discount or premium to NAV greater than those incurred by other ETFs. In addition, shareholders may not be able to purchase or redeem their shares of the Fund, or purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

**New Fund Risk.** If the Fund does not grow in size, it will be at greater risk than larger funds of wider bid-ask spreads for its shares, trading at a greater premium or discount to NAV, liquidation and/or a stop to trading.

175 KraneShares Global EM RevenueLeaders Index ETF

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, market turmoil, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants, or the lack of an active trading market. Markets for securities or financial instruments could be disrupted by a number of events, including, but not limited to, an economic crisis, natural disasters, new legislation or regulatory changes inside or outside the U.S. Liquid investments may become less liquid after being purchased by the Fund, particularly during periods of market stress. In addition, if a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt.

**Management Risk.** The Fund may not fully replicate the Underlying Index and may hold less than the total number of securities in the Underlying Index. Therefore, the Fund is subject to the risk that Krane's security selection process may not produce the intended results.

**Large Capitalization Company Risk.** Large capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges and attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. As such, returns on investments in stocks of large capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small and mid capitalization companies.

**Passive Investment and Index Risk.** There is no guarantee that the Underlying Index will create the desired exposure and the Fund is not actively managed. It does not seek to "beat" the Underlying Index or take temporary defensive positions when markets decline. Therefore, the Fund may purchase or hold securities with current or projected underperformance.

176 KraneShares Global EM RevenueLeaders Index ETF

There is no guarantee that the methodology the Index Provider uses to identify constituents for the Underlying Index will achieve its intended result or provide an accurate assessment of included constituents. The Underlying Index relies on various sources of information to assess the potential constituents of the Underlying Index, including information that may be based on assumptions or estimates. Neither the Fund nor Krane can offer assurances that the Index Provider's sources of information are reliable. There can be no guarantee that the methodology underlying the Underlying Index, the Underlying Index construction and computation processes, or the daily calculation of the Underlying Index or its methodology will be free from error or that an error will be identified and/or corrected, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund.

**Tracking Error Risk.** The Fund's return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Underlying Index. This may be due to, among other factors, the Fund holding cash under certain circumstances in lieu of Underlying Index securities, such as when the Fund is subject to delays converting U.S. dollars into a foreign currency to purchase foreign securities and unable to invest in certain constituents of the Underlying Index due to regulatory constraints, trading suspensions, and legal restrictions imposed by foreign governments. To the extent that the Fund employs a representative sampling strategy or calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the Underlying Index is based on securities' closing prices on local foreign markets, the Fund's ability to track the Underlying Index may be adversely affected.

**Small- and Mid-Capitalization Company Risk.** Investing in the securities of small and medium capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization companies. Since small and medium-sized companies may have limited operating histories, product lines and financial resources, the securities of these companies may be less liquid and more volatile. They may also be sensitive to (expected) changes in interest rates and earnings.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

177 KraneShares Global EM RevenueLeaders Index ETF

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. In addition, the securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days that the Fund does not price its shares; as a result, the value of Fund shares may change on days when investors cannot purchase or sell their Fund holdings.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. The Fund's investments in issuers whose control persons are not certain creates a risk that tax authorities may retrospectively deem the Fund to have failed the asset diversification requirements. If the Fund were to fail the favorable tax treatment requirements, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, which would adversely affect its performance.

**Depositary Receipts Risk.** The Fund may hold the securities of foreign companies in the form of depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts. Investing in depositary receipts entails the risks associated with foreign investments, such as fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the securities of U.S. issuers. In addition, the value of the securities underlying the depositary receipts may change materially when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, which will affect the value of the depositary receipts.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

**Performance Information**

Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included in this Prospectus that will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the variability of the Fund's return based on net assets and comparing the variability of the Fund's return to a broad measure of market performance. Once available, the Fund's current performance information will be available at <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>. Past performance does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.

178 KraneShares Global EM RevenueLeaders Index ETF

**Management**

**Investment Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Managers**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, supports Krane's investment team for the Fund and also has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.kraneshares.com.

**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 IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

179 KraneShares Global EM RevenueLeaders Index ETF

**KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF**

**Investment Objective**

The KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF (the "Fund") seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, track the price and yield performance of a specific equity securities index. The Fund's current index is the Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index (the "Underlying Index").

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees** (fees paid directly from your investment)<br>

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.55% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees\* | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses | 0.01% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 0.56% |

---

\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| $57 | $179 | $313 | $701 |

---

**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 80% of the average value of its portfolio.

**Principal Investment Strategies**

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in instruments in its Underlying Index or in instruments that have economic characteristics similar to those in the Underlying Index.

180 KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> DynamicDividend Equity Index ETF

The Underlying Index begins with the universe of stocks that Value Line<sup>®</sup> ranks. All companies with an equity market capitalization of less than $1 billion, registered investment companies, American Depositary Receipts, limited partnerships and foreign securities not listed in the U.S. are eliminated from this universe. From this investable universe, the Underlying Index establishes a dividend target, which is the trailing 12-month dividend yield of stocks in the 25<sup>th</sup> percentile of yield in this universe. Each company in the investable universe is assigned a score based on its Safety*™* Rank and Timeliness*™* Rank.

● The Value Line<sup>®</sup> Safety *™* Ranking System measures the total risk of a company relative to others in the universe based on Value Line's ranking of the company's price stability, financial strength and other factors. Companies with high Safety ranks may be larger and more financially sound and may have lower growth prospects.

● The Value Line<sup>®</sup> Timeliness *™* Ranking System ranks companies relative to each other in the universe for price performance during the next six to 12 months by using components such as historical stock-price performance, financial results, and earnings surprises.

Each Ranking System ranks companies on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being the highest rank and 5 being the lowest rank. The Underlying Index assigns the highest scores to Rank 1 companies and the lower scores, progressively, to Rank 2 through 5 companies.

The Underlying Index optimizes the weighting of companies using the score assigned to them to maximize the overall score for the Underlying Index while seeking a yield that will be no less than the dividend target. The weighting of a company can be zero and no individual company will be weighted more than 1.5% greater than its weighting in the broad-based large cap equity index. The Underlying Index is rebalanced during the first full week of each calendar month.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in instruments that are not included in the Underlying Index, but that Fund's adviser, Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser"), believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. These investments may include equity securities of issuers whose securities are not components of the Underlying Index, derivative instruments (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options), other investment companies (including ETFs) and cash or cash equivalents (including money market funds). The other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") and/or its affiliates.

Although the Fund expects to replicate (or hold all constituents of) the Underlying Index, the Fund reserves the right to use representative sampling to track the Underlying Index. "Representative sampling" is a strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index.

As of May 31, 2025, the Underlying Index included 79 securities of companies with a market capitalization range of approximately $2.4 billion to $3.4 billion and an average market capitalization of approximately $695 billion.

The Fund is diversified. To the extent the Underlying Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund is expected to be concentrated in that industry. As of May 31, 2025, issuers in the Information Technology sector (22.0%), Industrials sector (14.2%), and Financials sector (10.4%) represented significant portions of the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is rebalanced and reconstituted monthly.

The Underlying Index is provided by EULAV Asset Management ("Index Provider"), and the Underlying Index is calculated by Fuzzy Logix, Inc. (doing business as "FastINDX").

The Fund may engage in securities lending.

181 KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> DynamicDividend Equity Index ETF

**Principal Risks**

As with all exchange traded funds ("ETFs"), a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**Equity Securities Risk.** The values of equity securities are subject to factors such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes. In the event of liquidation, equity securities are generally subordinate in rank to debt and other securities of the same issuer.

**Dividend Risk.** There is no guarantee that issuers of the stocks held by the Fund will declare dividends in the future or that, if declared, such dividends will remain at current levels or increase over time.

**Ranking Risk.** The Underlying Index uses the Value Line**<sup>®</sup>** Timeliness and Safety*™* Ranking Systems in selecting securities. This is subject to the risk that the rankings may not be accurate and that the performance of these companies may not continue. The returns on these securities may be less than returns on other companies or the overall stock market. In addition, there may be periods when companies highly ranked by Value Line**<sup>®</sup>** are out of favor and during which the investment performance of the Fund may suffer.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**Large Capitalization Company Risk.** Investments in large capitalization companies may go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions and may underperform other market segments. Some large capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges and attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. As such, returns on investments in stocks of large capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small and mid-capitalization companies.

**Concentration Risk.** Because the Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Underlying Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that may affect that industry or group of industries or sector. Market conditions, interest rates, and economic, regulatory, or financial developments could significantly affect a single industry or a group of related industries, and the securities of companies in that industry or group of industries could react similarly to these or other developments. From time to time, the Fund may invest a significant percentage of its assets in issuers in a single industry (or the same group of industries) or sector of the economy. While the Fund's sector and industry exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Underlying Index, the Fund is currently subject to the principal risks described below. The Fund may have significant exposure to other industries or sectors over time.

182 KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> DynamicDividend Equity Index ETF

**Industrials Sector Risk.** The industrials sector may be affected by changes in the supply and demand for products and services, product obsolescence, claims for environmental damage or product liability and general economic conditions, among other factors. Government regulation will also affect the performance of investments in such industrials sector issuers, particularly aerospace and defense companies, which rely to a significant extent on government demand for their products and services. Transportation companies, another component of the industrials sector, are subject to sharp price movements resulting from changes in the economy, fuel prices, labor agreements and insurance costs.

**Information Technology Sector Risk.** Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology advances could have a major effect on the value of stocks in the information technology sector. The value of stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from competitors with lower production costs. Information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies in the information technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel.

**Financials Sector Risk.** The performance of companies in the financials sector may be adversely impacted by many factors, including, among others, government regulations, economic conditions, credit rating downgrades, changes in interest rates, and decreased liquidity in credit markets. This sector has experienced significant losses in the recent past, and the impact of more stringent capital requirements and of recent or future regulation on any individual financial company or on the sector as a whole cannot be predicted.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**Small Fund Risk.** The Fund is small and does not yet have a significant number of shares outstanding. Small funds are at greater risk than larger funds of wider bid-ask spreads for its shares, trading at a greater premium or discount to NAV, liquidation and/or a stop to trading.

183 KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> DynamicDividend Equity Index ETF

**Tracking Error Risk.** The Fund's return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Underlying Index. This may be due to, among other factors, the Fund holding cash under certain circumstances in lieu of Underlying Index securities, the use of representative sampling strategy, if applicable, asset valuation differences, tax considerations, the unavailability of securities in the Underlying Index from time to time and other liquidity constraints.

**Management Risk.** The Fund may not fully replicate the Underlying Index and may hold less than the total number of securities in the Underlying Index. Therefore, the Fund is subject to the risk that Krane's security selection process may not produce the intended results.

**Passive Investment and Index Risk.** There is no guarantee that the Underlying Index will create the desired exposure and the Fund is not actively managed. It does not seek to "beat" the Underlying Index or take temporary defensive positions when markets decline. Therefore, the Fund may purchase or hold securities with current or projected underperformance.

There is no guarantee that the methodology the Index Provider uses to identify constituents for the Underlying Index will achieve its intended result or provide an accurate assessment of included constituents. The Underlying Index relies on various sources of information to assess the potential constituents of the Underlying Index, including information that may be based on assumptions or estimates. Neither the Fund nor Krane can offer assurances that the Index Provider's sources of information are reliable. There can be no guarantee that the methodology underlying the Underlying Index, the Underlying Index construction and computation processes, or the daily calculation of the Underlying Index or its methodology will be free from error or that an error will be identified and/or corrected, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane is subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

**Securities Lending Risk.** To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: (1) borrowers of the Fund's securities typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities; (2) the securities in which the collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the return collateral payments owed to borrowers; (3) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions; and (4) there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. Krane is subject to potential conflicts of interest because the compensation paid to it increases in connection with any net income received by the Fund from the securities lending program.

**Sector Risk.** From time to time, based on market or economic conditions, the Fund may have significant positions in one or more sectors of the market. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors. Individual sectors may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the broader market. The industries that constitute a sector may all react in the same way to economic, political or regulatory events.

**High Portfolio Turnover Risk.** The Fund may incur high portfolio turnover rates, which may increase the Fund's brokerage commission costs and negatively impact the Fund's performance. Such portfolio turnover also may generate net short-term capital gains.

184 KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> DynamicDividend Equity Index ETF

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. Holding cash or cash equivalents, even strategically, may lead to missed investment opportunities. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

185 KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> DynamicDividend Equity Index ETF

**Performance Information**

The following bar chart and table illustrate the variability of the Fund's returns and indicate the risks of investing in the Fund by showing how the Fund's average annual total returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance and an additional index with characteristics relevant to the Fund. All returns include the reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As always, please note that the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>.

![](pro-kvle_001.jpg)

As of June 30, 2025, the Fund's calendar year-to-date total return was 3.55%.

**Best and Worst Quarter Returns (for the period reflected in the bar chart above)** 

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Return** | **Quarter Ended/Year** |
| Highest Return | 12.93% | 12/31/2022 |
| Lowest Return | -7.91% | 9/30/2022 |

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**Average Annual Total Returns for the periods ended December 31, 2024**

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF** | **1 year** | **Since Inception<br>(11-23-2020)** |
| Return Before Taxes | 19.21% | 13.12% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | 16.18% | 10.83% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 12.27% | 9.63% |
| S&P 500 Index<br> (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 25.02% | 14.60% |
| Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index<br> (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 18.78% | 12.79% |

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186 KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> DynamicDividend Equity Index ETF

S&P 500 Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

**Management**

**Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Managers**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as lead portfolio manager for the Fund since its inception in 2020. Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, also serves as a portfolio manager of the Fund. Mr. Shelon supports Mr. Maund and Krane's investment team for the Fund and has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in 2020.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.kraneshares.com.

**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 IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

187 KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> DynamicDividend Equity Index ETF

**KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF** 

**Investment Objective**

The KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF (the "Fund") seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, track the price performance of the KFA MLM Index ("Index").

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees** (fees paid directly from your investment)

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.89% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees<sup>\*</sup> | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses | 0.01% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 0.90% |

---

\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| $92 | $287 | $498 | $1108 |

---

**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 0% of the average value of its portfolio.

**Principal Investment Strategies**

The Fund seeks to achieve its goal by investing in commodity, currency, and global fixed income futures contracts traded on U.S. and foreign exchanges that are the same as or similar to those included in the Index.

188 KraneShares Mount LucasManaged Futures Index Strategy ETF

The Index is a modified version of the MLM Index, which is an index that measures the performance of a portfolio of commodity, currency, and global fixed income futures contracts traded on U.S. and foreign exchanges using a trend following methodology. The Index determines weightings of these three types of futures contracts by the relative historical volatility of each type of futures contract as determined by the MLM Index Committee. Within each type of futures contract, the underlying constituent markets are equal dollar weighted.

The Index will roll futures contracts forward on a market by market basis as each constituent market nears expiration. The selection of the constituent markets occurs annually. The constituent markets of the futures contracts for the Index currently consist of the following commodities (corn, crude oil, copper, gold, heating oil, cattle, natural gas, soybeans, sugar, wheat and gasoline), currencies (British pound, Canadian dollar, Australian dollar, Euro, Japanese Yen, and Swiss francs), and global bond markets (Canadian government bond, Euro bund, Japanese government bond, Long gilt and Ten-year Treasuries). Constituent markets are traded both long and short based on each market's trading signals.

The Index evaluates market trading signals on a daily basis and rebalances on the first day of the month. In addition, the Index has a target average annualized volatility of 15% over time.

The Fund invests in futures contracts on commodities, currencies and global bond markets. The Fund utilizes a subsidiary (the "Subsidiary") for purposes of investing in futures contracts on commodities. The Subsidiary is a corporation operating under Cayman Islands law that is wholly-owned and controlled by the Fund. The Subsidiary is advised by the Fund's investment adviser, Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") and is sub-advised by Mount Lucas Index Advisers LLC, the Fund's sub-adviser ("MLIA" or "Sub-Adviser"). The Fund's investment in the Subsidiary may not exceed 25% of the value of its total assets (ignoring any subsequent market appreciation in the Subsidiary's value), which limitation is imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and is measured at the end of the quarter. The Subsidiary has the same investment objective as the Fund and follows the same investment policies and restrictions as the Fund. Except as noted, for purposes of this Prospectus, references to the Fund's investment strategies and risks include those of its Subsidiary, and references to the Fund include the Subsidiary. While the Fund generally seeks to maintain exposure to the same futures contracts as those included in the Index, the Fund and Subsidiary may not replicate the Index. For example, the Fund may invest in futures with different maturity dates, the Fund may weigh the futures differently than the Index, or the Fund may purchase futures on different dates than the rebalancing date for the Index. Fund assets not invested in futures contracts or the Subsidiary generally will be invested in debt instruments, exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"), cash or cash equivalent instruments, or money market mutual funds.

The Fund may also invest directly and indirectly in certain debt instruments. The debt instruments in which the Fund intends to invest include government securities and corporate or other non-government fixed-income securities with maturities of up to 12 months. The Fund may invest in debt instruments indirectly through short-term bond funds and ETFs. The Fund may also invest in cash and cash equivalents, including money market funds. Currently, the Fund expects to invest in ETFs to gain exposure to debt instruments.

The Fund may also invest in instruments that are not included in the Index. These investments may include equity securities, derivative instruments (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options), other investment companies (including ETFs) and cash or cash equivalents (including money market funds). The other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates.

The Commodities Futures Trading Commission (the "CFTC") has adopted certain requirements that subject registered investment companies and their advisers to regulation by the CFTC if a registered investment company invests more than a prescribed level of its net assets in CFTC-regulated futures, options and swaps, or if a registered investment company markets itself as providing investment exposure to such instruments. Due to the Fund's use of CFTC-regulated futures and swaps above CFTC Rule 4.5 limits, the Fund is considered a "commodity pool" under the Commodity Exchange Act.

189 KraneShares Mount LucasManaged Futures Index Strategy ETF

The Fund is non-diversified. To the extent the Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund is expected to be concentrated in that industry. As of May 31, 2025, the Index was invested in the futures contracts of the 11 commodities, 6 currencies, and 5 global bond markets listed above.

The Index is provided by MLIA ("Index Provider"), and the Index is calculated by Fuzzy Logix, Inc. (doing business as "FastINDX").

**Principal Risks**

As with all exchange traded funds ("ETFs"), a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**Futures Strategy Risk.** Successful use of futures contracts draws upon the Adviser's or Sub-Adviser's skill and experience with respect to such instruments and is subject to special risk considerations. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts include: (a) an imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the reference asset and the price of the futures contract; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; (c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (d) the inability to predict correctly the direction of market prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; and (e) if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities or financial instruments from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, which may lead to the Fund selling securities or financial instruments at a loss.

As a futures contract the Fund owns approaches its settlement date, the Fund may sell that futures contract and reinvest the proceeds in a similar contract with a more distant settlement date. This process is referred to as "rolling" a futures contract. The successful use of such a strategy depends upon the Adviser's or Sub-Adviser's skill and experience. Although the Fund will attempt to roll from an expiring futures contract to another contract that the Adviser or Sub-Adviser believes will generate the greatest yield for the Fund, the Fund nevertheless may incur a cost to "roll" the contract. In a commodity futures market where current month expiring contracts trade at a lower price than next month's contract, a situation referred to as "contango," then, absent the impact of the overall movement in commodity prices, the Fund may experience an adverse impact because it would be selling less expensive contracts and buying more expense contracts. In the event of a prolonged period of contango, and absent the impact of rising or falling commodity prices, there could be a significant negative impact on the Fund when it "rolls" its futures contract positions.

**Commodity Risk.** The Fund's and the Subsidiary's significant investment exposure to the commodities markets and/or a particular sector of the commodities markets may subject the Fund and the Subsidiary to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The commodities markets are impacted by a variety of factors, including market movements, resource availability, commodity price volatility, speculation in the commodities markets, domestic and foreign political and economic events and policies, trade policies and tariffs, war, acts of terrorism, changes in domestic or foreign interest rates and/or investor expectations concerning interest rates, domestic and foreign inflation rates and investment and trading activities in commodities.

Prices of various commodities may also be affected by factors such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs and other regulatory developments. The prices of commodities can also fluctuate widely due to supply and demand disruptions in major producing or consuming regions. To the extent the Fund focuses its investments in a particular commodity in the commodities market, the Fund will be more susceptible to risks associated with the particular commodity. No active trading market may exist for certain commodities investments. Because the Fund's and the Subsidiary's performance is linked to the performance of potentially volatile commodities, investors should be willing to assume the risks of significant fluctuations in the value of the Fund's shares.

190 KraneShares Mount LucasManaged Futures Index Strategy ETF

**Commodity-Linked Derivatives Risk.** The value of a commodity-linked derivative investment typically is based upon the price movements of a physical commodity and may be affected by changes in overall market movements, volatility of an index, changes in interest rates, or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, embargoes, tariffs and international economic, political and regulatory developments. Investments in commodity-linked derivatives may be subject to greater volatility than non-derivative based investments. Commodity-linked derivatives also may be subject to credit and interest rate risks that in general affect the values of debt securities.

**Fixed Income Securities Risk.** Fixed income securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a security will not make timely interest payments or repay the principal of the debt issued (i.e., default on its obligations). A downgrade or default on securities held by the Fund could adversely affect the Fund's performance. Generally, the longer the maturity and the lower the credit quality of a security, the more sensitive it is to credit risk. Interest rate risk refers to fluctuations in the value of a debt resulting from changes in the level of interest rates. When interest rates go up, the prices of most debt instruments generally go down; and when interest rates go down, the prices of most debt instruments generally go up. Debt instruments with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes, typically making them more volatile. Interest rates have recently increased and may continue increasing, thereby heightening the risks associated with rising interest rates.

**Currency Risk.** To the extent that the Fund is exposed directly or indirectly to foreign currencies, including through its investments, or invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies and vice versa. This may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

**Commodity Pool Registration Risk.** Under regulations promulgated by the CFTC, the Fund and the Subsidiary are considered commodity pools, and therefore each is subject to regulation under the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC rules. Krane and MLIA are registered as a commodity pool operator and commodity trading adviser, respectively, and manages the Fund and the Subsidiary in accordance with CFTC rules, as well as the rules that apply to registered investment companies. Commodity pools are subject to additional laws, regulations and enforcement policies, all of which may potentially increase compliance costs and may affect the operations and financial performance of the Fund and the Subsidiary. Additionally, positions in futures and other 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.

**Regulatory Risk.** The Fund is subject to the risk that a change in U.S. law and related regulations will impact the way the Fund operates, increase the particular costs of the Fund's operations and/or change the competitive landscape. Additional legislative or regulatory changes could occur that may materially and adversely affect the Fund.

**Subsidiary Investment Risk.** By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary's investments. Since the Subsidiary is organized under the law of the Cayman Islands and is not registered with the SEC under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), the Fund will not receive all of the protections offered to shareholders of registered investment companies. 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 intended, which may negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders.

191 KraneShares Mount LucasManaged Futures Index Strategy ETF

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

**Geographic Focus Risk.** The Fund's investments are expected to be focused in a particular country, countries, or region to approximately the same degree as the Index and, therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country, countries or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified fund.

**European Union Risk.** The economies of the European Union are dependent to a significant extent on those of certain key trading partners, including China, the United States, and other European countries. A reduction in spending on products and services exported from the European Union, or volatility in the financial markets of member countries, may have an adverse impact on the broader European Union economy and could adversely affect the Fund. Separately, the European Union faces issues involving its membership, structure, procedures and policies. The United Kingdom (UK) officially withdrew from the European Union on January 31, 2020. Upon the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the European Union and the UK entered into a transition phase, which concluded on December 31, 2020, and the UK and the European Union agreed upon a Trade and Cooperation Agreement that became fully effective on May 1, 2021. The UK, European Union and broader global economy may still experience volatility in foreign exchange markets as a result of these events. The UK's withdrawal may also destabilize some or all of the other European Union member countries and/or the Eurozone. The exit of additional member states from the European Union would subject its currency and banking system to increased risk and would likely result in increased volatility, illiquidity and potentially lower economic growth in the affected markets. Additionally, the reintroduction of national currencies in one or more European Union countries or the abandonment of the Euro as a currency could adversely affect the Fund.

**Foreign Investments Risk.** Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may be less liquid than investments in U.S. issuers, may have less governmental regulation and oversight, and are typically subject to different investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities entail the risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations, political or economic instability, less complete financial information about the issuers, the possible imposition of withholding or confiscatory taxes, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, and the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency. Foreign market trading hours, clearance and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund's ability to buy and sell securities. Additionally, foreign issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, recordkeeping, and financial reporting requirements. Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by governmental authorities. If the Fund holds positions in such suspended securities, the Fund may be adversely impacted. Certain countries in which the Fund may invest may be subject to extended settlement delays and/or foreign holidays, during which the Fund will unlikely be able to convert holdings to cash. All of these factors could result in a loss to the Fund.

192 KraneShares Mount LucasManaged Futures Index Strategy ETF

**Concentration Risk.** The Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The securities of companies in an industry or group of industries could react similarly to market developments. Thus, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that may affect that industry or group of industries or sector.

**Short Sale Risk.** Short sales, at least theoretically, present a risk of unlimited loss on an individual security basis, since the Fund may be required to buy the security sold short at a time when the security has appreciated in value, and there is potentially no limit to the amount of such appreciation. Because the Fund may invest the proceeds of a short sale, another effect of short selling on the Fund is leverage, in that it amplifies changes in the Fund's net asset value since it increases the exposure of the Fund to the market. The Fund may not always be able to close out a short position at a favorable time or price. If the Fund covers its short sale at an unfavorable price, the cover transaction is likely to reduce or eliminate any gain, or cause a loss to the Fund. When the Fund is selling a security short, it must maintain a segregated account of cash or high-grade securities equal to the margin requirement. As a result, the Fund may maintain high levels of cash or other liquid assets (such as U.S. Treasury bills, money market instruments, certificates of deposit, high quality commercial paper and long equity positions). The Fund may utilize the collateral obtained from securities lending for this cash. The need to maintain cash or other liquid assets in segregated accounts could limit the Fund's ability to pursue other opportunities as they arise.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**ETF Risk**. As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to "Authorized Participants." Unlike many other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Thus, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in other ETFs as the Fund may recognize a capital gain that it could have avoided by making redemptions in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. Further, paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds at an inopportune time. Cash transactions may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes, including brokerage fees, that might not have occurred if the Fund utilized in-kind transactions. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted.

**International Closed Market Trading Risk**. To the extent the Fund's investments trade in markets that are closed when the Fund and Exchange are open, there are likely to be deviations between current pricing of an underlying security and the prices at which the underlying securities are valued for purposes of the Fund's NAV. As a result, Shares may appear to trade at a significant discount or premium to NAV greater than those incurred by other ETFs. In addition, shareholders may not be able to purchase or redeem their shares of the Fund, or purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

193 KraneShares Mount LucasManaged Futures Index Strategy ETF

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, market turmoil, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants, or the lack of an active trading market. Markets for securities or financial instruments could be disrupted by a number of events, including, but not limited to, an economic crisis, natural disasters, new legislation or regulatory changes inside or outside the U.S. Liquid investments may become less liquid after being purchased by the Fund, particularly during periods of market stress. In addition, if a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt.

**Tracking Error Risk.** The Fund's return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Index. This may be due to, among other factors, the Fund holding cash under certain circumstances in lieu of Index investments, such as when the Fund is subject to delays converting U.S. dollars into a foreign currency to purchase foreign investments and unable to invest in certain constituents of the Index due to regulatory constraints, trading suspensions, and legal restrictions imposed by foreign governments. To the extent that the Fund employs a representative sampling strategy or calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the Index is based on investment's closing prices on local foreign markets, the Fund's ability to track the Index may be adversely affected.

**Passive Investment and Index Risk.** There is no guarantee that the Index will create the desired exposure and the Fund is not actively managed. It does not seek to "beat" the Index or take temporary defensive positions when markets decline. Therefore, the Fund may purchase or hold securities with current or projected underperformance.

There is no guarantee that the methodology the Index Provider uses to identify constituents for the Index will achieve its intended result or provide an accurate assessment of included constituents. The Index relies on various sources of information to assess the potential constituents of the Index, including information that may be based on assumptions or estimates. Neither the Fund nor Krane can offer assurances that the Index Provider's sources of information are reliable. There can be no guarantee that the methodology underlying the Index, the Index construction and computation processes, or the daily calculation of the Index or its methodology will be free from error or that an error will be identified and/or corrected, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund.

**Management Risk.** The Fund may not fully replicate the Index and may hold less than the total number of investments in the Index. Therefore, the Fund is subject to the risk that the Sub-Adviser's investment selection process may not produce the intended results.

194 KraneShares Mount LucasManaged Futures Index Strategy ETF

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**High Portfolio Turnover Risk.** The Fund may incur high portfolio turnover rates, which may increase the Fund's brokerage commission costs and negatively impact the Fund's performance. Such portfolio turnover also may generate net short-term capital gains.

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. In addition, the securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days that the Fund does not price its shares; as a result, the value of Fund shares may change on days when investors cannot purchase or sell their Fund holdings.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. If the Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, and distributions to its shareholders would not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income, which would adversely affect the Fund's performance.

The Fund intends to treat its income from the Subsidiary as qualifying income. The tax treatment of the Fund's investment in the Subsidiary may be adversely affected by future legislation, court decisions, Treasury Regulations and/or guidance issued by the IRS that could affect whether income derived from such investments is "qualifying income" under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, or otherwise affect the character, timing and/or amount of the Fund's taxable income or any gains or distributions made by the Fund.

**U.S. Government Obligations Risk.** Obligations of U.S. Government agencies and authorities receive varying levels of support and may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government, which could affect the Fund's ability to recover should they default. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Government will provide financial support to its agencies and authorities if it is not obligated by law to do so. Additionally, market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government may decline or be negative for short or long periods of time.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane, a sub-adviser, and/or their affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane and a sub-adviser are subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane, a sub-adviser and/or their affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

195 KraneShares Mount LucasManaged Futures Index Strategy ETF

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. Holding cash or cash equivalents, even strategically, may lead to missed investment opportunities. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

196 KraneShares Mount LucasManaged Futures Index Strategy ETF

**Performance Information**

The following bar chart and table illustrate the variability of the Fund's returns and indicate the risks of investing in the Fund by showing how the Fund's average annual total returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance and an additional index with characteristics relevant to the Fund. All returns include the reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As always, please note that the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Prior to April 1, 2022, the Fund was actively managed and sought to outperform the Index through investments in debt instruments. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>.

![](pro-kmlm_001.jpg)

As of June 30, 2025, the Fund's calendar year-to-date total return was -6.35%.

**Best and Worst Quarter Returns (for the period reflected in the bar chart above)** 

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Return** | **Quarter Ended/Year** |
| Highest Return | 18.95% | 3/31/2022 |
| Lowest Return | -11.32% | 12/31/2023 |

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**Average Annual Total Returns for the periods ended December 31, 2024**

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF** | **1 year** | **Since Inception<br>(12-1-2020)** |
| Return Before Taxes | -1.07% | 8.10% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | -1.40% | 6.30% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | -0.64% | 5.71% |
| Bloomberg Global Aggregate Index<br> (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | -1.69% | -4.13% |
| KFA MLM Index<br> (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | -0.51% | 10.22% |

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Bloomberg Global Aggregate Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

KFA MLM Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

197 KraneShares Mount LucasManaged Futures Index Strategy ETF

**Management**

**Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. Mount Lucas Index Advisers LLC ("MLIA" or "Sub-Adviser") serves as the investment sub-adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Managers**

Timothy J. Rudderow Sr., Chief Executive Officer and co-Chief Investment Officer of MLIA; Gerald L. Prior, III, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Portfolio Manager of MLIA; and David Aspell, co-Chief Investment Officer of MLIA are the Fund's Portfolio Managers and are jointly and primarily responsible for the day to day management of the Fund's portfolio. Messrs. Rudderow, Prior, and Aspell have served as portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>.

**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 IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

198 KraneShares Mount LucasManaged Futures Index Strategy ETF

**KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF**

**Investment Objective**

The KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF (the "Fund") seeks to provide a total return that, before fees and expenses, tracks the performance of the S&P Global Carbon Credit Index (the "Index"), which is an index comprised of futures contracts on emission allowances issued by various "cap and trade" regulatory regimes that seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over time in an effort to curb climate change.

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees** (fees paid directly from your investment)<br>

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.78% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees<sup>\*</sup> | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses | 0.01% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses<sup>\*\*</sup> | 0.11% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 0.90% |

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\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

\*\* "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" are expenses incurred indirectly by the Fund through its ownership of shares of other investment companies (such as exchange-traded funds). They are not direct operating expenses paid by Fund shareholders and are not used to calculate the Fund's net asset value ("NAV"). In addition, "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" will not be reflected in the Fund's Financial Statements in its shareholder report. Therefore, the amounts listed in "Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses" and "Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement" will differ from those presented in the Fund's Financial Highlights. It is currently anticipated that the Fund may invest in an affiliated acquired fund with higher expenses in the next year. If this occurs, "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" will be higher and may be 0.10%.

**Example**

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| $92 | $287 | $498 | $1108 |

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**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 45% of the average value of its portfolio.

199 KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF

**Principal Investment Strategies**

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| In seeking to achieve its investment objective, the Fund attempts to maintain exposure to carbon credit futures that are substantially the same as those included in the Index, which is an index comprised of futures contracts on emission allowances issued by various "cap and trade" regulatory regimes that seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over time. The Fund may also invest directly or indirectly in certain debt instruments.<br>The Index is designed to measure the performance of a portfolio of liquid carbon credit futures that require "physical delivery" of emission allowances issued under cap and trade regimes. An emission allowance or carbon credit is a unit of emissions (typically one ton of CO2) that the owner of the allowance or credit is permitted to emit. A cap and trade regime seeks to gradually reduce such emission allowances or carbon credits over time to incentivize companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to curb climate change. The Index includes only carbon credit futures that mature in December of the next one to two years and that have a minimum average monthly trading volume over the previous six months of at least $10 million. The Index weights eligible carbon credit futures based on their average monthly trading volume during the relevant six-month period, subject to a 5% minimum weight per regime and a 65% maximum weight to any one of the following geographic regions: (1) Europe, the Middle East and Africa, (2) the Americas, and (3) the Asia-Pacific. In addition, no single carbon credit futures contract expiring in a particular year will receive an allocation of less than 5% or more than 60% at the semi-annual rebalancing or annual reconstitution of the Index.<br>As of June 30, 2025, the Index included carbon credit futures linked to the value of emissions allowances issued under the following cap and trade regimes: the European Union Emissions Trading System; the California Cap and Trade; Washington's Cap-and-Invest Program; Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative; and the UK Emissions Trading System. As the global carbon credit market grows, additional carbon credit futures, are expected to enter the Index, and the Fund's portfolio when they have a minimum average monthly trading volume of at least $10 million over the relevant six-month period.<br>The Fund utilizes a subsidiary (the "Subsidiary") for purposes of investing in carbon credit futures. The Subsidiary is a corporation operating under Cayman Islands law that is wholly-owned and controlled by the Fund. The Subsidiary is advised by the Adviser. The Fund's investment in the Subsidiary may not exceed 25% of the value of its total assets (ignoring any subsequent market appreciation in the Subsidiary's value), which limitation is imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and is measured at the end of each quarter. The Subsidiary has the same investment objective as the Fund and follows the same investment policies and restrictions as the Fund. Except as noted, for purposes of this Prospectus, references to the Fund's investment strategies and risks include those of its Subsidiary, and references to the Fund include the Subsidiary. | ***What is a "cap and trade" regime?***<br> In a "cap and trade" regime, a limit ("cap") is typically set by a regulator, such as a government entity or supranational organization, on the total amount of specific greenhouse gases, such as CO<sub>2</sub>, that can be emitted by regulated entities, such as manufacturers or energy producers. Capping and reducing the cap on greenhouse gases is viewed as a key policy tool for reaching climate change objectives. The regulator then issues or sells "emission allowances" to regulated entities which may then buy or sell ("trade") the emission allowances on the open market. To the extent that the regulator may then reduce the cap on emission allowances, regulated entities are thereby incentivized to reduce their emissions; otherwise they must purchase emission allowances on the open market, where the price of such allowances will likely be increasing as a result of demand, and regulated entities that reduce their emissions will be able to sell unneeded emission allowances for profit. Commodity futures contracts linked to the value of emission allowances are known as "carbon credit futures". |

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200 KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF

While the Fund generally seeks to obtain exposure to the same carbon credit futures that are in the Index, the Fund and Subsidiary may not replicate the Index. For example, the Fund may invest in carbon credit futures with different maturity dates (i.e., not one of the next two Decembers), the Fund may weight the carbon credit futures differently than the Index, or the Fund may purchase carbon credit futures on different dates than the rebalancing date for the Index. The Fund may also use various instruments, including futures, forward contracts, swaps, notes and reverse repurchase agreements, to manage its exposure to currencies.

The Fund may also invest in other instruments that are consistent with its investment objective. For example, the Fund may invest in emission allowances issued under a cap and trade regime, futures contracts that are not carbon credit futures, options on futures contracts, swap contracts, and other investment companies and notes, which may or may not be exchange-traded. The debt instruments in which the Fund intends to invest indirectly, through short-term bond funds and exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"), which can include affiliated ETFs, include government securities and corporate or other non-government fixed-income securities with maturities of up to 12 months. The Fund may also invest in cash and cash equivalents, including money market funds and repurchase agreements.

The Commodities Futures Trading Commission (the "CFTC") has adopted certain requirements that subject registered investment companies and their advisers to regulation by the CFTC if a registered investment company invests more than a prescribed level of its net assets in CFTC-regulated futures, options and swaps, or if a registered investment company markets itself as providing investment exposure to such instruments. Due to the Fund's use of CFTC-regulated futures and swaps above CFTC Rule 4.5 limits, it is considered a "commodity pool" under the Commodity Exchange Act.

The Fund is non-diversified. To the extent the Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund is expected to be concentrated in that industry (using the notional value of any futures in which it invests). The Index is provided by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC ("Index Provider").

**Principal Risks**

As with all ETFs, a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**Carbon Emission Allowance and Cap and Trade Risk.** There is no assurance that cap and trade regimes will continue to exist. Cap and trade was designed to attempt to put a cap on pollution by putting a price on carbon emissions, but the approach may not prove to be an effective method of reduction in GHG emissions and or in achieving climate change objectives. As a result or due to other factors, cap and trade regimes may be terminated or may not be renewed upon their expiration. New technologies may arise that may diminish or eliminate the need for cap and trade markets. Ultimately, the cost of emissions credits is determined by the cost of actually reducing emissions levels. If the price of credits becomes too high, it will be more economical for companies to develop or invest in green technologies, thereby suppressing the demand for credits and adversely affect the Fund.

Cap and trade regimes set emission limits (i.e., the right to emit a certain quantity of GHG emissions), which can be allocated or auctioned to the parties regulated under the regime up to the total emissions cap. This allocation may be larger or smaller than is needed for a stable price of credits and can lead to large price volatility and may impact the Fund. Depending upon the industries covered under the cap and trade regime, unpredictable demand for their products and services can affect the value of GHG emissions credits. For example, very mild winters or very cool summers can decrease demand for electric utilities and therefore require fewer carbon credits to offset reduced production and GHG emissions.

If fines or other penalties for non-compliance are not enforced, incentives to purchase GHG credits will deteriorate, which could result in a decline in the price of emissions credits and may adversely impact the Fund.

201 KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF

Regulatory risk related to changes in regulation and enforcement of cap and trade regimes could adversely affect market behavior. In addition, as cap and trade markets and carbon credit markets develop, new regulation with respect to these markets may arise, which could have a negative effect on the value and liquidity of the cap and trade markets and the Fund.

**Regulatory Risk.** The Fund is subject to the risk that a change in U.S. law and related regulations will impact the way the Fund operates, increase the particular costs of the Fund's operations and/or change the competitive landscape. Additional legislative or regulatory changes could occur that may materially and adversely affect the Fund.

**Subsidiary Investment Risk.** By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary's investments. Since the Subsidiary is organized under the law of the Cayman Islands and is not registered with the SEC under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), the Fund will not receive all of the protections offered to shareholders of registered investment companies. 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 intended, which may negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders.

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

**Futures Strategy Risk.** Successful use of futures contracts draws upon the Adviser's skill and experience with respect to such instruments and is subject to special risk considerations. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts include: (a) an imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the reference asset and the price of the futures contract; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; (c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (d) the inability to predict correctly the direction of market prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; and (e) if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell investments from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, and the Fund may have to sell investments at a loss.

As a futures contract the Fund owns approaches its settlement date, the Fund may sell that futures contract and reinvest the proceeds in a similar contract with a more distant settlement date. This process is referred to as "rolling" a futures contract. The successful use of such a strategy depends upon the Adviser's skill and experience. Although the Fund will attempt to roll from an expiring futures contract to another contract that the Adviser believes will generate the greatest yield for the Fund, the Fund nevertheless may incur a cost to "roll" the contract. In a commodity futures market where current month expiring contracts trade at a lower price than next month's contract, a situation referred to as "contango," absent the impact of the overall movement in commodity prices, the Fund may experience an adverse impact because it would be selling less expensive contracts and buying more expense contracts. In the event of a prolonged period of contango, and absent the impact of rising or falling commodity prices, there could be a significant negative impact on the Fund when it "rolls" its futures contract positions.

202 KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF

**Commodity-Linked Derivatives Risk.** The value of a commodity-linked derivative investment typically is based upon the price movements of a physical commodity and may be affected by changes in overall market movements, volatility of an index, changes in interest rates, or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, embargoes, tariffs and international economic, political and regulatory developments. Investments in commodity-linked derivatives may be subject to greater volatility than non-derivative based investments. Commodity-linked derivatives also may be subject to credit and interest rate risks that in general affect the values of debt securities.

**Commodity Pool Registration Risk.** Under regulations promulgated by the CFTC, the Fund and the Subsidiary are considered commodity pools, and therefore each is subject to regulation under the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC rules. Krane is registered as a commodity pool operator and manages the Fund and the Subsidiary in accordance with CFTC rules, as well as the rules that apply to registered investment companies. Commodity pools are subject to additional laws, regulations and enforcement policies, all of which may potentially increase compliance costs and may affect the operations and financial performance of the Fund and the Subsidiary. Additionally, positions in futures and other 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.

**Geographic Focus Risk.** The Fund's investments are expected to be focused in a particular country, countries, or region to approximately the same degree as the Index and, therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country, countries or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified fund.

**European Union Risk.** Because the Fund is exposed to carbon credits issued under the European Union Emissions Trading System "cap and trade" program, the Fund's performance also may be negatively impacted by factors affecting the European Union. The economies of the European Union are dependent to a significant extent on those of certain key trading partners, including China, the United States, and other European countries. A reduction in spending on products and services exported from the European Union, or volatility in the financial markets of member countries, may have an adverse impact on the broader European Union economy and could adversely affect the Fund. Separately, the European Union faces issues involving its membership, structure, procedures and policies. The United Kingdom (UK) officially withdrew from the European Union on January 31, 2020. Upon the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the European Union and the UK entered into a transition phase, which concluded on December 31, 2020, and the UK and the European Union agreed upon a Trade and Cooperation Agreement that became fully effective on May 1, 2021. The UK, European Union and broader global economy may still experience volatility in foreign exchange markets as a result of these events. The UK's withdrawal may also destabilize some or all of the other European Union member countries and/or the Eurozone. The exit of additional member states from the European Union would subject its currency and banking system to increased risk and would likely result in increased volatility, illiquidity and potentially lower economic growth in the affected markets. Additionally, the reintroduction of national currencies in one or more European Union countries or the abandonment of the Euro as a currency could adversely affect the Fund.

**California Risk.** Because the Fund is exposed to carbon credits issued under the California Carbon Allowance "cap and trade" program, the Fund's performance also may be negatively impacted by factors affecting California. For example, natural disasters may disrupt the local, state or regional economy or certain sectors of the economy and may impact the prices of such carbon credit futures. California's budget and fiscal operations face certain structural impediments and rely on revenue sources which have been historically sensitive to the economic environment. California's diverse economy is the largest in the United States and one of the largest in the world with major components including high technology, trade, entertainment, manufacturing, tourism, construction, agriculture and services. Any downturn in these sectors or related industries may adversely affect the economy of the state and the prices of such carbon credit futures.

203 KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF

**Eastern U.S. Risk.** Because the Fund is exposed to carbon credit futures issued under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative ("RGGI") "cap and trade" program, the Fund's performance also may be negatively impacted by factors affecting the Eastern region of the United States. For example, flooding, warming temperatures, and precipitation variability are growing challenges in the Eastern region of the United States and may disrupt the local, state, or regional economies of the Eastern states or certain sectors of those economies and may impact the prices of such carbon credit futures. The economies of Eastern region of the United States are comprised of components including agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing. Any downturn in these sectors or related industries may adversely affect the economy of the Eastern region of the United States and the prices of such carbon credit futures.

**Washington Risk.** Because the Fund is exposed to carbon credits issued under the Washington Carbon Allowance "cap and trade" program, the Fund's performance also may be negatively impacted by factors affecting the State of Washington. Washington is the second state in the United States of America to implement an economy wide cap program, following California. This reflects the Washington Legislature's strong commitment to tackling climate change. If the Washington Legislature was to revise its approach to climate change as a result of internal shifts in political dynamics or issues were to arise in the administration of the "cap and trade" program within Washington, this would potentially negatively impact the value of the Washington Carbon Allowance. Further, clean technology represents a key component of the economy in Washington. Any downturn in this sector or related industries may adversely affect the economy of the state and the prices of the carbon credit futures.

**United Kingdom Risk.** Because the Fund is exposed to carbon credits issued under the UK Allowance "cap and trade" program, the Fund's performance also may be negatively impacted by factors affecting the UK. The economy of the UK is dependent to a significant extent on economies of certain key trading partners, including China, the United States, and other European countries. Following the UK's withdrawal from the European Union on January 31, 2020, the European Union and the UK entered into a transition phase, which concluded on December 31, 2020, and the UK and the European Union agreed upon a Trade and Cooperation Agreement that became fully effective on May 1, 2021. The UK, European Union and broader global economy may still experience volatility in foreign exchange markets as a result of these events. The UK's economy may still be affected by its withdrawal from the European Union, and any downturn in its major sectors or related industries may adversely affect the economy of the UK and the prices of such carbon credit futures.

**Fixed Income Securities Risk.** Fixed income securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a security will not make timely interest payments or repay the principal of the debt issued (i.e., default on its obligations). A downgrade or default on securities held by the Fund could adversely affect the Fund's performance. Generally, the longer the maturity and the lower the credit quality of a security, the more sensitive it is to credit risk. Interest rate risk refers to fluctuations in the value of a debt resulting from changes in the level of interest rates. When interest rates go up, the prices of most debt instruments generally go down; and when interest rates go down, the prices of most debt instruments generally go up. Debt instruments with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes, typically making them more volatile. Interest rates have recently increased and may continue increasing, thereby heightening the risks associated with rising interest rates.

**Foreign Investments Risk.** Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may be less liquid than investments in U.S. issuers, may have less governmental regulation and oversight, and are typically subject to different investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities entail the risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations, political or economic instability, less complete financial information about the issuers, the possible imposition of withholding or confiscatory taxes, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, and the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency. Foreign market trading hours, clearance and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund's ability to buy and sell securities. Additionally, foreign issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, recordkeeping, and financial reporting requirements. Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by governmental authorities. If the Fund holds positions in such suspended securities, the Fund may be adversely impacted. Certain countries in which the Fund may invest may be subject to extended settlement delays and/or foreign holidays, during which the Fund will unlikely be able to convert holdings to cash. All of these factors could result in a loss to the Fund.

204 KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF

**Concentration Risk.** The Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The securities of companies in an industry or group of industries could react similarly to market developments. Thus, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that may affect that industry or group of industries or sector. As of the date of this prospectus, the Index was concentrated in carbon credit futures. The prices and performance of carbon credit futures may be particularly affected by developments in the following sector:

**Energy Sector Risk.** Investments in, and/or exposure to, the energy sector, which includes energy commodities such as oil, gasoline, and carbon credits, may be highly volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably due to a number of factors, including the legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions, increased competition affecting the energy sector, financial, accounting and tax matters and other events that the Fund cannot control. In addition, the value of energy commodities may fluctuate widely due to changes in supply and demand.

The energy sector is typically cyclical and highly dependent upon commodities and energy prices. Issuers in this sector are usually subject to substantial government regulation and contractual fixed pricing, which may increase the cost of business and limit these issuers' earnings, and a significant portion of their revenues depends on a relatively small number of customers, including governmental entities and utilities.

**Currency Risk.** To the extent that the Fund is exposed directly or indirectly to foreign currencies, including through its investments, or invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies and vice versa. This may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

**Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk.** In a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund sells portfolio investments to another party and agrees to repurchase the investments at an agreed-upon price and date. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the counterparty will default on its obligations to the Fund, including by failing to return the investments in a timely manner, or at all, which may result in costs, delays, and losses to the Fund. Reverse repurchase agreements are viewed as a form of borrowing or leverage and may increase fluctuations in the Fund's net asset value.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to "Authorized Participants." Unlike many other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Thus, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in other ETFs as the Fund may recognize a capital gain that it could have avoided by making redemptions in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. Further, paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds at an inopportune time. Cash transactions may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes, including brokerage fees, that might not have occurred if the Fund utilized in-kind transactions. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted.

205 KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF

**International Closed Market Trading Risk.** To the extent the Fund's investments trade in markets that are closed when the Fund and Exchange are open, there are likely to be deviations between current pricing of an underlying security and the prices at which the underlying securities are valued for purposes of the Fund's NAV. As a result, Shares may appear to trade at a significant discount or premium to NAV greater than those incurred by other ETFs. In addition, shareholders may not be able to purchase or redeem their shares of the Fund, or purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, market turmoil, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants, or the lack of an active trading market. Markets for securities or financial instruments could be disrupted by a number of events, including, but not limited to, an economic crisis, natural disasters, new legislation or regulatory changes inside or outside the U.S. Liquid investments may become less liquid after being purchased by the Fund, particularly during periods of market stress. In addition, if a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt.

**Passive Investment and Index Risk.** There is no guarantee that the Index will create the desired exposure and the Fund is not actively managed. It does not seek to "beat" the Index or take temporary defensive positions when markets decline. Therefore, the Fund may purchase or hold securities with current or projected underperformance.

There is no guarantee that the methodology the Index Provider uses to identify constituents for the Index will achieve its intended result or provide an accurate assessment of included constituents. The Index relies on various sources of information to assess the potential constituents of the Index, including information that may be based on assumptions or estimates. Neither the Fund nor Krane can offer assurances that the Index Provider's sources of information are reliable. There can be no guarantee that the methodology underlying the Index, the Index construction and computation processes, or the daily calculation of the Index or its methodology will be free from error or that an error will be identified and/or corrected, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund.

**Management Risk.** The Fund may not fully replicate the Index and may hold less than the total number of investments in the Index. Therefore, the Fund is subject to the risk that Krane's investment selection process may not produce the intended results.

206 KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**High Portfolio Turnover Risk.** Pursuant to government regulations, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to most derivatives. As a result, the Fund's portfolio turnover may be low despite relatively high portfolio activity. High portfolio turnover or high portfolio activity may increase the Fund's brokerage commission costs and other transaction costs and may negatively impact the Fund's performance. Such portfolio turnover or activity also may generate net short-term capital gains.

**Tracking Error Risk.** The Fund's return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Index. This may be due to, among other factors, the Fund investments in carbon credit futures with different maturity dates, the Fund weighing the carbon credit futures differently than the Index, and the Fund's purchase of carbon credit futures on different dates than the rebalancing date for the Index. To the extent that the Fund invests in other instruments that are consistent with its investment objective, such as futures contracts that are not carbon credit futures, options on futures contracts, swap contracts, and other investment companies and notes, the Fund's ability to track the Index may be adversely affected.

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. In addition, the securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days that the Fund does not price its shares; as a result, the value of Fund shares may change on days when investors cannot purchase or sell their Fund holdings.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. If the Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, and distributions to its shareholders would not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income, which would adversely affect the Fund's performance.

The Fund intends to treat its income from the Subsidiary as qualifying income. The tax treatment of the Fund's investment in the Subsidiary may be adversely affected by future legislation, court decisions, Treasury Regulations and/or guidance issued by the IRS that could affect whether income derived from such investments is "qualifying income" under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, or otherwise affect the character, timing and/or amount of the Fund's taxable income or any gains or distributions made by the Fund.

207 KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF

**U.S. Government Obligations Risk.** Obligations of U.S. Government agencies and authorities receive varying levels of support and may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government, which could affect the Fund's ability to recover should they default. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Government will provide financial support to its agencies and authorities if it is not obligated by law to do so. Additionally, market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government may decline or be negative for short or long periods of time.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane is subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, including foreign investment companies, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. Holding cash or cash equivalents, even strategically, may lead to missed investment opportunities. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

208 KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF

**Performance Information**

The following bar chart and table illustrate the variability of the Fund's returns and indicate the risks of investing in the Fund by showing how the Fund's average annual total returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance and an additional index with characteristics relevant to the Fund. All returns include the reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As always, please note that the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Prior to December 3, 2021, the Fund was actively managed and sought to outperform the Index through investments in debt instruments. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.kraneshares.com.

![](pro-krbn_001.jpg)

As of June 30, 2025, the Fund's calendar year-to-date total return was 1.26%.

**Best and Worst Quarter Returns (for the period reflected in the bar chart above)** 

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Return** | **Quarter Ended/Year** |
| Highest Return | 28.78% | 6/30/2021 |
| Lowest Return | -24.70% | 9/30/2022 |

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**Average Annual Total Returns for the periods ended December 31, 2024**

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF** | **1 year** | **Since Inception<br>(7-30-2020)** |
| Return Before Taxes | -13.73% | 18.15% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | -16.23% | 14.48% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | -8.23% | 13.10% |
| S&P 500 Index<br>(Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 25.02% | 16.04% |
| S&P Global Carbon Credit Index<br> (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | -12.18% | 19.29% |

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209 KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF

Average annual total returns are shown on a before- and after-tax basis for the Fund. After-tax returns for the Fund are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement plans.

**Management**

**Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. Climate Finance Partners LLC ("Sub-Adviser") serves as the non-discretionary investment sub-adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Managers**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, supports Mr. Maund and Krane's investment team for the Fund and has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Luke Oliver, Managing Director, Head of Strategy and also Head of Climate Investments at the Adviser, has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since August 2022.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.kraneshares.com.

**Tax Information**

Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

210 KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF

**KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF** 

**Investment Objective**

The KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF (the "Fund") seeks to provide a total return that, before fees and expenses, tracks the performance of the S&P Carbon Credit EUA Index (the "Index"), which is an index comprised of futures contracts on emission allowances issued by a "cap and trade" regulatory regime that seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over time in an effort to curb climate change.

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees** (fees paid directly from your investment)<br>

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.78% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees<sup>\*</sup> | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses | 0.01% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses<sup>\*\*</sup> | 0.08% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 0.87% |

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\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

\*\* "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" are expenses incurred indirectly by the Fund through its ownership of shares of other investment companies (such as exchange-traded funds). They are not direct operating expenses paid by Fund shareholders and are not used to calculate the Fund's net asset value ("NAV"). In addition, "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" will not be reflected in the Fund's Financial Statements in its shareholder report. Therefore, the amounts listed in "Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses" and "Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement" will differ from those presented in the Fund's Financial Highlights. It is currently anticipated that the Fund may invest in an affiliated acquired fund with higher expenses in the next year. If this occurs, "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" will be higher and may be 0.06%.

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| $89 | $278 | $482 | $1073 |

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**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 10% of the average value of its portfolio.

211 KraneShares European CarbonAllowance Strategy ETF

**Principal Investment Strategies**

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| In seeking to achieve its investment objective, the Fund attempts to maintain exposure to carbon credit futures that are substantially the same as those included in the Index, which is an index comprised of futures contracts on emission allowances issued by a "cap and trade" regulatory regime that seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over time. The Index is designed to measure the performance of a portfolio of futures contracts on carbon credits issued under the European Union Emissions Trading System "cap and trade" regime ("carbon credit futures"). An emission allowance or carbon credit is a unit of emissions (typically one ton of CO2) that the owner of the allowance or credit is permitted to emit. A cap and trade regime seeks to gradually reduce such emission allowances or carbon credits over time to incentivize companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to curb climate change. The Index includes only carbon credit futures that mature in December of the next one to two years. The Fund may also invest directly and indirectly in certain debt instruments.<br>The Fund utilizes a subsidiary (the "Subsidiary") for purposes of investing in carbon credit futures. The Subsidiary is a corporation operating under Cayman Islands law that is wholly-owned and controlled by the Fund. The Subsidiary is advised by the Adviser. The Fund's investment in the Subsidiary may not exceed 25% of the value of its total assets (ignoring any subsequent market appreciation in the Subsidiary's value), which limitation is imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and is measured at the end of each quarter. The Subsidiary has the same investment objective as the Fund and follows the same investment policies and restrictions as the Fund. Except as noted, for purposes of this Prospectus, references to the Fund's investment strategies and risks include those of its Subsidiary, and references to the Fund include the Subsidiary.<br>While the Fund generally seeks to obtain exposure to the same carbon credit futures that are in the Index, the Fund and Subsidiary may not replicate the Index. For example, the Fund may invest in carbon credit futures with different maturity dates (i.e., not one of the next two Decembers), the Fund may weight the carbon credit futures differently than the Index, or the Fund may purchase carbon credit futures on different dates than the rebalancing date for the Index. The Fund may also use various instruments, including futures, forward contracts, swaps, notes and reverse repurchase agreements, to manage its exposure to currencies.<br>The Fund may also invest in other instruments that are consistent with its investment objective. For example, the Fund may invest in emission allowances issued under a cap and trade regime, futures contracts that are not carbon credit futures, options on futures contracts, swap contracts, and other investment companies and notes, which may or may not be exchange-traded. | ***What is a "cap and trade" regime?***<br> In a "cap and trade" regime, a limit ("cap") is typically set by a regulator, such as a government entity or supranational organization, on the total amount of specific greenhouse gases, such as CO2, that can be emitted by regulated entities, such as manufacturers or energy producers. Capping and reducing the cap on greenhouse gases is viewed as a key policy tool for reaching climate change objectives. The regulator then issues or sells "emission allowances" to regulated entities which may then buy or sell ("trade") the emission allowances on the open market. To the extent that the regulator may then reduce the cap on emission allowances, regulated entities are thereby incentivized to reduce their emissions; otherwise they must purchase emission allowances on the open market, where the price of such allowances will likely be increasing as a result of demand, and regulated entities that reduce their emissions will be able to sell unneeded emission allowances for profit. The opposite could also occur and the regulator may increase the cap on emission allowances, which would likely increase emissions and decrease the price of allowances. Commodity futures contracts linked to the value of emission allowances are known as carbon credit futures.  |

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212 KraneShares European CarbonAllowance Strategy ETF

The debt instruments in which the Fund intends to invest include government securities and corporate or other non-government fixed-income securities with maturities of up to 12 months. The Fund may invest in debt instruments indirectly through short-term bond funds and exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"), which can include affiliated ETFs. The Fund may also invest in cash and cash equivalents, including money market funds.

The Commodities Futures Trading Commission (the "CFTC") has adopted certain requirements that subject registered investment companies and their advisers to regulation by the CFTC if a registered investment company invests more than a prescribed level of its net assets in CFTC-regulated futures, options and swaps, or if a registered investment company markets itself as providing investment exposure to such instruments. Due to the Fund's use of CFTC-regulated futures and swaps above CFTC Rule 4.5 limits, it is considered a "commodity pool" under the Commodity Exchange Act.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings, if any) in instruments that provide exposure to European carbon allowances. The notional value of any investments by the Fund (including its Subsidiary) that provide such exposure, including investments in derivatives (such as futures contracts on allowances issued by the European Union as part of its Emission Trading System), will be counted toward satisfaction of this 80% policy. In addition, investments in futures contracts on carbon allowances (or credits) issued under a "cap and trade" regime of any country in Europe would be counted toward satisfaction of this 80% policy.

The Fund is non-diversified. To the extent the Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund is expected to be concentrated in that industry (using the notional value of any futures in which it invests). The Index is rebalanced and reconstituted annually. The Index is provided by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC ("Index Provider").

**Principal Risks**

As with all ETFs, a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**Carbon Emission Allowance and Cap and Trade Risk.** There is no assurance that cap and trade regimes will continue to exist. Cap and trade was designed to attempt to put a cap on pollution by putting a price on carbon emissions, but the approach may not prove to be an effective method of reduction in GHG emissions and or in achieving climate change objectives. As a result or due to other factors, cap and trade regimes may be terminated or may not be renewed upon their expiration. New technologies may arise that may diminish or eliminate the need for cap and trade markets. Ultimately, the cost of emissions credits is determined by the cost of actually reducing emissions levels. If the price of credits becomes too high, it will be more economical for companies to develop or invest in green technologies, thereby suppressing the demand for credits and adversely affect the Fund.

Cap and trade regimes set emission limits (i.e., the right to emit a certain quantity of GHG emissions), which can be allocated or auctioned to the parties regulated under the regime up to the total emissions cap. This allocation may be larger or smaller than is needed for a stable price of credits and can lead to large price volatility and may impact the Fund. Depending upon the industries covered under the cap and trade regime, unpredictable demand for their products and services can affect the value of GHG emissions credits. For example, very mild winters or very cool summers can decrease demand for electric utilities and therefore require fewer carbon credits to offset reduced production and GHG emissions.

If fines or other penalties for non-compliance are not enforced, incentives to purchase GHG credits will deteriorate, which could result in a decline in the price of emissions credits and may adversely impact the Fund.

213 KraneShares European CarbonAllowance Strategy ETF

Regulatory risk related to changes in regulation and enforcement of cap and trade regimes could adversely affect market behavior. If fines or other penalties for non-compliance are not enforced, incentives to purchase GHG credits will deteriorate, which could result in a decline in the price of emissions credits and a drop in the value of the Fund. In addition, as cap and trade markets and carbon credit markets develop, new regulation with respect to these markets may arise, which could have a negative effect on the value and liquidity of the cap and trade markets and the Fund.

**Regulatory Risk.** The Fund is subject to the risk that a change in U.S. law and related regulations will impact the way the Fund operates, increase the particular costs of the Fund's operations and/or change the competitive landscape. Additional legislative or regulatory changes could occur that may materially and adversely affect the Fund.

**Subsidiary Investment Risk.** By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary's investments. Since the Subsidiary is organized under the law of the Cayman Islands and is not registered with the SEC under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), the Fund will not receive all of the protections offered to shareholders of registered investment companies. 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 intended, which may negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders.

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

**Futures Strategy Risk.** Successful use of futures contracts draws upon the Adviser's skill and experience with respect to such instruments and is subject to special risk considerations. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts include: (a) an imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the reference asset and the price of the futures contract; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; (c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (d) the inability to predict correctly the direction of market prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; and (e) if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell investments from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, and the Fund may have to sell investments at a loss.

As a futures contract the Fund owns approaches its settlement date, the Fund may sell that futures contract and reinvest the proceeds in a similar contract with a more distant settlement date. This process is referred to as "rolling" a futures contract. The successful use of such a strategy depends upon the Adviser's skill and experience. Although the Fund will attempt to roll from an expiring futures contract to another contract that the Adviser believes will generate the greatest yield for the Fund, the Fund nevertheless may incur a cost to "roll" the contract. In a commodity futures market where current month expiring contracts trade at a lower price than next month's contract, a situation referred to as "contango," absent the impact of the overall movement in commodity prices, the Fund may experience an adverse impact because it would be selling less expensive contracts and buying more expense contracts. In the event of a prolonged period of contango, and absent the impact of rising or falling commodity prices, there could be a significant negative impact on the Fund when it "rolls" its futures contract positions.

214 KraneShares European CarbonAllowance Strategy ETF

**Commodity-Linked Derivatives Risk.** The value of a commodity-linked derivative investment typically is based upon the price movements of a physical commodity and may be affected by changes in overall market movements, volatility of an index, changes in interest rates, or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, embargoes, tariffs and international economic, political and regulatory developments. Investments in commodity-linked derivatives may be subject to greater volatility than non-derivative based investments. Commodity-linked derivatives also may be subject to credit and interest rate risks that in general affect the values of debt securities.

**Commodity Pool Registration Risk.** Under regulations promulgated by the CFTC, the Fund and the Subsidiary are considered commodity pools, and therefore each is subject to regulation under the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC rules. Krane is registered as a commodity pool operator and manages the Fund and the Subsidiary in accordance with CFTC rules, as well as the rules that apply to registered investment companies. Commodity pools are subject to additional laws, regulations and enforcement policies, all of which may potentially increase compliance costs and may affect the operations and financial performance of the Fund and the Subsidiary. Additionally, positions in futures and other 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.

**Geographic Focus Risk.** The Fund's investments are expected to be focused in a particular country, countries, or region to approximately the same degree as the Index and, therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country, countries or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified fund.

**European Union Risk.** Because the Fund is exposed to carbon credits issued under the European Union Emissions Trading System "cap and trade" program, the Fund's performance also may be negatively impacted by factors affecting the European Union. The economies of the European Union are dependent to a significant extent on those of certain key trading partners, including China, the United States, and other European countries. A reduction in spending on products and services exported from the European Union, or volatility in the financial markets of member countries, may have an adverse impact on the broader European Union economy and could adversely affect the Fund. Separately, the European Union faces issues involving its membership, structure, procedures and policies. The United Kingdom (UK) officially withdrew from the European Union on January 31, 2020. Upon the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the European Union and the UK entered into a transition phase, which concluded on December 31, 2020, and the UK and the European Union agreed upon a Trade and Cooperation Agreement that became fully effective on May 1, 2021. The UK, European Union and broader global economy may still experience volatility in foreign exchange markets as a result of these events. The UK's withdrawal may also destabilize some or all of the other European Union member countries and/or the Eurozone. The exit of additional member states from the European Union would subject its currency and banking system to increased risk and would likely result in increased volatility, illiquidity and potentially lower economic growth in the affected markets. Additionally, the reintroduction of national currencies in one or more European Union countries or the abandonment of the Euro as a currency could adversely affect the Fund.

**Fixed Income Securities Risk.** Fixed income securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a security will not make timely interest payments or repay the principal of the debt issued (i.e., default on its obligations). A downgrade or default on securities held by the Fund could adversely affect the Fund's performance. Generally, the longer the maturity and the lower the credit quality of a security, the more sensitive it is to credit risk. Interest rate risk refers to fluctuations in the value of a debt resulting from changes in the level of interest rates. When interest rates go up, the prices of most debt instruments generally go down; and when interest rates go down, the prices of most debt instruments generally go up. Debt instruments with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes, typically making them more volatile. Interest rates have recently increased and may continue increasing, thereby heightening the risks associated with rising interest rates.

215 KraneShares European CarbonAllowance Strategy ETF

**Foreign Investments Risk.** Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may be less liquid than investments in U.S. issuers, may have less governmental regulation and oversight, and are typically subject to different investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities entail the risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations, political or economic instability, less complete financial information about the issuers, the possible imposition of withholding or confiscatory taxes, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, and the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency. Foreign market trading hours, clearance and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund's ability to buy and sell securities. Additionally, foreign issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, recordkeeping, and financial reporting requirements. Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by governmental authorities. If the Fund holds positions in such suspended securities, the Fund may be adversely impacted. Certain countries in which the Fund may invest may be subject to extended settlement delays and/or foreign holidays, during which the Fund will unlikely be able to convert holdings to cash. All of these factors could result in a loss to the Fund.

**Concentration Risk.** The Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The securities of companies in an industry or group of industries could react similarly to market developments. Thus, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that may affect that industry or group of industries or sector. As of the date of this prospectus, the Index was concentrated in carbon credit futures. The prices and performance of carbon credit futures may be particularly affected by developments in the following sector:

**Energy Sector Risk.** Investments in, and/or exposure to, the energy sector, which includes energy commodities such as oil, gasoline, and carbon credits, may be highly volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably due to a number of factors, including the legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions, increased competition affecting the energy sector, financial, accounting and tax matters and other events that the Fund cannot control. In addition, the value of energy commodities may fluctuate widely due to changes in supply and demand.

The energy sector is typically cyclical and highly dependent upon commodities and energy prices. Issuers in this sector are usually subject to substantial government regulation and contractual fixed pricing, which may increase the cost of business and limit these issuers' earnings, and a significant portion of their revenues depends on a relatively small number of customers, including governmental entities and utilities.

**Currency Risk.** To the extent that the Fund is exposed directly or indirectly to foreign currencies, including through its investments, or invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies and vice versa. This may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

**Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk.** In a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund sells portfolio investments to another party and agrees to repurchase the investments at an agreed-upon price and date. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the counterparty will default on its obligations to the Fund, including by failing to return the investments in a timely manner, or at all, which may result in costs, delays, and losses to the Fund. Reverse repurchase agreements are viewed as a form of borrowing or leverage and may increase fluctuations in the Fund's net asset value.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

216 KraneShares European CarbonAllowance Strategy ETF

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to "Authorized Participants." Unlike many other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Thus, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in other ETFs as the Fund may recognize a capital gain that it could have avoided by making redemptions in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. Further, paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds at an inopportune time. Cash transactions may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes, including brokerage fees, that might not have occurred if the Fund utilized in-kind transactions. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted.

**International Closed Market Trading Risk.** To the extent the Fund's investments trade in markets that are closed when the Fund and Exchange are open, there are likely to be deviations between current pricing of an underlying security and the prices at which the underlying securities are valued for purposes of the Fund's NAV. As a result, Shares may appear to trade at a significant discount or premium to NAV greater than those incurred by other ETFs. In addition, shareholders may not be able to purchase or redeem their shares of the Fund, or purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**Small Fund Risk.** The Fund is small and does not yet have a significant number of shares outstanding. Small funds are at greater risk than larger funds of wider bid-ask spreads for its shares, trading at a greater premium or discount to NAV, liquidation and/or a stop to trading.

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, market turmoil, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants, or the lack of an active trading market. Markets for securities or financial instruments could be disrupted by a number of events, including, but not limited to, an economic crisis, natural disasters, new legislation or regulatory changes inside or outside the U.S. Liquid investments may become less liquid after being purchased by the Fund, particularly during periods of market stress. In addition, if a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt.

217 KraneShares European CarbonAllowance Strategy ETF

**Passive Investment and Index Risk.** There is no guarantee that the Index will create the desired exposure and the Fund is not actively managed. It does not seek to "beat" the Index or take temporary defensive positions when markets decline. Therefore, the Fund may purchase or hold securities with current or projected underperformance.

There is no guarantee that the methodology the Index Provider uses to identify constituents for the Index will achieve its intended result or provide an accurate assessment of included constituents. The Index relies on various sources of information to assess the potential constituents of the Index, including information that may be based on assumptions or estimates. Neither the Fund nor Krane can offer assurances that the Index Provider's sources of information are reliable. There can be no guarantee that the methodology underlying the Index, the Index construction and computation processes, or the daily calculation of the Index or its methodology will be free from error or that an error will be identified and/or corrected, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund.

**Management Risk.** The Fund may not fully replicate the Index and may hold less than the total number of investments in the Index. Therefore, the Fund is subject to the risk that Krane's investment selection process may not produce the intended results.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**High Portfolio Turnover Risk.** Pursuant to government regulations, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to most derivatives. As a result, the Fund's portfolio turnover may be low despite relatively high portfolio activity. High portfolio turnover or high portfolio activity may increase the Fund's brokerage commission costs and other transaction costs and may negatively impact the Fund's performance. Such portfolio turnover or activity also may generate net short-term capital gains.

**Tracking Error Risk.** The Fund's return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Index. This may be due to, among other factors, the Fund investments in carbon credit futures with different maturity dates, the Fund weighing the carbon credit futures differently than the Index, and the Fund's purchase of carbon credit futures on different dates than the rebalancing date for the Index. To the extent that the Fund invests in other instruments that are consistent with its investment objective, such as futures contracts that are not carbon credit futures, options on futures contracts, swap contracts, and other investment companies and notes, the Fund's ability to track the Index may be adversely affected.

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. In addition, the securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days that the Fund does not price its shares; as a result, the value of Fund shares may change on days when investors cannot purchase or sell their Fund holdings.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

218 KraneShares European CarbonAllowance Strategy ETF

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. If the Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, and distributions to its shareholders would not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income, which would adversely affect the Fund's performance.

The Fund intends to treat its income from the Subsidiary as qualifying income. The tax treatment of the Fund's investment in the Subsidiary may be adversely affected by future legislation, court decisions, Treasury Regulations and/or guidance issued by the IRS that could affect whether income derived from such investments is "qualifying income" under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, or otherwise affect the character, timing and/or amount of the Fund's taxable income or any gains or distributions made by the Fund.

**U.S. Government Obligations Risk.** Obligations of U.S. Government agencies and authorities receive varying levels of support and may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government, which could affect the Fund's ability to recover should they default. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Government will provide financial support to its agencies and authorities if it is not obligated by law to do so. Additionally, market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government may decline or be negative for short or long periods of time.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane is subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, including foreign investment companies, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. Holding cash or cash equivalents, even strategically, may lead to missed investment opportunities. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

219 KraneShares European CarbonAllowance Strategy ETF

**Performance Information**

The following bar chart and table illustrate the variability of the Fund's returns and indicate the risks of investing in the Fund by showing how the Fund's average annual total returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance and an additional index with characteristics relevant to the Fund. All returns include the reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As always, please note that the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.kraneshares.com.

![](pro-krbn_002.jpg)

As of June 30, 2025, the Fund's calendar year-to-date total return was 6.40%.

**Best and Worst Quarter Returns (for the period reflected in the bar chart above)** 

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Return** | **Quarter Ended/Year** |
| Highest Return | 32.90% | 12/31/2022 |
| Lowest Return | -29.38% | 9/30/2022 |

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**Average Annual Total Returns for the periods ended December 31, 2024**

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF** | **1 year** | **Since Inception<br>(10-4-2021)** |
| Return Before Taxes | -15.31% | -0.05% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | -18.08% | -1.83% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | -9.24% | -0.80% |
| S&P 500 Index<br>(Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 25.02% | 11.84% |
| S&P Carbon Credit EUA Index<br> (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | -14.23% | -0.80% |

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220 KraneShares European CarbonAllowance Strategy ETF

Average annual total returns are shown on a before- and after-tax basis for the Fund. After-tax returns for the Fund are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement plans.

**Management**

**Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. Climate Finance Partners LLC ("Sub-Adviser") serves as the non-discretionary investment sub-adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Managers**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, supports Mr. Maund and Krane's investment team for the Fund and has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Luke Oliver, Managing Director, Head of Strategy and also Head of Climate Investments at the Adviser, has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since August 2022.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.kraneshares.com.

**Tax Information**

Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

221 KraneShares European CarbonAllowance Strategy ETF

**KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF** 

**Investment Objective**

The KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF (the "Fund") seeks to provide a total return that, before fees and expenses, tracks the performance of the S&P Carbon Credit CCA Index (the "Index"), which is an index comprised of futures contracts on emission allowances issued by a "cap and trade" regulatory regime that seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over time in an effort to curb climate change.

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees** (fees paid directly from your investment)<br>

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.78% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees<sup>\*</sup> | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses<sup>\*\*</sup> | 0.12% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses | 0.01% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 0.91% |

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\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

\*\* "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" are expenses incurred indirectly by the Fund through its ownership of shares of other investment companies (such as exchange-traded funds). They are not direct operating expenses paid by Fund shareholders and are not used to calculate the Fund's net asset value ("NAV"). In addition, "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" will not be reflected in the Fund's Financial Statements in its shareholder report. Therefore, the amounts listed in "Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses" and "Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement" will differ from those presented in the Fund's Financial Highlights. It is currently anticipated that the Fund may invest in an affiliated acquired fund with higher expenses in the next year. If this occurs, "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" will be higher and may be 0.15%.

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| $93 | $290 | $504 | $1120 |

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**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 74% of the average value of its portfolio.

222 KraneShares California CarbonAllownce Strategy ETF

**Principal Investment Strategies**

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| In seeking to achieve its investment objective, the Fund attempts to maintain exposure to carbon credit futures that are substantially the same as those included in the Index, which is an index comprised of futures contracts on emission allowances issued by a "cap and trade" regulatory regime that seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over time. The Index is designed to measure the performance of a portfolio of futures contracts on carbon credits issued under the California Carbon Allowance "cap and trade" regime ("carbon credit futures"). An emission allowance or carbon credit is a unit of emissions (typically one ton of CO2) that the owner of the allowance or credit is permitted to emit. A cap and trade regime seeks to gradually reduce such emission allowances or carbon credits over time to incentivize companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to curb climate change. The Index includes only carbon credit futures that mature in December of the next one to two years. The Fund may also invest directly and indirectly in certain debt instruments.<br>Carbon credits issued under the California Carbon Allowance "cap and trade" regime include carbon credits issued by Quebec since the California and Quebec markets were linked pursuant to the Western Climate Initiative in 2014. Currently, carbon credits issued by Quebec each year consist of approximately 17-18% of the carbon credits issued under the California Carbon Allowance "cap and trade" regime. This percentage is subject to change and it is possible for additional markets to be added in the future.<br>The Fund utilizes a subsidiary (the "Subsidiary") for purposes of investing in carbon credit futures. The Subsidiary is a corporation operating under Cayman Islands law that is wholly-owned and controlled by the Fund. The Subsidiary is advised by the Adviser. The Fund's investment in the Subsidiary may not exceed 25% of the value of its total assets (ignoring any subsequent market appreciation in the Subsidiary's value), which limitation is imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and is measured at the end of each quarter. The Subsidiary has the same investment objective as the Fund and follows the same investment policies and restrictions as the Fund. Except as noted, for purposes of this Prospectus, references to the Fund's investment strategies and risks include those of its Subsidiary, and references to the Fund include the Subsidiary.<br>While the Fund generally seeks to obtain exposure to the same carbon credit futures that are in the Index, the Fund and Subsidiary may not replicate the Index. For example, the Fund may invest in carbon credit futures with different maturity dates (i.e., not one of the next two Decembers), the Fund may weight the carbon credit futures differently than the Index, or the Fund may purchase carbon credit futures on different dates than the rebalancing date for the Index.<br>The Fund may also invest in other instruments that are consistent with its investment objective. For example, the Fund may invest in emission allowances issued under a cap and trade regime, futures contracts that are not carbon credit futures, options on futures contracts, swap contracts, and other investment companies and notes, which may or may not be exchange-traded. | ***What is a "cap and trade" regime?***<br> In a "cap and trade" regime, a limit ("cap") is typically set by a regulator, such as a government entity or supranational organization, on the total amount of specific greenhouse gases, such as CO2, that can be emitted by regulated entities, such as manufacturers or energy producers. Capping and reducing the cap on greenhouse gases is viewed as a key policy tool for reaching climate change objectives. The regulator then issues or sells "emission allowances" to regulated entities which may then buy or sell ("trade") the emission allowances on the open market. To the extent that the regulator may then reduce the cap on emission allowances, regulated entities are thereby incentivized to reduce their emissions; otherwise they must purchase emission allowances on the open market, where the price of such allowances will likely be increasing as a result of demand, and regulated entities that reduce their emissions will be able to sell unneeded emission allowances for profit. The opposite could also occur and the regulator may increase the cap on emission allowances, which would likely increase emissions and decrease the price of allowances. Commodity futures contracts linked to the value of emission allowances are known as carbon credit futures. |

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223 KraneShares California CarbonAllownce Strategy ETF

The debt instruments in which the Fund intends to invest include government securities and corporate or other non-government fixed-income securities with maturities of up to 12 months. The Fund may invest in debt instruments indirectly through short-term bond funds and exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"), which can include affiliated ETFs. The Fund may also invest in cash and cash equivalents, including money market funds.

The Commodities Futures Trading Commission (the "CFTC") has adopted certain requirements that subject registered investment companies and their advisers to regulation by the CFTC if a registered investment company invests more than a prescribed level of its net assets in CFTC-regulated futures, options and swaps, or if a registered investment company markets itself as providing investment exposure to such instruments. Due to the Fund's use of CFTC-regulated futures and swaps above CFTC Rule 4.5 limits, it is considered a "commodity pool" under the Commodity Exchange Act.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings, if any) in instruments that provide exposure to California Carbon Allowances. The notional value of any investments by the Fund (including its Subsidiary) that provide such exposure, including investments in derivatives (such as futures contracts on California Carbon Allowances), will be counted toward satisfaction of this 80% policy.

The Fund is non-diversified. To the extent the Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund is expected to be concentrated in that industry (using the notional value of any futures in which it invests). The Index is rebalanced and reconstituted annually. The Index is provided by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC ("Index Provider").

**Principal Risks**

As with all ETFs, a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**Carbon Emission Allowance and Cap and Trade Risk.** There is no assurance that cap and trade regimes will continue to exist. Cap and trade was designed to attempt to put a cap on pollution by putting a price on carbon emissions, but the approach may not prove to be an effective method of reduction in GHG emissions and or in achieving climate change objectives. As a result or due to other factors, cap and trade regimes may be terminated or may not be renewed upon their expiration. New technologies may arise that may diminish or eliminate the need for cap and trade markets. Ultimately, the cost of emissions credits is determined by the cost of actually reducing emissions levels. If the price of credits becomes too high, it will be more economical for companies to develop or invest in green technologies, thereby suppressing the demand for credits and adversely affect the Fund.

Cap and trade regimes set emission limits (i.e., the right to emit a certain quantity of GHG emissions), which can be allocated or auctioned to the parties regulated under the regime up to the total emissions cap. This allocation may be larger or smaller than is needed for a stable price of credits and can lead to large price volatility and may impact the Fund. Depending upon the industries covered under the cap and trade regime, unpredictable demand for their products and services can affect the value of GHG emissions credits. For example, very mild winters or very cool summers can decrease demand for electric utilities and therefore require fewer carbon credits to offset reduced production and GHG emissions.

If fines or other penalties for non-compliance are not enforced, incentives to purchase GHG credits will deteriorate, which could result in a decline in the price of emissions credits and may adversely impact the Fund.

Regulatory risk related to changes in regulation and enforcement of cap and trade regimes could adversely affect market behavior. In addition, as cap and trade markets and carbon credit markets develop, new regulation with respect to these markets may arise, which could have a negative effect on the value and liquidity of the cap and trade markets and the Fund.

224 KraneShares California CarbonAllownce Strategy ETF

**Regulatory Risk.** The Fund is subject to the risk that a change in U.S. law and related regulations will impact the way the Fund operates, increase the particular costs of the Fund's operations and/or change the competitive landscape. Additional legislative or regulatory changes could occur that may materially and adversely affect the Fund.

**Subsidiary Investment Risk.** By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary's investments. Since the Subsidiary is organized under the law of the Cayman Islands and is not registered with the SEC under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), the Fund will not receive all of the protections offered to shareholders of registered investment companies. 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 intended, which may negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders.

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

**Futures Strategy Risk.** Successful use of futures contracts draws upon the Adviser's skill and experience with respect to such instruments and is subject to special risk considerations. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts include: (a) an imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the reference asset and the price of the futures contract; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; (c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (d) the inability to predict correctly the direction of market prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; and (e) if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell investments from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, and the Fund may have to sell investments at a loss.

As a futures contract the Fund owns approaches its settlement date, the Fund may sell that futures contract and reinvest the proceeds in a similar contract with a more distant settlement date. This process is referred to as "rolling" a futures contract. The successful use of such a strategy depends upon the Adviser's skill and experience. Although the Fund will attempt to roll from an expiring futures contract to another contract that the Adviser believes will generate the greatest yield for the Fund, the Fund nevertheless may incur a cost to "roll" the contract. In a commodity futures market where current month expiring contracts trade at a lower price than next month's contract, a situation referred to as "contango," absent the impact of the overall movement in commodity prices, the Fund may experience an adverse impact because it would be selling less expensive contracts and buying more expense contracts. In the event of a prolonged period of contango, and absent the impact of rising or falling commodity prices, there could be a significant negative impact on the Fund when it "rolls" its futures contract positions.

**Commodity-Linked Derivatives Risk.** The value of a commodity-linked derivative investment typically is based upon the price movements of a physical commodity and may be affected by changes in overall market movements, volatility of an index, changes in interest rates, or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, embargoes, tariffs and international economic, political and regulatory developments. Investments in commodity-linked derivatives may be subject to greater volatility than non-derivative based investments. Commodity-linked derivatives also may be subject to credit and interest rate risks that in general affect the values of debt securities.

225 KraneShares California CarbonAllownce Strategy ETF

**Commodity Pool Registration Risk.** Under regulations promulgated by the CFTC, the Fund and the Subsidiary are considered commodity pools, and therefore each is subject to regulation under the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC rules. Krane is registered as a commodity pool operator and manages the Fund and the Subsidiary in accordance with CFTC rules, as well as the rules that apply to registered investment companies. Commodity pools are subject to additional laws, regulations and enforcement policies, all of which may potentially increase compliance costs and may affect the operations and financial performance of the Fund and the Subsidiary. Additionally, positions in futures and other 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.

**Geographic Focus Risk.** The Fund's investments are expected to be focused in a particular country, countries, or region to approximately the same degree as the Index and, therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country, countries or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified fund.

**California Risk.** Because the Fund is exposed to carbon credits issued under the California Carbon Allowance "cap and trade" program, the Fund's performance also may be negatively impacted by factors affecting California. For example, natural disasters may disrupt the local, state or regional economy or certain sectors of the economy and may impact the prices of such carbon credit futures. California's budget and fiscal operations face certain structural impediments and rely on revenue sources which have been historically sensitive to the economic environment. California's diverse economy is the largest in the United States and one of the largest in the world with major components including high technology, trade, entertainment, manufacturing, tourism, construction, agriculture and services. Any downturn in these sectors or related industries may adversely affect the economy of the state and the prices of such carbon credit futures.

**Quebec Risk.** Because the Fund is exposed to carbon credits issued under the California Carbon Allowance "cap and trade" program, the Fund's performance also may be negatively impacted by factors affecting Quebec. Quebec is a province in Canada, which has a separatist party whose objective is to achieve sovereignty and increased self-governing legal and financial powers. In addition, the Canadian market, including Quebec, is relatively concentrated in issuers involved in the production and distribution of natural resources such as forest products, metals, agricultural products, and energy related products like oil, gas, and hydroelectricity. Accordingly, any downturn in these sectors or related industries may adversely affect the economy of Canada and Quebec and the prices of such carbon credit futures.

**Fixed Income Securities Risk.** Fixed income securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a security will not make timely interest payments or repay the principal of the debt issued (i.e., default on its obligations). A downgrade or default on securities held by the Fund could adversely affect the Fund's performance. Generally, the longer the maturity and the lower the credit quality of a security, the more sensitive it is to credit risk. Interest rate risk refers to fluctuations in the value of a debt resulting from changes in the level of interest rates. When interest rates go up, the prices of most debt instruments generally go down; and when interest rates go down, the prices of most debt instruments generally go up. Debt instruments with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes, typically making them more volatile. Interest rates have recently increased and may continue increasing, thereby heightening the risks associated with rising interest rates.

**Concentration Risk.** The Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The securities of companies in an industry or group of industries could react similarly to market developments. Thus, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that may affect that industry or group of industries or sector. As of the date of this prospectus, the Index was concentrated in carbon credit futures. The prices and performance of carbon credit futures may be particularly affected by developments in the following sector:

226 KraneShares California CarbonAllownce Strategy ETF

**Energy Sector Risk.** Investments in, and/or exposure to, the energy sector, which includes energy commodities such as oil, gasoline, and carbon credits, may be highly volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably due to a number of factors, including the legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions, increased competition affecting the energy sector, financial, accounting and tax matters and other events that the Fund cannot control. In addition, the value of energy commodities may fluctuate widely due to changes in supply and demand.

The energy sector is typically cyclical and highly dependent upon commodities and energy prices. Issuers in this sector are usually subject to substantial government regulation and contractual fixed pricing, which may increase the cost of business and limit these issuers' earnings, and a significant portion of their revenues depends on a relatively small number of customers, including governmental entities and utilities.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to "Authorized Participants." Unlike many other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Thus, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in other ETFs as the Fund may recognize a capital gain that it could have avoided by making redemptions in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. Further, paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds at an inopportune time. Cash transactions may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes, including brokerage fees, that might not have occurred if the Fund utilized in-kind transactions. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

227 KraneShares California CarbonAllownce Strategy ETF

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, market turmoil, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants, or the lack of an active trading market. Markets for securities or financial instruments could be disrupted by a number of events, including, but not limited to, an economic crisis, natural disasters, new legislation or regulatory changes inside or outside the U.S. Liquid investments may become less liquid after being purchased by the Fund, particularly during periods of market stress. In addition, if a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt.

**Passive Investment and Index Risk.** There is no guarantee that the Index will create the desired exposure and the Fund is not actively managed. It does not seek to "beat" the Index or take temporary defensive positions when markets decline. Therefore, the Fund may purchase or hold securities with current or projected underperformance.

There is no guarantee that the methodology the Index Provider uses to identify constituents for the Index will achieve its intended result or provide an accurate assessment of included constituents. The Index relies on various sources of information to assess the potential constituents of the Index, including information that may be based on assumptions or estimates. Neither the Fund nor Krane can offer assurances that the Index Provider's sources of information are reliable. There can be no guarantee that the methodology underlying the Index, the Index construction and computation processes, or the daily calculation of the Index or its methodology will be free from error or that an error will be identified and/or corrected, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund.

**Management Risk.** The Fund may not fully replicate the Index and may hold less than the total number of investments in the Index. Therefore, the Fund is subject to the risk that Krane's investment selection process may not produce the intended results.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**High Portfolio Turnover Risk.** Pursuant to government regulations, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to most derivatives. As a result, the Fund's portfolio turnover may be low despite relatively high portfolio activity. High portfolio turnover or high portfolio activity may increase the Fund's brokerage commission costs and other transaction costs and may negatively impact the Fund's performance. Such portfolio turnover or activity also may generate net short-term capital gains.

**Tracking Error Risk.** The Fund's return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Index. This may be due to, among other factors, the Fund investments in carbon credit futures with different maturity dates, the Fund weighing the carbon credit futures differently than the Index, and the Fund's purchase of carbon credit futures on different dates than the rebalancing date for the Index. To the extent that the Fund invests in other instruments that are consistent with its investment objective, such as futures contracts that are not carbon credit futures, options on futures contracts, swap contracts, and other investment companies and notes, the Fund's ability to track the Index may be adversely affected.

228 KraneShares California CarbonAllownce Strategy ETF

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. In addition, the securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days that the Fund does not price its shares; as a result, the value of Fund shares may change on days when investors cannot purchase or sell their Fund holdings.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. If the Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, and distributions to its shareholders would not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income, which would adversely affect the Fund's performance.

The Fund intends to treat its income from the Subsidiary as qualifying income. The tax treatment of the Fund's investment in the Subsidiary may be adversely affected by future legislation, court decisions, Treasury Regulations and/or guidance issued by the IRS that could affect whether income derived from such investments is "qualifying income" under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, or otherwise affect the character, timing and/or amount of the Fund's taxable income or any gains or distributions made by the Fund.

**U.S. Government Obligations Risk.** Obligations of U.S. Government agencies and authorities receive varying levels of support and may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government, which could affect the Fund's ability to recover should they default. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Government will provide financial support to its agencies and authorities if it is not obligated by law to do so. Additionally, market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government may decline or be negative for short or long periods of time.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane is subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, including foreign investment companies, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. Holding cash or cash equivalents, even strategically, may lead to missed investment opportunities. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

229 KraneShares California CarbonAllownce Strategy ETF

**Performance Information**

The following bar chart and table illustrate the variability of the Fund's returns and indicate the risks of investing in the Fund by showing how the Fund's average annual total returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance and an additional index with characteristics relevant to the Fund. All returns include the reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As always, please note that the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.kraneshares.com.

![](pro-krbn_003.jpg)

As of June 30, 2025, the Fund's calendar year-to-date total return was -20.61%.

**Best and Worst Quarter Returns (for the period reflected in the bar chart above)** 

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Return** | **Quarter Ended/Year** |
| Highest Return | 12.22% | 9/30/2023 |
| Lowest Return | -14.53% | 9/30/2022 |

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**Average Annual Total Returns for the periods ended December 31, 2024**

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF** | **1 year** | **Since Inception<br>(10-4-2021)** |
| Return Before Taxes | -16.52% | 1.25% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | -24.27% | -2.17% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | -9.45% | -0.28% |
| S&P 500 Index<br>(Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 25.02% | 11.84% |
| S&P Carbon Credit CCA Index<br> (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | -14.72% | 2.73% |

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230 KraneShares California CarbonAllownce Strategy ETF

Average annual total returns are shown on a before- and after-tax basis for the Fund. After-tax returns for the Fund are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement plans.

**Management**

**Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. Climate Finance Partners LLC ("Sub-Adviser") serves as the non-discretionary investment sub-adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Managers**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, supports Mr. Maund and Krane's investment team for the Fund and has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Luke Oliver, Managing Director, Head of Strategy and also Head of Climate Investments at the Adviser, has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since August 2022.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.kraneshares.com.

**Tax Information**

Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

231 KraneShares California CarbonAllownce Strategy ETF

**KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF**

**Investment Objective**

The KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF (the "Fund") seeks to provide a total return that, before fees and expenses, tracks the performance of the S&P RGGI Index (the "Index"), which is an index comprised of futures contracts on emission allowances issued by a "cap and trade" regulatory regime that seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over time in an effort to curb climate change.

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees** (fees paid directly from your investment)<br>

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.78% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees<sup>\*</sup> | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses<sup>\*\*</sup> | 0.01% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 0.79% |

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\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

\*\* Based on estimated amounts for 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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** |
| $81 | $252 |

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**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. Because the Fund had not commenced investment operations as of the date of this prospectus, it does not have portfolio turnover information for the prior fiscal year to report.

232 KraneShares Eastern US CarbonStrategy ETF

**Principal Investment Strategies**

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| In seeking to achieve its investment objective, the Fund attempts to maintain exposure to carbon credit futures that are substantially the same as those included in the Index, which is an index comprised of futures contracts on emission allowances issued by a "cap and trade" regulatory regime that seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over time. The Index is designed to measure the performance of a portfolio of futures contracts on carbon credits issued under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative ("RGGI") "cap and trade" regime ("carbon credit futures"). An emission allowance or carbon credit is a unit of emissions (typically one ton of CO2) that the owner of the allowance or credit is permitted to emit. A cap and trade regime seeks to gradually reduce such emission allowances or carbon credits over time to incentivize companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to curb climate change. The Index includes only carbon credit futures that mature in December of the next one to two years. The Fund may also invest directly and indirectly in certain debt instruments.<br>The RGGI is a cooperative market-based effort among the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia to cap and reduce CO2 emissions from the power sector. It represents the first cap-and-trade regional initiative implemented in the United States.<br>The Fund utilizes a subsidiary (the "Subsidiary") for purposes of investing in carbon credit futures. The Subsidiary is a corporation operating under Cayman Islands law that is wholly-owned and controlled by the Fund. The Subsidiary is advised by the Adviser. The Fund's investment in the Subsidiary may not exceed 25% of the value of its total assets (ignoring any subsequent market appreciation in the Subsidiary's value), which limitation is imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and is measured at the end of each quarter. The Subsidiary has the same investment objective as the Fund and follows the same investment policies and restrictions as the Fund. Except as noted, for purposes of this Prospectus, references to the Fund's investment strategies and risks include those of its Subsidiary, and references to the Fund include the Subsidiary.<br>While the Fund generally seeks to obtain exposure to the same carbon credit futures that are in the Index, the Fund and Subsidiary may not replicate the Index. For example, the Fund may invest in carbon credit futures with different maturity dates (i.e., not one of the next two Decembers), the Fund may weight the carbon credit futures differently than the Index, or the Fund may purchase carbon credit futures on different dates than the rebalancing date for the Index.<br>The Fund may also invest in other instruments that are consistent with its investment objective. For example, the Fund may invest in emission allowances issued under a cap and trade regime, futures contracts that are not carbon credit futures, options on futures contracts, swap contracts, and other investment companies and notes, which may or may not be exchange-traded. | ***What is a "cap and trade" regime?***<br> In a "cap and trade" regime, a limit ("cap") is typically set by a regulator, such as a government entity or supranational organization, on the total amount of specific greenhouse gases, such as CO2, that can be emitted by regulated entities, such as manufacturers or energy producers. Capping and reducing the cap on greenhouse gases is viewed as a key policy tool for reaching climate change objectives. The regulator then issues or sells "emission allowances" to regulated entities which may then buy or sell ("trade") the emission allowances on the open market. To the extent that the regulator may then reduce the cap on emission allowances, regulated entities are thereby incentivized to reduce their emissions; otherwise they must purchase emission allowances on the open market, where the price of such allowances will likely be increasing as a result of demand, and regulated entities that reduce their emissions will be able to sell unneeded emission allowances for profit. The opposite could also occur and the regulator may increase the cap on emission allowances, which would likely increase emissions and decrease the price of allowances. Commodity futures contracts linked to the value of emission allowances are known as carbon credit futures. |

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233 KraneShares Eastern US CarbonStrategy ETF

The debt instruments in which the Fund intends to invest include government securities and corporate or other non-government fixed-income securities with maturities of up to 12 months. The Fund may invest in debt instruments indirectly through short-term bond funds and exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"), which can include affiliated ETFs. The Fund may also invest in cash and cash equivalents, including money market funds.

The Commodities Futures Trading Commission (the "CFTC") has adopted certain requirements that subject registered investment companies and their advisers to regulation by the CFTC if a registered investment company invests more than a prescribed level of its net assets in CFTC-regulated futures, options and swaps, or if a registered investment company markets itself as providing investment exposure to such instruments. Due to the Fund's use of CFTC-regulated futures and swaps above CFTC Rule 4.5 limits, it is considered a "commodity pool" under the Commodity Exchange Act.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings, if any) in instruments that provide exposure to the Eastern U.S. The notional value of any investments by the Fund (including its Subsidiary) that provide such exposure, including investments in derivatives (such as futures contracts on carbon credits issued under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative), will be counted toward satisfaction of this 80% policy.

The Fund is non-diversified. To the extent the Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund is expected to be concentrated in that industry (using the notional value of any futures in which it invests). The Index is provided by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC ("Index Provider").

**Principal Risks**

As with all ETFs, a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**Carbon Emission Allowance and Cap and Trade Risk.** There is no assurance that cap and trade regimes will continue to exist. Cap and trade was designed to attempt to put a cap on pollution by putting a price on carbon emissions, but the approach may not prove to be an effective method of reduction in GHG emissions and or in achieving climate change objectives. As a result or due to other factors, cap and trade regimes may be terminated or may not be renewed upon their expiration. New technologies may arise that may diminish or eliminate the need for cap and trade markets. Ultimately, the cost of emissions credits is determined by the cost of actually reducing emissions levels. If the price of credits becomes too high, it will be more economical for companies to develop or invest in green technologies, thereby suppressing the demand for credits and adversely affect the Fund.

Cap and trade regimes set emission limits (i.e., the right to emit a certain quantity of GHG emissions), which can be allocated or auctioned to the parties regulated under the regime up to the total emissions cap. This allocation may be larger or smaller than is needed for a stable price of credits and can lead to large price volatility and may impact the Fund. Depending upon the industries covered under the cap and trade regime, unpredictable demand for their products and services can affect the value of GHG emissions credits. For example, very mild winters or very cool summers can decrease demand for electric utilities and therefore require fewer carbon credits to offset reduced production and GHG emissions.

If fines or other penalties for non-compliance are not enforced, incentives to purchase GHG credits will deteriorate, which could result in a decline in the price of emissions credits and may adversely impact the Fund.

Regulatory risk related to changes in regulation and enforcement of cap and trade regimes could adversely affect market behavior. In addition, as cap and trade markets and carbon credit markets develop, new regulation with respect to these markets may arise, which could have a negative effect on the value and liquidity of the cap and trade markets and the Fund.

234 KraneShares Eastern US CarbonStrategy ETF

**Regulatory Risk.** The Fund is subject to the risk that a change in U.S. law and related regulations will impact the way the Fund operates, increase the particular costs of the Fund's operations and/or change the competitive landscape. Additional legislative or regulatory changes could occur that may materially and adversely affect the Fund.

**Subsidiary Investment Risk.** By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary's investments. Since the Subsidiary is organized under the law of the Cayman Islands and is not registered with the SEC under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), the Fund will not receive all of the protections offered to shareholders of registered investment companies. 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 intended, which may negatively affect the Fund and its shareholders.

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

**Futures Strategy Risk.** Successful use of futures contracts draws upon the Adviser's skill and experience with respect to such instruments and is subject to special risk considerations. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts include: (a) an imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the reference asset and the price of the futures contract; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; (c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (d) the inability to predict correctly the direction of market prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; and (e) if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell investments from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, and the Fund may have to sell investments at a loss.

As a futures contract the Fund owns approaches its settlement date, the Fund may sell that futures contract and reinvest the proceeds in a similar contract with a more distant settlement date. This process is referred to as "rolling" a futures contract. The successful use of such a strategy depends upon the Adviser's skill and experience. Although the Fund will attempt to roll from an expiring futures contract to another contract that the Adviser believes will generate the greatest yield for the Fund, the Fund nevertheless may incur a cost to "roll" the contract. In a commodity futures market where current month expiring contracts trade at a lower price than next month's contract, a situation referred to as "contango," absent the impact of the overall movement in commodity prices, the Fund may experience an adverse impact because it would be selling less expensive contracts and buying more expense contracts. In the event of a prolonged period of contango, and absent the impact of rising or falling commodity prices, there could be a significant negative impact on the Fund when it "rolls" its futures contract positions.

**Commodity-Linked Derivatives Risk.** The value of a commodity-linked derivative investment typically is based upon the price movements of a physical commodity and may be affected by changes in overall market movements, volatility of an index, changes in interest rates, or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, embargoes, tariffs and international economic, political and regulatory developments. Investments in commodity-linked derivatives may be subject to greater volatility than non-derivative based investments. Commodity-linked derivatives also may be subject to credit and interest rate risks that in general affect the values of debt securities.

235 KraneShares Eastern US CarbonStrategy ETF

**Commodity Pool Registration Risk.** Under regulations promulgated by the CFTC, the Fund and the Subsidiary are considered commodity pools, and therefore each is subject to regulation under the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC rules. Krane is registered as a commodity pool operator and manages the Fund and the Subsidiary in accordance with CFTC rules, as well as the rules that apply to registered investment companies. Commodity pools are subject to additional laws, regulations and enforcement policies, all of which may potentially increase compliance costs and may affect the operations and financial performance of the Fund and the Subsidiary. Additionally, positions in futures and other 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.

**Geographic Focus Risk.** The Fund's investments are expected to be focused in a particular country, countries, or region to approximately the same degree as the Index and, therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country, countries or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified fund.

**Eastern U.S. Risk.** Because the Fund is exposed to carbon credit futures issued under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative ("RGGI") "cap and trade" program, the Fund's performance also may be negatively impacted by factors affecting the Eastern region of the United States. For example, flooding, warming temperatures, and precipitation variability are growing challenges in the Eastern region of the United States and may disrupt the local, state, or regional economies of the Eastern states or certain sectors of those economies and may impact the prices of such carbon credit futures. The economies of Eastern region of the United States are comprised of components including agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing. Any downturn in these sectors or related industries may adversely affect the economy of the Eastern region of the United States and the prices of such carbon credit futures.

**Fixed Income Securities Risk.** Fixed income securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a security will not make timely interest payments or repay the principal of the debt issued (i.e., default on its obligations). A downgrade or default on securities held by the Fund could adversely affect the Fund's performance. Generally, the longer the maturity and the lower the credit quality of a security, the more sensitive it is to credit risk. Interest rate risk refers to fluctuations in the value of a debt resulting from changes in the level of interest rates. When interest rates go up, the prices of most debt instruments generally go down; and when interest rates go down, the prices of most debt instruments generally go up. Debt instruments with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes, typically making them more volatile. Interest rates have recently increased and may continue increasing, thereby heightening the risks associated with rising interest rates.

**Concentration Risk.** The Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The securities of companies in an industry or group of industries could react similarly to market developments. Thus, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that may affect that industry or group of industries or sector. As of the date of this prospectus, the Index was concentrated in carbon credit futures. The prices and performance of carbon credit futures may be particularly affected by developments in the following sector:

**Energy Sector Risk.** Investments in, and/or exposure to, the energy sector, which includes energy commodities such as oil, gasoline, and carbon credits, may be highly volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably due to a number of factors, including the legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions, increased competition affecting the energy sector, financial, accounting and tax matters and other events that the Fund cannot control. In addition, the value of energy commodities may fluctuate widely due to changes in supply and demand.

236 KraneShares Eastern US CarbonStrategy ETF

The energy sector is typically cyclical and highly dependent upon commodities and energy prices. Issuers in this sector are usually subject to substantial government regulation and contractual fixed pricing, which may increase the cost of business and limit these issuers' earnings, and a significant portion of their revenues depends on a relatively small number of customers, including governmental entities and utilities.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to "Authorized Participants." Unlike many other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Thus, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in other ETFs as the Fund may recognize a capital gain that it could have avoided by making redemptions in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. Further, paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds at an inopportune time. Cash transactions may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes, including brokerage fees, that might not have occurred if the Fund utilized in-kind transactions. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**New Fund Risk.** If the Fund does not grow in size, it will be at greater risk than larger funds of wider bid-ask spreads for its shares, trading at a greater premium or discount to NAV, liquidation and/or a stop to trading.

237 KraneShares Eastern US CarbonStrategy ETF

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, market turmoil, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants, or the lack of an active trading market. Markets for securities or financial instruments could be disrupted by a number of events, including, but not limited to, an economic crisis, natural disasters, new legislation or regulatory changes inside or outside the U.S. Liquid investments may become less liquid after being purchased by the Fund, particularly during periods of market stress. In addition, if a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt.

**Passive Investment and Index Risk.** There is no guarantee that the Index will create the desired exposure and the Fund is not actively managed. It does not seek to "beat" the Index or take temporary defensive positions when markets decline. Therefore, the Fund may purchase or hold securities with current or projected underperformance.

There is no guarantee that the methodology the Index Provider uses to identify constituents for the Index will achieve its intended result or provide an accurate assessment of included constituents. The Index relies on various sources of information to assess the potential constituents of the Index, including information that may be based on assumptions or estimates. Neither the Fund nor Krane can offer assurances that the Index Provider's sources of information are reliable. There can be no guarantee that the methodology underlying the Index, the Index construction and computation processes, or the daily calculation of the Index or its methodology will be free from error or that an error will be identified and/or corrected, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund.

**Management Risk.** The Fund may not fully replicate the Index and may hold less than the total number of investments in the Index. Therefore, the Fund is subject to the risk that Krane's investment selection process may not produce the intended results.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**High Portfolio Turnover Risk.** Pursuant to government regulations, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to most derivatives. As a result, the Fund's portfolio turnover may be low despite relatively high portfolio activity. High portfolio turnover or high portfolio activity may increase the Fund's brokerage commission costs and other transaction costs and may negatively impact the Fund's performance. Such portfolio turnover or activity also may generate net short-term capital gains.

**Tracking Error Risk.** The Fund's return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Index. This may be due to, among other factors, the Fund investments in carbon credit futures with different maturity dates, the Fund weighing the carbon credit futures differently than the Index, and the Fund's purchase of carbon credit futures on different dates than the rebalancing date for the Index. To the extent that the Fund invests in other instruments that are consistent with its investment objective, such as futures contracts that are not carbon credit futures, options on futures contracts, swap contracts, and other investment companies and notes, the Fund's ability to track the Index may be adversely affected.

238 KraneShares Eastern US CarbonStrategy ETF

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. In addition, the securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days that the Fund does not price its shares; as a result, the value of Fund shares may change on days when investors cannot purchase or sell their Fund holdings.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. If the Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, and distributions to its shareholders would not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income, which would adversely affect the Fund's performance.

The Fund intends to treat its income from the Subsidiary as qualifying income. The tax treatment of the Fund's investment in the Subsidiary may be adversely affected by future legislation, court decisions, Treasury Regulations and/or guidance issued by the IRS that could affect whether income derived from such investments is "qualifying income" under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, or otherwise affect the character, timing and/or amount of the Fund's taxable income or any gains or distributions made by the Fund. The Fund's fiscal year is expected to end on March 31 of each year.

**U.S. Government Obligations Risk.** Obligations of U.S. Government agencies and authorities receive varying levels of support and may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government, which could affect the Fund's ability to recover should they default. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Government will provide financial support to its agencies and authorities if it is not obligated by law to do so. Additionally, market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government may decline or be negative for short or long periods of time.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane is subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, including foreign investment companies, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. Holding cash or cash equivalents, even strategically, may lead to missed investment opportunities. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

239 KraneShares Eastern US CarbonStrategy ETF

**Performance Information**

Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included in this Prospectus that will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the variability of the Fund's return based on net assets and comparing the variability of the Fund's return to a broad measure of market performance. The Fund's current performance information will be or is available at www.kraneshares.com. Past performance does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.

**Management**

**Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. Climate Finance Partners LLC ("Sub-Adviser") serves as the non-discretionary investment sub-adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Managers**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, supports Mr. Maund and Krane's investment team for the Fund and has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Luke Oliver, Managing Director, Head of Strategy and also Head of Climate Investments at the Adviser, has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.kraneshares.com.

**Tax Information**

Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

240 KraneShares Eastern US CarbonStrategy ETF

**KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF**

**Investment Objective**

The Fund seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of a specific equity securities index. The Fund's current index is the Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index (the "Underlying Index").

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees** (fees paid directly from your investment)

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.78% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees\* | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses | 0.01% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses | 0.09% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 0.88% |

---

\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| $90 | $281 | $488 | $1084 |

---

**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. For the period July 15, 2024 to March 31, 2025, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 2% of the average value of its portfolio. This rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Fund's shares.

241 KraneShares Hedgeye HedgedEquity Index ETF

**Principal Investment Strategies**

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in securities of the Underlying Index and other instruments that have economic characteristics similar to those in the Underlying Index.

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| The Underlying Index is designed to track the performance of a portfolio of large cap securities that is subject to downside hedging and seeks to exhibit less volatility than would a portfolio of large cap securities alone. The Underlying Index models an investment in the S&P 500 Index, the purchase and sale of put options on the S&P 500 Index, and the sale of call options on the S&P 500 Index. Fund assets that are not invested in options will be invested in an exchange-traded fund ("ETF") that seeks to track the S&P 500 Index. The Fund will utilize both European-style exchange-traded options on the S&P 500 Index and FLexible EXchange<sup>®</sup> Options ("FLEX options") on an ETF that seeks to track the S&P 500 Index or a similar large cap securities index.<br>The Underlying Index uses Hedgeye Risk Management, LLC's ("Hedgeye" or "HRM") Risk Range™ signals to determine whether to buy and/or sell such put and call options, and at what strike prices. Hedgeye's Risk Range™ signals are proprietary signals developed by Hedgeye suggesting market entry and exit points for investable assets. The Underlying Index changes its option position as changes occur in the Risk Range signals or if the expiration date of the options is within 7 calendar days. The Fund may weight the put and call options differently than the Underlying Index and may buy and sell put and call options on different dates than the Underlying Index. | *Options contracts are an agreement between a buyer and seller that gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy or sell a particular asset at a specified future date at an agreed upon price.*<br>*FLEX options are customizable exchange-traded option contracts guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation.*<br>*European-style options are option contracts, which are exercisable at the strike price only on the expiration date.*<br>*The strike price of an option is generally, the price at which an option holder may exercise the right to purchase or sell the reference asset of an option contract upon expiration of the contract.*  |

---

The Underlying Index's options positions are modeled to provide downside protection, while frequently foregoing some upside potential. The premiums received from writing options are modeled to provide income to offset the cost of buying options. For the Fund, writing call options may reduce its ability to profit from increases in the value of its equity portfolio in rising markets, while writing put options may reduce its ability to provide downside protection in falling markets.

The S&P 500 Index is a float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index containing equity securities and is generally regarded as representative of the U.S. stock market.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in instruments that are not included in the Underlying Index, but that the Fund's investment adviser, Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. These investments may include equity securities of issuers whose securities are not constituents of the Underlying Index, derivative instruments (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options), other investment companies (including ETFs) and cash or cash equivalents (including money market funds). Certain other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates.

Although the Fund reserves the right to replicate (or hold all constituents of) the Underlying Index, the Fund expects to use a representative sampling strategy to track the Underlying Index. "Representative sampling" is a strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have an investment profile similar to that of the Underlying Index.

242 KraneShares Hedgeye HedgedEquity Index ETF

As of May 31, 2025, the Underlying Index included 504 securities of companies with a market capitalization range of approximately $5.0 billion to $3.4 trillion and an average market capitalization of approximately $109.9 billion. The Underlying Index will be rebalanced and reconstituted when the Hedgeye's Risk Range™ signal changes, which may be as frequently as daily, and if the expiration date of the options is within 7 calendar days. The Underlying Index is provided by Hedgeye Asset Management, LLC (the "Index Provider" or "HAM") and the Underlying Index is calculated by Solactive AG (the "Calculation Agent"). HAM is a subsidiary of HRM, the provider of the Risk Range™ signals.

The Fund is non-diversified. To the extent the Underlying Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund is expected to be concentrated in that industry. As of May 31, 2025, issuers in the Information Technology sector (31.6%), Financials sector (14.3%), and Consumer Discretionary sector (10.6%) represented significant portions of the Underlying Index.

The Fund may engage in securities lending.

**Principal Risks**

As with all ETFs, a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

**Options Risk**. The use of options involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying instrument, or in interest or currency exchange rates, including the anticipated volatility of the underlying instrument (known as implied volatility), which in turn are affected by the performance of the issuer of the underlying instrument, by the time remaining until the expiration of the option contract, by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political and economic events. As such, prior to the exercise or expiration of the option, the Fund is exposed to implied volatility risk, meaning the value, as based on implied volatility, of an option may increase due to market and economic conditions or views based on the sector or industry in which issuers of the underlying instrument participate, including company-specific factors.

An option is a contract that gives the purchaser (holder) of the option, in return for a premium, the right to buy from (call) or sell to (put) the seller (writer) of the option the security or currency underlying the option at a specified exercise price at any time during the term of the option (normally not exceeding nine months). The writer of an option has the obligation upon exercise of the option by its purchaser to deliver the underlying security or currency upon payment of the exercise price or to pay the exercise price upon delivery of the underlying security or currency. Options are derivatives, which, as described above, can be illiquid and can imperfectly correlate with the reference asset(s).

243 KraneShares Hedgeye HedgedEquity Index ETF

The value of the Fund's options positions will fluctuate in response to changes in the value of the index or ETF that underlies the option. Writing such options can reduce the Fund's equity market risk, but it limits the opportunity for the Fund to profit from an increase in the value of the index or ETF in exchange for cash paid by the purchaser ("premium") for the option. When purchasing options, the Fund risks losing all or part of the premium paid. Unusual market conditions or the lack of a market for an option may reduce the effectiveness of the Fund's options strategies, and for these and other reasons, the Fund's options strategies may not reduce the Fund's volatility and could result in losses.

**FLEX Options Risk.** The Fund may utilize FLEX options, which are issued and guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation ("OCC") as guarantor and central counterparty.

FLEX options may be less liquid than standardized options. In less liquid markets for the FLEX options, the Fund may have difficulty closing out certain FLEX options positions at desired times and prices. Certain FLEX option positions may expire worthless.

**Clearing Member Default Risk.** Transactions in some types of derivatives, including options, are required to be centrally cleared ("cleared derivatives"). In a transaction involving cleared derivatives, the Fund's counterparty is a clearing house, such as the OCC, rather than a bank or broker. Since the Fund is not a member of clearing houses and only members of a clearing house ("clearing members") can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members. In cleared derivatives positions, the Fund will make payments (including margin payments) to, and receive payments from, a clearing house through their accounts at clearing members. Customer funds held at a clearing organization in connection with any option contracts are held in a commingled omnibus account and are not identified to the name of the clearing member's individual customers. As a result, assets deposited by the Fund with any clearing member as margin for its options may, in certain circumstances, be used to satisfy losses of other clients of the Fund's clearing member. In addition, although clearing members guarantee performance of their clients' obligations to the clearing house, there is a risk that the assets of the Fund might not be fully protected in the event of the clearing member's bankruptcy. The Fund is also subject to the risk that a limited number of clearing members are willing to transact on the Fund's behalf, which heightens the risks associated with a clearing member's default. If a clearing member defaults the Fund could lose some or all of the benefits of a transaction entered into by the Fund with the clearing member. The loss of a clearing member for the Fund to transact with could result in increased transaction costs and other operational issues that could impede the Fund's ability to implement its investment strategy. If the Fund cannot find a clearing member to transact with on the Fund's behalf, the Fund may be unable to effectively implement its investment strategy.

The OCC acts as guarantor and central counterparty with respect to the options. As a result, the ability of the Fund to meet its objective depends on the OCC being able to meet its obligations. In the event an OCC clearing member that is a counterparty of the Fund were to become insolvent, the Fund may have some or all of its options closed without its consent or may experience delays or other difficulties in attempting to close or exercise its affected options positions, both of which would impair the Fund's ability to execute its investment strategy. In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses.

**Hedging Risk.** Hedges are sometimes subject to imperfect matching between the derivative and the underlying security, and there can be no assurance that the Fund's hedging transactions will be effective. While hedging can reduce or eliminate losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains.

**Equity Securities Risk.** The values of equity securities are subject to factors such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes. In the event of liquidation, equity securities are generally subordinate in rank to debt and other securities of the same issuer.

244 KraneShares Hedgeye HedgedEquity Index ETF

**Key Man Risk.** While certain aspects of calculating the Underlying Index are automated, not all of the processes for calculating the Underlying Index are. In fact, HRM's ability to publish Hedgeye's Risk Range™ signals daily, which are a critical input to the Underlying Index, is heavily dependent on the manual activities of a single individual, HRM'S CEO and founder ("Key Man"). In the Key Man's absence, the Risk Range™ signals will be published by another individual ("Secondary Calculator"). The formula utilized by the Secondary Calculator is based on a formula that incorporates the same factors as the formula used by the Key Man but this formula is not identical to the formula utilized by the Key Man. If the Key Man were to leave HRM or is unable to calculate the Risk Range™ signals, the Risk Range signals and Underlying Index may not function as designed and adversely impact the Fund.

If the Risk Range™ signals are not published for any reason, the Index Provider and Calculation Agent will use the last available Risk Range™ signal to calculate the Underlying Index value. Under any of these circumstances, the Underlying Index would not be updated to incorporate current Risk Range signals in a timely manner, and the Underlying Index may not function as designed, which may adversely impact the Fund. If this were to occur for an extended period, the Fund may be required to change its investment objective or be liquidated.

**Hedgeye Risk Range™ Signal Publication Risk.** The Underlying Index utilizes Hedgeye's Risk Range™ signals as critical inputs. Those same Risk Range™ signals are made available daily by HRM to other subscribers of the Risk Range™ signals, which include both retail and institutional investors. Krane will receive the constituents of the Underlying Index from the Calculation Agent after Hedgeye's Risk Range™ signals are published to all HRM subscribers. As a result, HRM subscribers will be able to act on the daily Risk Range™ signals ahead of the Fund. In addition, HRM subscribers may receive intraday updates to the Risk Range™ signals, whereas the Underlying Index will only utilize the initially published Risk Range™ signals.

**Large Capitalization Company Risk.** Large capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges and attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. As such, returns on investments in stocks of large capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small and mid-capitalization companies.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**Concentration Risk.** The Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Underlying Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The securities of companies in an industry or group of industries could react similarly to market developments. Thus, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that affect one industry or group of industries or sector While the Fund's sector and industry exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Underlying Index, the Fund is currently subject to the principal risks described below.

**Information Technology Sector Risk.** Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology advances could have a major effect on the value of stocks in the information technology sector. The value of stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from competitors with lower production costs. Information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies in the information technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel.

245 KraneShares Hedgeye HedgedEquity Index ETF

**Financials Sector Risk.** The performance of companies in the financials sector may be adversely impacted by many factors, including, among others, government regulations, economic conditions, credit rating downgrades, changes in interest rates, and decreased liquidity in credit markets. This sector has experienced significant losses in the recent past, and the impact of more stringent capital requirements and of recent or future regulation on any individual financial company or on the sector as a whole cannot be predicted.

**Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk.** The success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied closely to the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence. Success depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes can also affect the demand for, and success of, consumer products in the marketplace.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to "Authorized Participants." Unlike many other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Thus, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in other ETFs as the Fund may recognize a capital gain that it could have avoided by making redemptions in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. Further, paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds at an inopportune time. Cash transactions may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes, including brokerage fees, that might not have occurred if the Fund utilized in-kind transactions. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**New Fund Risk.** If the Fund does not grow in size, it will be at greater risk than larger funds of wider bid-ask spreads for its shares, trading at a greater premium or discount to NAV, liquidation and/or a stop to trading.

246 KraneShares Hedgeye HedgedEquity Index ETF

**Passive Investment and Index Risk.** There is no guarantee that the Underlying Index will create the desired exposure. It does not seek to "beat" the Underlying Index or take temporary defensive positions when markets decline. Therefore, the Fund may purchase or hold securities with current or projected underperformance.

There is no guarantee that the methodology the Index Provider uses to identify constituents for the Underlying Index will achieve its intended result or provide an accurate assessment of included constituents. The Underlying Index relies on various sources of information to assess the potential constituents of the Underlying Index, including information that may be based on assumptions or estimates. Neither the Fund nor Krane can offer assurances that the Index Provider's sources of information are reliable. There can be no guarantee that the methodology underlying the Underlying Index, the Underlying Index construction and computation processes, or the daily calculation of the Underlying Index or its methodology will be free from error or that an error will be identified and/or corrected, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund.

**Management Risk.** The Fund may not fully replicate the Underlying Index and may have different options than the Underlying Index. Therefore, the Fund is subject to the risk that Krane's security selection process may not produce the intended results.

**Tracking Error Risk.** The Fund's return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Underlying Index. This may be due to, among other factors, the Fund holding cash under certain circumstances in lieu of Underlying Index securities, such as when the Fund is subject to delays converting U.S. dollars into a foreign currency to purchase foreign securities and unable to invest in certain constituents of the Underlying Index due to regulatory constraints, trading suspensions, and legal restrictions imposed by foreign governments. To the extent that the Fund employs a representative sampling strategy or calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the Underlying Index is based on securities' closing prices on local foreign markets, the Fund's ability to track the Underlying Index may be adversely affected.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**High Portfolio Turnover Risk.** The Fund may incur high portfolio turnover rates, which may increase the Fund's brokerage commission costs and negatively impact the Fund's performance. Such portfolio turnover also may generate net short-term capital gains.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. The Fund's investments in issuers whose control persons are not certain creates a risk that tax authorities may retrospectively deem the Fund to have failed the asset diversification requirements. If the Fund were to fail the favorable tax treatment requirements, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, which would adversely affect its performance.

247 KraneShares Hedgeye HedgedEquity Index ETF

**Securities Lending Risk.** To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: (1) the securities in which the collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the applicable rebate rates paid to borrowers and related administrative costs; (2) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions; and (3) although borrowers of the Fund's securities typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities, there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. Krane is subject to potential conflicts of interest because the compensation paid to it increases in connection with any net income received by the Fund from the securities lending program.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

**Performance Information**

Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included in this Prospectus that will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the variability of the Fund's return based on net assets and comparing the variability of the Fund's return to a broad measure of market performance. Once available, the Fund's current performance information will be available at www.kraneshares.com. Past performance does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.

**Management**

**Investment Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Managers**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, supports Mr. Maund and Krane's investment team for the Fund and has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.kraneshares.com.

248 KraneShares Hedgeye HedgedEquity Index ETF

**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 IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

249 KraneShares Hedgeye HedgedEquity Index ETF

**KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF**

**Investment Objective**

The Fund seeks growth of capital.

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)**

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.99% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees<sup>\*</sup> | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses | 0.00% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 0.99% |

---

\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| $101 | $315 | $547 | $1213 |

---

**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. For the period July 17, 2024 to March 31, 2025, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 49% of the average value of its portfolio. This rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Fund's shares.

**Principal Investment Strategies**

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in securities of "Artificial Intelligence ("AI") and Technology" companies and other instruments that have economic characteristics similar to such securities. The Fund considers a company to be an "AI and Technology" company if it is classified in the Technology economy within the FactSet Revere Business Industry Classification system ("RBICS"), which requires a company to generate at least 50% of its revenue from within the Technology economy, and has an AI Exposure Score greater than zero. An "AI and Technology" company will generally operate in the following industries as categorized by RBICS: computer peripherals, data processing services, information technology services, internet retail, internet software/services, packaged software, semiconductors, or telecommunications equipment. An AI Exposure Score is a proprietary score used by the Underlying Index (as defined below) that attempts to quantify the exposure of a company with regards to AI. It is measured in a range from 0 (no exposure) to 5 (highest exposure) and is based on the company's public business descriptions, public filings, press releases, and financial disclosures that directly indicate involvement in AI-related business or the incorporation of AI technologies into their key operations, offerings and research and development activities.

250 KraneShares Artificial Intelligenceand Technology ETF

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests principally in instruments in the Solactive Etna Artificial General Intelligence Index (the "Underlying Index") and, with respect to these investments in instruments in the Underlying Index, the Fund seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, track the performance of the Underlying Index. The Fund also will invest in securities of private companies with exposure to AI businesses, which are not securities included in the Underlying Index, if it is able to find what it believes to be an attractive investment opportunity.

The Underlying Index is a modified, free float adjusted market capitalization weighted index designed to measure the equity performance of companies in developed markets with exposure to AI businesses. Solactive AG ("Index Provider") defines developed countries as the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, or United States.

To be eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index, a security must meet the following criteria:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(1) a constituent of the Solactive GBS Global Markets All Cap USD Index PR;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(2) issued by a company with a minimum free float market capitalization of at least $2 billion;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(3) listed for at least one month and have a minimum average daily trading volume of $2 million as measured over the last one-month and six-month periods;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(4) classified by the FactSet Revere Business Industry Classification system ("RBICS") as being in biotechnology, computer peripherals, data processing services, information technology services, internet retail, internet software/services, motor vehicles, packaged software, semiconductors, or telecommunications equipment; and

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(5) have an AI Exposure Score (as discussed below) greater than zero.

The issuers included in the Underlying Index may include small-cap, mid-cap and large-cap companies.

The Sub-Adviser (as defined below) assigns each eligible security a proprietary AI Exposure Score from zero to five on a quarterly basis and the Index Provider categorizes each security into one of three categories: AI Applications, AI Hardware, or AI Infrastructure. The AI Hardware category includes semiconductor and data center companies that power the training of large language models; the AI Infrastructure category includes companies that provide cloud, security and data management for large language models; and the AI Applications category includes companies that leverage AI technologies within their business models, products and services to drive efficiencies cost savings, new revenue streams or improved customer experience services.

The Underlying Index is weighted such that no more than 40% of the Underlying Index is composed of securities within each category. Within each category, each constituent's weight is determined by a combination of the security's AI Exposure Score and the security's free-float market capitalization subject to a maximum weight of 10% and a minimum weight of 0.5%. If any weights above 5% add up to more than 50% of the Underlying Index, the Index Provider will cap such weights at 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6% and 4.5%, accordingly. The Underlying Index is rebalanced and reconstituted quarterly. The Index Provider is not affiliated with the Fund, the Fund's investment adviser, Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser"), or the Fund's sub-adviser, Etna Capital Management Company Ltd. ("Etna" or "Sub-Adviser").

The Fund may invest in instruments that are not included in the Underlying Index. These investments may include equity securities and depositary receipts of issuers whose securities are not constituents of the Underlying Index, derivative instruments (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options), other investment companies (including exchange traded funds or "ETFs") and cash or cash equivalents (including money market funds). Certain other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates.

251 KraneShares Artificial Intelligenceand Technology ETF

Although the Fund expects to replicate (or hold all components of) the Underlying Index, the Fund reserves the right to use representative sampling for the portion of the Fund that tracks the Underlying Index. "Representative sampling" is a strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index.

As of May 31, 2025, the Underlying Index included 44 securities of companies with a market capitalization range of approximately $8 billion to $3 trillion and an average market capitalization of approximately $516 billion. The Fund is non-diversified. To the extent the Underlying Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund is expected to be concentrated in that industry. As of May 31, 2025, issuers in the Information Technology sector (82%) represented a significant portion of the Underlying Index.

The Fund will invest in the securities of private companies with exposure to AI businesses, if it is able to find what it believes to be an attractive investment opportunity. In selecting securities of private companies, the Sub-Adviser looks for companies with exposure to AI businesses that are similar to companies in the Underlying Index that may be preparing for an initial public offering. However, the Sub-Adviser may also invest in companies in earlier stages of development.

The Fund may engage in securities lending.

**Principal Risks**

As with all ETFs, a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**Artificial Intelligence and Technology Risk.** "AI and Technology" companies typically have high research and capital expenditures and, as a result, their profitability can vary widely, if they are profitable at all. The space in which they are engaged is highly competitive and issuers' products and services may become obsolete very quickly. These companies are heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by loss or impairment of those rights. The issuers are also subject to legal, regulatory and political changes that may have a large impact on their profitability. A failure in an issuer's product or even questions about the safety of the product could be devastating to the issuer, especially if it is the marquee product of the issuer. It can be difficult to accurately capture what qualifies as an AI and Technology company.

Certain AI and Technology companies may face special risks that their products or services may not prove to be commercially successful. Such companies are also strongly affected by worldwide scientific or technological developments. As a result, their products may rapidly become obsolete. Such companies are also often subject to governmental regulation and may, therefore, be adversely affected by governmental policies. In addition, certain of such companies in which the Fund may invest may not currently be profitable and there can be no assurance that such companies will be profitable in the future.

**Foreign Securities Risk.** Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may be less liquid than investments in U.S. issuers, may have less governmental regulation and oversight, and are typically subject to different investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities entail the risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations, political or economic instability, less complete financial information about the issuers, the possible imposition of withholding or confiscatory taxes, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, and the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency. Foreign market trading hours, clearance and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund's ability to buy and sell securities. Additionally, foreign issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, recordkeeping, and financial reporting requirements. Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by governmental authorities. If the Fund holds positions in such suspended securities, the Fund may be adversely impacted. Certain countries in which the Fund may invest may be subject to extended settlement delays and/or foreign holidays, during which the Fund will unlikely be able to convert holdings to cash. All of these factors could result in a loss to the Fund.

252 KraneShares Artificial Intelligenceand Technology ETF

**Equity Securities Risk.** The values of equity securities are subject to factors such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes. In the event of liquidation, equity securities are generally subordinate in rank to debt and other securities of the same issuer.

**Privately-Issued Securities Risk.** The Fund may invest in privately-issued securities, including those that are normally purchased pursuant to Rule 144A or Regulation S promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). Privately-issued securities are securities that have not been registered under the Securities Act and as a result are subject to legal restrictions on resale. Privately-issued securities are not traded on established markets and may be less liquid, difficult to value and subject to wide fluctuations in value. Delay or difficulty in selling such securities may result in a loss to the Fund. In addition, transaction costs may be higher for privately-issued securities than for more liquid securities. The Fund may have to bear the expense of registering privately-issued securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration.

**Private Company Risk.** Investments in private companies involve greater risks than investments in securities of companies that have traded publicly on an exchange for extended periods of time. Investments in these companies are generally less liquid than investments in securities issued by public companies and may be difficult for the Fund to value. Compared to public companies, private companies may have a more limited management group and limited operating histories with narrower, less established product lines and smaller market shares, which may cause them to be more vulnerable to competitors' actions, market conditions and consumer sentiment with respect to their products or services, as well as general economic downturns. In addition, private companies may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations. The Fund may only have limited access to a private company's actual financial results and there is no assurance that the information obtained by the Fund is reliable. These companies may not ever issue shares in an initial public offering ("IPO") and a liquid market for their shares may never develop, which could adversely affect the Fund's liquidity. If the company does issue shares in an IPO, IPOs are risky and volatile and may cause the value of the Fund's investment to decrease significantly. Moreover, because securities issued by private companies are generally not freely or publicly tradable, the Fund may not have the opportunity to purchase, or the ability to sell, these securities in the amounts, or at the prices, the Fund desires.

**IPO Risk.** Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile. At any particular time or from time to time, the Fund may not be able to invest in securities issued in IPOs, or invest to the extent desired, because, for example, only a small portion (if any) of the securities being offered in an IPO may be available to the Fund. In addition, as the Fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the Fund's performance will generally decrease.

**Concentration Risk.** The Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Underlying Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The securities of companies in an industry or group of industries could react similarly to market developments. Thus, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that affect one industry or group of industries or sector While the Fund's sector and industry exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Underlying Index, the Fund is currently subject to the principal risks described below.

**Information Technology Sector Risk.** Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology advances could have a major effect on the value of stocks in the information technology sector. The value of stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from competitors with lower production costs. Information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies in the information technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel.

253 KraneShares Artificial Intelligenceand Technology ETF

**Currency Risk.** To the extent that the Fund is exposed directly or indirectly to foreign currencies, including through its investments, or invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies and vice versa. This may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**International Closed Market Trading Risk.** To the extent the Fund's investments trade in markets that are closed when the Fund and Exchange are open, there are likely to be deviations between current pricing of an underlying security and the prices at which the underlying securities are valued for purposes of the Fund's NAV. As a result, Shares may appear to trade at a significant discount or premium to NAV greater than those incurred by other ETFs. In addition, shareholders may not be able to purchase or redeem their shares of the Fund, or purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

**New Fund Risk.** If the Fund does not grow in size, it will be at greater risk than larger funds of wider bid-ask spreads for its shares, trading at a greater premium or discount to NAV, liquidation and/or a stop to trading.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

254 KraneShares Artificial Intelligenceand Technology ETF

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, market turmoil, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants, or the lack of an active trading market. Markets for securities or financial instruments could be disrupted by a number of events, including, but not limited to, an economic crisis, natural disasters, new legislation or regulatory changes inside or outside the U.S. Liquid investments may become less liquid after being purchased by the Fund, particularly during periods of market stress. In addition, if a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt.

**Passive Investment and Index Risk.** There is no guarantee that the Underlying Index will create the desired exposure. It does not seek to "beat" the Underlying Index or take temporary defensive positions when markets decline. Therefore, the Fund may purchase or hold securities with current or projected underperformance.

There is no guarantee that the methodology the Index Provider uses to identify constituents for the Underlying Index will achieve its intended result or provide an accurate assessment of included constituents. The Underlying Index relies on various sources of information to assess the potential constituents of the Underlying Index, including information that may be based on assumptions or estimates. Neither the Fund nor Krane can offer assurances that the Index Provider's sources of information are reliable. There can be no guarantee that the methodology underlying the Underlying Index, the Underlying Index construction and computation processes, or the daily calculation of the Underlying Index or its methodology will be free from error or that an error will be identified and/or corrected, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund.

**Management Risk.** The Fund's investment in private companies is actively-managed and the Fund may not meet its investment objective based on Krane's or the sub-adviser's, as applicable, success or failure to implement investment strategies for the Fund for these investments. Krane's or the sub-adviser's, as applicable, evaluations and assumptions regarding these investments may not successfully achieve the Fund's investment objective given actual market conditions. Furthermore, for the portion of the Fund's assets invested in the Underlying Index, the Fund may not fully replicate the Underlying Index and may hold less than the total number of securities in the Underlying Index. Therefore, the Fund is subject to the risk that Krane's security selection process may not produce the intended results.

**Tracking Error Risk.** For the portion of the Fund's assets invested in the Underlying Index, the Fund's return for this portion may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Underlying Index. This may be due to, among other factors, the Fund holding cash under certain circumstances in lieu of Underlying Index securities, such as when the Fund is subject to delays converting U.S. dollars into a foreign currency to purchase foreign securities and unable to invest in certain constituents of the Underlying Index due to regulatory constraints, trading suspensions, and legal restrictions imposed by foreign governments. To the extent that the Fund employs a representative sampling strategy or calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the Underlying Index is based on securities' closing prices on local foreign markets, the Fund's ability to track the Underlying Index may be adversely affected.

**Large Capitalization Company Risk.** Large capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges and attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. As such, returns on investments in stocks of large capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small and mid capitalization companies.

**Small- and Mid-Capitalization Company Risk.** Investing in the securities of small and medium capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization companies. Since small and medium-sized companies may have limited operating histories, product lines and financial resources, the securities of these companies may be less liquid and more volatile. They may also be sensitive to (expected) changes in interest rates and earnings.

255 KraneShares Artificial Intelligenceand Technology ETF

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. In addition, the securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days that the Fund does not price its shares; as a result, the value of Fund shares may change on days when investors cannot purchase or sell their Fund holdings.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk**. The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane is subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. The Fund's investments in issuers whose control persons are not certain creates a risk that tax authorities may retrospectively deem the Fund to have failed the asset diversification requirements. If the Fund were to fail the favorable tax treatment requirements, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, which would adversely affect its performance.

**Depositary Receipts Risk.** The Fund may hold the securities of foreign companies in the form of depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts. Investing in depositary receipts entails the risks associated with foreign investments, such as fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the securities of U.S. issuers. In addition, the value of the securities underlying the depositary receipts may change materially when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, which will affect the value of the depositary receipts.

256 KraneShares Artificial Intelligenceand Technology ETF

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter ("OTC") derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

**Performance Information**

Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included in this Prospectus that will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the variability of the Fund's return based on net assets and comparing the variability of the Fund's return to a broad measure of market performance. Once available, the Fund's current performance information will be available at www.kraneshares.com. Past performance does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.

**Management**

**Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. Etna Capital Management Company Ltd serves as the investment sub-adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Managers**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, supports Krane's investment team for the Fund and also has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception.

Solomon Bier, a Portfolio Manager and Partner of the Sub-Adviser, has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Max Chen, a Portfolio Manager and Executive Director of the Sub-Adviser, has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception.

257 KraneShares Artificial Intelligenceand Technology ETF

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.kraneshares.com.

**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 IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

258 KraneShares Artificial Intelligenceand Technology ETF

**KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF**

**Investment Objective**

The Fund seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of a specific fixed income securities index. The Fund's current index is the Solactive ISS Sustainable Select 0-1 Year USD Corporate IG Index (the "Underlying Index").

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees** (fees paid directly from your investment)

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.29% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees<sup>\*</sup> | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses<sup>\*\*</sup> | 0.01% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 0.30% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Fee Waiver<sup>\*\*</sup> | 0.10% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver** | 0.20% |

---

\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

\*\* The Fund's investment adviser, Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser"), has contractually agreed to waive its management fee by 0.10% of the Fund's average daily net assets ("Fee Waiver"). The Fee Waiver will continue until August 1, 2026, and may only be terminated prior thereto by the Board.

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same, except that it reflects the Fee Waiver for the period described above. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| $20 | $86 | $159 | $371 |

---

**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. For the period July 25, 2024 to March 31, 2025, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 0% of the average value of its portfolio. This rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Fund's shares.

259 KraneShares Sustainable Ultra ShortDuration Index ETF

**Principal Investment Strategies**

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in securities of the Underlying Index and other instruments that have economic characteristics similar to those in the Underlying Index.

The Underlying Index is designed to measure the performance of U.S. dollar denominated investment grade corporate debt securities with a maturity of up to one year that are compatible with the principal objective of the Paris Agreement, which seeks to limit temperature increases in this century to well below 2 degrees Celsius, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, above pre-industrial levels (i.e., carbon reduction target levels).

To be eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index, a bond or issuer must be a constituent of the Solactive 0-1 Year USD Corporate IG Index (the "Parent Index"), which requires constituent securities to have a credit rating from BBB- to AAA, as rated by Moody's Investors Service, Inc., or Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC, and a maturity of one year or less. The Index Provider utilizes data from Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. ("ISS") to exclude debt securities of the following issuers:

● Companies that fail to respect established norms such as the United Nations Global Compact principles, the organization for Economic Co-operations and Development guidelines, or UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights;

● Companies with verified or alleged ongoing involvement in controversial weapons research, such as chemical weapons, biological weapons, nuclear weapons, cluster munitions, anti-personnel mines, or depleted uranium;

● Companies that generate revenue from certain activities, such as gambling, tobacco, cannabis, firearms and weapons, adult entertainment, fossil fuel power generation, fossil fuel production, thermal coal or genetic engineering; or

● Companies that have a significant negative impact with respect to certain sustainable development goals.

Some of these exclusions are categorical, and others are based on ownership or revenue thresholds. The Underlying Index updates the data from ISS related to the exclusions above on an annual basis. Additional information regarding these exclusions is contained in the "Additional Information about the Fund's Underlying Index" section.

The Index Provider uses an optimization process to identify security weights that seeks (a) to ensure the Underlying Index's compliance with carbon reduction target levels, (b) to minimize portfolio turnover, and (c) to minimize weight deviations from the Parent Index with respect to: (1) ratings, (2) sectors, and (3) issuers. Each security included in the Underlying Index will have a minimum weight of at least 0.01%.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in instruments that are not included in the Underlying Index, but that the Fund's investment adviser, Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. These investments may include securities of issuers whose securities are not constituents of the Underlying Index, derivative instruments (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options), other investment companies (including exchange-traded funds or "ETFs") and cash or cash equivalents (including money market funds). Certain other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates.

Although the Fund reserves the right to replicate (or hold all constituents of) the Underlying Index, the Fund expects to use a representative sampling strategy to track the Underlying Index. "Representative sampling" is a strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have an investment profile similar to that of the Underlying Index.

260 KraneShares Sustainable Ultra ShortDuration Index ETF

To the extent the Underlying Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund is expected to be concentrated in that industry. As of May 31, 2025, the Underlying Index was concentrated in the Financials sector. As of May 31, 2025, the Underlying Index was comprised of 419 bonds with a modified duration of 0.45 years. The Fund's average duration will be below one year (i.e., short duration). Duration is a measure of a fixed income security's sensitivity to changes in interest rates. For every 1% change in interest rates, a bond's price generally changes approximately 1% in the opposite direction for every year of duration. For example, if a portfolio of fixed income securities has an average weighted duration of three years, its value can be expected to fall about 3% if interest rates rise by 1%. Conversely, the portfolio's value can be expected to rise approximately 3% if interest rates fall by 1%.

The Underlying Index is rebalanced and reconstituted monthly. The Underlying Index is provided and calculated by Solactive AG ("Index Provider").

The Fund is non-diversified. The Fund may engage in securities lending.

**Principal Risks**

As with all ETFs, a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**Fixed Income Securities Risk.** Fixed income securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a security will not make timely interest payments or repay the principal of the debt issued (i.e., default on its obligations). A downgrade or default on securities held by the Fund could adversely affect the Fund's performance. Generally, the longer the maturity and the lower the credit quality of a security, the more sensitive it is to credit risk. Interest rate risk refers to fluctuations in the value of a debt resulting from changes in the level of interest rates. When interest rates go up, the prices of most debt instruments generally go down; and when interest rates go down, the prices of most debt instruments generally go up. Debt instruments with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes, typically making them more volatile. Interest rates have recently increased and may continue increasing, thereby heightening the risks associated with rising interest rates.

**ESG Risk.** Issuers with businesses with high ESG ratings may be difficult to identify and investments in them maybe volatile. Even companies with high ESG ratings may not necessarily compare favorably with respect to the ESG practices of other issuers. The ESG investment strategy limits the types and number of investment opportunities available and, as a result, the strategy may underperform other strategies that do not have an ESG focus. The ESG investment strategy may result in the Fund's investing in securities or industry sectors that underperform the market as a whole or underperform other funds screened for ESG standards. Investing based on ESG criteria is qualitative and subjective by nature and there is no guarantee that the criteria used by the Fund will reflect the beliefs or values of any particular investor.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**Geographic Focus Risk.** The Fund's investments are expected to be focused in a particular country, countries, or region to approximately the same degree as the Underlying Index and therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country, countries or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified fund.

261 KraneShares Sustainable Ultra ShortDuration Index ETF

**Concentration Risk.** The Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Underlying Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The securities of companies in an industry or group of industries could react similarly to market developments. Thus, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that affect one industry or group of industries or sector While the Fund's sector and industry exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Underlying Index, the Fund is currently subject to the principal risks described below.

**Financials Sector Risk.** The performance of companies in the financials sector may be adversely impacted by many factors, including, among others, government regulations, economic conditions, credit rating downgrades, changes in interest rates, and decreased liquidity in credit markets. This sector has experienced significant losses in the recent past, and the impact of more stringent capital requirements and of recent or future regulation on any individual financial company or on the sector as a whole cannot be predicted.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to "Authorized Participants." Unlike many other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Thus, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in other ETFs as the Fund may recognize a capital gain that it could have avoided by making redemptions in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. Further, paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds at an inopportune time. Cash transactions may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes, including brokerage fees, that might not have occurred if the Fund utilized in-kind transactions. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**New Fund Risk.** If the Fund does not grow in size, it will be at greater risk than larger funds of wider bid-ask spreads for its shares, trading at a greater premium or discount to NAV, liquidation and/or a stop to trading.

262 KraneShares Sustainable Ultra ShortDuration Index ETF

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, market turmoil, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants, or the lack of an active trading market. Markets for securities or financial instruments could be disrupted by a number of events, including, but not limited to, an economic crisis, natural disasters, new legislation or regulatory changes inside or outside the U.S. Liquid investments may become less liquid after being purchased by the Fund, particularly during periods of market stress. In addition, if a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt.

**Passive Investment and Index Risk.** There is no guarantee that the Underlying Index will create the desired exposure and the Fund is not actively managed. It does not seek to "beat" the Underlying Index or take temporary defensive positions when markets decline. Therefore, the Fund may purchase or hold securities with current or projected underperformance.

There is no guarantee that the methodology the Index Provider uses to identify constituents for the Underlying Index will achieve its intended result or provide an accurate assessment of included constituents. The Underlying Index relies on various sources of information to assess the potential constituents of the Underlying Index, including information that may be based on assumptions or estimates. Neither the Fund nor Krane can offer assurances that the Index Provider's sources of information are reliable. There can be no guarantee that the methodology underlying the Underlying Index, the Underlying Index construction and computation processes, or the daily calculation of the Underlying Index or its methodology will be free from error or that an error will be identified and/or corrected, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund.

**Management Risk.** The Fund may not fully replicate the Underlying Index and may hold less than the total number of securities in the Underlying Index. Therefore, the Fund is subject to the risk that Krane's security selection process may not produce the intended results.

**Tracking Error Risk.** The Fund's return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Underlying Index. This may be due to, among other factors, the Fund holding cash under certain circumstances in lieu of Underlying Index securities, such as when the Fund is subject to delays converting U.S. dollars into a foreign currency to purchase foreign securities and unable to invest in certain constituents of the Underlying Index due to regulatory constraints, trading suspensions, and legal restrictions imposed by foreign governments. To the extent that the Fund employs a representative sampling strategy or calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the Underlying Index is based on securities' closing prices on local foreign markets, the Fund's ability to track the Underlying Index may be adversely affected.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. In addition, the securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days that the Fund does not price its shares; as a result, the value of Fund shares may change on days when investors cannot purchase or sell their Fund holdings.

263 KraneShares Sustainable Ultra ShortDuration Index ETF

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. The Fund's investments in issuers whose control persons are not certain creates a risk that tax authorities may retrospectively deem the Fund to have failed the asset diversification requirements. If the Fund were to fail the favorable tax treatment requirements, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, which would adversely affect its performance.

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane is subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

**Securities Lending Risk.** To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: (1) the securities in which the collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the applicable rebate rates paid to borrowers and related administrative costs; (2) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions; and (3) although borrowers of the Fund's securities typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities, there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. Krane is subject to potential conflicts of interest because the compensation paid to it increases in connection with any net income received by the Fund from the securities lending program.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

264 KraneShares Sustainable Ultra ShortDuration Index ETF

**Performance Information**

Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included in this Prospectus that will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the variability of the Fund's return based on net assets and comparing the variability of the Fund's return to a broad measure of market performance. Once available, the Fund's current performance information will be available at www.kraneshares.com. Past performance does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.

**Management**

**Investment Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Managers**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, supports Mr. Maund and Krane's investment team for the Fund and has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares of the Fund may be purchased or redeemed directly from the Fund only in Creation Units or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.kraneshares.com.

**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 IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

265 KraneShares Sustainable Ultra ShortDuration Index ETF

**KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF**

**Investment Objective**

The Fund seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of a specific equity securities index. The Fund's current index is the Qi China Alpha Index (the "Underlying Index").

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees** (fees paid directly from your investment)

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses <br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)** | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.78% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees\* | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses | 0.01% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 0.79% |

---

\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| $81 | $252 | $439 | $978 |

---

**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. For the period August 27, 2024 to March 31, 2025, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 149% of the average value of its portfolio. This rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Fund's shares.

**Principal Investment Strategies**

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in securities of the Underlying Index and other instruments that have economic characteristics similar to those in the Underlying Index.

266 KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF

The Underlying Index seeks to provide a total return that exceeds the CSI 300 Index using an automated algorithmic machine learning investment process ("AI Process") developed by Quant Insight Ltd. ("Index Provider"). The CSI 300 Index is a free-float capitalization-weighted index that tracks the performance of China A-Shares issued by the 300 largest companies by market capitalization and liquidity traded on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

The "Index Universe" for the Underlying Index is comprised of all companies listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and Shenzhen Stock Exchange that have a minimum market capitalization of $1 billion, a minimum average 30-day turnover of $5 million, and are China A-Shares not subject to U.S. sanctions. From this Index Universe, the Underlying Index chooses a maximum of 50 securities and caps the weight of any one constituent at 5% of the index weight. The constituent securities and their weights within the Underlying Index are determined by the AI Process.

The AI Process used by the Underlying Index relies on, among other data inputs, historical prices, financial indicators, market trends, mathematical parameters, market capitalization and sector classification, in selecting securities and security weights for the Underlying Index. The AI Process algorithmically seeks to identify the combination of stocks and stock weights most likely to provide a total return that exceeds that of the CSI 300 Index by using historical data to train the model to systematically optimize the securities selected and their weights. The Underlying Index is reconstituted and rebalanced monthly.

Direct investments in China A-Shares are possible only through the trading and clearing facilities of a participating exchange located outside of mainland China ("Stock Connect Programs") or Qualified Foreign Investor ("QFI") license. Exposure to A-Shares can also be obtained indirectly by investing in funds that invest in A-Shares. Currently, the Fund plans to achieve its investment objective principally by investing in China A-Shares through the Stock Connect Programs.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in instruments that are not included in the Underlying Index, but that the Fund's investment adviser, Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. These investments may include equity securities and depositary receipts of issuers whose securities are not constituents of the Underlying Index, derivative instruments (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options), other investment companies (including exchange traded funds or "ETFs") and cash or cash equivalents (including money market funds). Certain other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates.

Although the Fund expects to replicate (or hold all components of) the Underlying Index, the Fund reserves the right to use representative sampling to track the Underlying Index. "Representative sampling" is a strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index.

The Underlying Index is provided by the Index Provider, and the Underlying Index is calculated by Solactive AG.

As of May 31, 2025, the Underlying Index included 39 securities of companies with a market capitalization range of approximately $7 billion to $329 billion and an average market capitalization of approximately $47 billion.

The Fund is non-diversified. To the extent the Underlying Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund is expected to be concentrated in that industry. As of May 31, 2025, issuers in the Financials sector (34%), Industrials sector (23%), Materials sector (19%) and Information Technology sector (15%) represented significant portions of the Underlying Index.

The Fund may engage in securities lending.

267 KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF

**Principal Risks**

As with all ETFs, a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**China Risk.** The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions in the People's Republic of China ("China" or the "PRC") and surrounding Asian countries and may demonstrate significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. Investments in Chinese securities, including those that are Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, subject the Fund to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. Over the last few decades, the Chinese government has undertaken reform of economic and market practices and has expanded the sphere of private ownership of property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. Chinese companies are also subject to the risk that Chinese authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. In addition, the Chinese economy is export-driven and highly reliant on trading with key partners. A downturn in the economies of China's primary trading partners could slow or eliminate the growth of the Chinese economy and adversely impact the Fund's investments. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. The RMB is not freely convertible, but rather is subject to approval of PRC authorities. Although Chinese authorities have indicated an intent to move to a freely convertible RMB, there is no assurance that repatriation restrictions will not continue. The Chinese government may introduce new laws and regulations that could have an adverse effect on the Fund. Although China has begun the process of privatizing certain sectors of its economy, privatized entities may lose money and/or be re-nationalized.

Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Incidents involving China's or the region's security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments.

In the Chinese securities markets, a small number of issuers may represent a large portion of the entire market. The Chinese securities markets are subject to more frequent trading halts, low trading volume and price volatility. Recent developments in relations between the United States and China have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the two countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on China's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on the Fund. In addition, worsening trade relations between the two countries could adversely impact the Fund, particularly to the extent that the Chinese government restricts foreign investments in on-shore Chinese companies or the U.S. government restricts investments by U.S. investors in China. This may also result in market volatility and volatility in the price of Fund shares.

The Underlying Index may include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government. So long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments, the Fund is generally expected to invest in such companies, consistent with its objective to track the performance of the Underlying Index.

In recent years, Chinese entities have incurred significant levels of debt and Chinese financial institutions currently hold relatively large amounts of non-performing debt. Thus, there exists a possibility that widespread defaults could occur, which could trigger a financial crisis, freeze Chinese debt and finance markets and make Chinese securities illiquid.

268 KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF

Disclosure and regulatory standards in emerging market countries, such as China, are in many respects less stringent than U.S. standards. There is substantially less publicly available information about Chinese issuers than there is about U.S. issuers. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements or due to worsening relations between the U.S. and China, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities.

The tax laws and regulations in China are somewhat unclear and are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. The interpretation, application and enforcement of such laws and regulations by the applicable authorities may vary over time and from region to region, and could have an adverse effect on the Fund and its shareholders, particularly in relation to tax imposed upon foreign investors' capital gains. Uncertainties in Chinese tax rules could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund.

**A-Shares Risk.** A-Shares are issued by companies incorporated in mainland China and are traded on Chinese exchanges. Investments in A-Shares are made available to domestic Chinese investors and certain foreign investors, including those who have been approved as a QFI and through the Stock Connect Programs, which currently include the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shanghai-London Stock Connect, and China-Japan Stock Connect. Investments by foreign investors in A-Shares are subject to various restrictions, regulations and limits. Investments in A-Shares are heavily regulated and the recoupment and repatriation of assets invested in A-Shares is subject to restrictions by the Chinese government. A-Shares may be subject to frequent and widespread trading halts and may become illiquid. This could cause volatility in the Fund's share price and subject the Fund to a greater risk of trading halts.

**Custody Risks.** In accordance with Chinese regulations and the terms of a QFI license, A-Shares will be held in the joint names of the Fund and Krane. Thus, the Fund's assets may not be as well protected as they would be if it were possible for them to be registered and held solely in the name of the Fund. There is a risk that creditors of Krane may assert that the securities are owned by Krane and that regulatory actions taken against Krane may affect the Fund.

**Hong Kong Risk.** The economy of Hong Kong has few natural resources and any fluctuation or shortage in the commodity markets could have a significant adverse effect on the Hong Kong economy. Hong Kong is also heavily dependent on international trade and finance. Additionally, the continuation and success of the current political, economic, legal and social policies of Hong Kong is dependent on and subject to the control of the Chinese government. China may change its policies regarding Hong Kong at any time. Any such change may adversely affect market conditions and the performance of Chinese and Hong Kong issuers and, thus, the value of securities in the Fund's portfolio.

**Stock Connect Program Risk.** The Stock Connect Programs are subject to daily quota limitations, and an investor cannot purchase and sell the same security on the same trading day, which may restrict the Fund's ability to invest in A-Shares through the Programs and to enter into or exit trades on a timely basis. The Shanghai and Shenzhen markets may be open at a time when the participating exchanges located outside of mainland China are not active, with the result that prices of A-Shares may fluctuate at times when the Fund is unable to add to or exit its positions. Only certain China A-Shares are eligible to be accessed through the Stock Connect Programs. Such securities may lose their eligibility at any time, in which case they could be sold but could no longer be purchased through the Stock Connect Programs. Because the Stock Connect Programs are still evolving, the actual effect on the market for trading A-Shares with the introduction of large numbers of foreign investors is still relatively unknown. Further, regulations or restrictions, such as limitations on redemptions or suspension of trading, may adversely impact the program. There is no guarantee that the participating exchanges will continue to support the Stock Connect Programs in the future.

Investments in China A-Shares may not be covered by the securities investor protection programs of either exchange and, without the protection of such programs, will be subject to the risk of default by the broker. Because of the way in which China A-Shares are held in the Stock Connect Programs, the Fund may not be able to exercise the rights of a direct shareholder and may be limited in its ability to pursue claims against the issuer of a security, and may suffer losses in the event the legal or "nominee holder" of the China A-Shares under the Stock Connect Programs becomes insolvent.

269 KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF

**Special Risk Considerations of Investing in China.** For purposes of raising capital offshore on exchanges outside of China, including on U.S. exchanges, many Chinese-based operating companies are structured as Variable Interest Entities ("VIEs"). In this structure, the Chinese-based operating company is the VIE and establishes an entity, which is typically offshore in a foreign jurisdiction, such as the Cayman Islands. The offshore entity lists on a foreign exchange and enters into contractual arrangements with the VIE. This structure allows Chinese companies in which the government restricts foreign ownership to raise capital from foreign investors. While the offshore entity has no equity ownership of the VIE, these contractual arrangements permit the offshore entity to consolidate the VIE's financial statements with its own for accounting purposes and provide for economic exposure to the performance of the underlying Chinese operating company. Therefore, an investor in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, will have exposure to the Chinese-based operating company only through contractual arrangements and has no ownership in the Chinese-based operating company.

Furthermore, because the offshore entity only has specific rights provided for in these service agreements with the VIE, its abilities to control the activities at the Chinese-based operating company are limited and the operating company may engage in activities that negatively impact investment value. While the VIE structure has been widely adopted, it is not formally recognized under Chinese law and therefore there is a risk that the Chinese government could prohibit the existence of such structures or negatively impact the VIE's contractual arrangements with the listed offshore entity by making them invalid. If these contracts were found to be unenforceable under Chinese law, investors in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, may suffer significant losses with little or no recourse available. If the Chinese government determines that the agreements establishing the VIE structures do not comply with Chinese law and regulations, including those related to restrictions on foreign ownership, it could subject a Chinese-based issuer to penalties, revocation of business and operating licenses, or forfeiture of ownership interest.

**Machine Learning and Data Risk.** Machine learning is a subset of artificial intelligence that focuses on developing algorithms and statistical models through learning and improving their performance from data and experiences automatically without being explicitly programmed. The Underlying Index uses a machine learning model, the output of which is heavily dependent on multiple inputs, including current and historical data and information (collectively, "Data").

To the extent the model does not perform as intended, the Underlying Index may not perform as intended, and the Fund may lose value. If either or both the model and the Data prove to be incorrect, incomplete, or biased, any decisions made in reliance thereon may lead to constituent selections for the Underlying Index that would not have been made had the model and Data been correct, complete, and unbiased. Errors in the Data, calculations, or the construction of the model may also occur from time to time. Such errors may not be identified or corrected by the Index Provider for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund and its shareholders.

Machine learning models can be prone to overfitting (or performing exceptionally well on historical data used to train and test the model but failing to generalize to new data), leading to poor performance in real-world applications. Machine learning models can also be sensitive to market conditions. The Underlying Index may be adversely impacted if the machine learning models used to compose it are unprepared to or unable to digest unanticipated market circumstances, such as extreme market events. All of these factors may cause the Underlying Index to not perform as intended and adversely impact the Fund.

**Equity Securities Risk.** The values of equity securities are subject to factors such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes. In the event of liquidation, equity securities are generally subordinate in rank to debt and other securities of the same issuer.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

270 KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF

**Emerging Markets Risk.** Securities issued by entities with substantial operations or holdings in emerging market countries may involve additional risks and are subject to greater risk of loss than investments in developed markets. This is due to, among other things, greater market volatility, greater risk of asset seizures and capital controls, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, greater risk of market shutdown, and more governmental limitations on foreign investments in emerging market countries than typically found in developed markets. The economies of emerging markets, and China in particular, may be heavily reliant upon international trade and may suffer disproportionately if international trading declines or is disrupted. Such conditions may lead to potential errors in index data, index computation and/or index construction and may limit the ability to oversee the Index Provider's due diligence process over index data, which may adversely impact the Fund's performance and its ability to track the performance of the Underlying Index.

**Foreign Securities Risk.** Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may be less liquid than investments in U.S. issuers, may have less governmental regulation and oversight, and are typically subject to different investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities entail the risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations, political or economic instability, less complete financial information about the issuers, the possible imposition of withholding or confiscatory taxes, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, and the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency. Foreign market trading hours, clearance and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund's ability to buy and sell securities. Additionally, foreign issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, recordkeeping, and financial reporting requirements. Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by governmental authorities. If the Fund holds positions in such suspended securities, the Fund may be adversely impacted. Certain countries in which the Fund may invest may be subject to extended settlement delays and/or foreign holidays, during which the Fund will unlikely be able to convert holdings to cash. All of these factors could result in a loss to the Fund.

**Geographic Focus Risk.** The Fund's investments are expected to be focused in a particular country, countries, or region to approximately the same degree as the Underlying Index and therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country, countries or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified fund.

**Currency Risk.** To the extent that the Fund is exposed directly or indirectly to foreign currencies, including through its investments, or invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies and vice versa. This may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

**Concentration Risk.** The Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Underlying Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The securities of companies in an industry or group of industries could react similarly to market developments. Thus, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that affect one industry or group of industries or sector. While the Fund's sector and industry exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Underlying Index, the Fund is currently subject to the principal risks described below.

**Financials Sector Risk.** The performance of companies in the financials sector may be adversely impacted by many factors, including, among others, government regulations, economic conditions, credit rating downgrades, changes in interest rates, and decreased liquidity in credit markets. This sector has experienced significant losses in the recent past, and the impact of more stringent capital requirements and of recent or future regulation on any individual financial company or on the sector as a whole cannot be predicted.

271 KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF

**Industrials Sector Risk.** The industrials sector may be affected by changes in the supply and demand for products and services, product obsolescence, claims for environmental damage or product liability and general economic conditions, among other factors. Government regulation will also affect the performance of investments in such industrials sector issuers, particularly aerospace and defense companies, which rely to a significant extent on government demand for their products and services. Transportation companies, another component of the industrials sector, are subject to sharp price movements resulting from changes in the economy, fuel prices, labor agreements and insurance costs.

**Materials Sector Risk.** The materials sector may be adversely impacted by the volatility of commodity prices, exchange rates, depletion of resources, over-production, litigation and government regulations, among other factors.

**Information Technology Sector Risk.** Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology advances could have a major effect on the value of stocks in the information technology sector. The value of stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from competitors with lower production costs. Information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies in the information technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to "Authorized Participants." Unlike many other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Thus, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in other ETFs as the Fund may recognize a capital gain that it could have avoided by making redemptions in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. Further, paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds at an inopportune time. Cash transactions may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes, including brokerage fees, that might not have occurred if the Fund utilized in-kind transactions. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted.

**International Closed Market Trading Risk.** To the extent the Fund's investments trade in markets that are closed when the Fund and Exchange are open, there are likely to be deviations between current pricing of an underlying security and the prices at which the underlying securities are valued for purposes of the Fund's NAV. As a result, Shares may appear to trade at a significant discount or premium to NAV greater than those incurred by other ETFs. In addition, shareholders may not be able to purchase or redeem their shares of the Fund, or purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

272 KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**New Fund Risk.** If the Fund does not grow in size, it will be at greater risk than larger funds of wider bid-ask spreads for its shares, trading at a greater premium or discount to NAV, liquidation and/or a stop to trading.

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, market turmoil, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants, or the lack of an active trading market. Markets for securities or financial instruments could be disrupted by a number of events, including, but not limited to, an economic crisis, natural disasters, new legislation or regulatory changes inside or outside the U.S. Liquid investments may become less liquid after being purchased by the Fund, particularly during periods of market stress. In addition, if a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt.

**Mid-Capitalization Company Risk.** Investing in the securities of medium capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization companies. Since medium-sized companies may have limited operating histories, product lines and financial resources, the securities of these companies may be less liquid and more volatile. They may also be sensitive to (expected) changes in interest rates and earnings.

**Large Capitalization Company Risk.** Large capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges and attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. As such, returns on investments in stocks of large capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small and mid capitalization companies.

**Passive Investment and Index Risk.** There is no guarantee that the Underlying Index will create the desired exposure and the Fund is not actively managed. It does not seek to "beat" the Underlying Index or take temporary defensive positions when markets decline. Therefore, the Fund may purchase or hold securities with current or projected underperformance.

There is no guarantee that the methodology the Index Provider uses to identify constituents for the Underlying Index will achieve its intended result or provide an accurate assessment of included constituents. The Underlying Index relies on various sources of information to assess the potential constituents of the Underlying Index, including information that may be based on assumptions or estimates. Neither the Fund nor Krane can offer assurances that the Index Provider's sources of information are reliable. There can be no guarantee that the methodology underlying the Underlying Index, the Underlying Index construction and computation processes, or the daily calculation of the Underlying Index or its methodology will be free from error or that an error will be identified and/or corrected, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund.

273 KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF

**Management Risk.** The Fund may not fully replicate the Underlying Index and may hold less than the total number of securities in the Underlying Index. Therefore, the Fund is subject to the risk that Krane's security selection process may not produce the intended results.

**Tracking Error Risk.** The Fund's return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Underlying Index. This may be due to, among other factors, the Fund holding cash under certain circumstances in lieu of Underlying Index securities, such as when the Fund is subject to delays converting U.S. dollars into a foreign currency to purchase foreign securities and unable to invest in certain constituents of the Underlying Index due to regulatory constraints, trading suspensions, and legal restrictions imposed by foreign governments. To the extent that the Fund employs a representative sampling strategy or calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the Underlying Index is based on securities' closing prices on local foreign markets, the Fund's ability to track the Underlying Index may be adversely affected.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**High Portfolio Turnover Risk.** The Fund may incur high portfolio turnover rates, which may increase the Fund's brokerage commission costs and negatively impact the Fund's performance. Such portfolio turnover also may generate net short-term capital gains.

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. In addition, the securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days that the Fund does not price its shares; as a result, the value of Fund shares may change on days when investors cannot purchase or sell their Fund holdings.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. The Fund's investments in issuers whose control persons are not certain creates a risk that tax authorities may retrospectively deem the Fund to have failed the asset diversification requirements. If the Fund were to fail the favorable tax treatment requirements, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, which would adversely affect its performance.

**Depositary Receipts Risk.** The Fund may hold the securities of foreign companies in the form of depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts. Investing in depositary receipts entails the risks associated with foreign investments, such as fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the securities of U.S. issuers. In addition, the value of the securities underlying the depositary receipts may change materially when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, which will affect the value of the depositary receipts.

274 KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter ("OTC") derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

**IPO Risk.** Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile. At any particular time or from time to time, the Fund may not be able to invest in securities issued in IPOs, or invest to the extent desired, because, for example, only a small portion (if any) of the securities being offered in an IPO may be available to the Fund. In addition, as the Fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the Fund's performance will generally decrease.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane is subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

**Securities Lending Risk.** To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: (1) the securities in which the collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the applicable rebate rates paid to borrowers and related administrative costs; (2) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions; and (3) although borrowers of the Fund's securities typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities, there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. Krane is subject to potential conflicts of interest because the compensation paid to it increases in connection with any net income received by the Fund from the securities lending program.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

275 KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF

**Performance Information**

Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included in this Prospectus that will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the variability of the Fund's return based on net assets and comparing the variability of the Fund's return to a broad measure of market performance. Once available, the Fund's current performance information will be available at www.kraneshares.com. Past performance does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.

**Management**

**Investment Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Managers**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, supports Mr. Maund and Krane's investment team for the Fund and has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.kraneshares.com.

**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 IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

276 KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF

**KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF**

**Investment Objective**

The KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF (the "Fund") seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, track the price and yield performance of a specific equity securities index. The Fund's current index is the Man Buyout Beta Index (the "Underlying Index").

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees** (fees paid directly from your investment)

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.88% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees\* | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses\*\* | 0.01% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 0.89% |

---

\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

\*\* Based on estimated amounts for 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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** |
| $91 | $284 |

---

**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. For the period October 7, 2024 to March 31, 2025, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 27% of the average value of its portfolio. This rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Fund's shares.

**Principal Investment Strategies**

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in instruments in its Underlying Index or in instruments that have economic characteristics similar to those in the Underlying Index.

277 KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF

The Underlying Index is designed to provide a proxy for private equity performance and risk exposures by focusing on small- and mid-capitalization stocks that have characteristics similar to companies in private equity buyout funds. A "buyout" fund is a type of fund that targets companies for acquisition or control in an attempt to enhance the value of those acquired companies. **The Fund does not invest directly in private equity funds or the private equity of companies and the Fund will not attempt to acquire or control private companies.** 

The Underlying Index begins with the largest 3000 U.S. public equities by total market capitalization, then excludes the largest 500 equities. From this universe, the Underlying Index screens for companies that have characteristics similar to companies in private equity buyout funds by:

● looking at industry classification;

● using fundamental screens related to valuation, profitability, debt capacity, cash management and growth potential; and

● using additional screens that are designed to identify publicly traded securities similar to those sought by private equity buyout funds such as a company's supply chain and competitive environment.

The Underlying Index will utilize inputs from the Index Provider and use a systematic process to build a portfolio of publicly traded equity securities that have characteristics similar to companies sought by private equity buyout funds. The Underlying Index employs both (a) a top-down process that seeks to provide the Underlying Index with industry exposures that are similar to the U.S. buyout segment of the private equity market and (b) a suite of bottom-up company selection models (i.e., the fundamental and additional screens discussed above that seek to screen for companies with characteristics similar to companies sought by private equity buyout funds) that seek to take advantage of dynamic public market data in selecting securities for the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is market capitalization weighted and caps the weight of any one constituent at 5% of the Underlying Index's weight.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in instruments that are not included in the Underlying Index, but the Fund's adviser, Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser"), believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. These investments may include equity securities of issuers whose securities are not components of the Underlying Index, derivative instruments (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options), other investment companies (including ETFs) and cash or cash equivalents (including money market funds). The other investment companies in which the Fund may invest may be advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates.

Although the Fund expects to replicate (or hold all constituents of) the Underlying Index, the Fund reserves the right to use a representative sampling strategy to track the Underlying Index. "Representative sampling" is a strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have an investment profile similar to that of the Underlying Index.

The Underlying Index is provided by Numeric Investors LLC ("Index Provider" or "Numeric"), and the Underlying Index is calculated by Solactive AG.

As of May 31, 2025, the Underlying Index included 303 securities of companies with a market capitalization range of approximately $150.0 million to $30.1 billion and an average market capitalization of approximately $6.8 billion.

The Fund is non-diversified. To the extent the Underlying Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Fund is expected to be concentrated in that industry. As of May 31, 2025, issuers in the Information Technology sector (25.3%), Industrials sector (20.7%), and Consumer Discretionary sector (13.6%) represented significant portions of the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is rebalanced and reconstituted monthly.

The Fund may engage in securities lending.

278 KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF

**Principal Risks**

As with all exchange traded funds ("ETFs"), a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**Equity Securities Risk.** The values of equity securities are subject to factors such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes. In the event of liquidation, equity securities are generally subordinate in rank to debt and other securities of the same issuer.

**Model and Data Risk.** The Underlying Index relies on models from Numeric as part of the index methodology. Models rely on various sources of information and data ("data") and such data may be incorrect or incomplete making the models unreliable. Models that have been formulated on the basis of past market data may not be indicative of future price movements. Models may not be reliable or produce unexpected results if unusual or disruptive events cause market moves the nature or size of which are inconsistent with the historic performance of individual markets and their relationship to one another or to other macroeconomic events. Models also may have hidden biases or exposure to broad structural or sentiment shifts. In the event that actual events fail to conform to the assumptions underlying such models, losses could be incurred. The performance of the investment models may be impacted by software or other technology malfunctions, programming inaccuracies, and similar circumstances. While the Underlying Index seeks to provide a proxy for private equity performance and risk exposure similar to companies in private equity buyout funds, there is no guarantee that such exposure will be obtained using public equities or that the models and data used by the Underlying Index will be able to provide such exposure.

**Small- and Mid-Capitalization Company Risk.** Investing in the securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization companies and more established companies. Since small- and mid-sized companies may have limited operating histories, product lines and financial resources, the securities of these companies may lack sufficient market liquidity and can be sensitive to expected changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**Concentration Risk.** Because the Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Underlying Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that may affect that industry or group of industries or sector. Market conditions, interest rates, and economic, regulatory, or financial developments could significantly affect a single industry or a group of related industries, and the securities of companies in that industry or group of industries could react similarly to these or other developments. From time to time, the Fund may invest a significant percentage of its assets in issuers in a single industry (or the same group of industries) or sector of the economy. While the Fund's sector and industry exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Underlying Index, the Fund is currently subject to the principal risks described below. The Fund may have significant exposure to other industries or sectors over time.

279 KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF

**Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk.** The success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied closely to the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence. Success depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes can also affect the demand for, and success of, consumer products in the marketplace.

**Industrials Sector Risk.** The industrials sector may be affected by changes in the supply and demand for products and services, product obsolescence, claims for environmental damage or product liability and general economic conditions, among other factors. Government regulation will also affect the performance of investments in such industrials sector issuers, particularly aerospace and defense companies, which rely to a significant extent on government demand for their products and services. Transportation companies, another component of the industrials sector, are subject to sharp price movements resulting from changes in the economy, fuel prices, labor agreements and insurance costs.

**Information Technology Sector Risk.** Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology advances could have a major effect on the value of stocks in the information technology sector. The value of stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from competitors with lower production costs. Information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies in the information technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants (as defined below). To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop-loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**New Fund Risk.** If the Fund does not grow in size, it will be at greater risk than larger funds of wider bid-ask spreads for its shares, trading at a greater premium or discount to NAV, liquidation and/or a stop to trading.

280 KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF

**Tracking Error Risk.** The Fund's return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Underlying Index. This may be due to, among other factors, the Fund holding cash under certain circumstances in lieu of Underlying Index securities, the use of representative sampling strategy, if applicable, asset valuation differences, tax considerations, the unavailability of securities in the Underlying Index from time to time and other liquidity constraints.

**Management Risk.** The Fund may not fully replicate the Underlying Index and may hold less than the total number of securities in the Underlying Index. Therefore, the Fund is subject to the risk that Krane's security selection process may not produce the intended results.

**Passive Investment and Index Risk.** There is no guarantee that the Underlying Index will create the desired exposure and the Fund is not actively managed. It does not seek to "beat" the Underlying Index or take temporary defensive positions when markets decline. Therefore, the Fund may purchase or hold securities with current or projected underperformance.

There is no guarantee that the methodology the Index Provider uses to identify constituents for the Underlying Index will achieve its intended result or provide an accurate assessment of included constituents. The Underlying Index relies on various sources of information to assess the potential constituents of the Underlying Index, including information that may be based on assumptions or estimates. Neither the Fund nor Krane can offer assurances that the Index Provider's sources of information are reliable. There can be no guarantee that the methodology underlying the Underlying Index, the Underlying Index construction and computation processes, or the daily calculation of the Underlying Index or its methodology will be free from error or that an error will be identified and/or corrected, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane is subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

**Securities Lending Risk.** To the extent the Fund lends its securities, it may be subject to the following risks: (1) borrowers of the Fund's securities typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested in securities; (2) the securities in which the collateral is invested may not perform sufficiently to cover the return collateral payments owed to borrowers; (3) delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions; and (4) there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. Krane is subject to potential conflicts of interest because the compensation paid to it increases in connection with any net income received by the Fund from the securities lending program.

**Sector Risk.** From time to time, based on market or economic conditions, the Fund may have significant positions in one or more sectors of the market. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors. Individual sectors may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the broader market. The industries that constitute a sector may all react in the same way to economic, political or regulatory events.

281 KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

282 KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF

**Performance Information**

Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included in this prospectus that will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the variability of the Fund's return based on net assets and comparing the variability of the Fund's return to a broad measure of market performance. Once available, the Fund's current performance information will be available at www.kraneshares.com. Past performance does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.

**Management**

**Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

Numeric Investors LLC ("Numeric" or "Sub-Adviser") serves as the index provider and investment sub-adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Managers**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, supports Mr. Maund and Krane's investment team for the Fund and has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception. John Lidington, a Partner at Numeric, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.kraneshares.com.

**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 IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

283 KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF

<u>**Additional Information About the Funds**</u>

Each of the policies described in this Prospectus, including each Fund's investment objective and 80% policy, with the exception of the Funds' concentration policies, which are described in further detail in the Statement of Additional Information, is a non-fundamental policy that may be changed by the Board of Trustees of the KraneShares Trust ("Trust") without shareholder approval, but each Fund will provide 60 days' prior written notice to shareholders (if it has any) of any change in its 80% policy. Certain fundamental policies of the Funds are set forth in the Statement of Additional Information ("SAI").

Any security that a U.S. investor is not permitted hold or acquire now or at a specified date in the future, due to legal, regulatory or similar reasons, including executive orders, may not be eligible for inclusion in an Underlying Index. Where a legal, regulatory or similar issue allows a U.S. investor to hold (but not acquire) a security, a Fund may continue to hold a security, whether or not it is a constituent of its Underlying Index. To the extent that the Fund (or Underlying Index) includes such a security and an Underlying Index (or Fund) excludes it, the performance of the Fund and Underlying Index may diverge.

Certain Underlying Indexes permit securities that are newly listed in IPOs to become index constituents if certain criteria are met. If a Fund seeks to track an Underlying Index that includes an IPO-inclusion mechanism, it will be subject to IPO risk if it invests in IPOs. Currently, the following Funds track Underlying Indexes with an IPO-inclusion mechanism:

● KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF (KWEB);

● KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF (KBA);

● KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF (KURE);

● KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF (KBAH);

● KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF (KGRN);

● KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF (KEMX);

● KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF (OBOR);

● KraneShares SSE Star Market 50 Index ETF (KSTR); and

● KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF (AGIX)

<u>Additional Information about Actively Managed ETFs</u>

<u>**KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF ("KHYB")**</u>

Under normal circumstances, the Fund seeks to achieve its objective by investing at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in fixed income securities of issuers located in the Asia-Pacific region and other instruments that have economic characteristics similar to such securities.

The Fund may invest in fixed income securities, of any credit quality, duration or maturity, issued by corporate, quasi-sovereign (including government-linked agencies, supranational organizations, etc.) and sovereign issuers. The Fund seeks to invest in high income producing instruments and will seek to invest primarily in fixed income securities that are below investment grade (commonly known as "junk bonds") or unrated. Below investment grade securities are generally defined as those fixed income securities that, at the time of investment, are rated below the four highest categories (i.e., rated Ba1/BB+ or lower) by at least one independent credit rating agency or, if unrated, are determined by Nikko Asset Management Americas, Inc. or its affiliates (the "Sub-Adviser") to be of comparable quality.

The Asia-Pacific region is defined to encompass countries represented in the J.P. Morgan Asia Credit Index or countries classified in Bloomberg's country of risk from the Asia-Pacific or Central Asia regions, including developed and emerging market countries.

Currently, the following countries are represented in the J.P. Morgan Asia Credit Index: China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam. Currently, the following countries are classified in Bloomberg's country of risk from Asia-Pacific or Central Asia regions: Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Christmas Islands, Cocos, Cook Islands, East Timor, Fiji, French Pacific, Guam, Heard Islands and Macdonald Islands, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Marshall Island, Micronesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nauru Island, Nepal, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, North Korea, Northern Marian, Palau, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Island, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tokelau, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, US Minor Outlying Islands, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Wallis and Futuna, West Samoa.

An issuer is considered to be "located" in a country or a region, and a security or instrument is deemed to be an Asia-Pacific (or specific country) security or instrument, if it has substantial ties to that country or region. The Sub-Adviser currently makes that determination based primarily on one or more of the following criteria: (A) with respect to a company or issuer, whether (i) it is organized under the laws of that country or any country in that region; (ii) it derives at least 50% of its revenues or profits from goods produced or sold, investments made, or services performed, or has at least 50% of its assets located, within that country or region; (iii) it has the primary trading markets for its securities in that country or region; (iv) it has its principal place of business in or is otherwise headquartered in that country or region; or (v) it is a governmental entity or an agency, instrumentality or a political subdivision of that country or any country in that region; and (B) with respect to an instrument or issue, whether (i) its issuer is headquartered or organized in that country or region; (ii) it is issued to finance a project with significant assets or operations in that country or region; (iii) it is principally secured or backed by assets located in that country or region; (iv) it is a component of or its issuer is included in a recognized securities index for the country or region; or (v) it is denominated in the currency of an Asia-Pacific country and addresses at least one of the other above criteria. The term "located" and the associated criteria listed above have been defined in such a way that the Sub-Adviser has latitude in determining whether an issuer should be included within a region or country.

The Sub-Adviser uses top-down macro research and bottom-up credit research to construct the Fund's portfolio using a proprietary process that involves, among other factors, a combination of quantitative and qualitative factors to assess an issuer's credit profile, and the Sub-Adviser's assessment of a security's value and relative value compared to other similar securities. The Sub-Adviser monitors the Fund's portfolio securities to ensure that the investment thesis remains valid and will exit a position if its assessment of a security has changed.

The Fund is non-diversified and therefore may invest a larger percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or smaller number of issuers than diversified funds. The Fund also may invest a large percentage of its net assets in issuers in a single region or country within the Asia-Pacific region and may invest in issuers of any market capitalization. The Fund currently expects to invest more than 25% of its assets in the real estate sector. The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"), if the investment companies invest principally in the types of investments in which the Fund may invest directly.

The Fund may also invest in derivative instruments (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) as a means of hedging risk and/or for investment purposes, which may include altering the Fund's exposure to currencies, interest rates, sectors and individual issuers.

The Fund may engage in securities lending.

<u>**KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF ("KLIP")**</u>

In seeking to achieve its investment objective, the Fund employs a covered call strategy. Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in the component securities of the CSI Overseas China Internet Index ("Index") or in instruments that have economic characteristics similar to those in the Index and writes (sells) covered call options on the Index or in instruments that have economic characteristics similar to writing covered call options on the Index. Currently, the Fund intends to invest in KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF ("Underlying Fund"), which is an exchange-traded fund advised by Krane that seeks to track the Index, and to write (sell) covered call options on the Underlying Fund. The Fund intends to write covered call options on the Underlying Fund on the full amount of its investment in the Underlying Fund.

Each month, the Fund will write (sell) at the money FLexible EXchange<sup>®</sup> call options ("FLEX options") on the Underlying Fund. The Fund will cover such options by holding the Underlying Fund. FLEX options are exchange-traded options contracts with uniquely customizable terms like exercise price, style, and expiration date. Each FLEX option written will generally (i) have an expiration date greater than 30 days; (ii) have an exercise price generally at the prevailing market price of the Underlying Fund; and (iii) be traded on a national securities exchange. The Fund will attempt to hold each FLEX option written until expiration. However, if there are redemptions in the Fund, it may not be able to hold such options until expiration. In addition, each FLEX option written generally will only be subject to exercise on its expiration date.

The Fund currently intends to distribute on a monthly basis its option premium income so that the Fund's monthly distribution percentage does not exceed 2% of net asset value. The Fund's distribution in December may exceed this amount in order for the Fund to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company.

A covered call strategy is generally considered to be an investment strategy in which an investor buys a security, and sells (or "writes") a call option on that security in an attempt to generate more income. Each time the Fund writes a covered call option, the Fund receives a payment of money from the investor who buys the option from the Fund, which is called the premium. If the value of the Fund declines because of a decline in the value of the Index, the premium that the Fund received for writing the call option offsets this loss to some extent. By writing covered call options in return for the receipt of premiums, the Fund will give up the opportunity to benefit from potential increases in the value of the Underlying Fund above the exercise prices of such options, but will continue to bear the risk of declines in the value of the Underlying Fund.

The Fund's covered call options may partially protect the Fund from a decline in the price of the Index through means of the premiums received by the Fund. However, when the Index is rallying rapidly, the Fund is expected to underperform the Index.

The Index is designed to measure the equity market performance of investable publicly traded "China-based companies" whose primary business or businesses are in the Internet and Internet-related sectors and are listed outside of mainland China, as determined by the index provider, China Securities Index Co., Ltd. ("Index Provider").

● The Index Provider defines China-based companies as those that: (i) are incorporated in mainland China; (ii) have their headquarters in mainland China; or (iii) derive at least 50% of its revenue from goods produced or sold, or services performed, in mainland China.

● China Internet Companies include, but are not limited to, companies that develop and market Internet software and/or provide Internet services; manufacture home entertainment software and educational software for home use; provide retail or commercial services primarily through the Internet; and develop and market mobile Internet software and/or provide mobile Internet services.

The Index excludes securities that during the past year had a daily average trading value of less than $3 million or a daily average market cap of less than $2 billion. Constituents of the Index are ranked by free-float market capitalization in U.S. Dollars and then weighted so that no constituent exceeds 10% at each rebalance with the top five constitutents capped at 40%.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in instruments that are not included in the 80% test noted above. These investments include equity securities and depositary receipts that are not constituents of the Index, derivative instruments (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) that do not have economic characteristics similar to writing covered call options on the Index, other investment companies (including exchange traded funds or "ETFs") and cash or cash equivalents (including money market funds). The Fund may write (sell) covered call options on these investments. The investment companies in which the Fund will invest may be advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates.

Securities included in the Index will generally be common stock issued by eligible companies. To be eligible for inclusion in the Index, securities must be tradeable to foreign investors without restrictions, such as H-Shares, Red Chips, and P-Chips. Securities may also be listed on U.S. exchanges and other foreign exchanges, subject to the Index's selection criteria. Eligible securities are screened according to liquidity and listing requirements.

Constituent securities are market capitalization weighted and individual constituent weightings are capped on a semi-annual basis according to the Index methodology, with no individual constituent exceeding 10%. The Index is rebalanced and reconstituted semi-annually. The foregoing information is subject to change.

The Index was created and is maintained by CSI. The Index Provider is not affiliated with the Fund or Krane. The Index Provider determines the constituent and the relative weightings of the constituent securities in the Index. Additional information about the Index is available on the Index Provider's website, <u>www.csindex.com.cn</u>.

Although the Underlying Fund expects to replicate (or hold all constituents of) the Index, the Underlying Fund reserves the right to use representative sampling to track the Index. "Representative sampling" is a strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have an investment profile similar to the Index.

In addition, the Underlying Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in instruments that are not included in the Index, but that Krane believes will help the Underlying Fund track the Index. The Underlying Fund's prospectus and other reports are available on the SEC's website, <u>www.sec.gov</u>. The Underlying Fund is traded on the NYSE Arca, Inc. under the ticker symbol KWEB.

<u>**KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF ("AGIX")**</u>

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in securities of "Artificial Intelligence ("AI") and Technology" companies and other instruments that have economic characteristics similar to such securities. The Fund considers a company to be an "AI and Technology" company if it is classified in the Technology economy within the FactSet Revere Business Industry Classification system ("RBICS"), which requires a company to generate at least 50% of its revenue from within the Technology economy, and has an AI Exposure Score greater than zero. An "AI and Technology" company will generally operate in the following industries as categorized by RBICS: computer peripherals, data processing services, information technology services, internet retail, internet software/services, packaged software, semiconductors, or telecommunications equipment. An AI Exposure Score is a proprietary score used by the Underlying Index (as defined below) that attempts to quantify the exposure of a company with regards to AI. It is measured in a range from 0 (no exposure) to 5 (highest exposure) and is based on the company's public business descriptions, public filings, press releases, and financial disclosures that directly indicate involvement in AI-related business or the incorporation of AI technologies into their key operations, offerings and research and development activities.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests principally in instruments in the Solactive Etna Artificial General Intelligence Index (the "Underlying Index") and, with respect to these investments in instruments in the Underlying Index, the Fund seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, track the performance of the Underlying Index. The Fund also will invest in securities of private companies with exposure to AI businesses, which are not securities included in the Underlying Index, if it is able to find what it believes to be an attractive investment opportunity.

<u>Additional Information about Underlying Indexes</u>

**KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF ("KWEB")**

The Underlying Index is designed to measure the equity market performance of investable publicly traded "China-based companies" whose primary business or businesses are in the Internet and Internet-related sectors and are listed outside of mainland China, as determined by the index provider, China Securities Index Co., Ltd. ("Index Provider").

● The Index Provider defines China-based companies as those that: (i) are incorporated in mainland China; (ii) have their headquarters in mainland China; or (iii) derive at least 50% of its revenue from goods produced or sold, or services performed, in mainland China.

● China Internet Companies include, but are not limited to, companies that develop and market Internet software and/or provide Internet services; manufacture home entertainment software and educational software for home use; provide retail or commercial services primarily through the Internet; and develop and market mobile Internet software and/or provide mobile Internet services.

The Underlying Index excludes securities that during the past year had a daily average trading value of less than $3 million or a daily average market cap of less than $2 billion. Constituents of the Underlying Index are ranked by free-float market capitalization in U.S. Dollars and then weighted so that no constituent exceeds 10% at each rebalance.

Securities included in the Underlying Index will generally be common stock issued by eligible companies. To be eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index, securities must be tradeable to foreign investors without restrictions, such as H-Shares, Red Chips, and P-Chips. Securities may also be listed on U.S. exchanges and other foreign exchanges, subject to the Underlying Index's selection criteria. Eligible securities are screened according to liquidity and listing requirements.

Constituent securities are market capitalization weighted and individual constituent weightings are capped on a semi-annual basis according to the Underlying Index methodology, with no individual constituent exceeding 10%. The Underlying Index is rebalanced and reconstituted semi-annually. The foregoing information is subject to change.

The Underlying Index was created and is maintained by CSI. The Index Provider is not affiliated with the Fund or Krane. The Index Provider determines the constituent and the relative weightings of the constituent securities in the Underlying Index. Additional information about the Underlying Index is available on the Index Provider's website, www.csindex.com.cn.

**KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF ("KOID")**

The Underlying Index is provided by MerQube, Inc. ("Index Provider"). The Index Provider is not affiliated with the Fund or Krane. The Index Provider determines the constituents and the relative weightings of the constituent securities in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index draws constituents from the universe of companies classified within the following activity groups within The Refinitiv<sup>®</sup> Business Classification ("TRBC"): Rare Earth Minerals; Specialty Mining & Metals (not elsewhere classified ("NEC")); Lead Ore Mining; Copper Ore Mining; Nickel Ore Mining; Zinc Ore Mining; Nonferrous Metal Mining; Nonferrous Metal Processing; Specialty Mining & Metals Wholesale; Aerospace & Defense (NEC); Industrial Machinery & Equipment (NEC); Industrial Components; Industrial Machinery; Ball & Roller Bearings; Testing & Measuring Equipment; Pump & Pumping Equipment; Air & Gas Compressors; Welding & Soldering Equipment; Industrial Process Furnace & Ovens; Fluid Power Cylinder & Actuators; Automatic Vending Machines; Industrial Moulds; Machine Tools; Industrial Valve Manufacturing; Industrial Machinery & Equipment Wholesale; Commercial Equipment; Electrical Components & Equipment (NEC); Batteries & Uninterruptible Power Supplies; Wires & Cables; Electrical Components; Lighting Equipment; Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning Systems; Electrical Insulators; Switchgear; Portable Motors & Generators; Electrical Measuring & Testing Instruments; Electric Equipment Wholesale; Auto, Truck & Motorcycle Parts (NEC); Automotive Body Parts; Engine & Powertrain Systems; Automotive Batteries; Automotive Systems; Automotive Accessories; Motorcycle Parts & Accessories; Auto & Truck Parts Wholesale; Semiconductors (NEC); Electronic Equipment & Parts (NEC); Biometric Products; Advanced Electronic Equipment; Display Screens; Electronic Components; 3D Printers; Auto & Truck Manufacturers (NEC); Motorcycles & Scooters; Automobiles & Multi Utility Vehicles; Light Trucks; Electric (Alternative) Vehicles; Luxury Vehicles; Auto & Truck Wholesale; and Integrated Hardware & Software. The Underlying Index was created for the Fund's exclusive use. Additional information about the Underlying Index is available on the Index Provider's website, <u>www.merqube.com</u>.

**KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF ("KBA")**

The Underlying Index reflects the large- and mid-cap Chinese renminbi ("RMB")-denominated equity securities listed on the Shenzhen or Shanghai Stock Exchanges ("A-Shares") that are accessible through the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect or Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect programs (together, the "Stock Connect Programs"). The Underlying Index is constructed by selecting the two securities with the largest weights in each of the 11 Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS<sup>®</sup>) sectors in the large-capitalization portion of the MSCI China A Index (the "Parent Index"). The remaining securities are selected from the Parent Index by largest security weight until the total security count reaches 50. The Underlying Index constituents are then weighted based on (a) the free-float market capitalization weights of the Parent Index and (b) the GICS sector weight allocation of the Parent Index.

The Underlying Index launched on August 20, 2021. The Underlying Index is constructed and maintained under the MSCI Global Investable Market Indices ("GIMI") Methodology. The MSCI GIMI methodology is a rules-based methodology used for the construction of the MSCI Global Equity Index series. The Underlying Index's methodology and sector, industry, capitalization and other exposure is subject to change. The Underlying Index is rebalanced and reconstituted quarterly, but in certain circumstances, may continue to include a security no longer meeting the Underlying Index's eligibility criteria to reduce turnover. The foregoing information is subject to change.

The Underlying Index is provided by MSCI Inc. ("Index Provider"), a U.S. (Delaware) corporation. The Index Provider is not affiliated with the Fund or Krane. Additional information about the Underlying Index is available on the Index Provider's website, www.msci.com.

**KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF ("KARS")**

The Underlying Index is designed to measure the equity market performance of companies engaged in the production of electric vehicles or their components or in other initiatives that are expected to change the future of mobility, as determined by Bloomberg Indices, the provider of the Underlying Index ("Index Provider"). This includes companies that are expected to derive significant revenues from electric vehicles, energy storage technologies, lithium and copper mining, and hydrogen fuel cells.

To be eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index, a security must be a member of the Bloomberg World Equity Aggregate Index and classified as belonging to the vehicles, electrical vehicle components, batteries, hydrogen fuel cells, or raw materials sector classifications as determined by the Bloomberg Intelligence Theme-Basket committee. To determine eligibility, Bloomberg Intelligence uses a multistep process that (1) proposes companies and key terms associated with the above-named sector classifications; (2) searches filings of actively traded public companies for occurrences of key terms to affirm proposed companies and find missing companies; and (3) back-tests to see how closely the identified companies trade together as a group. Finally, the Bloomberg Intelligence Theme-Basket committee reviews the results to determine the final composition of the Underlying Index. The securities are screened for extreme event controversy, United Nations Global Compact violations, and controversial business involvements.

The Underlying Index is a modified market capitalization weighted index. The initial weight of each security is determined by dividing the free float market capitalization of each security by the sum of the free float market capitalizations of all the securities in the index. Using a three-step capping process, the initial weights are distributed such that the top eight securities are subject to a 4% cap and must achieve a proprietary thematic score of 2 or higher. Securities after the top eight are subject to a 2.5% cap and must also achieve a proprietary thematic score of 2 or higher. Securities with a thematic score of 1 are subject to a 1.0% cap. Any excess weight from capping is then redistributed proportionally to the remaining uncapped issuers. If there are multiple securities per issuer, then the issuer weight is redistributed proportionally to all of the securities within the issuer based on the free float market capitalization of each security.

The Underlying Index is rebalanced and reconstituted quarterly. The foregoing information is subject to change.

The Underlying Index is provided by Bloomberg Indices. The Index Provider is not affiliated with the Fund or Krane. The Index Provider determines the constituents and the relative weightings of the constituent securities in the Underlying Index. Additional information about the Underlying Index is available on the Index Provider's website, www.bloombergindices.com.

**KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF ("KEMQ")**

The Underlying Index is composed of the equity securities of the 50 largest companies by market capitalization that derive the most revenue from an Emerging Market (as defined below) and classified by the FactSet Revere Business Industry Classification system or FactSet Standard Classification system as in the consumer or technology sector. At each rebalance date, the Underlying Index assigns the following weights to its constituents based on their market capitalization from largest to smallest:

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Rank** | **Weight** |
| 1 to 10 | 3.5% |
| 11 to 30 | 2.5% |
| 31 to 50 | 0.75% |

---

Solactive AG ("Index Provider") defines an "Emerging Market" as: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Malaysia, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. However, the Underlying Index excludes stocks whose primary listing exchange is the Shanghai or the Shenzhen Stock Exchange and stocks or that are primarily traded over the counter.

Issuers eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index must be classified under the FactSet Revere Business Industry Classification system or FactSet Standard Classification system as engaged in one or more industries or sub-industries identified by the Underlying Index as being consumer technology oriented. Such industries and sub-industries currently include the following: Administrative Software and Services, Aerospace and Defense IT Services, Business Intelligence Software, Colocation and Data Center Services, Communications Infrastructure Software, Consumer Content Providers, Customer Premises Network Security Equipment, Customer Relationship Management Software, Educational Software, Electronic Components Distributors, Electronic Transaction Processing/Clearinghouses, Enterprise Resource Planning Software, Gaming Industries, General Carrier Edge and Access Equipment, General Communications Equipment, Handheld and Smart Phone Software, Handheld/Smart Phone Games Software, Information and News Content Providers and Sites, Internet Retail, Internet Software/Services, Internet Support Services, Mixed International Telecommunications Services, Multi-Type Home and Office Software, Network Infrastructure Software, Online Game Websites and Software, Online Marketing and Advertising Support Services, Other Educational Services, Other Enterprise Management Software, Travel Agencies, Video Entertainment and Programming Providers, and Web-Related Content Providers.

If the number of constituents is below 50 on the rebalance date, the weight of each component will be rescaled proportionally so that the sum of all constituents' weights is equal to 100%. To be included in the Underlying Index, a stock must have had a minimum average daily trade value of $1 million for the three months prior to each reconstitution and a minimum market capitalization of $500 million as of each reconstitution. The Underlying Index launched on August 23, 2017 with a base date of June 13, 2012, and a base value of 100. The Underlying Index is rebalanced annually in June and reconstituted on an IPO Adjustment Day in March, September and December. In addition, the Underlying Index may be adjusted quarterly to account for initial public offerings that make a security eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index. The foregoing information is subject to change.

The Index Provider determines the constituents and the relative weightings of the constituent securities in the Underlying Index. In addition, the Underlying Index may be adjusted quarterly to account for initial public offerings. The Index Provider is not affiliated with the Fund or Krane. Additional information about the Underlying Index and Index Provider is available on the Index Provider's website, www.solactive.com.

**KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF ("KURE")**

The Underlying Index is a free float adjusted market capitalization weighted index, subject to the 10/40 Constraint (as defined below), which is designed to measure the equity market performance of Chinese companies in the healthcare sector, as classified by the Global Industry Classification Standard. The securities eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index include all types of publicly issued shares of Chinese issuers, such as A-Shares, B-Shares, H-Shares, P-Chips and Red Chips, which are described below. The issuers included in the Underlying Index may include mid-cap and large-cap companies.

To determine the investable universe of Chinese equity securities for the Underlying Index, the index provider, MSCI Inc. ("Index Provider"), applies investability screens to securities within the healthcare sector based on the MSCI Global Investable Market Indexes Methodology, along with MSCI's investability and minimum size criteria for emerging markets. To be included in the Underlying Index, at the time of each rebalance, securities must, among other things: (1) be within the top 85% of the investable universe (based on market capitalization); and (2) meet certain liquidity requirements as measured by the three-month annual traded value ratio, the twelve-month annual traded value ratio and three-month frequency of trading percentage.

Underlying Index constituents are weighted by the security's free-float adjusted market capitalization, as calculated based on MSCI's Foreign Inclusion Factor ("FIF") and subject to Foreign Ownership Limits ("FOLs"), but is modified so that, as of the rebalance date, no issuer constitutes more than 10% of the Underlying Index and so that the cumulative weight of all constituents with a weight of over 5% does not exceed 40% of the Underlying Index ("10/40 Constraint"). The FIF of a security is defined as the proportion of shares outstanding that is available for investment in the public equity markets by foreign investors. For China A-Shares, an FIF of 100% is applied to their free-float adjusted market capitalization for calculating their final weight in the Underlying Index. The FOL of a security is defined as the proportion of share capital of the security that is available for purchase to foreign investors.

The Underlying Index was launched on October 25, 2017 with a base date of November 30, 2012, and a base value of 1000. The Underlying Index is rebalanced quarterly and whenever the 10/40 Constraint is breached, which may occur due to market movements. The Underlying Index includes securities of issuers engaged in the healthcare sector, but its exposure to the industries within that sector are not fixed and subject to change. The foregoing information is subject to change.

The Underlying Index is provided by MSCI Inc. (the "Index Provider"). The Index Provider determines the components and the relative weightings of the component securities in the Underlying Index. The Index Provider is not affiliated with the Fund or Krane. Additional information about the Underlying Index is available on the Index Provider's website, www.msci.com.

**KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF ("KBAH")**

The Underlying Index is designed to measure the equity market performance of large- and mid-cap Chinese companies with renminbi ("RMB")-denominated equity securities that are listed on the Shenzhen or Shanghai Stock Exchange ("A-Shares") and accessible through the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect or Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect Programs The Underlying Index is calculated using the offshore RMB exchange rate. Underlying Index constituents are weighted by the security's free-float adjusted market capitalization calculated based on MSCI's Foreign Inclusion Factor ("FIF") and subject to Foreign Ownership Limits ("FOLs"). The FIF of a security is defined as the proportion of shares outstanding that is available for investment in the public equity markets by foreign investors. The FOL of a security is defined as the proportion of share capital of the security that is available for purchase to foreign investors.

The Underlying Index applies a published one-month currency forward rate to the Fund's total RMB exposure to adjust the value of the RMB against the U.S. dollar. The Fund intends to enter into forward currency contracts or futures contracts to effectuate the hedging strategy embedded in the Underlying Index. Although the hedged nature of the Underlying Index is designed to minimize the impact of currency fluctuations on returns, it does not eliminate the Fund's exposure to the RMB.

The Underlying Index was created on March 1, 2018, with a base value of 100 as of November 1, 2008. The Underlying Index is constructed and maintained under the MSCI Global Investable Market Indices ("GIMI") Methodology. The MSCI GIMI methodology is a rules-based methodology used for the construction of the MSCI Global Equity Index series. The Underlying Index's methodology and sector, industry, capitalization and other exposure is subject to change. The Underlying Index is rebalanced quarterly, but in certain circumstances, may continue to include a security no longer meeting the Underlying Index's eligibility criteria to reduce turnover. The foregoing information is subject to change.

The Underlying Index is provided by MSCI Inc. ("Index Provider"), a U.S. (Delaware) corporation. The Index Provider is not affiliated with the Fund or Krane. The Index Provider determines the components and the relative weightings of the component securities in the Underlying Index. Additional information about the Underlying Index is available on the Index Provider's website, www.msci.com.

**KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF ("KGRN")**

The Underlying Index is a modified, free float adjusted market capitalization weighted index (subject to the modifications below) designed to measure the equity market performance of Chinese companies that derive at least a majority of their revenues from environmentally beneficial products and services, as determined by MSCI Inc., the Index Provider. The eligible universe for the Underlying Index starts with all of the securities of Chinese issuers included in the MSCI ACWI IMI Investable Market Index and is then screened to: (1) remove issuers that faced severe ESG controversies in the three years prior to reconstitution or are involved in a controversial weapons business; and (2) include only issuers that derive 50% or more of their revenue from the following:

● Alternative Energy – Products, services, or infrastructure projects supporting the development or delivery of renewable energy and alternative fuels.

● Energy Efficiency – Products, services, infrastructure, or technologies that proactively address the growing global demand for energy while minimizing effects on the environment.

● Sustainable Water – Products, services, and projects that attempt to resolve water scarcity and water quality issues, including minimizing and monitoring current water use and demand increases, improving the quality of water supply, and improving the availability and reliability of water.

● Green Building – Building material suppliers; home builders; or property managers that directly support and have a confirmed commitment to achieving sustainable building standards (e.g. LEED, Energy Star Homes, or other recognized standards of sustainable building) for all new construction.

● Pollution Prevention – Products services, or projects focused on pollution prevention; waste minimization or recycling, as a means of alleviating the burden of unsustainable waste generation.

Issuers are then evaluated for the level of involvement in and strategic commitment to these five categories. The issuers included in the Underlying Index may include small-cap, mid-cap, and large-cap companies. The Underlying Index will not remove certain securities that no longer qualify for initial inclusion in certain scenarios to reduce the Underlying Index's turnover. The Underlying Index is modified so that, as of the rebalance date, no issuer constitutes more than 10% of the Underlying Index and so that the cumulative weight of all constituents with a weight of over 5% does not exceed 40% of the Underlying Index.

Free-float market capitalization is calculated by multiplying a security's price by the number of shares available in the market, rather than the total number of shares outstanding. The Underlying Index was launched on August 23, 2017 with a base date of May 29, 2015, and a base value of 1000. The foregoing information is subject to change.

The Underlying Index is rebalanced quarterly. The Underlying Index is provided by MSCI Inc. (the "Index Provider") and constituent selection will be based on data provided by MSCI ESG Research. The Index Provider is not affiliated with the Fund or Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser"). The Index Provider determines the components and the relative weightings of the component securities in the Underlying Index. Additional information about the Underlying Index is available on the Index Provider's website, www.msci.com.

**KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF ("KEMX")**

The Underlying Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index designed to measure the equity market performance of mid- and large-cap companies of emerging market countries, excluding China. The Underlying Index is based on the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, but excludes the securities of Chinese issuers. The Underlying Index generally classifies an issuer as coming from a particular country based on where it is incorporated and where its stock is primarily listed. When an issuer's securities are primarily listed outside of its country of incorporation, the Underlying Index also considers the following factors, among others, in determining where the issuer is from: (1) the secondary listings, if any, of the issuer's securities; (2) the geographic distribution of the issuer's shareholder base; (3) the location of its headquarters; (4) the geographic distribution of its operations (in terms of assets and revenues); (5) the issuer's history, and (6) the country with which investors associate the issuer. Each issuer and its securities are classified in only one country.

The Underlying Index, as of each rebalance, includes equity securities that, among other matters: (1) are issued by companies from Emerging Market countries (as defined below); and (2) are issued by companies whose free-float market capitalizations are in the top 85% of the Emerging Market from which they come.

As of May 31, 2025, the Underlying Index included issuers from the following "Emerging Markets": Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.

The Underlying Index was launched on March 9, 2017, with a base date of October 31, 2007, and a base value of 100. The Underlying Index is rebalanced quarterly, but in certain circumstances, may continue to include a security no longer meeting the Underlying Index's eligibility criteria to reduce turnover. The foregoing information is subject to change.

The Underlying Index is provided by MSCI Inc. ("Index Provider"), a U.S. (Delaware) corporation. The Index Provider is not affiliated with the Fund or Krane. The Index Provider determines the components and the relative weightings of the component securities in the Underlying Index. Additional information about the Underlying Index is available on the Index Provider's website, www.msci.com.

**KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF ("OBOR")**

The Underlying Index is designed to measure the equity market performance of listed companies with high revenue exposure to the Chinese government's "One Belt, One Road" initiative, as determined by the provider of the Underlying Index, MSCI Inc. ("Index Provider") based on companies' industry classifications. The One Belt, One Road initiative is designed to increase the interconnectedness between China and other Eurasian countries by making infrastructure investments that are expected to increase such interconnectedness, such as building new roads and improved communications networks. The Underlying Index is designed generally to include the securities of issuers from emerging and frontier markets and exclude issuers from developed markets, such as the Americas, most European markets, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

The Underlying Index is modified so that as of each Underlying Index rebalance, 45% of the weight of the Underlying Index is allocated to Chinese issuers and 55% to issuers of other countries. Within these allocations, the issuers are weighted based on their free-float market capitalization, except that no country's issuers (except for China) will represent more than 10% of the Underlying Index as of each Underlying Index rebalance. Although the Underlying Index may include the securities of small-cap, mid-cap and large-cap issuers, each issuer must meet a minimum market capitalization requirement to be included in the Underlying Index. Chinese issuers and the issuers of developed market countries must have a minimum $1 billion free float adjusted market capitalization to be eligible for inclusion. Issuers of other emerging market or frontier market countries must have a minimum $500 million free float market capitalization to be eligible for inclusion. The Underlying Index excludes issuers of certain countries based, in part, on their expected ability to benefit from China's infrastructure development initiatives. The Underlying Index may include securities included in the MSCI ACWI + Frontier Markets IMI Index or MSCI China All Shares Index, but will exclude issuers from the Americas, developed European countries, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea & Taiwan.

With respect to Chinese issuers that offer both China A-Shares and China H-Shares, only China H-Shares will be included in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index will not remove certain securities that no longer qualify for initial inclusion in certain scenarios to reduce the Underlying Index's turnover.

The Underlying Index is rebalanced and reconstituted semi-annually, except that the index composition may change quarterly due to changes in the parent index of the Underlying Index. The foregoing information is subject to change.

The Underlying Index is provided by the Index Provider. The Index Provider is not affiliated with the Fund or Krane. The Index Provider determines the components and the relative weightings of the component securities in the Underlying Index. Additional information about the Underlying Index is available on the Index Provider's website, www.msci.com.

**KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF ("KSTR")**

The Underlying Index includes the stocks of the top 50 companies by free-float market capitalizations listed on the SSE Science and Technology Innovation Board (the "STAR Board"). The STAR Board is a new listing exchange run by the Shanghai Stock Exchange that focuses on Chinese science and technology companies. According to the Shanghai Stock Exchange, companies listed on the STAR Board are mainly from high-tech and strategic emerging industries, and most focus on next-generation information technology, biomedicine, high-end equipment and similar industries.

To be eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index, a STAR Board company's securities must meet certain market capitalization and liquidity screens and have been trading for at least one month. Once included, Underlying Index constituents are weighted based on their free-float market capitalization on the STAR Board, subject to a 10% cap. Although, the Underlying Index is designed to include 50 constituents, it may include as few as 30 constituents if there are an insufficient number of STAR Board companies whose securities satisfy the screening and trading requirements.

The stocks included in the Underlying Index will consist of China A-Shares. China A-Shares are Chinese renminbi ("RMB")-denominated equity securities issued by companies incorporated in mainland China.

The Underlying Index is rebalanced and reconstituted quarterly. The foregoing information is subject to change.

The Underlying Index was created and is maintained by China Securities Index Co., Ltd. ("CSI") and the Shanghai Stock Exchange. CSI determines the components and the relative weightings of the component securities in the Underlying Index. CSI is not affiliated with the Fund or Krane. Additional information about the Underlying Index is available on CSI's website, <u>www.csindex.com.cn</u>.

**KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF ("KTEC")**

The Underlying Index is composed of the equity securities of the 30 technology companies with the largest free float market capitalization that are listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with significant exposure to internet, fintech, cloud computing, e-commerce and digital technology. To be eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index, companies must either (1) be "technology-enabled" (*i.e.*, operate primarily on an internet or mobile platform); (2) have a research & development expenses-to-revenue ratio that is greater than or equal to 5%; or (3) have year-over-year revenue growth that is greater than or equal to 10%. Only Greater China companies (as defined below) in the industrials, consumer discretionary, healthcare, financials and information technology sectors are considered for inclusion in the Underlying Index. Greater China companies are defined as companies that either (a) are incorporated in Hong Kong, (b) derive 50% of their revenue from mainland China; or (c) have their headquarters or principal place of business in Hong Kong, Macau or mainland China. The Underlying Index components will be weighted according to their free float market capitalization, with no issuer representing more than 8% of the Underlying Index at the time the Underlying Index is rebalanced. The Underlying Index is rebalanced quarterly and reconstituted at least quarterly. For initial public offerings ("IPOs"), if the IPO ranks within the top ten of the existing constituents in the Underlying Index on the first day of the IPO's trading and meets the other criteria, the IPO will be added to the Underlying Index approximately ten trading days after the IPO. The foregoing information is subject to change.

The Underlying Index is provided by Hang Seng Indexes Company Limited ("Index Provider"). The Index Provider is not affiliated with the Fund or Krane. Additional information about the Underlying Index is available on the Index Provider's website, <u>www.hsi.com.hk</u>.

**KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF ("KLXY")**

The Underlying Index is a modified, free float adjusted market capitalization weighted index designed to measure the equity performance of companies in developed markets from global luxury-related sectors. The Underlying Index includes companies classified by RBICS as being in the travel & leisure, premium ware and apparel, luxury goods, and premium consumer goods industries that include certain luxury-related business descriptions. The Index Provider defines developed countries as the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, or United States.

The Index Provider applies various screens so that the securities included in the Underlying Index, at the time of each reconstitution: (1) are issued by companies with a minimum free float market capitalization of $2 billion; (2) have been listed for at least one month and have a minimum average daily trading volume of $2 million as measured over the last one-month and six-month periods; and (3) are listed in a developed country as defined by the Index Provider. Eligible securities of the Underlying Index are ranked as of each reconstitution based on their free float market capitalization as determined by the Index Provider with the top 25 securities in each industry eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index. The top five ranked securities are assigned weights of 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, and 6% respectively. The remaining securities are capped at weights of 4.5%. Any excess weights are redistributed pro rata among the remaining securities. The Underlying Index is reconstituted annually and rebalanced semi-annually. The foregoing information is subject to change.

The Underlying Index is provided by Solactive AG. The Index Provider is not affiliated with the Fund or Krane. The Index Provider determines the constituents and the relative weightings of the constituent securities in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index was created for the Fund's exclusive use. Additional information about the Underlying Index is available on the Index Provider's website, <u>www.solactive.com</u>.

**KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF ("KREV")**

The Underlying Index is composed of equity securities of multi-national companies in developed markets that derive both (1) at least 30% of their revenue from China, which is an emerging market, and (2) at least 50% of their revenue from emerging market countries. Based on the size of China's emerging market economy relative to the other emerging market countries included in the Underlying Index, the companies included in the Underlying Index may derive the majority of their emerging market revenue from China. The Fund defines a multi-national company as a company that has business operations in at least one country other than its home country.

To be eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index, a security must be a member of the Morningstar Developed Markets Index and have a country of classification other than Hong Kong. The country of classification for a security is assigned by the Morningstar Developed Markets Index by considering their country of incorporation and country of primary listing. The Morningstar Developed Markets Index classifies a country as a developed market if it meets certain criteria related to income per capita, the country's stock markets and the lack of discriminatory controls against foreign investors.

Underlying Index constituents are weighted by the security's free-float adjusted market capitalization, but is modified so that, as of the rebalance date, no security constitutes more than 10% of the Underlying Index, the cumulative weight of all constituents with a weight of over 5% does not exceed 40% of the Underlying Index, and no sector constitutes more than 25% of the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is rebalanced quarterly and reconstituted semi-annually. During each reconstitution, a security is only removed from the Underlying Index if either (1) the revenue from China falls below 20% or (2) the aggregate revenue exposure from emerging market countries falls below 40%.

The current eligible countries for the Underlying Index in the Morningstar Developed Markets Index are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States. Currently, the Underlying Index considers emerging market countries to include Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates. The foregoing information is subject to change.

The Underlying Index is provided by Morningstar, Inc. ("Index Provider"). The Index Provider is not affiliated with the Fund or the Adviser. The Index Provider determines the components and the relative weightings of the component securities in the Underlying Index. Additional information about the Underlying Index is available on the Index Provider's website, <u>https://www.morningstar.com/</u>.

**KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF ("KVLE")**

The Underlying Index begins with the universe of stocks that Value Line<sup>®</sup> ranks. All companies with an equity market capitalization of less than $1 billion, registered investment companies, American Depositary Receipts, limited partnerships and foreign securities not listed in the U.S. are eliminated from this universe. From this investable universe, the Underlying Index establishes a dividend target, which is the trailing 12-month dividend yield of stocks in the 25<sup>th</sup> percentile of yield in this universe. Each company in the investable universe is assigned a score based on its Safety*™* Rank and Timeliness*™* Rank.

● The Value Line<sup>®</sup> Safety *™* Ranking System measures the total risk of a company relative to others in the universe based on Value Line's ranking of the company's price stability, financial strength and other factors. Companies with high Safety ranks may be larger and more financially sound and may have lower growth prospects.

● The Value Line<sup>®</sup> Timeliness *™* Ranking System ranks companies relative to each other in the universe for price performance during the next six to 12 months by using components such as historical stock-price performance, financial results, and earnings surprises.

Each Ranking System ranks companies on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being the highest rank and 5 being the lowest rank. The Underlying Index assigns the highest scores to Rank 1 companies and the lower scores, progressively, to Rank 2 through 5 companies.

The Underlying Index optimizes the weighting of companies using the score assigned to them to maximize the overall score for the Underlying Index while seeking a yield that will be no less than the dividend target. The weighting of a company can be zero and no individual company will be weighted more than 1.5% greater than its weighting in the broad-based large cap equity index. The Underlying Index is rebalanced during the first full week of each calendar month.

The Underlying Index was launched on September 15, 2020 and is backdated to December 7, 2009 with the base value of 1000. The Underlying Index is rebalanced monthly and reconstituted monthly. The foregoing information is subject to change.

The Underlying Index is provided by EULAV Asset Management ("Index Provider"), and the Underlying Index is calculated by Fuzzy Logix, Inc. (doing business as "FastINDX"). The Index Provider is not affiliated with the Fund or Krane. The Index Provider determines the components and the relative weightings of the component securities in the Underlying Index. Additional information about the Underlying Index is available on FastINDX's website, <u>https://www.fastindx.com/</u>.

**KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF ("KMLM")**

The Index is a modified version of the MLM Index, which is an index that measures the performance of a portfolio of commodity, currency, and global fixed income futures contracts traded on U.S. and foreign exchanges using a trend following methodology. The Index determines weightings of these three types of futures contracts by the relative historical volatility of each type of futures contract as determined by the MLM Index Committee. Within each type of futures contract, the underlying constituent markets are equal dollar weighted. The Index will roll futures contracts forward on a market by market basis as each constituent market nears expiration.

Futures markets (or exchanges) are public marketplaces where futures are contracted for purchase or sale at an agreed upon price for delivery at a specified date. The Index generally consists of the largest, most liquid (as defined by total open interest) U.S. and foreign futures markets. The selection of the constituent markets occurs annually and, except in unusual circumstances, markets are not added to or deleted from the Index during a year. The constituent markets of the futures contracts for the Index currently consist of the following commodities (corn, crude oil, copper, gold, heating oil, cattle, natural gas, soybeans, sugar, wheat and gasoline), currencies (British pound, Canadian dollar, Australian dollar, Euro, Japanese Yen, and Swiss francs), and global bond markets (Canadian government bond, Euro bund, Japanese government bond, Long gilt and Ten-year Treasuries). Constituent markets are traded both long and short based on each market's trading signals.

The Index evaluates market trading signals on a daily basis and rebalances on the first day of the month. In addition, the Index has a target average annualized volatility of 15% over time. The foregoing information is subject to change.

The Index is provided by Mount Lucas Index Advisers LLC ("Index Provider"), and the Index is calculated by Fuzzy Logix, Inc. (doing business as "FastINDX"). The Index Provider determines the components and the relative weightings of the component securities in the Index. FastINDX is not affiliated with the Fund or Krane. Additional information about the Index is available on FastINDX's website, <u>https://www.fastindx.com/</u>.

**KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF ("KRBN")**

The Index is designed to measure the performance of a portfolio of liquid carbon credit futures that require "physical delivery" of emission allowances issued under cap and trade regimes. The Index includes only carbon credit futures that mature in December of the next one to two years and that have a minimum average monthly trading volume over the previous six months of at least $10 million. The Index weights eligible carbon credit futures based on their average monthly trading volume during the relevant six-month period, subject to a 5% minimum weight per regime and a 65% maximum weight to any one of the following geographic regions: (1) Europe, the Middle East and Africa, (2) the Americas, and (3) the Asia-Pacific. In addition, no single carbon credit futures contract expiring in a particular year will receive an allocation of less than 5% or more than 60% at the semi-annual rebalancing or annual reconstitution of the Index.

As of June 30, 2025, the Index included carbon credit futures linked to the value of emissions allowances issued under the following cap and trade regimes: the European Union Emissions Trading System; the California Cap and Trade; Washington's Cap-and-Invest Program; Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative; and the UK Emissions Trading System. As the global carbon credit market grows, additional carbon credit futures are expected to enter the Index, and the Fund's portfolio when they have a minimum average monthly trading volume of at least $10 million over the relevant six-month period.

**KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF ("KEUA")**

The Index is designed to measure the performance of a portfolio of futures contracts on carbon credits issued under the European Union Emissions Trading System "cap and trade" regime ("carbon credit futures"). The Index includes only carbon credit futures that mature in December of the next one to two years.

**KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF ("KCCA")**

The Index is designed to measure the performance of a portfolio of futures contracts on carbon credits issued under the California Carbon Allowance "cap and trade" regime ("carbon credit futures"). The Index includes only carbon credit futures that mature in December of the next one to two years.

Carbon credits issued under the California Carbon Allowance "cap and trade" regime include carbon credits issued by Quebec since the California and Quebec markets were linked pursuant to the Western Climate Initiative in 2014. Currently, carbon credits issued by Quebec each year consist of approximately 17-18% of the carbon credits issued under the California Carbon Allowance "cap and trade" regime. This percentage is subject to change and it is possible for additional markets to be added in the future.

**KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF ("KRGI")**

The Index is designed to measure the performance of a portfolio of futures contracts on carbon credits issued under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative ("RGGI") "cap and trade" regime ("carbon credit futures"). The Index includes only carbon credit futures that mature in December of the next one to two years.

The RGGI is a cooperative market-based effort among the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia to cap and reduce CO2 emissions from the power sector. It represents the first cap-and-trade regional initiative implemented in the United States.

**KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF ("KSPY")**

The Underlying Index is provided by Hedgeye Asset Management, LLC ("Index Provider" or "HAM") and the Underlying Index is calculated by Solactive AG ("Calculation Agent"). The Index Provider is not affiliated with the Fund or Krane. The Index Provider is a subsidiary of Hedgeye Risk Management, LLC ("HRM"). The Index Provider receives the Risk Range™ signals from HRM under a licensing agreement. The Index Provider determines the constituents and the relative weightings of the constituent positions in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index was created for the Fund's exclusive use. Additional information about the Underlying Index is available on the Calculation Agent's website, <u>www.solactive.com</u>.

**KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF ("AGIX")**

The Underlying Index is provided and calculated by Solactive AG ("Index Provider"). The Index Provider is not affiliated with the Fund, Krane or the Sub-Adviser. The Index Provider determines the constituents and the relative weightings of the constituent securities in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index was created for the Fund's exclusive use. Additional information about the Underlying Index is available on the Index Provider's website, <u>www.solactive.com</u>.

**KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF ("KCSH")**

The Underlying Index is provided and calculated by Solactive AG ("Index Provider"). The Index Provider is not affiliated with the Fund or Krane. The Index Provider determines the constituents and the relative weightings of the constituent securities in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index was created for the Fund's exclusive use. Additional information about the Underlying Index is available on the Index Provider's website, <u>www.solactive.com</u>.

The Underlying Index is designed to measure the performance of U.S. dollar denominated investment grade corporate debt securities with a maturity of up to one year that are compatible with the principal objective of the Paris Agreement, which seeks to limit temperature increases in this century to well below 2 degrees Celsius, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, above pre-industrial levels (i.e., carbon reduction target levels).

To achieve the carbon reduction target levels, the Underlying Index on a semi-annual basis will target a 7% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of the Underlying Index as compared to the Parent Index.

The Index Provider begins with the Parent Index and utilizes data from ISS to exclude the securities of issuers that ISS identifies as being involved in or fails to disclose information relevant to any of the business activities summarized below:

● Failure to respect established norms such as the United Nations Global Compact principles, the organization for Economic Co-operations and Development guidelines, or UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights;

● Verified or alleged ongoing involvement with cluster munitions, anti-personnel mines, depleted uranium, nuclear, chemical or biological weapons.

● Deriving any revenue from: coal mining and power generation; fossil fuel production, exploration, distribution and services; electric power generation from fossil fuel sources; recreational cannabis; civilian firearms producer; and tobacco cultivation and production.

● Deriving 5% or more of revenue from: adult entertainment producer; alcohol producer; gambling ownership or operations; civilian firearms; weapons producer; and genetic engineering.

● Deriving 15% or more of revenue from: adult entertainment; alcohol; gambling; and weapons.

● Any tie to thermal coal.

● Companies that have a significant negative impact with respect to the following sustainable development goals: responsible consumption and production; climate action; life below water; and life on land.

The Underlying Index updates the data from ISS related to the exclusions above on an annual basis.

The Index Provider uses an optimization process to identify security weights that seeks (a) to ensure the Underlying Index's compliance with carbon reduction target levels, (b) to minimize portfolio turnover, and (c) to minimize weight deviations from the Parent Index with respect to: (1) ratings, (2) sectors, and (3) issuers. Each security included in the Underlying Index will have a minimum weight of at least 0.01%.

**KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF ("KCAI")**

The Underlying Index is provided by Quant Insight Ltd. ("Index Provider") and the Underlying Index is calculated by Solactive AG. The Index Provider is not affiliated with the Fund or Krane. The Index Provider determines the constituents and the relative weightings of the constituent securities in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index was created for the Fund's exclusive use. Additional information about the Underlying Index is available on the Index Calculation Agent's website, <u>www.solactive.com</u>.

**KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF ("BUYO")**

The Underlying Index is provided by Numeric Investors LLC ("Index Provider") and the Underlying Index is calculated by Solactive AG ("Index Calculation Agent"). The Index Provider is affiliated with the Fund (solely in its capacity as the Sub-Adviser to the Fund) and is not affiliated with Krane. The Index Provider determines the constituents and the relative weightings of the constituent securities in the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index was created for the Fund's exclusive use. Additional information about the Underlying Index is available on the Index Calculation Agent's website, <u>www.solactive.com</u>.

**Principal Investment Risks**

The following section provides additional information regarding certain of the principal risks of investing in a Fund. An investment in a Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in a Fund involves a risk of a total loss. There is no guarantee that a Fund will meet its investment objective.

"X" denotes a principal investment risk.

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| | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Risk** | **KWEB** | **KOID** | **KBA** | **KHYB** | **KARS** | **KEMQ** |
| Asia-Pacific Risk | | | | X | | |
| Autonomous Vehicles and Future Mobility Companies Risk | | | | | X | |
| Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| China Risk - General | X | X | X | | X | X |
| China Risk - Onshore Investing Risks | X | X | X | | X | X |
| China Risk - China Equity Investing Risks | X | X | X | | X | X |
| China Fixed Income Investing Risks | | | | X | | |
| Communication Services Sector Risk | X | | | | | X |
| Concentration Risk | X | X | X | | X | X |
| Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk | X | X | | | X | X |
| Consumer Staples Sector Risk | | | X | | | |
| Convertible Securities Risk | | | | X | | |
| Currency Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Depositary Receipts Risk | X | X | X | | X | X |
| Derivatives Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Emerging Markets Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Equity Securities Risk | X | X | X | | X | X |
| ETF Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| ETF Risk - Cash Transactions Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| ETF Risk - New Fund Risk | | X | | | | |
| ETF Risk - Small Fund Risk | | | | X | | X |

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| | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Risk** | **KWEB** | **KOID** | **KBA** | **KHYB** | **KARS** | **KEMQ** |
| Financials Sector Risk | | | X | X | | |
| Fixed Income Securities Risk | | | | X | | |
| Foreign Securities Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Geographic Focus Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| High Portfolio Turnover Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| High Yield and Unrated Securities Risk | | | | X | | |
| Hong Kong Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Technology Risk | | X | | | | |
| Industrials Sector Risk | | X | X | | X | |
| Information Technology Sector Risk | | X | X | | | X |
| Internet Companies Risk | X | | | | | X |
| Investments in Investment Companies Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| IPO Risk | X | | X | | | |
| Japan Risk | | X | | | | |
| Large Capitalization Company Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Large Shareholder Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Liquidity Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Management Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Market Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Materials Sector Risk | | | | | X | |
| Mid-Capitalization Company Risk | | | X | | | |
| Non-Diversified Fund Risk | X | X | | X | | |
| Operational and Cybersecurity Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Passive Investment and Index Risk | X | X | X | | X | X |
| Real Estate Sector Risk | | | | X | | |
| Securities Lending Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Small- and Mid-Capitalization Company Risk | X | X | | X | X | X |
| South Korea Risk | | | | | X | X |
| Sovereign and Quasi-Sovereign Debt Risk | | | | X | | |
| Taiwan Risk | | | | | | X |
| Tax Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Tracking Error Risk | X | X | X | | X | X |
| U.S. Dollar-Denominated Chinese Debt Securities Risk | | | | X | | |
| Valuation Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |

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| | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Risk** | **KURE** | **KBAH** | **KGRN** | **KEMX** | **OBOR** | **KSTR** |
| Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| China Risk - General | X | X | X | | X | X |
| China Risk - Onshore Investing Risks | X | X | X | | X | X |
| China Risk - China Equity Investing Risks | X | X | X | | X | X |
| Clean Technology Risk | | | X | | | |
| Concentration Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk | | | X | | | |
| Consumer Staples Sector Risk | | X | | | | |
| Currency Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Depositary Receipts Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Derivatives Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Emerging Markets Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Equity Securities Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| ETF Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| ETF Risk - Cash Transactions Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| ETF Risk - New Fund Risk | | X | | | | |
| ETF Risk - Small Fund Risk | | | | | X | X |
| Financials Sector Risk | | X | | X | X | |
| Foreign Securities Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Frontier Markets Risk | | | | | X | |
| Geographic Focus Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Healthcare Sector Risk | X | | | | | X |
| Hedging Risk | | X | | | | |
| High Portfolio Turnover Risk | X | | X | | | X |
| Hong Kong Risk | X | X | X | | | X |
| Industrials Sector Risk | | X | X | | X | |
| Information Technology Sector Risk | | X | X | X | | X |
| Investments in Investment Companies Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| India Risk | | | | X | | |
| IPO Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Kuwait Risk | | | | | X | |

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| | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Risk** | **KURE** | **KBAH** | **KGRN** | **KEMX** | **OBOR** | **KSTR** |
| Large Capitalization Company Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Large Shareholder Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Liquidity Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Management Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Market Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Materials Sector Risk | | | | | X | |
| Mid-Capitalization Company Risk | X | X | | | | |
| Non-Diversified Fund Risk | X | X | X | | | X |
| Operational and Cybersecurity Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Passive Investment and Index Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Securities Lending Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Singapore Risk | | | | | X | |
| Small- and Mid-Capitalization Company Risk | | | X | X | X | X |
| South Korea Risk | | | | X | | |
| Taiwan Risk | | | | X | | |
| Tax Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Tracking Error Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Utilities Sector Risk | | | X | | X | |
| Valuation Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |

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| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Risk** | **KTEC** | **KLIP** | **KLXY** | **KREV** |
| Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk | X | X | X | X |
| China Risk - General | X | X | | X |
| China Risk - Onshore Investing Risks | X | X | | |
| China Risk - China Equity Investing Risks | X | X | | |
| Communication Services Sector Risk | X | X | | |
| Concentration Risk | X | X | X | X |
| Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk | X | X | X | |
| Consumer Staples Sector Risk | | | X | |
| Currency Risk | X | X | X | X |
| Depositary Receipts Risk | X | X | | X |
| Derivatives Risk | X | X | X | X |
| Emerging Markets Risk | | X | | X |
| Equity Securities Risk | X | X | X | X |
| ETF Risk | X | X | X | X |
| ETF Risk - Cash Transactions Risk | X | X | X | |
| ETF Risk - New Fund Risk | | | | X |
| ETF Risk – Small Fund Risk | X | | X | |
| Financials Sector Risk | | | | |
| Foreign Securities Risk | X | X | X | X |
| Geographic Focus Risk | X | X | X | X |
| High Portfolio Turnover Risk | X | | | |
| Hong Kong Risk | X | X | | |
| Industrials Sector Risk | | | | X |
| Information Technology Sector Risk | X | | | X |
| Internet Companies Risk | X | X | | |
| Investments in Investment Companies Risk | X | X | X | X |
| IPO Risk | X | X | | |
| Large Capitalization Company Risk | X | X | X | X |
| Large Shareholder Risk | X | X | X | X |
| Liquidity Risk | X | X | X | X |
| Luxury Investment Risk | | | X | |
| Management Risk | X | X | X | X |
| Market Risk | X | X | X | X |

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| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Risk** | **KTEC** | **KLIP** | **KLXY** | **KREV** |
| Non-Diversified Fund Risk | X | X | X | X |
| Operational and Cybersecurity Risk | X | X | X | X |
| Option Income Risk | | X | | |
| Passive Investment and Index Risk | X | | X | X |
| Securities Lending Risk | X | | X | |
| Small- and Mid-Capitalization Company Risk | X | X | | X |
| Tax Risk | X | X | X | X |
| Tracking Error Risk | X | | X | X |
| Valuation Risk | X | X | X | X |

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| | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Risk** | **KVLE** | **KMLM** | **KRBN** | **KEUA** | **KCCA** | **KRGI** |
| Carbon Emission Allowance and Cap and Trade Risk | | | X | X | X | X |
| Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Commodity-Linked Derivatives Risk | | X | X | X | X | X |
| Commodity Pool Registration Risk | | X | X | X | X | X |
| Commodity Risk | | X | | | | |
| Concentration Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Concentration Risk - Energy Sector | | | | X | X | X |
| Currency Risk | | X | X | X | | |
| Derivatives Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Dividend Risk | X | | | | | |
| Equity Securities Risk | X | | | | | |
| Energy Sector Risk | | | X | X | X | X |
| ETF Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| ETF Risk - Authorized Participants Concentration Risk | | | X | X | X | X |
| ETF Risk - Cash Transactions Risk | | X | X | X | X | X |
| ETF Risk - International Closed Market Trading Risk | | | X | X | | |
| ETF Risk - New Fund Risk | | | | | | X |
| ETF Risk - Premium/Discount Risk | | | X | X | X | X |
| ETF Risk - Secondary Market Trading Risk | | | X | X | X | X |
| ETF Risk - Small Fund Risk | X | | | X | | |
| Financials Sector Risk | X | | | | | |
| Fixed Income Securities Risk | | X | X | X | X | X |
| Foreign Investments Risk | | X | X | X | | |
| Futures Strategy Risk | | X | X | X | X | X |
| Geographic Focus Risk | | X | X | X | X | X |
| Geographic Focus Risk - Eastern U.S. Risk | | | X | | | X |
| Geographic Focus Risk - European Union Risk | | X | X | X | | |
| Geographic Focus Risk - California Risk | | | X | | X | |
| Geographic Focus Risk - Quebec Risk | | | | | X | |
| Geographic Focus Risk - United Kingdom Risk | | | X | | | |
| Geographic Focus Risk - Washington Risk | | | X | | | |
| High Portfolio Turnover Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |

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| | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Risk** | **KVLE** | **KMLM** | **KRBN** | **KEUA** | **KCCA** | **KRGI** |
| Industrials Sector Risk | X | | | | | |
| Information Technology Sector Risk | X | | | | | |
| Investments in Investment Companies Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Large Capitalization Company Risk | X | | | | | |
| Large Shareholder Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Liquidity Risk | | X | X | X | X | X |
| Management Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Market Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Non-Diversified Fund Risk | | X | X | X | X | X |
| Operational and Cybersecurity Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Passive Investment and Index Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Ranking Risk | X | | | | | |
| Regulatory Risk | | X | X | X | X | X |
| Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk | | | X | X | | |
| Sector Risk | X | | | | | |
| Securities Lending Risk | X | | | | | |
| Short Sale Risk | | X | | | | |
| Subsidiary Investment Risk | | X | X | X | X | X |
| Tax Risk | | X | X | X | X | X |
| Tracking Error Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| U.S. Government Obligations Risk | | X | X | X | X | X |
| Valuation Risk | X | X | X | X | X | X |

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| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Risk** | **KSPY** | **AGIX** | **KCSH** | **KCAI** | **BUYO** |
| Artificial Intelligence and Technology Risk | | X | | | |
| Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk | X | X | X | X | X |
| China Risk - General | | | | X | |
| China Risk - Onshore Investing Risks | | | | X | |
| China Risk - China Equity Investing Risks | | | | X | |
| Concentration Risk | X | X | X | X | X |
| Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk | X | | | | X |
| Currency Risk | | X | | X | |
| Depositary Receipts Risk | | X | | X | |
| Derivatives Risk | X | X | X | X | X |
| Emerging Markets Risk | | | | X | |
| Equity Securities Risk | X | X | | X | X |
| ESG Risk | | | X | | |
| ETF Risk | X | X | X | X | X |
| ETF Risk - Authorized Participants Concentration Risk | X | X | X | X | X |
| ETF Risk - Cash Transactions Risk | X | | X | X | |
| ETF Risk - International Closed Market Trading Risk | | X | | X | |
| ETF Risk - New Fund Risk | X | X | X | X | X |
| ETF Risk - Premium/Discount Risk | X | X | X | X | X |
| ETF Risk - Secondary Market Trading Risk | X | X | X | X | X |
| Financials Sector Risk | X | | X | X | |
| Fixed Income Securities Risk | | | X | | |
| Foreign Securities Risk | | X | | X | |

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| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Risk** | **KSPY** | **AGIX** | **KCSH** | **KCAI** | **BUYO** |
| Geographic Focus Risk | | | X | X | |
| Hedgeye Risk Range™ Signal Publication Risk | X | | | | |
| Hedging Risk | X | | | | |
| High Portfolio Turnover Risk | X | | | X | |
| Hong Kong Risk | | | | X | |
| Industrials Sector Risk | | | | X | X |
| Information Technology Sector Risk | X | X | | X | X |
| Investments in Investment Companies Risk | | X | X | X | X |
| IPO Risk | | X | | X | |
| Key Man Risk | X | | | | |
| Large Capitalization Company Risk | X | X | | X | |
| Large Shareholder Risk | X | X | X | X | X |
| Liquidity Risk | | X | X | X | |

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| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Risk** | **KSPY** | **AGIX** | **KCSH** | **KCAI** | **BUYO** |
| Machine Learning and Data Risk | | | | X | |
| Management Risk | X | X | X | X | X |
| Market Risk | X | X | X | X | X |
| Materials Sector Risk | | | | X | |
| Mid-Capitalization Company Risk | | | | X | |
| Model and Data Risk | | | | | X |
| Non-Diversified Fund Risk | X | | X | X | X |
| Operational and Cybersecurity Risk | X | X | X | X | X |
| Passive Investment and Index Risk | X | X | X | X | X |
| Private Company Risk | | X | | | |
| Privately-Issued Securities Risk | | X | | | |
| Sector Risk | | | | | X |
| Securities Lending Risk | X | | X | X | X |
| Small- and Mid-Capitalization Company Risk | | X | | | X |
| Tax Risk | X | X | X | X | |
| Tracking Error Risk | X | X | X | X | X |
| Valuation Risk | | X | X | X | X |

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**Artificial Intelligence and Technology Risk.** "AI and Technology" companies typically have high research and capital expenditures and, as a result, their profitability can vary widely, if they are profitable at all. The space in which they are engaged is highly competitive and issuers' products and services may become obsolete very quickly. These companies are heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by loss or impairment of those rights. The issuers are also subject to legal, regulatory and political changes that may have a large impact on their profitability. A failure in an issuer's product or even questions about the safety of the product could be devastating to the issuer, especially if it is the marquee product of the issuer. It can be difficult to accurately capture what qualifies as an AI and Technology company.

Certain AI and Technology companies may face special risks that their products or services may not prove to be commercially successful. Such companies are also strongly affected by worldwide scientific or technological developments. As a result, their products may rapidly become obsolete. Such companies are also often subject to governmental regulation and may, therefore, be adversely affected by governmental policies. In addition, certain of such companies in which the Fund may invest may not currently be profitable and there can be no assurance that such companies will be profitable in the future.

**Asia-Pacific Risk.** Investments in securities of issuers in Asia-Pacific countries involve risks that are specific to the Asia-Pacific region, including certain legal, regulatory, political and economic risks. Certain Asia-Pacific countries have experienced expropriation and/or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, political instability, armed conflict and social instability as a result of religious, ethnic, socio-economic and/or political unrest. Some economies in this region are dependent on a range of commodities and are strongly affected by international commodity prices and are particularly vulnerable to price changes for these products. The market for securities in this region may also be directly influenced by the flow of international capital, and by the economic and market conditions of neighboring countries. Many Asia-Pacific economies have experienced rapid growth and industrialization, and there is no assurance that this growth rate will be maintained. Some Asia-Pacific economies are highly dependent on trade and economic conditions in other countries.

**Autonomous Vehicles and Future Mobility Companies Risk.** Investments in autonomous vehicles and future mobility companies may be volatile. These companies are subject to intense competition, the risk of product obsolescence, changes in consumer preferences and legal, regulatory and political changes. Many of these companies make significant expenditures on research and development, and are heavily dependent on intellectual property rights, which may be challenged by other similar companies. A loss or impairment of intellectual property rights may adversely affect autonomous vehicles and future mobility companies. These vehicles may incorporate raw materials from companies concentrated in certain commodities, and may also rely on fuel sources that are more sensitive to commodities market activity than traditional vehicle fuels, which exposes the autonomous vehicles and future mobility companies to the price fluctuation of those commodities. They are also especially at risk of hacking, other cybersecurity events, and traffic accidents related to autonomous vehicles.

**Carbon Emission Allowance and Cap and Trade Risk.** Cap and trade regimes and related markets are new and based on scientific principles that are subject to debate. Cap and trade regimes have arisen primarily due to relative international consensus with respect to scientific evidence indicating a correlation between the rise in global temperatures and extreme weather events, on the one hand, and the rise in GHG emissions in the atmosphere, on the other hand. If this consensus were to break down, cap and trade regimes and the value of the Fund may be negatively affected. Additionally, if the science supporting the relationship or the acceptable level of GHG concentrations is questioned, it may negatively affect cap and trade regimes and the value of the Fund.

There is no assurance that cap and trade regimes will continue to exist. Cap and trade was designed to attempt to put a cap on pollution by putting a price on carbon emissions, but the approach may not prove to be an effective method of reduction in GHG emissions and or in achieving climate change objectives. As a result or due to other factors, cap and trade regimes may be terminated or may not be renewed upon their expiration. The European Union Emissions Trading System ("EU ETS") is organized into a number of phases, each with a predetermined duration. Currently, the EU ETS is in Phase III. There can be no assurance that the EU ETS will enter into a new phase as scheduled.

New technologies may arise that may diminish or eliminate the need for cap and trade markets. Ultimately, the cost of emissions credits is determined by the cost of actually reducing emissions levels. If the price of credits becomes too high, it will be more economical for companies to develop or invest in green technologies, thereby suppressing the demand for credits and adversely affect the price of the Fund.

Cap and trade regimes set emission limits (i.e., the right to emit a certain quantity of GHG emissions), which can be allocated or auctioned to the parties in the mechanism up to the total emissions cap. This allocation may be larger or smaller than is needed for a stable price of credits and can lead to large price volatility and may impact the Fund. Depending upon the industries covered under the cap and trade regime, unpredictable demand for their products and services can affect the value of GHG emissions credits. For example, very mild winters or very cool summers can decrease demand for electric utilities and therefore require fewer carbon credits to offset reduced production and GHG emissions.

If fines or other penalties for non-compliance are not enforced, incentives to purchase GHG credits will deteriorate, which could result in a decline in the price of emissions credits and may adversely impact the Fund.

The economic health of GHG emitting companies and their ability to pass on the cost of emissions credits to consumers can affect the price of the carbon credit futures. If the price of emissions can be passed on to the end customer with little impact upon consumer demand, it is likely that industries may continue emitting and purchase any shortfall in the market at the prevailing price. If, however, the producer is unable to pass on the cost, it may be incentivized to reduce production in order to decrease its need for offsetting emissions credits, which could adversely affect the price of carbon credit futures and the Fund.

Regulatory risk related to changes in regulation and enforcement of cap and trade regimes could adversely affect market behavior. Cap and trade markets relating to GHG emissions are relatively recent, the first such regime arising in 2001. Accordingly, historical performance of these markets may not be indicative of future performance, and future performance of cap and trade markets may be hard to predict. In addition, as cap and trade markets and carbon credit markets develop, new regulation with respect to these markets may arise, which may have a negative effect on the value and liquidity of the cap and trade markets and the Fund.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. Holding cash or cash equivalents, even strategically, may lead to missed investment opportunities. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**China Risk – General.** The economy of the People's Republic of China ("China" or the "PRC") differs, sometimes unfavorably, from the U.S. economy in such respects as structure, general development, government involvement, wealth distribution, rate of inflation, growth rate, allocation of resources and capital reinvestment, among others. Under China's political and economic system, the central government has historically exercised substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through administrative regulation and/or state ownership. For example, the Chinese government has from time to time taken actions that influence the prices at which certain goods may be sold, encourage companies to invest or concentrate in particular industries, induce mergers between companies in certain industries and induce private companies to publicly offer their securities to increase or continue the rate of economic growth, control the rate of inflation or otherwise regulate economic expansion. It may do so in the future as well. Such actions and a variety of other centrally planned or determined activities by the Chinese government could have a significant adverse effect on economic conditions in China, the economic prospects for, and the market prices and liquidity of, the securities of Chinese companies and the payments of dividends and interest by Chinese companies.

During the last 30 years, the Chinese government has reformed its economic policies, which has resulted in less direct central and local government control over the business and production activities of Chinese enterprises and companies. Notwithstanding the economic reforms instituted by the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party, actions of the Chinese central and local government authorities continue to have a substantial effect on economic conditions in China, which could affect the public and private sector companies in which the Fund invests. The Chinese government may also change course and exercise greater central and local government control over Chinese firms.

In certain cases where China has begun a process of privatization of certain entities and industries, investors in newly privatized entities have suffered losses due to the inability of the newly privatized entities to adjust quickly to a competition environment or changing regulatory and legal standards, or in some cases, due to re-nationalization of such privatized entities. There is no assurance that such losses will not recur.

Export growth continues to be a major driver of China's rapid economic growth. Reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, supply chain diversification, institution of tariffs, sanctions or other trade barriers, or a downturn in any of the economies of China's key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy. The Chinese economy is particularly dependent upon trading with key partners, such as the United States, Japan, South Korea and countries in the European Union. Recent developments in relations between the United States and China have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the two countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on China's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on the Fund. In addition, worsening trade relations between the two countries could adversely impact the Fund, particularly to the extent that the Chinese government restricts foreign investments in on-shore Chinese companies or the U.S. government restricts investments by U.S. investors in China including by limiting the ability of Chinese issuers to list on the U.S. exchanges. Worsening trade relations may also result in market volatility and volatility in the price of Fund shares. In addition, the U.S. government has imposed restrictions on the ability of U.S. investors to hold and/or acquire securities of certain Chinese companies, which may adversely impact the Fund, may mean that the Fund's Underlying Index may need to adjust its methodology or could increase tracking error for the Fund.

The Underlying Index may include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government. So long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments, the Fund is generally expected to invest in such companies, consistent with its objective to track the performance of the Underlying Index.

In recent years, Chinese entities have incurred significant levels of debt and Chinese financial institutions currently hold relatively large amounts of non-performing debt. Thus, there exists a possibility that widespread defaults could occur, which could trigger a financial crisis, freeze Chinese debt and finance markets and make Chinese securities illiquid.

Disclosure and regulatory standards in emerging market countries, such as China, are in many respects less stringent than U.S. standards. There is substantially less publicly available information about Chinese issuers than there is about U.S. issuers. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements or due to worsening relations between the U.S. and China, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities.

**Inflation Risk.** Economic growth in China has historically been accompanied by periods of inflation. Beginning in 2004, the Chinese government commenced the implementation of various measures to control inflation, which included the tightening of the money supply, the raising of interest rates and more stringent control over certain industries. If inflation were to increase, the performance of the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments could be negatively impacted.

**Nationalization and Expropriation Risk.** Expropriation, including nationalization, confiscatory taxation, political, economic or social instability or other developments could adversely affect and significantly diminish the values of the Chinese companies in which the Fund invests. There can be no assurance that the Chinese government will not nationalize or expropriate assets in its territory or over which it otherwise has control. An investment in the Fund involves a risk of a total loss.

Moreover, the Chinese government limits foreign investment in the securities of Chinese issuers entirely. These restrictions or limitations may have adverse effects on the liquidity and performance of the Fund holdings as compared to the performance of the Underlying Index. This may increase the risk of tracking error and the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective.

**Currency Risk.** The government of China has historically maintained strict currency controls in order to achieve economic, trade and political objectives and regularly intervened in the currency market. In this regard, the Chinese government has placed strict regulation on the yuan and Hong Kong dollar and manages the yuan and Hong Kong dollar so that they have historically traded in a tight range relative to the U.S. dollar. The Chinese government has been under pressure to manage the currency in a less restrictive fashion so that it is less correlated to the U.S. dollar.

Since 2005, the exchange rate of the RMB is no longer strictly pegged to the U.S. dollar. The RMB has now moved to a managed floating exchange rate based on market supply and demand with reference to a basket of foreign currencies. The daily trading price of the RMB against other major currencies in the inter-bank foreign exchange market is allowed to float within a narrow band around the central parity published by the People's Bank of China. As the exchange rates may be based on market forces, the exchange rates for RMB against other currencies, including the U.S. dollar, are susceptible to movements based on external factors. Of course, there can be no guarantee that this will continue, or that the yuan or the Hong Kong dollar will move in relation to the U.S. dollar as expected. There can be no assurance that the RMB will not be subject to devaluation. Any devaluation of the RMB is expected to adversely affect the value of the Fund's investments.

**Available Disclosure About Chinese Issuers Risk.** Disclosure and regulatory standards in emerging market countries, such as China, are in many respects less stringent than U.S. standards. There is substantially less publicly available information about Chinese issuers than there is about U.S. issuers. Therefore, disclosure of certain material information may not be made, and less information may be available to the Fund and other investors than would be the case if the Fund's investments were restricted to securities of U.S. issuers. Chinese issuers are subject to accounting, auditing and financial standards and requirements that differ, in some cases significantly, from those applicable to U.S. issuers. In particular, the assets and profits appearing on the financial statements of a Chinese issuer may not reflect its financial position or results of operations in the way they would be reflected had such financial statements been prepared in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.

Such conditions may lead to potential errors in index data, index computation and/or index construction and may limit the ability to oversee the index provider's due diligence process over index data, which may adversely impact the Fund's performance and its ability to track the performance of the Underlying Index.

There has been increased attention from the SEC and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board ("PCAOB") with regard to international auditing standards of U.S.-listed companies with significant operations in China as well as PCAOB-registered auditing firms in China. Currently, the SEC and PCAOB are only able to get limited information about these auditing firms and are restricted from inspecting the audit work and practices of registered accountants in China. These restrictions may result in the unavailability of material information about issuers in China or an issuer's operations in China.

**Chinese Corporate and Securities Law Risk.** The Fund's rights with respect to its investments in China, if any, generally will not be governed by U.S. law, but rather by Chinese law. China operates under a civil law system. It is based on statutes enacted by various state bodies with authority over economic matters such as foreign investment, company organization and governance, taxation and trade. These laws are relatively recent with published court opinions based on them being limited. Further, court precedent is not binding. Thus, there is uncertainty regarding the implementation of existing law. In addition, laws pertaining to bankruptcy proceedings are generally less developed and may be different than such laws in the United States and lead to unpredictable results.

Legal principles relating to corporate affairs and the validity of corporate procedures, directors' fiduciary duties and liabilities and stockholders' rights often differ from those that may apply in the United States and other countries. In particular, Chinese laws providing protection to investors, such as laws regarding the fiduciary duties of officers and directors, are undeveloped and will not provide investors, such as the Fund, with protection in all situations where protection would be provided by comparable law in the United States. It may therefore be difficult for the Fund to enforce its rights as an investor under Chinese corporate and securities laws, and it may be difficult or impossible for the Fund to obtain a judgment in court. Moreover, as Chinese corporate and securities laws continue to develop, these developments may adversely affect foreign investors, such as the Fund.

**Chinese Securities Markets Risk.** China's securities markets, including the debt markets, have a limited operating history and are not as developed as those in the United States. These markets, historically, have had greater volatility than markets in the United States and some other countries, and experienced inefficiency and pricing anomalies. There is relatively less regulation and monitoring of Chinese securities markets and of the activities of investors, brokers and other participants than in the United States, including with respect to insider trading, tender offers, stockholder proxies and disclosure of information. Stock markets in China are in the process of change and further development. This may lead to additional volatility, difficulty in the settlement and recording of transactions and difficulty in interpreting and applying the relevant regulations.

**Political and Economic Risk.** The Chinese government continues to be an active participant in many economic sectors through ownership positions and regulation. The majority of productive assets in China are still owned by the PRC government at various levels. The allocation of resources in China is subject to a high level of government control. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. Through its policies, the government may provide preferential treatment to particular industries or companies. The policies set by the government could have a substantial effect on the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments.

For more than 30 years, the PRC government has carried out economic reforms to achieve decentralization and utilization of market forces to develop the economy of the PRC. These reforms have resulted in significant economic growth and social progress, but growth has been uneven both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. Economic growth has also been accompanied by periods of inflation. The PRC government has implemented various measures from time to time to control inflation and restrain the rate of economic growth.

Although reforms over the last 30 years have generally been regarded as successful, there can be no assurance that the PRC government will continue to pursue such economic policies or, if it does, that those policies will continue to be successful or will not otherwise have a negative effect on the Fund. Any such adjustment and modification of those economic policies may have an adverse impact on the securities market of Chinese issuers. Further, the PRC government may from time to time adopt corrective measures to control the growth of the PRC economy which may also have an adverse impact on the capital growth and performance of the Fund.

Political changes, social instability and adverse diplomatic developments in the PRC could result in the imposition of additional government restrictions including expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxes or nationalization of some or all of the property held by Chinese issuers. Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Additionally, China is alleged to have participated in state-sponsored cyberattacks against foreign companies and foreign governments. Actual and threatened responses to such activity and strained international relations, including purchasing restrictions, sanctions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Chinese government or Chinese companies, may impact China's economy and Chinese issuers of securities in which the Fund invests. Incidents involving China's or the region's security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments. China has experienced major health crises and such health crises could exacerbate any of the risks applicable to China.

**Special Risk Considerations of Investing in China.** For purposes of raising capital offshore on exchanges outside of China, including on U.S. exchanges, many Chinese-based operating companies are structured as Variable Interest Entities ("VIEs"). In this structure, the Chinese-based operating company is the VIE and establishes an entity, which is typically offshore in a foreign jurisdiction, such as the Cayman Islands. The offshore entity lists on a foreign exchange and enters into contractual arrangements with the VIE. This structure allows Chinese companies in which the government restricts foreign ownership to raise capital from foreign investors. While the offshore entity has no equity ownership of the VIE, these contractual arrangements permit the offshore entity to consolidate the VIE's financial statements with its own for accounting purposes and provide for economic exposure to the performance of the underlying Chinese operating company. Therefore, an investor in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, will have exposure to the Chinese-based operating company only through contractual arrangements and has no ownership in the Chinese-based operating company. Furthermore, because the offshore entity only has specific rights provided for in these service agreements with the VIE, its abilities to control the activities at the Chinese-based operating company are limited and the operating company may engage in activities that negatively impact investment value.

While the VIE structure has been widely adopted, it is not formally recognized under Chinese law and therefore there is a risk that the Chinese government could prohibit the existence of such structures or negatively impact the VIE's contractual arrangements with the listed offshore entity by making them invalid. If these contracts were found to be unenforceable under Chinese law, investors in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, may suffer significant losses with little or no recourse available. If the Chinese government determines that the agreements establishing the VIE structures do not comply with Chinese law and regulations, including those related to restrictions on foreign ownership, it could subject a Chinese-based issuer to penalties, revocation of business and operating licenses, or forfeiture of ownership interest. In addition, the listed offshore entity's control over a VIE may also be jeopardized if a natural person who holds the equity interest in the VIE breaches the terms of the agreement, is subject to legal proceedings or if any physical instruments for authenticating documentation, such as chops and seals, are used without the Chinese-based issuer's authorization to enter into contractual arrangements in China. Chops and seals, which are carved stamps used to sign documents, represent a legally binding commitment by the company. Moreover, any future regulatory action may prohibit the ability of the offshore entity to receive the economic benefits of the Chinese-based operating company, which may cause the value of the Fund's investment in the listed offshore entity to suffer a significant loss. For example, in 2021, the Chinese government prohibited use of the VIE structure for investment in after-school tutoring companies. There is no guarantee that the government will not place similar restrictions on other industries.

**China Risk – Onshore Investing Risks.** Because the Fund may invest in the local China markets directly (also referred to herein as domestic Chinese markets or securities or onshore Chinese markets or securities), it will be subject to the following special risks:

**Capital Controls Risk.** RMB can be categorized into "CNY" (onshore RMB) traded in the PRC and "CNH" (offshore RMB) traded outside the PRC. CNY and CNH are traded at different exchange rates and their exchange rates may not move in the same direction. Although there has been a growing amount of RMB held offshore, CNH cannot be freely remitted into the PRC and is subject to certain restrictions, and vice versa. The Fund may be adversely affected by the exchange rates between CNY and CNH.

CNY is currently not a freely convertible currency as it is subject to foreign exchange control, fiscal policies and repatriation restrictions imposed by the Chinese government. The PRC government imposes restrictions on the remittance of RMB out of and into China. In the event a remittance by the Fund is disrupted, the Fund could be adversely affected and, among other matters, may not be able to invest those funds, which may increase the tracking error of the Fund. In addition, any delay in repatriation of RMB out of China may result in delay in payment of redemption proceeds to redeeming investors. The Chinese government's policies on exchange control and repatriation restrictions are subject to change, and such control of currency conversions and movements in the RMB exchange rates may adversely affect the operations and financial results of PRC companies and the Fund. If such control policies change in the future, the Fund may be adversely affected.

Economic conditions, such as volatile currency exchange rates and interest rates, political events and other conditions may, without prior warning, lead to intervention by Chinese government authorities and the imposition of "capital controls." Capital controls include the prohibition of, or restrictions on, the ability to transfer currency, securities or other assets into, out of or into the country. Levies may be placed on profits repatriated by foreign entities (such as the Fund). Capital controls may impact the ability of the Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities or currency, adversely affect the trading market and price for shares of the Fund, and cause the Fund to decline in value.

The Chinese government also heavily regulates the domestic exchange of foreign currencies within China. Chinese law requires that all domestic transactions must be settled in RMB, places significant restrictions on the remittance of foreign currency and strictly regulates currency exchange from RMB. Under State Administration of Foreign Exchange ("SAFE") regulations, Chinese corporations may only purchase foreign currencies through government approved banks. In general, Chinese companies must receive approval from or register with the Chinese government before investing in certain capital account items, including direct investments and loans, and must thereafter maintain separate foreign exchange accounts for the capital items. Foreign investors may only exchange foreign currencies at specially authorized banks after complying with documentation requirements. These restrictions may adversely affect the Fund and its investments. The PRC government may impose additional or other currency capital controls that could significant harm the Fund.

**Custody Risk.** The Fund is required by Chinese regulation to have a local custodian in China ("PRC Custodian") for its investments in domestic, onshore Chinese securities, including A-Shares and mainland Chinese debt (also referred to herein as RMB Bonds). The PRC Custodian maintains the Fund's investments in China to ensure their compliance with the rules and regulations of the China Securities Regulatory Commission ("CSRC") and the People's Bank of China. Such investments, when purchased by Krane or the Fund's sub-adviser in its capacity as the Fund's QFI will normally be received in a securities account maintained by the PRC Custodian in the joint names of the Fund and Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable. The account may not be used for any other purpose than for maintaining the Fund's assets. However, given that the securities trading account will be maintained in the joint names of Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable, and the Fund, the Fund's assets may not be as well protected, as they would be if it were possible for them to be registered and held solely in the name of the Fund. In particular, there is a risk that creditors of Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable, may assert that the securities are owned by Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable, and not the Fund, and that a court would uphold such an assertion, in which case such creditors could seize assets. Because the Fund's PRC securities may be in the name of both Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable, and the Fund, there is also a risk that regulatory actions taken against Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable, by PRC government authorities may affect the Fund. This is particularly acute in the case of cash deposited with the PRC Custodian because it may not be segregated, and it may be treated as a debt owing from the PRC Custodian to the Fund as a depositor. Thus, in the event of a PRC Custodian bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar event, the Fund may face difficulties and/or encounter delays in recovering its cash.

**QFI.** A QFI license may be acquired to invest directly in domestic, onshore Chinese securities. To qualify for a QFI license, an applicant must meet certain requirements on asset management experience, assets under management, and firm capital. In 2020, the PRC government eliminated QFI quotas, meaning that entities registered with the appropriate Chinese regulator will no longer be subject to quotas when investing in PRC securities (but will remain subject to foreign shareholder limits) and simplified the cash repatriation process and QFI application process. However, there is no assurance that PRC rules and regulations will not change or that repatriation restrictions will not be imposed in the future. Changes to the PRC rules and regulations may be applied retroactively. Further, no single underlying foreign investor investing through a QFI may hold more than 10% of the total outstanding shares in one listed company and all foreign investors investing through QFIs may not hold, in aggregate, more than 30% of the total outstanding shares in one listed company. Such limits may not apply where foreign investors make strategic investment in listed companies in accordance with the Measures for the Administration of Strategic Investments in Listed Companies by Foreign Investors.

**China Risk - China Equity Investing Risks.**

**A-Shares Risk.** The ability of the Fund to invest in China A-Shares is dependent, in part, on the availability of A-Shares either through the trading and clearing facilities of a participating exchange located outside of mainland China ("Stock Connect Programs") which currently include the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shanghai-London Stock Connect, and China-Japan Stock Connect, and/or through a QFI license from the Chinese regulator. Thus, the Fund's investment in A-Shares will be limited by the amount of A-Shares available through the Stock Connect Programs. Investments in A-Shares are heavily regulated and the recoupment and repatriation of assets invested in A-Shares is subject to restrictions by the Chinese government.

Currently, there are two stock exchanges in mainland China, the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges. The Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges are supervised by the CSRC and are highly automated with trading and settlement executed electronically. The Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges are substantially smaller, less liquid and more volatile than the securities markets in the United States.

The Shanghai Stock Exchange commenced trading on December 19, 1990, and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange commenced trading on July 3, 1991. The Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges divide listed shares into two classes: A-Shares and B-shares. Companies whose shares are traded on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges that are incorporated in mainland China may issue both A-Shares and B-Shares. In China, the A-Shares and B-Shares of an issuer may only trade on one exchange. A-Shares and B-Shares may both be listed on either the Shanghai or Shenzhen Stock Exchanges. Both classes represent an ownership interest comparable to a share of common stock. A-Shares are traded on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges in RMB. A-Shares may be subject to more frequent and/or extended trading halts than other exchange-traded securities and may become illiquid. The A-Shares market may behave very differently from other Chinese equity markets, and there may be little to no correlation between them.

Restrictions continue to exist on investments in A-Shares and capital therefore cannot flow freely into the A-Share market, making it possible that, in the event of a market disruption, the liquidity of the A-Share market and trading prices of A-Shares could be more severely affected than the liquidity and trading prices of markets where securities are freely tradable and capital therefore flows more freely. The Fund cannot predict the nature or duration of such a market disruption or the impact that it may have on the A-Share market and the short-term and long-term prospects of its investments in the A-Share market.

The Chinese government has in the past taken actions that benefitted holders of A-Shares. As A-Shares become more available to foreign investors, such as the Fund, the Chinese government may be less likely to take action that would benefit holders of A-Shares.

Repatriations by QFIs for investors such as registered funds are permitted daily and are not subject to lockup periods. There is no assurance, however, that PRC rules and regulations will not change or that repatriation restrictions will not be imposed in the future. Any restrictions on repatriation of the Fund's assets may adversely affect the Fund's ability to meet redemption requests and/or may cause the Fund to borrow money in order to meet its obligations. These limitations may also prevent a Fund from making certain distributions to shareholders.

If the Fund is unable to obtain sufficient exposure to the components of its Underlying Index, the Fund could seek exposure to the component securities of the Underlying Index in other ways, such as by investing in depositary receipts of the component securities and Hong Kong listed versions of the component securities. The Fund may also invest in B-Shares issued by the same companies that issue A-Shares that are in the Underlying Index. The A-Shares market may behave very differently from the B-Shares market, and there may be little to no correlation between the performances of the two. The Fund may also use derivatives or invest in ETFs that can obtain comparable exposures. If necessary, the Fund may limit or suspend purchases of Creation Units of the Fund until the Fund determines that the requisite exposure to the Underlying Index is obtainable. During the period that creations are limited or suspended, the Fund could trade at a significant premium or discount to the NAV and could experience substantial redemptions. Alternatively, the Fund could change its investment objective by, for example, seeking to track an alternative index that does not include A-Shares as component securities, or decide to liquidate the Fund. In circumstances beyond the control of the Fund, the Fund may incur significant losses due to limited investment capabilities, including based on investment objectives or strategies, due to investment restrictions on QFIs licenses, illiquidity of the securities markets, or delay or disruption in execution or settlement of trades.

The Chinese government limits foreign investment in the securities of Chinese issuers entirely. China may also impose higher local tax rates on transactions involving certain companies. These restrictions or limitations may have adverse effects on the liquidity and performance of the Fund holdings as compared to the performance of the Underlying Index, if applicable. For an index ETF, this may increase the risk of tracking error and the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective.

Per a circular (Caishui [2014] 79), the Fund is temporarily exempt from the Chinese tax on capital gains ("CGT") on trading in A-Shares as a QFI on the Shanghai Stock Exchange through the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect as of November 17, 2014, and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange through the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect as of December 5, 2016. There is no indication as to how long the temporary exemption will remain in effect. Accordingly, the Fund may be subject to such taxes in the future. In addition, there is uncertainty as to the application and implementation of China's value added tax to the Fund's activities. As a result, investors may be advantaged or disadvantaged depending on the final rules of the relevant tax authorities.

Investors should note that such provision may be excessive or inadequate to meet actual CGT tax liabilities (which could include interest and penalties) on the Fund's investments. As a result, investors may be advantaged or disadvantaged depending on the final rules of the relevant tax authorities.

It is also unclear how China's value added tax may apply to the activities of a participant in the Stock Connect Programs or QFI licensee and how such application may be affected by tax treaty provisions. If such a tax is collected, the expense will be passed on and borne by the Fund. The imposition of such taxes, as well as future changes in applicable PRC tax law, may adversely affect the Fund.

The Fund reserves the right to establish a reserve for any taxes as to which it is uncertain whether they will assessed, although it has not currently done so. If the Fund establishes such a reserve but is not ultimately subject to the tax, shareholders who redeemed or sold their shares while the reserve was in place will effectively bear the tax and may not benefit from the later release, if any, of the reserve. Conversely, if the Fund does not establish such a reserve but ultimately is subject to the tax, shareholders who redeemed or sold their shares prior to the tax being withheld, reserved or paid will have effectively avoided the tax, even if they benefited from the trading that precipitated the Fund's payment of it. The Fund is responsible for any taxes on its operations or investments, including if they are applied retroactively.

**Disclosure of Interests and Short Swing Profit Rule.** The Fund may be subject to regulations promulgated by the CSRC, which currently require the Fund to make certain public disclosures when the Fund and parties acting in concert with the Fund acquire 5% or more of the issued securities of a listed company (which include A-Shares of the listed company). The relevant PRC regulations presumptively treat all affiliated investors and investors under common control as parties acting in concert. As such, the Fund may be deemed as a "concert party" of other funds managed by Krane, a sub-adviser, if applicable, or their affiliates and therefore may be subject to the risk that the Fund's holdings may be required to be reported in the aggregate with the holdings of such other funds should the aggregate holdings trigger the reporting threshold under the PRC law. If the 5% shareholding threshold is triggered, the Fund would be required to file its report within three days. During the time limit for filing the report, a trading freeze applies and the Fund would not be permitted to make subsequent trades in the invested company's securities. Any such trading freeze may impair the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective and undermine the Fund's performance.

Further, subject to the interpretation of PRC courts and PRC regulators, the operation of the PRC short swing profit rule may prevent the Fund from reducing its holdings in a PRC company within six months of the last purchase of shares of the company if the Fund's holding in that company exceeds the threshold prescribed by the relevant exchange on which the PRC company's shares are listed. The Fund could be subject to these restrictions even though an entity deemed to be an affiliate (and not the Fund) may have triggered the restrictions. Nonetheless, if the Fund violates the rule, it may be required by the listed company to return any profits realized from such trading to the company. In addition, the Fund could not repurchase securities of the listed company within six months of such sale. Finally, under PRC civil procedures, the Fund's assets may be frozen to the extent of the claims made by the company in question.

**PRC Broker Risk.** Currently, only a limited number of brokers are available to trade A-Shares with the Fund. As a result, Krane or a sub-adviser will have limited flexibility to choose among brokers on behalf of the Fund than is typically the case for investment advisers. If Krane or a sub-adviser is unable to use a particular broker in the PRC, the operation of the Fund may be adversely affected. Further, the operation of the Fund may be adversely affected in case of any acts or omissions of the PRC broker, which may result in higher tracking error or the Fund being traded at a significant premium or discount to its NAV. If a single PRC broker is appointed, the Fund may not necessarily pay the lowest commission available in the market. There is also a risk that the Fund may suffer losses from the default, bankruptcy or disqualification of the PRC broker. Krane or a sub-adviser, however, in its selection of PRC brokers will consider such factors as the competitiveness of PRC brokers' commission rates, size of the relevant orders, and execution standards.

**B-Shares Risk.** The B-Share market is generally smaller, less liquid and has a smaller issuer base than the A Share market. The issuers that compose the B-Share market include a broad range of companies, including companies with large, medium and small capitalizations. The B-Shares market may behave very differently from other portions of the Chinese equity markets, and there may be little to no correlation between their performance.

**H-Shares Risk.** The Fund may invest in shares of companies incorporated in mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange ("H-Shares"). H-Shares are traded in Hong Kong dollars on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and must meet Hong Kong's listing and disclosure requirements. H-Shares may be traded by foreigners and can be used to gain exposure to Chinese securities. Because they are traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, H-Shares involve a number of risks not typically associated with investing in countries with more democratic governments or more established economies or securities markets. Such risks may include the risk of nationalization or expropriation; greater social, economic and political uncertainty; increased competition from Asia's low-cost emerging economies; currency exchange rate fluctuations; higher rates of inflation; controls on foreign investment and limitations on repatriation of invested capital; and greater governmental involvement in and control over the economy. Fluctuations in the value of the Hong Kong dollar will affect the Fund's holdings of H-Shares. The Hong Kong stock market may behave very differently from the domestic Chinese stock market and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the Hong Kong stock market and the domestic Chinese stock market.

**N-Shares Risk.** The Fund may invest in shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on an American stock exchange, such as the NYSE or NASDAQ ("N-Shares"). N-Shares are traded in U.S. dollars. N-Shares are issued by companies incorporated anywhere, but many are registered in Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, or the United States. Because companies issuing N-Shares have business operations in China, they are subject to certain political and economic risks in China.

**P-Chip Risk.** The Fund may invest in shares of companies with controlling private Chinese shareholders that are incorporated outside mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange ("P-Chips"). These businesses are largely run by the private sector and have a majority of their business operations in mainland China. P-Chip shares are traded in Hong Kong dollars on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and may also be traded by foreigners. Because they are traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, P-Chips are also subject to risks similar to those associated with investments in H-Shares. They are also subject to risks affecting their jurisdiction of incorporation, including any legal or tax changes. Private Chinese companies may be more indebted, more susceptible to adverse changes in the economy, subject to asset seizures and nationalization, and negative political or legal developments.

**Red Chip Risk.** The Fund may invest in shares of companies with controlling Chinese government shareholders that are incorporated outside mainland China, have a majority of their business operations in mainland China, and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange ("Red Chips"). These businesses are controlled, either directly or indirectly, by the central, provincial or municipal governments of the PRC. Red Chip shares are traded in Hong Kong dollars on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, may also be traded by foreigners and are subject to risks similar to those of H-Shares. Because Red Chip companies are controlled by various PRC governmental authorities, investing in Red Chips involves risks that political changes, social instability, regulatory uncertainty, adverse diplomatic developments, asset expropriation or nationalization, or confiscatory taxation could adversely affect the performance of Red Chip companies. Red Chip companies may be less efficiently run and less profitable than other companies. They are also subject to risks affecting their jurisdiction of incorporation, including any legal or tax changes.

**S-Chip Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on the Singapore Exchange ("S-Chips"). S-Chip shares are issued by companies incorporated anywhere, but many are registered in Singapore, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, or Bermuda. They are subject to risks affecting their jurisdiction of incorporation, including any legal or tax changes. S-Chip companies may or may not be owned at least in part by a Chinese central, provincial or municipal government and be subject to the types of risks that come with such ownership described herein. There may be little or no correlation between the performance of the Singapore stock market and the mainland Chinese stock market.

**Stock Connect Program Risk.** The Stock Connect Programs are subject to daily quota limitations, and an investor cannot purchase and sell the same security on the same trading day, which may restrict the Fund's ability to invest in A-Shares through the Stock Connect Programs and to enter into or exit trades on a timely basis. The Shanghai and Shenzhen markets may be open at a time when the participating exchanges located outside of mainland China are not active, with the result that prices of A-Shares may fluctuate at times when the Fund is unable to add to or exit its position. Only certain A-Shares are eligible to be accessed through the Stock Connect Programs. Such securities may lose their eligibility at any time, in which case they may no longer be able to be purchased or sold through the Stock Connect Programs. Because the Stock Connect Programs are still evolving, the actual effect on the market for trading A-Shares with the introduction of large numbers of foreign investors is still relatively unknown. In addition, there is no assurance that the necessary systems required to operate the Stock Connect Programs will function properly or will continue to be adapted to changes and developments in both markets. In the event that the relevant systems do not function properly, trading through the Stock Connect Programs could be disrupted. The Stock Connect Programs are subject to regulations promulgated by regulatory authorities for both exchanges and further regulations or restrictions, such as limitations on redemptions or suspension of trading, may adversely impact the Stock Connect Programs, if the authorities believe it necessary to assure orderly markets or for other reasons. There is no guarantee that the participating exchanges will continue to support the Stock Connect Programs in the future. Each of the foregoing could restrict the Fund from selling its investments, adversely affect the value of its holdings and negatively affect the Fund's ability to meet shareholder redemptions.

Investments in China A-Shares may not be covered by the securities investor protection programs of the exchanges and, without the protection of such programs, will be subject to risk of default by the broker. Because of the way in which A-Shares are held in the Stock Connect Programs, the Fund may not be able to exercise the rights of a direct shareholder and may be limited in its ability to pursue claims against the issuer of a security, and may suffer losses in the event the legal or "nominee holder" of the China A-Shares under the Stock Connect Programs becomes insolvent. Given that all trades through the Stock Connect Programs must be settled in RMB, investors must have timely access to a reliable supply of offshore RMB, which cannot be guaranteed.

**China Risk - China Fixed Income Investing Risks.**

The laws, regulations, and government policies, including the investment regulations governing foreigners' investments in RMB-denominated fixed-income securities ("RMB Bonds"), as well as the political and economic climate in China, may change with little or no advance notice. Any such change could adversely affect market conditions and the performance of the Chinese economy and, thus, the value of securities in the Fund's portfolio. The regulations which apply to such investments including the repatriation of capital, are relatively new. The application and interpretation of such regulations are therefore relatively untested. In addition, PRC authorities have broad discretion under such investment regulations and there is little precedent or certainty evidencing how such discretion will be exercised now or in the future.

**Bond Connect Risk.** Bond Connect is a mutual market access scheme that commenced trading on July 3, 2017 and represents an exception to Chinese laws that generally restrict foreign investment in RMB Bonds. There is a risk that Chinese regulators may alter all or part of the structure and terms of, as well as the Fund's access to, Bond Connect in the future or eliminate it altogether, which may limit or prevent the Fund from investing directly in or selling its RMB Bonds.

**Chinese Credit Rating Risks.** The securities held by the Fund may be rated by Chinese ratings agencies (and not by U.S. nationally recognized statistical ratings organizations ("NRSROs")). The rating criteria and methodology used by Chinese rating agencies may be different from those adopted by NRSROs and established international credit rating agencies. Therefore, such rating systems may not provide an equivalent standard for comparison with securities rated by NRSROs and international credit rating agencies.

**CIBM Program Risk.** The Fund may invest in certain RMB Bonds that are held in mainland China through a market access program with the Chinese Interbank Bond Market ("CIBM") that launched in 2016 ("CIBM Program"). These RMB Bonds are traded over-the-counter and are dealt and held in book-entry form through the China Central Depository and Clearing Corporation Limited ("CCDCC") and Shanghai Clearing House ("SCH"). The CIBM is relatively large and trading volumes are generally high, but the market remains subject to similar risks as fixed-income securities markets in other developing markets, and are subject to counterparty, credit, and interest rate risks. Certain CIBM instruments may be relatively volatile and become illiquid. The CIBM Program is subject to certain limits on repatriation; amounts repatriated must be paid at roughly the same ratio of foreign currency to RMB as the initial remittances by a Fund into the CIBM Program, and Chinese regulators may otherwise limit a Fund's ability to repatriate investment proceeds from the program or exchange Chinese currency into other currencies.

The CIBM Program permitting foreign investors to invest directly in RMB Bonds is still evolving, and its effect on the market for the types of securities in which the Fund will invest is relatively unknown. The CIBM Program represents an exception to Chinese laws that generally restrict foreign investment in RMB Bonds. Any regulatory change to the operations, requirements, or structure of the CIBM Program—or the complete elimination of the CIBM Program—could adversely affect the Fund. Any such future regulations or restrictions may include limitations on redemptions or suspension of the CIBM Program. There is no guarantee that the People's Bank of China will continue to support the CIBM Program in the future, and it may act to alter it or eliminate it altogether.

A PRC onshore settlement agent is required to participate in the CIBM Program. The settlement agent will conduct any trades executed through the CIBM Program. The quality of the Fund's trades and settlement will be dependent upon the settlement agent, who may not perform to expectations and, thereby, harm the Fund. The agent could also terminate its relationship with Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable, and thus eliminate the Fund's access to the CIBM Program and its ability to sell investments, which could hamper the Fund's ability to meet shareholder redemptions. If Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable, is ultimately unable to purchase RMB Bonds through the CIBM Program, the Fund may be adversely affected. In addition, if Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable, is unable to continue to use its settlement agent, the operation of the Fund will be adversely affected, and the Fund may not be able to track the Underlying Index. Further, the operation of the Fund may be adversely affected in case of any acts or omissions of the settlement agent, which may result in higher tracking error or the Fund being traded at a significant premium or discount to its NAV. There is a risk that the Fund may suffer losses from the default, bankruptcy or disqualification of the settlement agent.

**Exchange-Traded Bond Market Risk.** The Exchange-Traded Bond Market is an electronic automatic matching system where securities are traded on the Shanghai Stock Exchange or the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. To the extent the Fund were to invest in RMB Bonds via the Exchange-Traded Bond Market rather than the CIBM, the transactions could be subject to wider spreads between the bid and the offered prices. This wider spread could adversely affect the price at which the Fund could purchase or sell the RMB Bonds and could impair the Fund's performance. Additionally, the Exchange-Traded Bond Market operates on shorter trading hours than the CIBM, and trading through the Exchange-Traded Bond Market may provide less liquidity to a Fund in comparison to trading through the CIBM Program. Trading through the Exchange-Traded Bond Market may also subject a Fund to heightened credit and interest rate risk. These trades are cleared through the China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation Limited ("CSDCC").

**PRC Dealer Risk.** Currently, only a limited number of dealers are available to trade PRC securities with the Fund. As a result, Krane or a sub-adviser will have less flexibility to choose among dealers on behalf of the Fund than is typically the case for investment advisers. If Krane or a sub-adviser is unable to use a particular dealer in the PRC, the operation of the Fund could be adversely affected. Further, the operation of the Fund may be adversely affected in case of any acts or omissions of the PRC dealer. Krane or a sub-adviser, in its selection of PRC dealers, will consider such factors as it deems necessary, but may be limited where only a small number of dealers, or one dealer, has access to a security sought for the Fund. There is also a risk that the Fund may suffer losses from the default, bankruptcy or disqualification of the PRC dealers.

**Over-the-Counter Market Risk.** Over-the-counter ("OTC") markets, such as the CIBM Program and PRC Inter-Bank bond market, are subject to less governmental regulation and supervision of transactions than organized exchanges. In addition, many of the protections afforded to participants in some organized exchanges, generally are not available in connection with transactions on OTC markets. Therefore, by entering into transactions on OTC markets, the Fund will be subject to the risk that its direct counterparty will not perform its obligations under the transaction and that one or more trades will fail, causing it to, for example, liquidate other investments at a disadvantageous time to meet redemption requests or face the difficulties in meeting shareholder redemptions.

**Additional Risks of RMB Bonds.** Because RMB currency restrictions continue to exist and capital therefore cannot flow freely into the RMB Bonds market, it is possible that in the event of a market disruption, the liquidity of the RMB Bonds market and trading prices of the RMB Bonds market could be more severely affected than the liquidity and trading prices of markets where securities are freely tradable and capital therefore flows more freely. The Fund cannot predict the nature or duration of such a market disruption or the impact that it may have on the RMB Bonds market and the short-term and long-term prospects of its investments in RMB Bonds.

The Chinese government has in the past taken actions that benefitted holders of RMB Bonds. In the future, the Chinese government may be less likely to take action that would benefit holders of RMB Bonds. If the Fund is unable to obtain sufficient exposure through a QFI license, Bond Connect or the CIBM Program, the Fund could seek exposure to securities that are primarily traded in the OTC market in countries outside of the PRC, such as Hong Kong and Singapore, or bond securities issued in other jurisdictions. If there are inadequate to meet the investment needs of the Fund, the Fund could be adversely affected. The Fund may also invest in ETFs that can obtain comparable exposures. If necessary, the Fund may suspend the sale of Creation Units. During the period that creations are suspended, Fund shares could trade at a significant premium or discount to NAV and the Fund could experience substantial redemptions. In circumstances beyond the control of the Fund, the Fund may incur significant losses due to limited investment capabilities, including based on changes to the CIBM Program or Bond Connect, investment restrictions on QFIs, illiquidity of the securities markets, or delay or disruption in execution or settlement of trades.

Investments by the Fund in RMB Bonds may be subject to governmental pre-approval limitations on the quantity that the Fund may purchase and/or limits on the classes of securities in which the Fund may invest.

**Tax Risk.** Although Chinese law provides for a tax on capital gains ("CGT") realized by non-residents, significant uncertainties surround the implementation of this law, particularly with respect to trading of debt-related RMB Bonds by QFIs. In addition, there is uncertainty as to the application and implementation of China's value added tax to the Fund's activities. It is also unclear how China's value added tax may apply to RMB Bonds and how such application may be affected by tax treaty provisions. The imposition of such taxes, as well as future changes in applicable PRC tax law, may adversely affect the Fund. With respect to tax treatment for China-sourced bond interest derived by overseas institutional investors, there is some uncertainty around the tax treatment of payments such as interest payable to U.S. investors, which could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. In 2021, the Chinese government announced that China-sourced bond interest derived by overseas institutional investors would be exempt from enterprise income tax and value-added tax until December 31, 2025. While it is currently unknown if the Chinese government will extend the exemption beyond December 31, 2025, it is currently anticipated that such an extension is likely to occur. If an extension did not occur, it could result in tax liabilities for the Fund.

The Fund reserves the right to establish a reserve for any taxes as to which it is uncertain whether they will assessed, although it has not currently done so. If the Fund establishes such a reserve but is not ultimately subject to the tax, shareholders who redeemed or sold their shares while the reserve was in place will effectively bear the tax and may not benefit from the later release, if any, of the reserve. Conversely, if the Fund does not establish such a reserve but ultimately is subject to the tax, shareholders who redeemed or sold their shares prior to the tax being withheld, reserved or paid will have effectively avoided the tax, even if they benefited from the trading that precipitated the Fund's payment of it. The Fund is responsible for any taxes on its operations or investments, including if they are applied retroactively.

**Clean Technology Risk.** Issuers engaged in clean technology business lines may be difficult to identify and investments in them may be volatile. They may be highly dependent upon government subsidies, contracts with government entities, and the successful development of new and proprietary technologies. Such technologies risk rapid product obsolescence, short product cycles, and competition from new market entrants. Current valuation methods used to value companies involved in alternative and clean power technology sectors have not been in widespread use for a significant period of time, and it is difficult to value share prices of such issuers. In addition, seasonal weather conditions, fluctuations in supply of and demand for clean energy products (including, in relation to traditional energy products, such as oil and gas), changes in energy prices, and international political events may cause fluctuations in the performance of these issuers and the prices of their securities. Other countries, including the U.S., may take steps against Chinese companies engaged in clean technology services and products, such as through the imposition of tariffs and anti-dumping duties. Even companies that are classified as being involved in clean technology services and products may not necessarily compare favorably with respect to their clean technology practices and impact to those of other issuers.

**Commodity Risk.** The Fund's and the Subsidiary's investment exposure to the commodities markets and/or a particular sector of the commodities markets may subject the Fund and the Subsidiary to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The commodities markets are impacted by a variety of factors, including market movements, resource availability, commodity price volatility, speculation in the commodities markets, domestic and foreign political and economic events and policies, trade policies and tariffs, war, acts of terrorism, changes in domestic or foreign interest rates and/or investor expectations concerning interest rates, domestic and foreign inflation rates and investment and trading activities in commodities. Prices of various commodities may also be affected by factors such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs and other regulatory developments. The frequency, duration and magnitude of such changes often cannot be predicted. The prices of commodities can also fluctuate widely due to supply and demand disruptions in major producing or consuming regions. Certain commodities may be produced in a limited number of countries and may be controlled by a small number of producers or groups of producers. As a result, political, economic and supply related events in such countries could have a disproportionate impact on the prices of such commodities. No active trading market may exist for certain commodities investments, which may impair the ability of the Fund to sell or to realize the full value of such investments in the event of the need to liquidate such investments. In addition, adverse market conditions may impair the liquidity of commodities investments. Because the Fund's and the Subsidiary's performance is linked to the performance of potentially volatile commodities, investors should be willing to assume the risks of significant fluctuations in the value of the Fund's shares.

*Agricultural and Soft Commodities Sector Risk.*

Risks of investing in agricultural sector commodities include, in addition to other risks, the impact of government policies on planting of certain crops and possible alternative uses of agricultural resources, the location and size of crop production, trading of unprocessed or processed commodity products, and the volume and types of imports and exports. Climate change may severely impact the viability of certain crops in certain regions. Trade wars have introduced considerable uncertainty into some previously established international markets for agricultural products and could produce abrupt and substantial price changes.

*Energy Sector Risk.*

Risks of investing in energy sector commodities include, in addition to other risks, price fluctuation caused by real and perceived inflationary trends and political developments, the cost assumed in complying with environmental and other safety regulations, supply of and demand for energy fuels, energy conservation efforts, capital expenditures on and the success of exploration and production projects, increased competition and technological advances, tax and other government regulations, and policies of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and oil importing nations. In addition, companies in the energy sector are at risk of liability from accidents resulting in pollution or other environmental damage claims and at risk of loss from terrorism, natural disasters, fires and explosions. There is growing political pressure to reduce the use of fossil fuels, which could begin to impact the securities of companies in that industry and the prices of related commodities.

*Industrial Metals Sector Risk.*

Risks of investing in industrial metals sector commodities include, in addition to other risks, substantial price fluctuations over short periods of time, imposition of import controls, increased competition and changes in industrial, governmental, and commercial demand for industrial metals.

*Precious Metals Sector Risk.*

Risks of investing in precious metals sector commodities include, in addition to other risks, changes in the level of the production and sale of precious metals by governments or central banks or other large holders.

**Commodity-Linked Derivatives Risk.** The value of a commodity-linked derivative investment is typically based upon the price movements of a physical commodity (such as heating oil, precious metals, livestock, or agricultural products), a commodity futures contract or commodity index, or some other readily measurable economic variable. Commodity-linked derivatives provide exposure, which may include long and/or short exposure, to the investment returns of physical commodities that trade in the commodities markets without investing directly in physical commodities. The value of commodity-linked derivative instruments may be affected by changes in overall market movements, volatility of an index, changes in interest rates, or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs and international economic, political and regulatory developments. The value of commodity-linked derivatives will rise or fall in response to changes in the underlying commodity or related index. Investments in commodity-linked derivatives may be subject to greater volatility than non-derivative based investments. A highly liquid secondary market may not exist for certain commodity-linked derivatives, and there can be no assurance that one will develop.

**Commodity Pool Registration Risk.** Under regulations promulgated by the U.S. Commodities Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC"), the Fund and the Subsidiary are considered commodity pools, and therefore each is subject to regulation under the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC rules. The Adviser is registered as a commodity pool operator and manages the Fund and the Subsidiary in accordance with CFTC rules, as well as the rules that apply to registered investment companies. Commodity pools are subject to additional laws, regulations and enforcement policies, all of which may potentially increase compliance costs and may affect the operations and financial performance of the Fund and the Subsidiary. Additionally, positions in futures and other derivative 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.

**Communication Services Sector Risk.** The communication services sector may be dominated by a small number of companies which may lead to additional volatility in the sector. Communication services companies are particularly vulnerable to the potential obsolescence of products and services due to technological advances and the innovation of competitors. Communication services companies may also be affected by other competitive pressures, such as pricing competition, as well as research and development costs, substantial capital requirements and government regulation. Fluctuating domestic and international demand, shifting demographics and often unpredictable changes in consumer demand can drastically affect a communication services company's profitability. Telecommunication service providers are often required to obtain licenses or franchises in order to provide services in a given location. Licensing or franchise rights are limited, which may result in an advantage to certain participants. Compliance with governmental regulations, delays or failure to receive regulatory approvals, or the enactment of new regulatory requirements may negatively affect the business of telecommunication services companies. Companies in media and entertainment industries can be significantly affected by competition, particularly in formulating new products and services using new technologies, and the cyclicality of revenues and earnings. Certain companies in the communication services sector may be particular targets of network security breaches, hacking and potential theft of proprietary or consumer information or disruptions in services, which would have a material adverse effect on their businesses.

**Concentration Risk.** Because the Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries, to the extent that the Index/Underlying Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that may affect that industry or group of industries. Market conditions, interest rates, and economic, regulatory, or financial developments could significantly affect a single industry or a group of related industries, and the securities of companies in that industry or group of industries could react similarly to these or other developments.

**Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk.** Consumer discretionary products and services are non-essential products and services whose demand tends to increase as consumers' disposable income increases. This sector can be significantly affected by the performance of the overall economy, interest rates, competition, and consumer confidence. Success can depend heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes can also affect the demand for, and success of, consumer discretionary products. The prices of raw materials fluctuate in response to a number of factors, including changes in government agricultural support programs, exchange rates, import and export controls, changes in international agricultural and trading policies and seasonal and weather conditions. Companies in the consumer discretionary sector may be subject to severe competition, which may also have an adverse impact on their profitability.

**Consumer Durables Sector Risk.** The success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied closely to the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence. Success can depend heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes can also affect the demand for, and success of, consumer products in the marketplace.

**Consumer Services Sector Risk.** The consumer services sector may be affected by changes in the domestic and international economy, exchange and interest rates, competition, consumers' disposable income, consumer preferences, social trends and marketing campaigns.

**Consumer Staples Sector Risk.** Companies in the consumer staples sector may be adversely affected by changes in the global economy, consumer spending, competition, demographics and consumer preferences and production spending. Companies in the consumer staples sector may also be affected by changes in global economic conditions, environmental and political events, the depletion of resources and government regulation. For example, government regulations may affect the permissibility of using various food additives and production methods of companies that make food products, which could affect company profitability. In addition, tobacco companies may be adversely affected by the adoption of proposed legislation and/or by litigation. Companies in the consumer staples sector also may be subject to risks pertaining to the supply of, demand for and prices of raw materials. The prices of raw materials fluctuate in response to a number of factors, including changes in government agricultural support programs, exchange rates, import and export controls, changes in international agricultural and trading policies and seasonal and weather conditions. Companies in the consumer staples sector may be subject to severe competition, which may also have an adverse impact on their profitability.

**Convertible Securities Risk.** The value of a convertible security, which is a form of hybrid security (i.e., a security with both debt and equity characteristics), typically increases or decreases with the price of the underlying common stock. In general, a convertible security is subject to the market risks of stocks, and its price may be as volatile as that of the underlying stock, when the underlying stock's price is high relative to the conversion price, and a convertible security is subject to the market risks of debt securities, and is particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, when the underlying stock's price is low relative to the conversion price. The general market risks of debt securities that are common to convertible securities include, but are not limited to, interest rate risk and credit risk. Because their value can be influenced by many different factors, convertible securities generally have less potential for gain or loss than the underlying common stocks. 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 that are convertible only at the option of the holder.

Many convertible securities have credit ratings that are below investment grade and are subject to the same risks as an investment in lower-rated debt securities. Lower-rated debt securities involve greater risks than investment grade debt securities. Lower-rated debt securities may fluctuate more widely in price and yield and may fall in price during times when the economy is weak or is expected to become weak. The credit rating of a company's convertible securities is generally lower than that of its non-convertible debt securities. Convertible securities are normally considered "junior" securities—that is, the company usually must pay interest on its non-convertible debt securities before it can make payments on its convertible securities. If the issuer stops paying interest or principal, convertible securities may become worthless and the Fund could lose its entire investment. To the extent the Fund invests in convertible securities issued by small- or mid-capitalization companies, it will be subject to the risks of investing in such companies. The securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies may fluctuate more widely in price than the market as a whole. There may also be less trading in small- or mid-capitalization securities, which means that buy and sell transactions in those securities could have a larger impact on a security's price than is the case with large-capitalization securities.

**Currency Risk.** To the extent that the Fund is exposed directly or indirectly to foreign currencies, including through its investments, or invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Domestic issuers that hold substantial foreign assets may be similarly affected. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. To the extent the Fund invests or hedges based on the perceived relationship between two currencies, there is a risk that the correlation between those currencies may not behave as anticipated.

Any gain or loss attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the time the Fund accrues income or gain and the time the Fund converts such income or gain from a foreign currency to the dollar is generally treated as ordinary income or loss. Therefore, if the value of a foreign currency increases relative to the U.S. dollar between the accrual of income and the time at which the Fund converts the foreign currency to U.S. dollars, the Fund will recognize ordinary income upon conversion. In such circumstances, if the Fund has insufficient cash in U.S. dollars to meet distribution requirements under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), the Fund may be required to liquidate certain positions in order to make distributions. The liquidation of investments, if required, may also have an adverse impact on the Fund's performance. The Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between U.S. dollars and foreign currencies.

The use of foreign currency exchange transactions could result in the Fund's incurring losses as a result of the imposition of exchange controls, exchange rate regulation, suspension of settlements or the inability to deliver or receive a specified currency. Delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies for the purpose of purchasing foreign securities could leave the Fund with uninvested cash, may adversely affect the Fund's performance, since any delay could result in the Fund missing an investment opportunity and purchasing securities at a higher price than originally intended, and cause the Fund to incur cash drag. Delays in converting or transferring foreign currencies to U.S. dollars could also inhibit the Fund's ability to meet redemptions or make distributions.

**Depositary Receipts Risk.** The Fund may hold the securities of foreign companies in the form of depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") and Global Depositary Receipts. Investing in depositary receipts entails additional risks associated with foreign investments. The underlying securities of the depositary receipts in the Fund's portfolio are subject to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates that may affect the value of the Fund's portfolio. In addition, the value of the securities underlying the depositary receipts may change materially when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, which will affect the value of the depositary receipts. Like direct investments in foreign securities, investments in depositary receipts involve political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the securities of U.S. issuers.

ADRs are U.S. dollar-denominated receipts representing shares of foreign-based corporations. ADRs are issued by U.S. banks or trust companies, and entitle the holder to all dividends and capital gains that are paid out on the underlying foreign shares. Investment in ADRs may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market. "Sponsored" depositary receipts are established jointly by a depositary and the underlying issuer, whereas "unsponsored" depositary receipts may be established by a depositary without participation by the underlying issuer. Holders of an unsponsored depositary receipt generally bear all the costs associated with establishing the unsponsored depositary receipt. In addition, the issuers of the securities underlying unsponsored depositary receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States and, therefore, there may be less information available regarding such issuers and there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the depositary receipts.

Depositary receipts may also be unregistered and unlisted, and may be purchased in the public markets or restricted securities that can be offered and sold only to "qualified institutional buyers" under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). If a particular investment in such ADRs becomes illiquid, that investment will be included within the Fund's limitation on investment in illiquid securities. Moreover, if adverse market conditions were to develop during the period between the Fund's decision to sell these types of ADRs and the point at which the Fund is permitted or able to sell such security, the Fund might obtain a price less favorable than the price that prevailed when it decided to sell or may be unable to sell it at all.

**Derivatives Risk.** Derivatives are financial instruments, such as swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options, whose values are based on the value of one or more reference assets, such as a security, asset, currency, interest rate or index. Derivatives involve risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other more traditional investments. For example, derivatives involve the risk of mispricing or improper valuation and the risk that changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the reference asset(s). Derivative transactions can create investment leverage, may be highly volatile and the Fund could lose more than the amount it invests.

Many derivative transactions are entered into "over-the-counter" (not on an exchange or contract market); as a result, the value of such a derivative transaction will depend on the ability and the willingness of the Fund's counterparty to perform its obligations under the transaction. If a counterparty were to default on its obligations, the Fund's contractual remedies against such counterparty may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could affect the Fund's rights as a creditor (e.g., the Fund may not receive the net amount of payments that it is contractually entitled to receive). A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund's derivative positions at any time. If a derivative transaction is centrally cleared, it will be subject to the rules of the clearing exchange and subject to risks associated with the exchange.

Derivatives can be illiquid and imperfectly correlate with the reference asset(s), resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Some derivatives can have the potential for unlimited loss. It is possible that developments in the derivatives market, including ongoing or potential government regulation, could adversely affect the Fund's ability to enter into new derivatives agreements, terminate existing derivative agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such instruments.

**Clearing Member Default Risk.** Transactions in some types of derivatives, including options, are required to be centrally cleared ("cleared derivatives"). In a transaction involving cleared derivatives, the Fund's counterparty is a clearing house, such as the Options Clearing Corporation ("OCC"), rather than a bank or broker. Since the Fund is not a member of clearing houses and only members of a clearing house ("clearing members") can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members. In cleared derivatives positions, the Fund will make payments (including margin payments) to, and receive payments from, a clearing house through their accounts at clearing members. Customer funds held at a clearing organization in connection with any option contracts are held in a commingled omnibus account and are not identified to the name of the clearing member's individual customers. As a result, assets deposited by the Fund with any clearing member as margin for its options may, in certain circumstances, be used to satisfy losses of other clients of the Fund's clearing member. In addition, although clearing members guarantee performance of their clients' obligations to the clearing house, there is a risk that the assets of the Fund might not be fully protected in the event of the clearing member's bankruptcy. The Fund is also subject to the risk that a limited number of clearing members are willing to transact on the Fund's behalf, which heightens the risks associated with a clearing member's default. If a clearing member defaults the Fund could lose some or all of the benefits of a transaction entered into by the Fund with the clearing member. The loss of a clearing member for the Fund to transact with could result in increased transaction costs and other operational issues that could impede the Fund's ability to implement its investment strategy. If the Fund cannot find a clearing member to transact with on the Fund's behalf, the Fund may be unable to effectively implement its investment strategy.

The OCC acts as guarantor and central counterparty with respect to the options. As a result, the ability of the Fund to meet its objective depends on the OCC being able to meet its obligations. In the event an OCC clearing member that is a counterparty of the Fund were to become insolvent, the Fund may have some or all of its options closed without its consent or may experience delays or other difficulties in attempting to close or exercise its affected options positions, both of which would impair the Fund's ability to execute its investment strategy. The OCC's rules and procedures are designed to facilitate the prompt settlement of options transactions and exercises, including for clearing member insolvencies. However, there is the risk that the OCC and its backup system will fail if clearing member insolvencies are substantial or widespread. In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses.

**Counterparty Risk.** Because many derivatives are an obligation of the counterparty rather than a direct investment in the reference asset, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations under the derivative agreement as a result of bankruptcy or otherwise. Any loss would result in a reduction in the NAV of the Fund and will likely impair the Fund's ability to achieve its investment objective. The counterparty risk associated with the Fund's investments will be greater if the Fund uses only a limited number of counterparties. If there are only a couple of potential counterparties, the Fund, subject to applicable law, may enter into transactions with as few as one counterparty at any time.

**FLEX Options Risk.** The Fund may utilize FLEX options, which are issued and guaranteed for settlement by the OCC as guarantor and central counterparty.

FLEX options may be less liquid than standardized options. In less liquid markets for the FLEX options, the Fund may have difficulty closing out certain FLEX options positions at desired times and prices. Certain FLEX option positions may expire worthless.

**Forward Currency Contracts Risk.** A forward foreign currency contract involves a negotiated obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date (with or without delivery required), which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. Forward foreign currency contracts are not traded on exchanges; rather, a bank or dealer will act as agent or as principal in order to make or take future delivery, exposing the Fund to counterparty risk.

**Futures Risk.** In addition to the above, risks associated with the use of futures contracts include the following: (i) an imperfect correlation between movements in prices of futures contracts and movements in the value of the reference asset(s) it is designed to simulate; and (ii) the possibility of an illiquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a position prior to its maturity date. When the Fund purchases or sells a futures contract, it is subject to daily variation margin calls that could be substantial. If the Fund has insufficient cash to meet daily variation margin requirements, it might need to sell securities at a time when such sales are disadvantageous.

**Leveraging Risk.** The Fund's investment in derivative instruments provide leveraged exposure. The Fund's investment in these instruments generally requires a small investment relative to the amount of investment exposure assumed. As a result, such investments may give rise to losses that exceed the amount invested in those instruments. The use of derivatives may expose the Fund to potentially dramatic losses (or gains) in the value of a derivative or other financial instrument and, thus, in the value the Fund's portfolio.

**Options Risk.** The use of options involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying instrument, or in interest or currency exchange rates, including the anticipated volatility of the underlying instrument (known as implied volatility), which in turn are affected by the performance of the issuer of the underlying instrument, by the time remaining until the expiration of the option contract, by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political and economic events. As such, prior to the exercise or expiration of the option, the Fund is exposed to implied volatility risk, meaning the value, as based on implied volatility, of an option may increase due to market and economic conditions or views based on the sector or industry in which issuers of the underlying instrument participate, including company-specific factors.

An option is a contract that gives the purchaser (holder) of the option, in return for a premium, the right to buy from (call) or sell to (put) the seller (writer) of the option the security or currency underlying the option at a specified exercise price at any time during the term of the option (normally not exceeding nine months). The writer of an option has the obligation upon exercise of the option by its purchaser to deliver the underlying security or currency upon payment of the exercise price or to pay the exercise price upon delivery of the underlying security or currency. Options are derivatives, which, as described above, can be illiquid and can imperfectly correlate with the reference asset(s).

The value of the Fund's options positions will fluctuate in response to changes in the value of the index or ETF that underlies the option. Writing such options can reduce the Fund's equity market risk, but it limits the opportunity for the Fund to profit from an increase in the value of the index or ETF in exchange for cash paid by the purchaser ("premium") for the option. When purchasing options, the Fund risks losing all or part of the premium paid. Unusual market conditions or the lack of a market for an option may reduce the effectiveness of the Fund's options strategies, and for these and other reasons, the Fund's options strategies may not reduce the Fund's volatility and could result in losses.

**Options on Futures Contracts Risk.** An option on a futures contract provides the holder with the right to enter into a "long" position in the underlying futures contract, in the case of a call option, or a "short" position in the underlying futures contract in the case of a put option, at a fixed exercise price to a stated expiration date. Upon exercise of the option by the holder, the contract market clearing house establishes a corresponding short position for the writer of the option, in the case of a call option, or a corresponding long position, in the case of a put option. Options are derivatives, which, as described above, can be illiquid and can imperfectly correlate with the reference asset(s).

**Swaps Risk.** Swap transactions generally do not involve delivery of reference instruments or payment of the notional amount of the contract. Accordingly, the risk of loss with respect to swaps generally is limited to the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make or, in the case of the other party to a swap defaulting, the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually entitled to receive. Swaps are of limited duration and there is no guarantee that swaps entered into with a counterparty will continue indefinitely. Accordingly, the duration of a swap depends on, among other things, the ability of the Fund to renew the expiration period of the relevant swap at agreed upon terms.

To the extent the Fund invests in swaps, it will be subject to the risk that the number of counterparties able to enter into swaps to provide exposure to a desired reference asset, such as onshore Chinese securities, may be limited. Swaps are of limited duration and there is no guarantee that swaps entered into with a counterparty will continue indefinitely. Accordingly, the duration of a swap depends on, among other things, the ability of the Fund to renew the expiration period of the relevant swap at agreed upon terms.

The risks of investing in swaps on onshore Chinese securities are compounded by the fact that at present there are only a limited number of potential counterparties willing and able to enter into swap transactions linked to the performance of onshore Chinese securities. To the extent a potential swap counterparty's access to onshore Chinese securities is reduced or eliminated due to actions by the Chinese government or as a result of transactions entered into by the counterparty with other investors, the counterparty's ability to continue to enter into swaps or other derivative transactions with the Fund may be reduced or eliminated, which could have a material adverse effect on the Fund.

**Dividend Risk.** Companies that issue dividend-yielding securities are not required to continue to pay dividends on such securities. There is no guarantee that issuers of the securities held by the Fund will declare dividends in the future or that, if declared, such dividends will remain at current levels or increase over time.

**Dividend-Paying Stock Risk.** Investing in dividend-paying stocks involves the risk that such stocks may fall out of favor with investors and underperform the broader market. Companies that issue dividend-paying stocks are not required to pay or continue paying dividends on such stocks. It is possible that issuers of the stocks held by the Fund will not declare dividends in the future or will reduce or eliminate the payment of dividends (including reducing or eliminating anticipated accelerations or increases in the payment of dividends) in the future.

**Emerging Markets Risk.** Securities issued by entities with substantial operations or holdings in developing or emerging market countries may involve additional risks relating to political, economic, or regulatory conditions not associated with investments in developed markets. For example, in comparison with developed markets, developing and emerging markets may be subject to greater market volatility; greater risk of asset seizures and capital controls; lower trading volume and liquidity; greater social, political and economic uncertainty; governmental controls on foreign investments and limitations on repatriation of invested capital; greater risk of market shutdown; lower disclosure, corporate governance, auditing and financial reporting standards; fewer protections of property rights; restrictions on the transfer of securities or currency; and settlement and trading practices that differ from U.S. or

developed markets. Shareholder claims and legal remedies that are common in the United States may be difficult or impossible to pursue in many emerging market countries. In addition, due to jurisdictional limitations, matters of comity and various other factors, U.S. authorities may be limited in their ability to bring enforcement actions against non-U.S. companies and non-U.S. persons in certain emerging market countries. Most emerging market companies are not subject to the uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting requirements applicable to issuers in the United States, which may impact the availability and quality of information about emerging market issuers. Additionally, in times of market stress, regulatory authorities of different emerging market countries may apply varying techniques and degrees of intervention. Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange, or by governmental authorities. The likelihood of such suspensions may be higher for securities of issuers in emerging or less-developed market countries than in countries with more developed markets. Trading suspensions may be applied from time to time to the securities of individual issuers for reasons specific to that issuer, or may be applied broadly by exchanges or governmental authorities in response to market events. Suspensions may last for significant periods of time, during which trading in the securities and in instruments that reference the securities, such as derivative instruments, may be halted. Each of these factors may impact the ability of the Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities, adversely affect the trading market and price for Fund shares, and cause the Fund to decline in value.

The economies of emerging markets, and China in particular, may be heavily reliant upon international trade and may suffer disproportionately if international trading declines or is disrupted.

Such conditions may lead to potential errors in index data, index computation and/or index construction and may limit the ability to oversee the index provider's due diligence process over index data, which may adversely impact the Fund's performance and its ability to track the performance of the Underlying Index.

**Energy Sector Risk.** Investments in, and/or exposure to, the energy sector may be highly volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably due to a number of factors, including political, legislative and/or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions, increased competition affecting the energy sector, financial, accounting and tax matters and other events that the Fund cannot control. In addition, the value of energy commodities may fluctuate widely due to changes in supply and demand. The energy sector is typically cyclical and highly dependent upon commodities and energy prices. Issuers in this sector are usually subject to substantial government regulation and may be subject to contractual fixed pricing, which may increase the cost of business and limit these issuers' earnings, and a significant portion of their revenues depends on a relatively small number of customers, including governmental entities and utilities.

**Equity Securities Risk.** Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value that may be attributable to market perception of a particular issuer or to general stock market fluctuations that affect all issuers. Investments in equity securities are subject to volatile changes in market value and their values may be more volatile than investments in other asset classes. In the event of liquidation, equity securities are generally subordinate in rank to debt and other securities of the same issuer.

**ESG Risk.** Issuers with businesses with high ESG ratings may be difficult to identify and investments in them maybe volatile. Even companies with high ESG ratings may not necessarily compare favorably with respect to the ESG practices of other issuers. The ESG investment strategy limits the types and number of investment opportunities available and, as a result, the strategy may underperform other strategies that do not have an ESG focus. The ESG investment strategy may result in the Fund's investing in securities or industry sectors that underperform the market as a whole or underperform other funds screened for ESG standards. Investing based on ESG criteria is qualitative and subjective by nature and there is no guarantee that the criteria used by the Fund will reflect the beliefs or values of any particular investor.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to Authorized Participants. Unlike most other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities.

Other ETFs generally are able to make in-kind redemptions and avoid realizing gains in connection with redemption requests. Effecting redemptions for cash may cause the Fund to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. Such dispositions may occur at an inopportune time, resulting in potential losses to the Fund or difficulties in meeting shareholder redemptions, and involve transaction costs. If the Fund recognizes gain on these sales, this generally will cause the Fund to recognize gain it might not otherwise have recognized if it were to distribute portfolio securities in-kind or to recognize such gain sooner than would otherwise have been required. The Fund generally intends to distribute these gains to shareholders to avoid being taxed on this gain at the Fund level and otherwise comply with the special tax rules that apply to it. This strategy may cause shareholders to be subject to tax on gains they would not otherwise be subject to, or at an earlier date than, if they had made an investment in another ETF.

In addition, cash transactions may have to be carried out over several days if the securities market in which the Fund is trading is less liquid and may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes. These brokerage fees and taxes, which will be higher than if the Fund sold and redeemed its shares principally in-kind, may be passed on to purchasers and redeemers of Creation Units in the form of creation and redemption transaction fees. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted. The Fund has capped the total fees that may be charged in connection with the redemption of Creation Units at 2% of the value of the Creation Units redeemed. To the extent transaction and other costs associated with a redemption exceed that cap, those transaction costs will be borne by the Fund's remaining shareholders. These factors may result in wider spreads between the bid and the offered prices of the Fund's shares than for other ETFs.

**International Closed Market Trading Risk.** To the extent the Fund's investments trade in markets that are closed when the Fund and Exchange are open, there are likely to be deviations between current pricing of an underlying security and the prices at which the underlying securities are valued for purposes of the Fund's NAV. As a result, Shares may appear to trade at a significant discount or premium to NAV greater than those incurred by other ETFs. In addition, shareholders may not be able to purchase or redeem their shares of the Fund, or purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** The NAV of the Fund's shares will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund's securities holdings. The market prices of Fund shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in the Fund's NAV and supply and demand of shares on the secondary market. It cannot be predicted whether Fund shares will trade below (at a discount), at or above (at a premium) their NAV. As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop-loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at market prices that are significantly below NAV. Price differences may be due, in part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for shares may be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the securities of the Fund trading individually. The market prices of Fund shares may deviate significantly from the NAV of the shares during periods of market volatility or if the Fund's holdings are or become more illiquid. Disruptions to creations and redemptions may result in trading prices that differ significantly from the Fund's NAV. In addition, market prices of Fund shares may deviate significantly from the NAV if the number of Fund shares outstanding is smaller or if there is less active trading in Fund shares. Investors purchasing and selling Fund shares in the secondary market may not experience investment results consistent with those experienced by those creating and redeeming directly with the Fund.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. In addition, secondary market investors will incur the cost of the difference between the price that an investor is willing to pay for shares (the bid price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell shares (the ask price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the "spread" or "bid-ask spread." The bid-ask spread, which increases the cost of purchasing and selling Fund shares, varies over time for shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally lower if the Fund's shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if the Fund's shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Increased market volatility may cause increased bid-ask spreads.

Although Fund shares are listed for trading on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed. Trading in Fund 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 is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to Exchange "circuit breaker" rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of any Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged or that the shares will trade with any volume, or at all.

**ETF Risk - New Fund Risk.** If the Fund does not grow in size, it will be at greater risk than larger funds of wider bid-ask spreads for its shares, trading at a greater premium or discount to NAV, liquidation and/or a trading halt.

**ETF Risk - Small Fund Risk.** The Fund is small and does not yet have a significant number of shares outstanding. Small funds are at greater risk than larger funds of wider bid-ask spreads for its shares, trading at a greater premium or discount to NAV, liquidation and/or a trading halt. The Fund also is subject to the continued listing standards of the Exchange, with which the Fund must comply in order to continue being listed on the Exchange. Among other requirements, the continued listing standards require a minimum number of shareholders.

**Financials Sector Risk.** Companies in the financials sector may be subject to extensive government regulation that affects the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge and the amount of capital they must maintain. The profitability of companies in the financials sector may be adversely affected by increases in interest rates. The profitability of companies in the financials sector may be adversely affected by loan losses, which usually increase in economic downturns. In addition, the financials sector in certain countries is undergoing numerous changes, including continuing consolidations, development of new products and structures and changes to its regulatory framework, which may have an impact on the issuers included in the Fund. Furthermore, increased government involvement in the financials sector, including measures such as taking ownership positions in financial institutions, could result in a dilution of the Fund's investments in financial institutions.

**Fixed Income Securities Risk.** Investing in fixed income securities subjects the Fund to the following risks:

**Call Risk.** If interest rates fall, it is possible that issuers of callable securities with high interest coupons will "call" (or prepay) their bonds before their maturity date. If an issuer exercised such a call during a period of declining interest rates, the Fund may have to replace such called security with a lower yielding security. If that were to happen, the Fund's net investment income could fall.

**Credit Risk.** Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a security will not be able to make payments of interest and principal when due. Changes in an issuer's credit rating or the market's perception of an issuer's creditworthiness may also affect the value of an investment in that issuer. The degree of credit risk depends on both the financial condition of the issuer and the terms of the obligation.

**Event Risk.** Event risk is the risk that an unexpected event could interfere with an issuer's ability to make timely interest or principal payments or that causes market speculation about the issuer's ability to make such payments. As a result, the credit quality and market value of an issuer's bonds and/or other debt securities may decline significantly.

**Income Risk.** The Fund's income may decline due to falling interest rates. During a period of falling interest rates, income risk is generally higher for short term bond funds, moderate for intermediate term bond funds and low for long term bond funds. Therefore, investors should expect a Fund's income to fluctuate accordingly.

**Interest Rate Risk.** Interest rate risk is the risk that the securities in the Fund's portfolio will decline in value because of increases in market interest rates. Fixed income securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, usually making them more volatile than debt securities with shorter durations. Duration is a measure of a fixed income security's sensitivity to changes in interest rates. For every 1% change in interest rates, a bond's price generally changes approximately 1% in the opposite direction for every year of duration. For example, if a portfolio of fixed income securities has an average weighted duration of three years, its value can be expected to fall about 3% if interest rates rise by 1%. Conversely, the portfolio's value can be expected to rise approximately 3% if interest rates fall by 1%. Unlike maturity, which considers only the date on which the final repayment of principal will be made, duration takes account of interim payments made during the life of the security. Duration is typically not equal to maturity. Interest rates have recently been historically low but have recently increased and may continue to increase, potentially quickly and significantly, thereby heightening the Fund's exposure to the risks associated with rising rates.

**Issuer Risk.** There may be economic or political changes that impact the ability of issuers to repay principal and to make interest payments on securities. Changes to the financial condition or credit rating of issuers may also adversely affect the value of the Fund's securities.

**Maturity Risk.** The value of the Fund's fixed income investments is also dependent on their maturity. Generally, the longer the maturity of a fixed income security, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates.

**Pay-In-Kind and Step-Up Coupon Securities Risk.** A pay-in-kind security pays no interest in cash to its holder during its life. Similarly, a step-up coupon security is a debt security that may not pay interest for a specified period of time and then, after the initial period, may pay interest at a series of different rates. Accordingly, pay-in kind and step-up coupon securities will be subject to greater fluctuations in market value in response to changing interest rates than debt obligations of comparable maturities that make current, periodic distribution of interest in cash.

**Perpetual Bonds Risk.** Perpetual bonds offer a fixed return with no maturity date. Because they never mature, perpetual bonds can be more volatile than other types of bonds that have a maturity date and may be more sensitive to changes in interest rates. If market interest rates rise significantly, the interest rate paid by a perpetual bond may be much lower than the prevailing interest rate. Perpetual bonds are also subject to credit risk with respect to the issuer. In addition, because perpetual bonds may be callable after a set period of time, there is the risk that the issuer may recall the bond, which may require the Fund to reinvest the proceeds in lower yielding securities.

**Reinvestment Risk.** The Fund's performance may be adversely impacted when interest rates fall because the Fund must invest in lower-yielding bonds as bonds in its portfolio mature.

**Subordinated Obligations Risk.** Payments under some debt may be structurally subordinated to other existing and future liabilities and obligations of an issuer of debt. Claims of creditors of subordinated debt will have less priority as to the assets of the issuer and its creditors who seek to enforce the terms of the debt. Certain debt may not contain any restrictions on the ability of the issuers to incur additional unsecured indebtedness.

**Variable and Floating Rate Securities Risk.** During periods of increasing interest rates, changes in the coupon rates of variable or floating rate securities may lag behind the changes in market rates or may have limits on the maximum increases in coupon rates. Alternatively, during periods of declining interest rates, the coupon rates on such securities will typically readjust downward resulting in a lower yield. Floating rate notes are generally subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, may trade infrequently, and their value may be impaired when the Fund needs to liquidate such securities.

**Foreign Investments Risk.** Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may be less liquid than investments in U.S. issuers, may have less governmental regulation and oversight, and are typically subject to different investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities entail the risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations, political or economic instability, less complete financial information about the issuers, the possible imposition of withholding or confiscatory taxes, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, and the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency. Foreign market trading hours, clearance and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund's ability to buy and sell securities. Additionally, foreign issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, recordkeeping, and financial reporting requirements. Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by governmental authorities. If the Fund holds positions in such suspended securities, the Fund may be adversely impacted. All of these factors could result in a loss to the Fund.

Income from non-U.S. investments, including gains on the sale of such investments, may be subject to foreign taxes. Even if the Fund qualifies to pass these taxes through to shareholders, the ability to claim a credit for such taxes may be limited, particularly in the case of taxes on capital gains.

Foreign markets may have clearance and settlement procedures that make it difficult for the Fund to buy and sell its investments. This could result in a loss to the Fund by causing the Fund to be unable to dispose of an investment or to miss an attractive investment opportunity, or by causing the Fund's assets to be uninvested for some period of time, or cause the Fund to face delays or difficulties in meeting redemptions.

Foreign investment risks may be greater in developing and emerging markets than in developed markets.

From time to time, certain of the issuers of investments purchased by a Fund may operate in, or have dealings with, countries that may become subject to sanctions or embargoes imposed by the U.S. Government and the United Nations and/or countries identified by the U.S. Government as state sponsors of terrorism. An issuer may suffer damage to its reputation and value if it is identified as such an issuer. Any Fund investment in such issuers will be indirectly subject to those risks.

**Foreign Securities Risk.** Investment in foreign securities may involve higher costs than investment in U.S. securities, including higher transaction and custody costs as well as the imposition of additional taxes by foreign governments. Foreign investments may also involve risks associated with currency exchange rates, less complete financial information about the issuers, less market liquidity, more market volatility and political and economic instability. Future political and economic developments, the difficulty of enforcing obligations in other countries, the possible imposition of withholding or confiscatory taxes, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency, or the adoption of other governmental restrictions might adversely affect an investment in foreign securities. Additionally, foreign issuers, especially issuers in emerging markets, may be subject to less stringent regulation, and to different accounting, auditing, recordkeeping, financial reporting, and investor protection requirements. Investments in foreign securities typically are less liquid than investments in U.S. securities. The value of foreign securities may change materially when the U.S. markets are not open for trading.

Income from securities of non-U.S. issuers, including gains on the sale of such securities, may be subject to foreign taxes, which would be the responsibility of the Fund. Even if the Fund qualifies to pass these taxes through to shareholders, the ability to claim a credit for such taxes may be limited, particularly in the case of taxes on capital gains.

Foreign markets may have clearance and settlement procedures that make it difficult for the Fund to buy and sell securities. This could result in a loss to the Fund by causing the Fund to be unable to dispose of an investment or to miss an attractive investment opportunity, or by causing the Fund's assets to be uninvested for some period of time, or cause the Fund to face delays or difficulties in meeting shareholder redemptions.

Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by governmental authorities. Trading suspensions may be applied from time to time to the securities of individual issuers for reasons specific to that issuer, or may be applied broadly by exchanges or governmental authorities in response to market events. Suspensions may last for significant periods of time, during which trading in the securities and in instruments that reference the securities, such as derivative instruments, may be halted. In the event that the Fund holds positions in such suspended securities, the Fund may be adversely impacted.

From time to time, certain of the issuers of securities purchased by the Fund may operate in, or have dealings with, countries that may become subject to sanctions or embargoes imposed by the U.S. Government and the United Nations and/or countries identified by the U.S. Government as state sponsors of terrorism. A company may suffer damage to its reputation and value if it is identified as such a company. Any Fund investment in such companies will be indirectly subject to those risks.

**Frontier Markets Risk.** Frontier market countries generally have smaller economies and less developed capital markets or legal, regulatory and political systems than traditional emerging market countries. As a result, the risks of investing in emerging market countries are magnified in frontier market countries. The magnification of risks are the result of (1) the potential for extreme price volatility and illiquidity in frontier markets; (2) government ownership or control of parts of the private sector or other protectionist measures; (3) large currency fluctuations; (4) fewer companies and investment opportunities; or (5) inadequate investor protections and regulatory enforcement. In certain frontier and emerging markets, fraud and corruption may be more prevalent than in developed market countries. Investments that the Fund holds may be exposed to these risks, which could have a negative impact on their value. Additional risks of frontier market securities may include: greater political instability (including the risk of war or natural disaster); increased risk of nationalization, expropriation, or other confiscation of assets of issuers to which the Fund is exposed; increased risk of embargoes or economic sanctions on a country, sector or issuer; greater risk of default (by both government and private issuers); more substantial governmental involvement in the economy; less governmental supervision and regulation; differences in, or lack of, auditing and financial reporting standards, which may result in unavailability of material information about issuers; less developed legal systems; inability to purchase and sell investments or otherwise settle security or derivative transactions (i.e., a market freeze); unavailability of currency hedging techniques; slower clearance and settlement; difficulties in obtaining and/or enforcing legal judgments; and significantly smaller market capitalizations of issuers.

**Futures Strategy Risk.** Successful use of futures contracts draws upon the Adviser's skill and experience with respect to such instruments and is subject to special risk considerations. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts include: (a) an imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the reference asset and the price of the futures contract; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; (c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (d) the inability to predict correctly the direction of market prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; and (e) if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, and the Fund may have to sell securities at a loss.

As a futures contract the Fund owns approaches its settlement date, the Fund may sell that futures contract and reinvest the proceeds in a similar contract with a more distant settlement date. This process is referred to as "rolling" a futures contract. The successful use of such a strategy depends upon the Adviser's skill and experience. Although the Fund will attempt to roll from an expiring futures contract to another contract that the Adviser believes will generate the greatest yield for the Fund, the Fund nevertheless may incur a cost to "roll" the contract. In a commodity futures market where current month expiring contracts trade at a lower price than next month's contract, a situation referred to as "contango," absent the impact of the overall movement in commodity prices, the Fund may experience an adverse impact because it would be selling less expensive contracts and buying more expense contracts. In the event of a prolonged period of contango, and absent the impact of rising or falling commodity prices, there could be a significant negative impact on the Fund when it "rolls" its futures contract positions.

Investment in exchange-traded futures contracts may expose the Fund 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.

**Geographic Focus Risk** (All Funds except KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF)**.** The Fund's investments are expected to be focused in a particular country, countries, or region to approximately the same degree as the Index/Underlying Index and therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country, countries or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified fund.

**Geographic Focus Risk** (KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF)**.** The Fund's investments will be focused in a particular country, countries, or region and therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country, countries or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified fund.

**Geographic Focus Risk – California Risk.** Because the Fund is exposed to carbon credits issued under the California Carbon Allowance "cap and trade" program, the Fund's performance also may be negatively impacted by factors affecting California. For example, natural disasters may disrupt the local, state or regional economy or certain sectors of the economy and may impact the prices of such carbon credit futures. California's budget and fiscal operations face certain structural impediments and rely on revenue sources which have been historically sensitive to the economic environment. California's diverse economy is the largest in the United States and one of the largest in the world with major components including high technology, trade, entertainment, manufacturing, tourism, construction, agriculture and services. Any downturn in these sectors or related industries may adversely affect the economy of the state and the prices of such carbon credit futures.

**Geographic Focus Risk – Eastern U.S. Risk.** Because the Fund is exposed to carbon credits issued under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative ("RGGI") "cap and trade" program, the Fund's performance also may be negatively impacted by factors affecting the Eastern region of the United States. For example, flooding, warming temperatures, and precipitation variability are growing challenges in the Eastern region of the United States and may disrupt the local, state, or regional economies of the Eastern states or certain sectors of those economies and may impact the prices of such carbon credit futures. The economies of Eastern region of the United States are comprised of components including agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing. Any downturn in these sectors or related industries may adversely affect the economy of the Eastern region of the United States and the prices of such carbon credit futures.

**Geographic Focus Risk – European Union Risk.** The economies of the European Union are dependent to a significant extent on those of certain key trading partners, including China, the United States, and other European countries. A reduction in spending on products and services exported from the European Union, or volatility in the financial markets of member countries, may have an adverse impact on the broader European Union economy and could adversely affect the Fund. Separately, the European Union faces issues involving its membership, structure, procedures and policies. The United Kingdom (UK) officially withdrew from the European Union on January 31, 2020. Upon the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the European Union and the UK entered into a transition phase, which concluded on December 31, 2020, and the UK and the European Union agreed upon a Trade and Cooperation Agreement that became fully effective on May 1, 2021. The UK, European Union and broader global economy may still experience volatility in foreign exchange markets as a result of these events. The UK's withdrawal may also destabilize some or all of the other European Union member countries and/or the Eurozone. The exit of additional member states from the European Union would subject its currency and banking system to increased risk and would likely result in increased volatility, illiquidity and potentially lower economic growth in the affected markets. Additionally, the reintroduction of national currencies in one or more European Union countries or the abandonment of the Euro as a currency could adversely affect the Fund.

Because each of KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF and KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF is exposed to carbon credits issued under the European Union Emissions Trading System "cap and trade" program, the Fund's performance also may be negatively impacted by factors affecting the European Union.

**Geographic Focus Risk – Quebec Risk.** Because the Fund is exposed to carbon credits issued under the California Carbon Allowance "cap and trade" program, the Fund's performance also may be negatively impacted by factors affecting Quebec. Quebec is a province in Canada, which has a separatist party whose objective is to achieve sovereignty and increased self-governing legal and financial powers. In addition, the Canadian market, including Quebec, is relatively concentrated in issuers involved in the production and distribution of natural resources such as forest products, metals, agricultural products, and energy related products like oil, gas, and hydroelectricity. Accordingly, any downturn in these sectors or related industries may adversely affect the economy of Canada and Quebec and the prices of such carbon credit futures.

**Geographic Focus Risk – United Kingdom Risk.** Because the Fund is exposed to carbon credits issued under the UK Allowance "cap and trade" program, the Fund's performance also may be negatively impacted by factors affecting the UK. The economy of the UK is dependent to a significant extent on economies of certain key trading partners, including China, the United States, and other European countries. Following the UK's withdrawal from the European Union on January 31, 2020, the European Union and the UK entered into a transition phase, which concluded on December 31, 2020, and the UK and the European Union agreed upon a Trade and Cooperation Agreement that became fully effective on May 1, 2021. The UK, European Union and broader global economy may still experience volatility in foreign exchange markets as a result of these events. The UK's economy may still be affected by its withdrawal from the European Union, and any downturn in its major sectors or related industries may adversely affect the economy of the UK and the prices of such carbon credit futures.

**Geographic Focus Risk – Washington Risk.** Because the Fund is exposed to carbon credits issued under the Washington Carbon Allowance "cap and trade" program, the Fund's performance also may be negatively impacted by factors affecting the State of Washington. Washington is the second state in the United States of America to implement an economy wide cap program, following California. This reflects the Washington Legislature's strong commitment to tackling climate change. If the Washington Legislature was to revise its approach to climate change as a result of internal shifts in political dynamics or issues were to arise in the administration of the "cap and trade" program within Washington, this would potentially negatively impact the value of the Washington Carbon Allowance. Further, clean technology represents a key component of the economy in Washington. Any downturn in this sector or related industries may adversely affect the economy of the state and the prices of the carbon credit futures.

**Healthcare Sector Risk.** The profitability of companies in the healthcare sector may be affected by extensive government regulation, restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, rising or falling costs of medical products and services, pricing pressure, an increased emphasis on outpatient services, a limited number of products, industry innovation, changes in technologies and other market developments. Healthcare companies are subject to competitive forces that may make it difficult to raise prices and, in fact, may result in price discounting.

Many healthcare companies are heavily dependent on patent protection and the actual or perceived safety and efficiency of their products. Patents have a limited duration, and, upon expiration, other companies may market substantially similar (i.e., "generic") products that are typically sold at a lower price than the patented product. The introduction of a generic product to the market can cause the original developer to lose market share and/or reduce the price of the product, resulting in lower profits for the original developer. As a result, the expiration of patents may adversely affect the profitability of these companies.

In addition, because the products and services of many companies in the healthcare sector affect the health and well-being of many individuals, these companies are particularly susceptible to extensive litigation based on product liability and similar claims.

Many new products in the healthcare sector may be subject to regulatory approvals. The process of obtaining such approvals may be long and costly, which can result in increased development costs, delayed cost recovery and loss of competitive advantage to the extent that rival companies have developed competing products or procedures, adversely affecting the company's revenues and profitability. In other words, delays in the regulatory approval process may limit the opportunity for a company to profit from a new product or to bring a new product to market, which could adversely affect a company's business. Healthcare companies may also be strongly affected by scientific biotechnology or technological developments, and their products may quickly become obsolete. Also, many healthcare companies offer products and services that are subject to extensive governmental regulation and may be adversely affected by changes to governmental policies or laws, including cost control, national health insurance, incentives for compensation in the provision of healthcare services, tax incentives and penalties related to healthcare insurance premiums and promotion of prepaid healthcare plans.

**Hedgeye Risk Range™ Signal Publication Risk.** The Underlying Index utilizes Hedgeye's Risk Range™ signals as critical inputs. Those same Risk Range™ signals are made available daily by HRM to other subscribers of the Risk Range™ signals, which include both retail and institutional investors. Krane will receive the constituents of the Underlying Index from the Calculation Agent after Hedgeye's Risk Range™ signals are published to all HRM subscribers. As a result, HRM subscribers will be able to act on the daily Risk Range™ signals ahead of the Fund. In addition, HRM subscribers receive intraday updates to the Risk Range™ signals, whereas, the Underlying Index will only utilize the initially published Risk Range™ signals.

**Hedging Risk** (KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF). When a derivative is used as a hedge against a position that the Fund holds, any loss generated by the derivative generally should be substantially offset by gains on the hedged investment, and vice versa. While hedging can reduce or eliminate losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains. Hedges are sometimes subject to imperfect matching between the derivative and the underlying security, and there can be no assurance that the Fund's hedging transactions will be effective. The use of hedging may result in certain adverse tax consequences.

**Hedging Risk** (KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF). The Fund's hedging strategies may not be successful, and even if they are successful, the Fund's exposure to RMB is not expected to be fully hedged at all times. Because the Fund's currency hedges are reset on a monthly basis, positions held longer than one month will not be hedged as of the initial investment date and will only be hedged as of the most recent one-month forward reset date. Hedging transactions may not perfectly offset actual fluctuations in the exchange rate between RMB and the U.S. dollar, including because currency exchange rates are volatile. Additionally, if the RMB appreciates in value relative to the U.S. Dollar, the Fund's returns will be lower than they would be if the Fund's currency exposure were not hedged.

**High Portfolio Turnover Risk.** The Fund may incur high portfolio turnover rates. This may increase the Fund's brokerage commission costs. The performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by the increased brokerage commission costs incurred by the Fund. Rapid portfolio turnover also exposes shareholders to a higher current realization of net short-term capital gains, distributions of which would generally be taxed to you as ordinary income and thus cause you to pay higher taxes.

**High Yield and Unrated Securities Risk.** Securities that are unrated or rated below investment grade (or "junk bonds") are subject to greater risk of loss of income and principal (*e.g.*, default) than rated securities, particularly highly rated securities. Junk bonds are inherently speculative. The prices of unrated and high yield securities are generally more sensitive to adverse economic changes and individual issuer developments than highly rated securities. Also, the secondary market for such securities may be less liquid than the markets for rated and/or higher quality securities. As a result, during periods of economic uncertainty, their prices may be more volatile, which may cause the net asset value of the Fund to fluctuate.

**Hong Kong Risk.** As part of Hong Kong's transition from British to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, China agreed to allow Hong Kong to maintain a high degree of autonomy with regard to its political, legal and economic systems for a period of at least 50 years. China controls matters that relate to defense and foreign affairs. Under the agreement, China does not tax Hong Kong, does not limit the exchange of the Hong Kong dollar for foreign currencies and does not place restrictions on free trade in Hong Kong. However, there is no guarantee that China will continue to honor the agreement and China may change its policies regarding Hong Kong at any time. Any such change may adversely affect market conditions and the performance of Chinese and Hong Kong issuers and, thus, the value of securities in the Fund's portfolio. The economy of Hong Kong has few natural resources and any fluctuation or shortage in the commodity markets could have a significant adverse effect on the Hong Kong economy. Hong Kong is also heavily dependent on international trade and finance. Additionally, the continuation and success of the current political, economic, legal and social policies of Hong Kong is dependent on and subject to the control of the Chinese government.

**Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Technology Risk.** Humanoid and embodied intelligence technology companies typically have high research and capital expenditures and, as a result, their profitability can vary widely, if they are profitable at all. The space in which they are engaged is highly competitive and issuers' products and services may become obsolete very quickly. These companies are heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by loss or impairment of those rights. The issuers are also subject to legal, regulatory and political changes that may have a large impact on their profitability. A failure in an issuer's product or even questions about the safety of the product could be devastating to the issuer, especially if it is the marquee product of the issuer. It can be difficult to accurately capture what qualifies as a humanoid and embodied intelligence technology company.

Certain humanoid and embodied intelligence technology companies may face special risks that their products or services may not prove to be commercially successful. Such companies are also strongly affected by worldwide scientific or technological developments. As a result, their products may rapidly become obsolete. Such companies are also often subject to governmental regulation and may, therefore, be adversely affected by governmental policies. In addition, certain of such companies in which the Fund may invest may not currently be profitable and there can be no assurance that such companies will be profitable in the future.

**India Risk.** India is an emerging market country and exhibits significantly greater market volatility from time to time in comparison to more developed markets. Political and legal uncertainty, greater government control over the economy, currency fluctuations or blockage, and the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets may result in higher potential for losses. Moreover, governmental actions can have a significant effect on the economic conditions in India, which could adversely affect the value and liquidity of the Fund's investments. In November 2016, the Indian government eliminated certain large denomination cash notes as legal tender, causing uncertainty in certain financial markets. The securities markets in India are comparatively underdeveloped, and 14 stockbrokers and other intermediaries may not perform as well as their counterparts in the U.S. and other more developed securities markets. The limited liquidity of the Indian securities markets may also affect the Fund's ability to acquire or dispose of securities at the price and time that it desires. Global factors and foreign actions may inhibit the flow of foreign capital on which India is dependent to sustain its growth. In addition, the Reserve Bank of India ("RBI") has imposed limits on foreign ownership of Indian securities, which may decrease the liquidity of the Fund's portfolio and result in extreme volatility in the prices of Indian securities. These factors, coupled with the lack of extensive accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices, as compared to the U.S., may increase the Fund's risk of loss. Further, certain Indian regulatory approvals, including approvals from the Securities and Exchange Board of India ("SEBI"), the RBI, the central government and the tax authorities (to the extent that tax benefits need to be utilized), may be required before the Fund can make investments in the securities of Indian companies. Capital gains from Indian securities may be subject to local taxation.

**Industrials Sector Risk.** The industrials sector includes companies engaged in the manufacture and distribution of capital goods, such as those used in defense, construction and engineering, companies that manufacture and distribute electrical equipment and industrial machinery and those that provide commercial and transportation services and supplies. Companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by changes in government regulation, world events and economic conditions. Government regulation may in particular affect the aerospace and defense companies, which rely to a significant extent on government demand for their products and services. Transportation companies, another component of the industrials sector, are subject to sharp price movements resulting from changes in the economy, fuel prices, labor agreements and insurance costs.

**Information Technology Sector Risk.** Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology advances could have a major effect on the value of stocks in the information technology sector. The value of stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from competitors with lower production costs. Information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies in the information technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel.

**Internet Companies Risk.** Investments in Internet companies may be volatile. Internet companies are subject to intense competition, the risk of product obsolescence, changes in consumer preferences and legal, regulatory and political changes. They are also especially at risk of hacking and other cybersecurity events. In addition, it can be difficult to determine what qualifies as an Internet company.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may purchase shares of investment companies, such as ETFs, unit investment trusts, closed-end investment companies and foreign investment companies, including those that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane, a sub-adviser (as applicable), or their affiliates, to gain exposure to particular investments or when such investments present a more cost efficient alternative to investing directly in securities. When the Fund invests in an investment company, in addition to directly bearing the expenses associated with its own operations, it will bear a pro rata portion of the underlying investment company's expenses. An investor in the Fund may receive taxable gains as a result of an underlying fund's portfolio transactions in addition to the taxable gains attributable to the Fund's transactions in shares of the underlying fund. Further, in part because of these additional expenses, the performance of an investment company may differ from the performance the Fund would achieve if it invested directly in the underlying investments of the investment company. In addition, while the risks of owning shares of an investment company generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying investments of the investment company, the Fund may be subject to additional or different risks than if the Fund had invested directly in

the underlying investments. For example, shares of an ETF are traded at market prices, which may vary from the NAV of its underlying investments. Also, the lack of liquidity in an ETF can contribute to the increased volatility of its value in comparison to the value of the underlying portfolio securities. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, including foreign investment companies, it will not enjoy the protections of the 1940 Act. In addition, to the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies, including ETFs, sponsored, advised or otherwise serviced by Krane, a sub-adviser (as applicable), or their affiliates, they may be subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets, particularly if they are paid an advisory fee both by the Fund and the fund in which the Fund invests.

**IPO Risk.** Securities offered in initial public offerings (IPOs) are subject to many of the same risks of investing in companies with smaller market capitalizations and often to a heightened degree. Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile. At any particular time or from time to time, the Fund may not be able to invest in securities issued in IPOs, or invest to the extent desired, because, for example, only a small portion (if any) of the securities being offered in an IPO may be made available to the Fund. In addition, under certain market conditions, a relatively small number of companies may issue securities in IPOs. The investment performance of the Fund during periods when it is unable to invest significantly or at all in IPOs may be lower than during periods when the Fund is able to do so. In addition, as the Fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the Fund's performance will generally decrease.

**Japan Risk.** The Japanese economy is heavily dependent upon international trade and may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability, which could negatively affect the Fund. The Japanese yen has fluctuated widely during recent periods and may be affected by currency volatility elsewhere in Asia, especially Southeast Asia. In addition, the yen has had a history of unpredictable and volatile movements against the U.S. dollar. The performance of the global economy could have a major impact upon equity returns in Japan. Since the mid-2000s, Japan's economic growth has remained relatively low. A recent economic recession was likely compounded by an unstable financial sector, low domestic consumption, and certain corporate structural weaknesses, which remain some of the major issues facing the Japanese economy. Japan has also experienced natural disasters, such as earthquakes and tidal waves, of varying degrees of severity, which could negatively affect the Fund.

**Key Man Risk.** While certain aspects of calculating the Underlying Index are automated, not all of the processes for calculating the Underlying Index are. In fact, HRM's ability to publish Hedgeye's Risk Range™ signals daily, which are a critical input to the Underlying Index, is heavily dependent on the manual activities of a single individual, HRM'S CEO and founder ("Key Man"). In the Key Man's absence, the Risk Range™ signals will be published by another individual ("Secondary Calculator"). The formula utilized by the Secondary Calculator is based on a formula that incorporates the same factors as the formula used by the Key Man but this formula is not identical to the formula utilized by the Key Man. If the Key Man were to leave HRM or is unable to calculate the Risk Range™ signals, the Risk Range signals and Underlying Index may not function as designed and adversely impact the Fund.

If the Risk Range™ signals are not published for any reason, the Index Provider and Calculation Agent will use the last available Risk Range™ signal to calculate the Underlying Index value. Under any of these circumstances, the Underlying Index would not be updated to incorporate current Risk Range signals in a timely manner, and the Underlying Index may not function as designed, which may adversely impact the Fund. If this were to occur for an extended period, the Fund may be required to change its investment objective or be liquidated.

**Kuwait Risk.** Investments in Kuwaiti issuers and companies that have commercial or economic exposure to Kuwait involve risks including legal, regulatory, political, currency and economic risks. Kuwait is highly reliant on income from the sale of oil and trade with other countries involved in the sale of oil, and its economy is therefore vulnerable to changes in the market for oil and foreign currency values. As global demand for oil fluctuates, Kuwait may be significantly impacted.

Historically, tensions between Iraq and Kuwait have sometimes resulted in conflict. Any outbreak of hostilities between the two countries, or with other countries in the region, could have a severe adverse effect on the Kuwaiti economy and its securities markets. Political instability could adversely affect the Kuwaiti economy as well as companies with exposure to Kuwait.

**Large Capitalization Company Risk.** Investments in large capitalization companies may go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions and may underperform other market segments. Some large capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges and attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. As such, returns on investments in stocks of large capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small and mid capitalization companies.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult to purchase or sell at a reasonable time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may reduce the potential returns of the Fund because it may be unable to sell the illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. This is especially true given the limited number of market participants in certain markets in which the Fund may invest. Certain countries in which the Fund may invest may be subject to extended settlement delays and/or foreign holidays, during which the Fund will unlikely be able to convert such holdings to cash and may make it additionally difficult for the Fund to meet redemptions in a timely fashion.

Market developments may cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements, and may also cause the Fund to encounter difficulties in timely honoring redemptions, especially if market events cause an increased incidence of shareholder redemptions. If a number of investments held by the Fund stop trading or become illiquid, such as due to an exchange's limit up, limit down rules, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt. To the extent that an investment is deemed to be an illiquid investment or a less liquid investment, the Fund can expect to be exposed to greater liquidity risk.

**Luxury Investment Risk.** Companies in luxury-related sectors may face intense competition and may be dependent on their ability to maintain brand image. These companies may be subject to changes in consumer preferences, and technologies employed by companies in luxury-related sectors may become obsolete. The success of companies in luxury-related sectors may depend heavily on the disposable household income and consumer spending of a relatively small segment of the general population, rather than the consumer population as a whole. Changes in consumer taste among such segment of the population can also affect the demand for, and success of, such companies. Since these types of companies are dependent on consumer spending, they can be especially sensitive to a decline in consumer confidence or any downturns in the broader economy. Demand for luxury products may be seasonal, and incorrect assessment of future demand can lead to overproduction or underproduction, which can impact company profitability.

**Machine Learning and Data Risk.** Machine learning is a subset of artificial intelligence that focuses on developing algorithms and statistical models through learning and improving their performance from data and experiences automatically without being explicitly programmed. The Underlying Index uses a machine learning model, the output of which is heavily dependent on multiple inputs, including current and historical data and information (collectively, "Data").

To the extent the model does not perform as intended, the Underlying Index may not perform as intended, and the Fund may lose value. If either or both the model and the Data prove to be incorrect, incomplete, or biased, any decisions made in reliance thereon may lead to constituent selections for the Underlying Index that would not have been made had the model and Data been correct, complete, and unbiased. Errors in the Data, calculations, or the construction of the model may also occur from time to time. Such errors may not be identified or corrected by the Index Provider for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund and its shareholders.

Machine learning models can be prone to overfitting (or performing exceptionally well on historical data used to train and test the model but failing to generalize to new data), leading to poor performance in real-world applications. Machine learning models can also be sensitive to market conditions. The Underlying Index may be adversely impacted if the machine learning models used to compose it are unprepared to or unable to digest unanticipated market circumstances, such as extreme market events. All of these factors may cause the Underlying Index to not perform as intended and adversely impact the Fund.

**Management Risk** (All Funds except KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF, KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF and KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF)**.** To the extent the Fund may not fully replicate the Underlying Index and may hold less or different positions than the positions in the Underlying Index, the Fund is subject to management risk. This is the risk that the investment selection process, which is subject to a number of constraints, may not produce the intended results. Alternatively, to the extent the Fund is managed to replicate the Underlying Index, it is likely to experience higher portfolio turnover and brokerage costs, which erode performance.

**Management Risk** (KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF and KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF)**.** The Fund is actively-managed and may not meet its investment objective based on Krane's or the sub-adviser's, as applicable, success or failure to implement investment strategies for the Fund. Krane's or the sub-adviser's, as applicable, evaluations and assumptions regarding investments, markets, trends, and other factors may not successfully achieve the Fund's investment objective given actual market conditions.

**Management Risk** (KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF)**.** The Fund's investment in private companies is actively-managed and the Fund may not meet its investment objective based on Krane's or the sub-adviser's, as applicable, success or failure to implement investment strategies for the Fund for these investments. Krane's or the sub-adviser's, as applicable, evaluations and assumptions regarding these investments may not successfully achieve the Fund's investment objective given actual market conditions. Furthermore, for the portion of the Fund's assets that seek to track the Underlying Index, the Fund may not fully replicate the Underlying Index and may hold less or different positions than the positions in the Underlying Index. Therefore, the Fund is subject to the risk that the investment selection process, which is subject to a number of constraints, may not produce the intended results. Alternatively, to the extent the portion of the Fund's assets that seek to track the Underlying Index are managed to replicate the Underlying Index, it is likely to experience higher portfolio turnover and brokerage costs, which erode performance.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. Market fluctuations could be caused by such factors as economic and political developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities prices. Recent developments in relations between the United States and its trading partners have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the U.S. and other countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on the world's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on financial markets. Different types of securities tend to go through cycles of outperformance and under-performance in comparison to the general securities markets. In addition, securities may decline in value due to factors affecting a specific issuer, market or securities markets generally. Therefore, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain holdings may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price.

Turbulence in the financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and fixed-income markets may negatively affect issuers worldwide, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund. The Federal Reserve and other domestic and foreign government agencies may attempt to stabilize the global economy. These actions may expose markets to heightened volatility and may reduce liquidity for certain Fund investments, causing the value of the Fund's investments and share price to decline. To the extent that the Fund experiences high redemptions because of these actions, the Fund may experience increased portfolio turnover, which will increase the costs that the Fund incurs and will lower the Fund's performance.

Geopolitical risks, including terrorism, tensions or open conflict between nations, or political or economic dysfunction within some nations that are major players on the world stage or major producers of oil, may lead to overall instability in world economies and markets generally and have led, and may in the future lead, to increased market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects. Similarly, environmental and public health risks, such as natural disasters or pandemics/epidemics, or widespread fear that such events may occur, may impact markets adversely and cause market volatility in both the short- and long-term.

Advancements in technology, including advanced development and increased regulation of artificial intelligence, may adversely impact market movements and liquidity and the profitability and growth of certain issuers and industries may be negatively impacted in ways that cannot be foreseen and could adversely impact performance.

Certain illnesses spread rapidly and have the potential to significantly and adversely affect the global economy. Epidemics and/or pandemics have and may further result in, among other things, closing borders, enhanced health screenings, healthcare service preparation and delivery, quarantines, cancellations, disruptions to supply chains and customer activity, as well as general concern and uncertainty. The impact of such epidemics and/or pandemics that may arise in the future, have the potential to affect the economies of many nations, individual companies and the global securities and commodities markets, including liquidity, in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time. The impact of infectious diseases in developing or emerging market countries may be greater due to less established health care systems. Health crises caused by the recent coronavirus outbreak may exacerbate other preexisting political, social and economic risks in certain countries. The impact of the outbreak may be short term or may last for an extended period of time and may have material adverse impacts on the Fund.

**Materials Sector Risk.** Companies in the materials sector may be adversely affected by commodity price volatility, exchange rates, import controls, increased competition, depletion of resources, over-production, technical progress, labor relations, litigation and government regulations, among other factors. Also, companies in the materials sector are at risk of liability for environmental damage and product liability claims. Production of materials may exceed demand as a result of market imbalances or economic downturns, leading to poor investment returns.

**Mid-Capitalization Company Risk.** Investing in the securities of medium capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization companies and more established companies. Since medium-sized companies may have limited operating histories, product lines and financial resources, the securities of these companies may lack sufficient market liquidity and can be sensitive to expected changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings.

**Model and Data Risk.** Numeric will rely heavily on quantitative models (both proprietary models developed by it, and those supplied by third parties, collectively, "Models") and information and data both developed by it and those supplied by third parties (collectively, "Data"). In combination, Models and Data are used to value both current and potential investments and to provide risk management insights. Models and Data are known to have errors, omissions, imperfections and malfunctions (collectively, "System Events"). System Events in third-party Models are generally entirely outside of the control of Numeric.

Numeric seeks to reduce the incidence and impact of System Events, to the extent feasible, through a combination of internal testing, simulation, real-time monitoring, use of independent safeguards in the overall portfolio management process and often in the software code itself. Despite such testing, monitoring and independent safeguards, System Events will result in, among other things, the failure to properly gather and organize available data, the failure to take certain hedging or risk reducing actions and/or the taking of actions which increase certain risk(s)—all of which may have materially negative effects on the Fund and/or its returns. System Events in third-party provided Data are generally entirely outside the control of Numeric.

The research and modelling processes engaged in by Numeric are extremely complex and involve the use of financial, economic, econometric and statistical theories, research and modelling; the results of this investment approach must then be translated into computer code. Although Numeric seeks to hire individuals skilled in each of these functions and to provide appropriate levels of oversight and employ other mitigating measures and processes, the complexity of the individual tasks, the difficulty of integrating such tasks, and the limited ability to perform "real world" testing of the end product, even with simulations and similar methodologies, raise the chances that Model code may contain one or more coding errors, thus potentially resulting in a System Event and further, one or more of such coding errors could adversely affect the Fund's investment performance.

The Underlying Index is highly reliant on the gathering, cleaning, culling and performing of analysis of large amounts of Data. Accordingly, Models rely heavily on appropriate Data inputs. However, it is impossible and impracticable to factor all relevant, available Data into forecasts, investment decisions and other parameters of the Models. Numeric will use its discretion to determine what Data to gather with respect to the Underlying Index and what subset of that Data the Models take into account to produce forecasts which may have an impact on ultimate constituents of the

Underlying Index. In addition, due to the automated nature of Data gathering, the volume and depth of Data available, the complexity and often manual nature of Data cleaning, and the fact that the substantial majority of Data comes from third-party sources, it is inevitable that not all desired and/or relevant Data will be available to, or processed by, Numeric at all times. Irrespective of the merit, value and/or strength of a particular Model, it will not perform as designed if incorrect Data is fed into it which may lead to a System Event potentially subjecting the Fund to a loss. Further, even if Data is input correctly, "model prices" anticipated by the Data through the Models may differ substantially from market prices, especially for financial instruments with complex characteristics, such as derivatives.

Where incorrect or incomplete Data are available, Numeric may, and often will, continue to provide the Underlying Index based on the Data available to it. Additionally, Numeric may determine that certain available Data, while potentially useful in generating forecasts and/or making investment decisions, is not cost effective to gather due to, among other factors, the technology costs or third-party vendor costs and, in such cases, Numeric will not utilize such Data. Numeric has full discretion to select the Data it utilizes. Numeric may elect to use or may refrain from using any specific Data or type of Data in generating forecasts or making trading decisions with respect to the Models. The Data utilized in providing the Underlying Index or the underlying Models may not be (i) the most accurate data available or (ii) free of errors. The Data set used in connection with the Models is limited. The foregoing risks associated with gathering, cleaning, culling and analysis of large amounts of Data are an inherent part of investing with a quantitative, process-driven, systematic adviser such as Numeric.

When Models and Data prove to be incorrect, misleading or incomplete, any decisions made in reliance thereon expose the Fund to potential losses and such losses may be compounded over time. For example, by relying on Models and Data, the Underlying Index may be induced to buy certain investments at prices that are too high, to sell certain other investments at prices that are too low, or to miss favorable opportunities altogether. In addition, Models may incorrectly forecast future behavior, leading to potential losses on a cash flow and/or a mark-to-market basis. Furthermore, in unforeseen or certain low-probability scenarios (often involving a market event or disruption of some kind), Models may produce unexpected results which may or may not be System Events.

Errors in Models and Data are often extremely difficult to detect, and, in the case of Models, the difficulty of detecting System Events may be exacerbated by the lack of design documents or specifications. Regardless of how difficult their detection appears in retrospect, some System Events may go undetected for long periods of time and some may never be detected. Finally, when a System Event is detected, Numeric, in its sole discretion, may choose not to address or fix such System Event. When a System Event is detected, Numeric generally will not, as part of the review of circumstances leading to the System Event, perform a materiality analysis on the potential impact of a System Event. Numeric believes that the testing and monitoring performed on Models will enable Numeric to identify and address those System Events that a prudent person managing a quantitative, systematic and computerized investment program would identify and address by correcting the underlying issue(s) giving rise to the System Events, however there is no guarantee of the success of such processes. Shareholders should assume that System Events and their ensuing risks and impact are an inherent part of investing in the Fund. Accordingly, Numeric does not expect to disclose discovered System Events to the Fund or to shareholders. Other than in relation to losses arising from Numeric's breach of its applicable standard of care in accordance with the investment subadvisory agreement, the Fund will bear the risks associated with the reliance on Models and Data including bearing all losses related to System Events.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

**Option Income Risk.** The Fund generates option premium income generated from the sale of covered call options ("option income"). This option income generally is classified as a return of capital for financial accounting purposes, which is how such income is required to be reported on the 19(a) notices that the Fund is required to issue after its monthly distributions. However, the 19(a) notices do not reflect the tax character of the option income, which is determined after the end of the calendar year. The option income for tax purposes is likely to be considered taxable investment income and may not reduce your tax basis in your shares of the Fund when distributed. The Fund currently intends to distribute on a monthly basis its option income so that the Fund's monthly distribution percentage does not exceed 2% of net asset value. The Fund's distribution in December may exceed this amount in order for the Fund to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company.

**Passive Investment and Index Risk.** The Fund is not actively managed, does not seek to "beat" the Underlying Index, and does not take temporary positions when markets decline. Therefore, the Fund may not sell a security due to current or projected underperformance of a security, industry or sector. If a specific security is removed from the Underlying Index, the Fund may be forced to sell such security at an inopportune time or for a price other than the security's current market value. It is expected that the value of Fund shares will decline, more or less, in correspondence with any decline in value of the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index may not contain the appropriate mix of securities for any particular economic cycle, and the timing of movements from one type of security to another in seeking to track the Underlying Index could have a negative effect on the Fund. However, the Fund's investment objective and principal investment strategies impose limits on the Fund's ability to invest in securities not included in the Underlying Index. There is no guarantee that the Underlying Index will create the desired exposure.

Unlike an actively managed fund, the Fund does not use techniques or defensive strategies designed to lessen the effects of market volatility or to reduce the impact of periods of market decline. This means that, based on market and economic conditions, the Fund's performance could be lower than other types of registered investment companies that may actively shift their portfolio assets to take advantage of market opportunities or to lessen the impact of a market decline. To the extent the Fund employs a representative sampling approach, it will hold a smaller number of securities than are in the Underlying Index. As a result, an adverse development to an issuer of securities that the Fund holds could result in a greater decline in NAV than would be the case if the Fund held more of the securities in the Underlying Index.

The Index Provider maintains and exercises complete control over the Underlying Index. The Index Provider may delay or add a rebalance date, which may adversely impact the performance of the Fund and its correlation to the Underlying Index. There is no guarantee that the methodology the Index Provider uses to identify constituents for the Underlying Index will achieve its intended result or provide an accurate assessment of included constituents. The Underlying Index relies on various sources of information to assess the potential constituents of the Underlying Index, including information that may be based on assumptions or estimates. Neither the Fund nor Krane can offer assurances that the Index Provider's sources of information are reliable. There can be no guarantee that the methodology underlying the Underlying Index, the Underlying Index construction and computation processes, or the daily calculation of the Underlying Index or its methodology will be free from error or that an error will be identified and/or corrected, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund.

**Private Company Risk.** Investments in private companies involve greater risks than investments in securities of companies that have traded publicly on an exchange for extended periods of time. Investments in these companies are generally less liquid than investments in securities issued by public companies and may be difficult for the Fund to value. Compared to public companies, private companies may have a more limited management group and limited operating histories with narrower, less established product lines and smaller market shares, which may cause them to be more vulnerable to competitors' actions, market conditions and consumer sentiment with respect to their products or services, as well as general economic downturns. In addition, private companies may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations. The Fund may only have limited access to a private company's actual financial results and there is no assurance that the information obtained by the Fund is reliable. These companies may not ever issue shares in an initial public offering ("IPO") and a liquid market for their shares may never develop, which could adversely affect the Fund's liquidity. If the company does issue shares in an IPO, IPOs are risky and volatile and may cause the value of the Fund's investment to decrease significantly. Moreover, because securities issued by private companies are generally not freely or publicly tradable, the Fund may not have the opportunity to purchase, or the ability to sell, these securities in the amounts, or at the prices, the Fund desires.

**Privately-Issued Securities Risk.** The Fund may invest in privately-issued securities, including those that are normally purchased pursuant to Rule 144A or Regulation S promulgated under the Securities Act. Privately-issued securities are securities that have not been registered under the Securities Act and as a result are subject to legal restriction on resale. They typically may be resold only to "qualified institutional buyers," in a privately negotiated transaction, to a limited number of purchasers or in limited quantities after they have been held for a specified period of time and other conditions are met for an exemption from registration. Because they are not traded on established markets and there may be relatively few potential purchasers for such securities, especially under adverse market or economic conditions or in the event of adverse changes in the financial condition of the issuer, the Fund may find it more difficult to sell such securities when it may be advisable to do so or it may be able to sell such securities only at prices lower than if such securities were more widely held and traded. At times, privately-issued securities may be less liquid, subject to wide fluctuations in value, and may be more difficult to determine the fair value of such securities for purposes of computing the Fund's NAV, due to the absence of an active trading market. There can be no assurance that a privately-issued security that is deemed to be liquid when purchased will continue to be liquid for as long as it is held by the Fund, and its value may decline as a result or cause the Fund difficulty in meeting shareholder redemptions. The Fund may have to bear the expense of registering privately-issued securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration.

**Ranking Risk.** The Underlying Index uses Value Line**<sup>®</sup>**'s Safety*™* ranking system in selecting securities. This is subject to the risk that the rankings may not be accurate and that the performance of these companies may not continue. The returns on these securities may be less than returns on other companies or the overall stock market. In addition, there may be periods when companies highly ranked by Value Line**<sup>®</sup>** are out of favor and during which the investment performance of the Fund may suffer.

**Real Estate Sector Risk.** The Fund may invest in securities within the real estate sector. Investments in real estate issuers may be volatile. Real estate issuers are susceptible to the risks associated with direct ownership of real estate, including declines in the real estate market, decreases in property revenues, increases in interest rates, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, legal and regulatory changes, a lack of credit or capital, defaults by borrowers or tenants, environmental problems and natural disasters.

**Regulatory Risk.** The Fund is subject to the risk that a change in U.S. law and related regulations will impact the way the Fund operates, increase the particular costs of the Fund's operations and/or change the competitive landscape. Additional legislative or regulatory changes could occur that may materially and adversely affect the Fund. For example, the regulatory environment for derivative instruments in which the Fund may invest is evolving, and changes in the regulation or taxation of derivative instruments may materially and adversely affect the ability of the Fund to pursue its investment objective or strategies. Such legislative or regulatory changes could pose additional risks and result in material adverse consequences to the Fund.

**Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk.** In a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund sells portfolio investments to another party and agrees to repurchase the investments at an agreed-upon price and date, which reflects an interest payment. In periods of increased demand for a security, the Fund may receive a payment from the counterparty for the use of the investment, which is recorded as interest income. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the counterparty will default on its obligations to the Fund, including by failing to return the investments in a timely manner, or at all, which may result in costs, delays, and losses to the Fund. In such a case, the Fund may incur expenses in enforcing its rights under the reverse repurchase agreement. In the event the counterparty files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the Fund's use of the proceeds from the sale of the investments may be restricted pending a determination by the counterparty, or its trustee or receiver, whether to enforce the Fund's repurchase obligation. Reverse repurchase agreements also require that the Fund have sufficient cash available to repurchase the investments when required. The Fund could lose money if it is unable to recover the investments and the value of the collateral held by the Fund is less than the value of the investments. These events could also trigger adverse tax consequences to the Fund. Reverse repurchase agreements also involve the risk that the market value of the investments sold will decline below the price at which the Fund is obligated to repurchase them. Reverse repurchase agreements are viewed as a form of borrowing or leverage by the Fund and may increase fluctuations in the Fund's net asset value. When the Fund enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, any fluctuations in the market value of either the investments transferred to another party or the investments in which the proceeds may be invested would affect the market value of the Fund's assets. During the term of the agreement, the Fund may also be obligated to pledge additional cash and/or investments in the event of a decline in the fair value of the transferred investments.

**Sector Risk.** From time to time, based on market or economic conditions, the Fund may have significant positions in one or more sectors of the market. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in one sector, industry, or sub-sector of the market, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors, industries, or sub-sectors. An individual sector, industry, or sub-sector of the market may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the broader market. The industries that constitute a sector may all react in the same way to economic, political or regulatory events. The Fund's performance could also be affected if the sectors, industries, or sub-sectors do not perform as expected. Alternatively, the lack of exposure to one or more sectors or industries may adversely affect performance. For a summary of the Fund's recent sector allocations, see its most recent shareholder report. (The information in the report is as of the date of the report and may have changed.) For information about the risks of investing in particular sectors, see the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

**Securities Lending Risk**. The Fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and financial institutions to seek income. There is a risk that a borrower may default on its obligations to return loaned securities. There is a risk that the assets of the Fund's securities lending agent may be insufficient to satisfy any contractual indemnification requirements to that Fund. Borrowers of the Fund's securities typically provide collateral in the form of cash that is reinvested. The Fund will be responsible for the risks associated with the investment of cash collateral, including any collateral invested in a money market fund. The Fund may lose money on its investment of cash collateral or may fail to earn sufficient income on its investment to meet obligations to the borrower. In addition, delays may occur in the recovery of securities from borrowers, which could interfere with the Fund's ability to vote proxies or to settle transactions and there is the risk of possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. Securities lending revenues may increase Fund performance over particular time periods and may not be repeatable. Krane and its sub-adviser, if applicable, are subject to potential conflicts of interest because the compensation paid to them increases in connection with any net income received by the Fund from a securities lending program.

**Short Sale Risk.** Short sales involve selling a security the Fund does not own in anticipation that the security's price will decline. To complete the transaction, the Fund must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. The Fund is then obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing the security at the market price at the time of replacement. The price at such time may be higher or lower than the price at which the security was sold by the Fund. If the underlying security goes up in price during the period during which the short position is outstanding, the Fund will realize a loss on the transaction.

Short sales, at least theoretically, present a risk of unlimited loss on an individual security basis, since the Fund may be required to buy the security sold short at a time when the security has appreciated in value, and there is potentially no limit to the amount of such appreciation. Because the Fund may invest the proceeds of a short sale, another effect of short selling on the Fund is leverage, in that it amplifies changes in the Fund's net asset value since it increases the exposure of the Fund to the market and may increase losses and the volatility of returns.

The Fund may not always be able to close out a short position at a favorable time or price. A lender may request that borrowed securities be returned to it on short notice, and the Fund may have to buy the borrowed securities at an unfavorable price, which will potentially reduce or eliminate any gain or cause a loss to the Fund. The Fund incurs expenses for borrowing securities that may include fees paid to the lender and amounts equal to dividends or interest paid by the borrowed security.

When the Fund is selling a security short, it must maintain a segregated account of cash or high-grade securities equal to the margin requirement. (Margin posted with the broker, not including the proceeds of the short sale, counts toward this requirement.) As a result, the Fund may maintain high levels of cash or other liquid assets (such as U.S. Treasury bills, money market instruments, certificates of deposit, high quality commercial paper and long equity positions) or may utilize the collateral obtained from securities lending for this cash. The need to maintain cash or other liquid assets in segregated accounts could limit the Fund's ability to pursue other opportunities as they arise.

**Singapore Risk.** Investments in Singaporean issuers may subject the Fund to legal, reguInvestments in Singaporean issuers may subject the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency and economic risks specific to Singapore. Specifically, political and economic developments of its neighbors may have an adverse effect on Singapore's economy. In addition, because its economy is exportdriven, Singapore relies heavily on its trading partners. China is a major purchaser of Singapore's exports and serves as a source of Singapore's imports. Singapore derives a significant portion of its foreign investments from China. Singapore also has substantial economic exposure to Malaysia, Hong Kong, and the U.S. As a result, Singapore's economy is susceptible to fluctuations in the world economy. A downturn in the economies of China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, or the U.S., among other countries or regions, could adversely affect Singapore's economy. In addition, Singapore's economy may be particularly vulnerable to external market changes due to its smaller size.

**Small- and Mid-Capitalization Company Risk.** Investing in the securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization companies and more established companies. Since small- and medium-sized companies may have limited operating histories, product lines and financial resources, the securities of these companies may lack sufficient market liquidity and can be sensitive to expected changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings. These companies' securities may be more volatile and less liquid than those of more established companies, and they may be more sensitive to market conditions.

**South Korea Risk.** The Fund is susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory and geographic events affecting South Korea. South Korean economy is dependent on trading exports and on the economies of other Asian countries, especially China and Southeast Asia, and the United States as key trading partners. Disruptions in trade activity, reductions in spending by these economies on South Korean products and services or negative changes in any of these economies may have an adverse impact on the South Korean economy. Furthermore, South Korea's economy may be significantly affected by currency fluctuations and increasing competition from Asia's low-cost emerging economies. Finally, South Korea's economic growth potential has recently been on a decline due to, among other factors, a rapidly aging population and structural problems.

Substantial tensions with North Korea could escalate and lead to further uncertainty in the political and economic climate of South Korea. North and South Korea each have substantial military capabilities, and historical tensions between the two present the ongoing risk of war. Any outbreak of hostilities between the two countries, or even the threat of an outbreak of hostilities, may have a severe adverse effect on the South Korean economy.

**Sovereign and Quasi-Sovereign Debt Risk.** Investments in sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt bonds involve special risks, including the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, and the government debtor's policy towards the International Monetary Fund and the political constraints to which a government debtor may be subject. The governmental authority that controls the repayment of sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt may be unwilling or unable to repay the principal and/or interest when due in accordance with the terms of such securities due to the extent of its foreign reserves. If an issuer of sovereign or quasi-sovereign debt defaults on payments of principal and/or interest, the Fund may have limited legal recourse against the issuer and/or guarantor. In certain cases, remedies must be pursued in the courts of the defaulting party itself, and the Fund's ability to obtain recourse may be limited.

Certain issuers of sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt may be dependent on disbursements from foreign governments, multilateral agencies and others abroad to reduce principal and interest arrearages on their debt. Such disbursements may be conditioned upon a debtor's implementation of economic reforms and/or economic performance and the timely service of such debtor's obligations. A failure on the part of the debtor to implement such reforms, achieve such levels of economic performance or repay principal or interest when due may result in the cancellation of such third parties' commitments to lend funds to the government debtor, which may impair the debtor's ability to service its debts on a timely basis. As holders of government debt, the Fund may be requested to participate in the rescheduling of such debt and to extend further loans to government debtors. There can be no assurance that the securities in which the Fund will invest will not be subject to restructuring arrangements or to requests for additional credit. In addition, certain participants in the secondary market for such debt may be directly involved in negotiating the terms of these arrangements and may therefore have access to information not available to other market participants, such as the Fund.

During periods of economic uncertainty, the market prices of sovereign and quasi-sovereign bonds, and the Fund's NAV, may be more volatile than prices of corporate bonds, which may result in losses. In the past certain governments of emerging market countries have declared themselves unable to meet their financial obligations on a timely basis, which has resulted in losses for holders of such sovereign and quasi-sovereign bonds.

**Subsidiary Investment Risk.** Investment in the Subsidiary will not exceed 25% of the value of the Fund's total assets (ignoring any subsequent market appreciation in the Subsidiary's value). This limitation is set pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and is measured at each taxable year quarter-end. The Subsidiary, which is organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands, is wholly-owned and controlled by the Fund. The Fund will invest in the Subsidiary in order to gain exposure to the investment returns of the commodities markets within the limitations of the federal tax law requirements applicable to regulated investment companies. The Subsidiary will invest principally in commodity futures, options and swap contracts, as well as certain fixed-income investments intended to serve as margin or collateral for the Subsidiary's derivatives positions. Unlike the Fund, the Subsidiary may invest without limitation in commodity-linked derivatives, though the Subsidiary will comply with the same 1940 Act asset coverage requirements with respect to its investments in commodity-linked derivatives that apply to the Fund's transactions in these instruments. To the extent applicable, the Subsidiary otherwise is subject to the same fundamental and non-fundamental investment restrictions as the Fund, and, in particular, to the same requirements relating to portfolio leverage, liquidity, and the timing and method of valuation of portfolio investments and Fund shares, described elsewhere in this Prospectus and in the SAI. By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary's commodity-linked derivatives investments.

The Subsidiary is not registered with the SEC as an investment company under the 1940 Act, and is not subject to the investor protections of the 1940 Act. As an investor in the Subsidiary, the Fund does not have the same protections offered to shareholders of registered investment companies.

The Fund and the Subsidiary may not be able to operate as described in this Prospectus in the event of changes to the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands. If the laws of the Cayman Islands required the Subsidiary to pay taxes to a governmental authority, the Fund would be likely to suffer decreased returns.

**Taiwan Risk.** Investments in Taiwanese issuers involve risks that are specific to Taiwan, including legal, regulatory, political and economic risks. Political and economic developments of Taiwan's neighbors may have an adverse effect on Taiwan's economy. Specifically, Taiwan's geographic proximity and history of political contention with China have resulted in ongoing tensions, which may materially affect the Taiwanese economy and its securities market and may have an adverse impact on the values of the Fund's investments in Taiwan, or make such investments impracticable or impossible.

**Tax Risk** (All Funds except KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF, KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF, KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF and KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF)**.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to regulated investment companies, a Fund must satisfy certain income, distribution and asset diversification requirements. With respect to the latter, a Fund generally may not acquire a security if, as a result of the acquisition, more than 50% of the value of the Fund's assets would be invested in (a) issuers in which the Fund has, in each case, invested more than 5% of the Fund's assets and (b) issuers more than 10% of whose outstanding voting securities are owned by the Fund. If the Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, and distributions to its shareholders would not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income, which would adversely affect its performance. Because there is limited transparency into state ownership of Chinese issuers, there is a risk of such issuers being deemed to be a single issuer, which could result in the Fund falling out of compliance with the asset diversification requirements.

In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to regulated investment companies and avoid Fund-level taxes, a Fund must also satisfy certain distribution requirements. Capital controls and currency controls may affect a Fund's ability to meet the applicable distribution requirements. If a Fund fails to satisfy the distribution requirement necessary to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company for any taxable year, the Fund would be treated as a corporation subject to U.S. federal income tax, thereby subjecting any income earned by the Fund to tax at the corporate level. If a Fund fails to satisfy a separate distribution requirement, it will be subject to a Fund-level excise tax. These Fund-level taxes will apply in addition to taxes payable at the shareholder level on distributions.

To the extent a Fund does not distribute to shareholders all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain in a given year, it will be required to pay U.S. federal income tax on the retained income and gains, thereby reducing the Fund's return. A Fund may elect to treat its net capital gain as having been distributed to shareholders. In that case, shareholders of record on the last day of the Fund's taxable year will be required to include their attributable share of the retained gain in income for the year as a long-term capital gain despite not actually receiving the dividend, and will be entitled to a tax credit or refund for the tax deemed paid on their behalf by the Fund as well as an increase in the basis of their shares to reflect the difference between their attributable share of the gain and the related credit or refund.

Investments in swaps and other derivatives may be subject to special U.S. federal income tax rules that could adversely affect the character, timing and amount of income earned by a Fund (e.g., by causing amounts that would be capital gain to be taxed as ordinary income or to be taken into income earlier than would otherwise be necessary). Also, a Fund may be required to periodically adjust its positions in its swaps and derivatives to comply with certain regulatory requirements which may further cause these investments to be less efficient than a direct investment in the securities themselves. For example, swaps in which the Fund may invest may need to be reset on a regular basis in order to maintain compliance with the 1940 Act, which may increase the likelihood that the Fund will generate short-term capital gains. In addition, because the application of these special rules may be uncertain, it is possible that the manner in which they are applied by a Fund may be determined to be incorrect. In that event, the Fund may be found to have failed to maintain its qualification as a RIC or to be subject to additional U.S. tax liability. Moreover, a Fund may make investments, both directly and through swaps or other derivative positions, in companies classified as passive foreign investment companies for U.S. federal income tax purposes ("PFICs"). Investments in PFICs are subject to special tax rules which may result in adverse tax consequences to the Fund and its shareholders.

**Tax Risk** (KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF, KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF, KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF and KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF)**.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to regulated investment companies, a Fund must satisfy certain income and distribution requirements each year and certain asset diversification requirements at the end of each quarter of its taxable year. With respect to the latter, a Fund generally may not acquire a security if, as a result of the acquisition, at the end of a quarter the Fund would not satisfy the following requirements: (a) that at least 50% of the value of its total assets be represented by (i) cash, cash items, Government Securities and securities of other regulated investment companies, and (ii) other securities limited in respect of any of the security to an amount not greater than 5% of the Fund's total assets and to not more than 10% of the voting securities of such issuer; and (b) not more than 25% of the total value of the Fund's assets can be invested in the securities (other than Government Securities or the securities of other regulated investment companies) of any one issuer, the securities of two or more issuers that the Fund controls and are engaged in the same or similar (or related) trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publically traded partnerships. If a Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, and distributions to its shareholders would not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income, which would adversely affect its performance.

In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to regulated investment companies and avoid Fund-level taxes, a Fund must also satisfy certain distribution requirements. If a Fund fails to satisfy the distribution requirement necessary to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company for any taxable year, the Fund would be treated as a corporation subject to U.S. federal income tax, thereby subjecting any income earned by the Fund to tax at the corporate level. If a Fund fails to satisfy a separate distribution requirement, it will be subject to a Fund-level excise tax. These Fund-level taxes will apply in addition to taxes payable at the shareholder level on distributions.

To the extent a Fund does not distribute to shareholders all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain in a given year, it will be required to pay U.S. federal income tax on the retained income and gains, thereby reducing the Fund's return. A Fund may elect to treat its net capital gain as having been distributed to shareholders. In that case, shareholders of record on the last day of the Fund's taxable year will be required to include their attributable share of the retained gain in income for the year as a long-term capital gain despite not actually receiving the dividend, and will be entitled to a tax credit or refund for the tax deemed paid on their behalf by the Fund as well as an increase in the basis of their shares to reflect the difference between their attributable share of the gain and the related credit or refund.

Investments in swaps and other derivatives may be subject to special U.S. federal income tax rules that could adversely affect the character, timing and amount of income earned by a Fund (e.g., by causing amounts that would be capital gain to be taxed as ordinary income or to be taken into income earlier than would otherwise be necessary). Also, a Fund may be required to periodically adjust its positions in its swaps and derivatives to comply with certain regulatory requirements which may further cause these investments to be less efficient than a direct investment in the securities themselves. For example, swaps in which a Fund may invest may need to be reset on a regular basis in order to maintain compliance with the 1940 Act, which may increase the likelihood that the Fund will generate short-term capital gains. In addition, because the application of these special rules may be uncertain, it is possible that the manner in which they are applied by a Fund may be determined to be incorrect. In that event, the Fund may be found to have failed to maintain its qualification as a RIC or to be subject to additional U.S. tax liability. Moreover, a Fund may make investments, both directly and through swaps or other derivative positions, in companies classified as passive foreign investment companies for U.S. federal income tax purposes ("PFICs"). Investments in PFICs are subject to special tax rules which may result in adverse tax consequences to the Fund and its shareholders.

Each of KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF, KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF and KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF intends to treat its income from its Subsidiary as qualifying income. The tax treatment of a Fund's investment in its Subsidiary may be adversely affected by future legislation, court decisions, Treasury Regulations and/or guidance issued by the IRS that could affect whether income derived from such investments is "qualifying income" under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, or otherwise affect the character, timing and/or amount of the Fund's taxable income or any gains or distributions made by the Fund.

**Tax Risk** (KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF and KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF). In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, distribution and asset diversification requirements. With respect to the latter, the Fund generally may not acquire a security if, as a result of the acquisition, more than 50% of the value of the Fund's assets would be invested in (a) issuers in which the Fund has, in each case, invested more than 5% of the Fund's assets and (b) issuers more than 10% of whose outstanding voting securities are owned by the Fund. If the Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, and distributions to its shareholders would not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income, which would adversely affect its performance.

In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to regulated investment companies and avoid Fund-level taxes, the Fund must also satisfy certain distribution requirements. If the Fund fails to satisfy the distribution requirement necessary to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company for any taxable year, the Fund would be treated as a corporation subject to U.S. federal income tax, thereby subjecting any income earned by the Fund to tax at the corporate level. If the Fund fails to satisfy a separate distribution requirement, it will be subject to a Fund-level excise tax. These Fund-level taxes will apply in addition to taxes payable at the shareholder level on distributions.

To the extent the Fund does not distribute to shareholders all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain in a given year, it will be required to pay U.S. federal income tax on the retained income and gains, thereby reducing the Fund's return. The Fund may elect to treat its net capital gain as having been distributed to shareholders. In that case, shareholders of record on the last day of the Fund's taxable year will be required to include their attributable share of the retained gain in income for the year as a long-term capital gain despite not actually receiving the dividend, and will be entitled to a tax credit or refund for the tax deemed paid on their behalf by the Fund as well as an increase in the basis of their shares to reflect the difference between their attributable share of the gain and the related credit or refund.

Investments in swaps and other derivatives may be subject to special U.S. federal income tax rules that could adversely affect the character, timing and amount of income earned by the Fund (e.g., by causing amounts that would be capital gain to be taxed as ordinary income or to be taken into income earlier than would otherwise be necessary). Also, the Fund may be required to periodically adjust its positions in its swaps and derivatives to comply with certain regulatory requirements which may further cause these investments to be less efficient than a direct investment in the securities themselves. For example, swaps in which the Fund may invest may need to be reset on a regular basis in order to maintain compliance with the 1940 Act, which may increase the likelihood that the Fund will generate short-term capital gains. In addition, because the application of these special rules may be uncertain, it is possible that the manner in which they are applied by the Fund may be determined to be incorrect. In that event, the Fund may be found to have failed to maintain its qualification as a RIC or to be subject to additional U.S. tax liability. Moreover, the Fund may make investments, both directly and through swaps or other derivative positions, in companies classified as passive foreign investment companies for U.S. federal income tax purposes ("PFICs"). Investments in PFICs are subject to special tax rules which may result in adverse tax consequences to the Fund and its shareholders.

**Tracking Error Risk** (All Funds except KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF and KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF)**.** Tracking error refers to the risk that the Fund's performance may not match or correlate to that of its Underlying Index, either on a daily or aggregate basis. Tracking error may cause the Fund's performance to be less than expected. There are a number of factors that may contribute to the Fund's tracking error, such as Fund expenses, imperfect correlation between the Fund's investments and those of the Underlying Index, the use of representative sampling strategy, if applicable, asset valuation differences, any transaction costs incurred by the Fund, differences in timing of the accrual or the valuation of dividends or interest received by the Fund or distributions paid to the Fund's shareholders, tax considerations, including the requirements to maintain pass-through tax treatment, the unavailability of securities in the Underlying Index from time to time, holding cash and cash equivalents, and other liquidity constraints. In addition, securities included in the Underlying Index may be suspended from trading. To the extent the Fund calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the Underlying Index is based on securities' closing prices on local foreign markets, the Fund's ability to track the Underlying Index may be adversely affected. Mathematical compounding may prevent the Fund from correlating with the monthly, quarterly, annual or other period performance of its Underlying Index.

In addition, the Fund may not invest in certain securities and other instruments included in the Underlying Index, or invest in them in the exact proportions they represent of the Underlying Index, including due to legal restrictions or limitations imposed by a foreign government or a lack of liquidity in certain securities. Moreover, the Fund may be delayed in purchasing or selling securities and other instruments included in the Underlying Index. Any issues the Fund encounters with regard to currency convertibility (including the cost of borrowing funds, if any) and repatriation may also increase the Fund's tracking error. This risk may be heightened during times of increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions. If the Fund tracks an index with significant weight in emerging market securities, the Fund may experience higher tracking error than a fund that does not track such an index.

**Tracking Error Risk** (KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF and KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF)**.** Tracking error refers to the risk that the Fund's performance may not match or correlate to that of its Index, either on a daily or aggregate basis. Tracking error may cause the Fund's performance to be less than expected. This may be due to, among other factors, the Fund investments in carbon credit futures with different maturity dates, the Fund weighing the carbon credit futures differently than the Index, and the Fund's purchase of carbon credit futures on different dates than the rebalancing date for the Index. In addition, securities included in the Index may be suspended from trading. To the extent the Fund calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the Index is based on securities' closing prices on local foreign markets, the Fund's ability to track the Index may be adversely affected. Mathematical compounding may prevent the Fund from correlating with the monthly, quarterly, annual or other period performance of its Index. To the extent that the Fund invests in other instruments that are consistent with its investment objective, such as futures contracts that are not carbon credit futures, options on futures contracts, swap contracts, and other investment companies and notes, the Fund's ability to track the Index may be adversely affected. Moreover, the Fund may be delayed in purchasing or selling securities and other instruments included in the Index. Any issues the Fund encounters with regard to currency convertibility (including the cost of borrowing funds, if any) and repatriation may also increase the Fund's tracking error.

**Tracking Error Risk** (KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF)**.** Tracking error refers to the risk that for the portion of the Fund's assets that seek to track the Underlying Index, the Fund's return for this portion may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Underlying Index, either on a daily or aggregate basis. Tracking error may cause the Fund's performance to be less than expected. There are a number of factors that may contribute to the Fund's tracking error, such as Fund expenses, imperfect correlation between the Fund's investments and those of the Underlying Index, the use of representative sampling strategy, if applicable, asset valuation differences, any transaction costs incurred by the Fund, differences in timing of the accrual or the valuation of dividends or interest received by the Fund or distributions paid to the Fund's shareholders, tax considerations, including the requirements to maintain pass-through tax treatment, the unavailability of securities in the Underlying Index from time to time, holding cash and cash equivalents, and other liquidity constraints. In addition, securities included in the Underlying Index may be suspended from trading. To the extent the Fund calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the Underlying Index is based on securities' closing prices on local foreign markets, the Fund's ability to track the Underlying Index may be adversely affected. Mathematical compounding may prevent the Fund from correlating with the monthly, quarterly, annual or other period performance of its Underlying Index. In addition, the Fund may not invest in certain securities and other instruments included in the Underlying Index, or invest in them in the exact proportions they represent of the Underlying Index, including due to legal restrictions or limitations imposed by a foreign government or a lack of liquidity in certain securities. Moreover, the Fund may be delayed in purchasing or selling securities and other instruments included in the Underlying Index. Any issues the Fund encounters with regard to currency convertibility (including the cost of borrowing funds, if any) and repatriation may also increase the Fund's tracking error. This risk may be heightened during times of increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions. If the Fund tracks an index with significant weight in emerging market securities, the Fund may experience higher tracking error than a fund that does not track such an index.

**U.S. Dollar-Denominated Chinese Debt Securities Risk.** Chinese debt securities denominated in U.S. dollars may behave very differently from local currency-denominated debt securities, and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the two. For example, changes to currency exchange rates may impact issuers of foreign debt securities denominated in U.S. dollars differently than issuers of local currency-denominated debt securities. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably, which may adversely affect the Fund. In addition, if the U.S. dollar increases in value against the local currency of a debt issuer, the issuer may be subject to a greater risk of default on their obligations (i.e., are unable to make scheduled interest or principal payments to investors).

**U.S. Government Obligations Risk.** The Fund may invest in securities issued by the U.S. government. The total public debt of the United States as a percentage of gross domestic product has grown rapidly since the beginning of the 2008–2009 financial downturn. Although high debt levels do not necessarily indicate or cause economic problems, they may create certain systemic risks if sound debt management practices are not implemented. A high national debt can raise concerns that the U.S. government will not be able to make principal or interest payments when they are due. This increase has also necessitated the need for the U.S. Congress to negotiate adjustments to the statutory debt limit to increase the cap on the amount the U.S. government is permitted to borrow to meet its existing obligations and finance current budget deficits. Certain credit ratings agencies have downgraded the sovereign credit rating on U.S. government securities. These downgrades may cause market uncertainty and the market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government may be adversely affected.

**Utilities Sector Risk.** Companies in the utilities industry may have difficulty obtaining an adequate return on invested capital, raising capital, and financing large construction programs during periods of inflation or unsettled capital markets; face restrictions on operations and increased cost and delays attributable to environmental considerations and regulation; find that existing plants, equipment or products have been rendered obsolete by technological innovations; and be subject to increased costs because of the scarcity of certain fuels or the effects of man-made disasters. Deregulation is subjecting utility companies to greater competition and may adversely affect profitability. As deregulation allows utility companies to diversify outside of their original geographic regions and their traditional lines of business, utility companies may engage in riskier ventures. Government regulators monitor and control utility operations, revenues and costs, and therefore may limit utility profits. Regulatory authorities may also restrict utility companies' access to new markets, thereby diminishing these companies' long-term prospects. Energy conservation and changes in climate policy may have a significant adverse impact on the revenues and expenses of utility companies.

**Valuation Risk.** Financial information about the Fund's portfolio holdings may not always be reliable, which may make it difficult to obtain a current price for the investments held by the Fund. Independent market quotations for such investments may not be readily available, such as on days during which a security does not trade or a foreign holiday, and securities may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations are subjective and different funds may assign different fair values to the same investment. Such valuations also may be different from what would be produced if the security had been valued using market quotations. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. Additionally, Fund securities that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including "fair valued" securities, may be subject to greater fluctuations in their value from one day to the next. Because securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days when the Fund does not price its shares, the value of the securities in the Fund's portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund's shares.

**Management**

**Investment Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser"), which is a UN PRI signatory<sup>1</sup>, is a registered investment adviser located at 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10017 and serves as investment adviser of each Fund. Krane has served as the investment adviser of each Fund since its inception.

Under the investment advisory agreement between the Trust and Krane (the "Investment Advisory Agreement"), Krane is responsible for reviewing, supervising and administering each Fund's investment program and the general management and administration of the Trust. In this regard, among other things, Krane arranges for transfer agency, custody, fund administration and accounting, and other non-distribution related services necessary for each Fund to operate. Krane may engage a sub-adviser to assist it in managing a Fund's investments, but will be responsible for overseeing any sub-advisers. Krane manages each Fund's business affairs, provides office facilities and equipment and certain clerical, bookkeeping and administrative services, and permits its officers and employees to serve as officers or Trustees of the Trust. Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, Krane bears all of its own costs associated with providing advisory services to the Funds. In addition, Krane has contractually agreed to pay all operating expenses of each Fund, except (i) interest and taxes (including, but not limited to, income, excise, transaction, transfer and withholding taxes); (ii) expenses of the Fund incurred with respect to the acquisition and disposition of portfolio securities and the execution of portfolio transactions, including brokerage commissions and short sale dividend or interest expense; (iii) expenses incurred in connection with any distribution plan adopted by the Trust in compliance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, including distribution fees; (iv) Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses; (v) litigation expenses; (vi) the compensation payable to the Adviser under the Investment Advisory Agreement; (vii) compensation and expenses of the Independent Trustees (including any Trustees' counsel fees); and (viii) any expenses determined to be extraordinary expenses by the Board. Nevertheless, there exists a risk that a Trust service provider will seek recourse against the Trust if is not timely paid by Krane for the fees and expenses for which it is responsible, which could materially adversely affect a Fund.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, each Fund pays Krane the fee shown in the table below (in addition to the securities lending compensation Krane receives under the Agreement discussed below), which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate based on a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund.

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Fund** | **Advisory Fee** | **Fee Waiver\*** |
| KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | 0.68% | N/A |
| KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF (formerly, KraneShares Asia Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Index ETF) | 0.78% | 0.10% |
| KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index Share ETF (formerly, KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A Share ETF) | 0.78% | 0.23% |
| KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF (formerly, KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income Bond ETF) | 0.68% | N/A |
| KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF | 0.68% | N/A |
| KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF | 0.78% | 0.30%\*\* |
| KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF | 0.78% | 0.14% |
| KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF | 0.78% | N/A |
| KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF (formerly, KraneShares MSCI China Environment Index ETF) | 0.78% | N/A |

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<sup>1</sup> UN PRI is an abbreviation for 'United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment,' a UN-supported network of investors that works to promote sustainable investment through the incorporation of environmental, social and governance factors into investment decision-making. PRI signatories publicly commit to adopt and implement the network's six ESG principles, which are voluntary and aspirational, where consistent with their fiduciary duties.

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Fund** | **Advisory Fee** | **Fee Waiver\*** |
| KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF | 0.58% | 0.35% |
| KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF | 0.78% | N/A |
| KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF | 0.88% | N/A |
| KraneShares Hang Seng Tech Index ETF | 0.68% | N/A |
| KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF (formerly, KraneShares China Internet and Covered Call Strategy ETF) | 0.25%\*\*\* | N/A |
| KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF | 0.68% | N/A |
| KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF | 0.68% | 0.04% |
| KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF (formerly, KFA Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Core Equity Index ETF) | 0.55% | N/A |
| KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF (formerly, KFA Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF) | 0.89% | N/A |
| KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF | 0.78% | N/A |
| KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | 0.78% | N/A |
| KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | 0.78% | N/A |
| KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF | 0.78% | N/A |
| KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF | 0.78% | N/A |
| KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF | 0.99% | N/A |
| KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF | 0.29% | 0.10% |
| KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF | 0.78% | N/A |
| KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF | 0.88% | N/A |

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\* These contractual fee waivers for each Fund will continue until August 1, 2026, and may only be terminated prior thereto by the Board. In addition, the fee waivers will terminate if the Investment Advisory Agreement for a Fund is terminated.

\*\* Effective November 1, 2024, Krane has contractually agreed to waive its advisory fee by 0.30% of the average daily net assets of KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF. This contractual fee waiver will continue until August 1, 2026, and may only be terminated prior thereto by the Board. In addition, the fee waiver will terminate if the Investment Advisory Agreement for the Fund is terminated. Prior to November 1, 2024, Krane had contractually agreed to waive its advisory fee by 0.20% of the average daily net assets of the Fund.

\*\*\* The Fund's advisory fee is 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets effective as of August 1, 2024.

For the fiscal year or period, as applicable, ended March 31, 2025, the Adviser received the fees (in addition to the securities lending compensation Krane receives under the Agreement discussed below), as a percentage of average daily net assets of each operational Fund, as set forth below, which is net of any fees waived or expenses reimbursed:

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | 0.68% |
| KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index Share ETF | 0.55% |
| KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF | 0.68% |
| KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF | 0.68% |
| KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF | 0.54% |
| KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF | 0.64% |
| KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF | 0.78% |
| KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF | 0.23% |
| KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF | 0.78% |
| KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF | 0.88% |
| KraneShares Hang Seng Tech Index ETF | 0.68% |
| KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF (formerly, KraneShares China Internet and Covered Call Strategy ETF) | 0.25% |
| KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF | 0.68% |
| KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF | 0.55% |
| KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF | 0.89% |
| KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF | 0.78% |
| KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | 0.78% |
| KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | 0.78% |
| KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF | 0.68% |
| KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF | 0.99% |
| KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF | 0.19% |
| KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF | 0.78% |
| KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF | 0.88% |

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In addition to the above-described services, to the extent a Fund engages in securities lending, Krane will: (i) determine which securities are available for loan and notify the securities lending agent for the Fund (the "Agent"), (ii) monitor the Agent's activities to ensure that securities loans are effected in accordance with Krane's instructions and in accordance with applicable procedures and guidelines adopted by the Board, (iii) make recommendations to the Board regarding the Fund's participation in securities lending, (iv) prepare appropriate periodic reports for, and seek appropriate periodic approvals from, the Board with respect to securities lending activities, (v) respond to Agent inquiries concerning Agent's activities, and (vi) such other related duties as Krane deems necessary or appropriate.

Effective August 1, 2025, Krane has voluntarily agreed to waive its advisory fee by 0.10% of the KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF's average daily net assets. Krane may modify or terminate this voluntary waiver with notice to the Fund.

Under the agreement, while the fees and expenses related to a Fund's securities lending-related activities reduce the revenues and income of the Fund from such activities, they are not fees and expenses for which Krane is responsible. Further, as compensation for the services provided by Krane in connection with any securities lending-related activities, each Fund pays Krane 10% of the monthly investment income received from the investment of cash collateral and loan fees received from borrowers in respect of securities loans (net of any amounts paid to the custodian and/or securities lending agent or rebated to borrowers). For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, Krane received revenue from the following Funds related to securities lending activities:

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Fund** | **Dollar Amount** | **BPS** |
| KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | $857278 | 1.43 |
| KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF | $22870 | 2.85 |
| KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF | $1096 | 0.66 |
| KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF | $951 | 0.20 |

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Because each of the KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF, KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF and KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF had not commenced operations prior to the end of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, Krane did not receive any advisory fees or fees from securities lending activities from those Funds during the prior fiscal year.

The Investment Advisory Agreement has been approved by the Board of Trustees and shareholders of each Fund (in this regard, Krane as the sole initial shareholder of the applicable Funds approved various matters and agreements, including the Investment Advisory Agreement for each Fund prior to its public offering). A discussion regarding the basis for the Board's approval of the investment advisory agreement with Krane on behalf of the Funds (except KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF, KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF, KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF, and KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF) is available in the Funds' Form N-CSR for the period ending September 30, 2024. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board's approval of the investment advisory agreement with Krane on behalf of the KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF is available in the Fund's Form N-CSR for the period ending March 31, 2025.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board's approval of KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF, KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF and KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF investment advisory agreement with Krane will be available in each Fund's first Form N-CSR. Krane, as the sole shareholder of each Fund, has approved or will approve the Investment Advisory Agreement for the Fund and various other matters and agreements for the Fund.

China International Capital Corporation (USA) Holdings Inc., a wholly-owned, indirect subsidiary of China International Capital Corporation Limited owns a majority stake in Krane. As of March 31, 2025, Central Huijin Investment Limited, a mainland Chinese-domiciled entity, and HKSCC Nominees Limited, held approximately 40.11% and 39.42%, respectively, of the shares of China International Capital Corporation Limited. Central Huijin Investment Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Investment Corporation, which is a mainland Chinese sovereign wealth fund. KFA One Holdings, LLC, located at 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017, holds the remaining equity interests in Krane and Jonathan Krane, through his equity interests in KFA One Holdings, LLC, beneficially owns more than 10% of the equity interests in Krane.

Krane has received "manager of managers" exemptive relief from the SEC that permits Krane, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees, to appoint a "wholly-owned" or unaffiliated sub-adviser, as defined in the exemptive relief, or to change the terms of a sub-advisory agreement with a "wholly-owned" or unaffiliated sub-adviser without first obtaining shareholder approval. The exemptive order further permits Krane to add or to change a "wholly-owned" or unaffiliated sub-adviser or to change the fees paid to such parties from time to time without the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approval of the change and to disclose sub-advisers' fees only in the aggregate in its registration statement. Any increase in the aggregate advisory fee paid by any Fund remains subject to shareholder approval. Krane continues to have ultimate responsibility (subject to oversight by the Board of Trustees) to oversee the sub-advisers and recommend their hiring, termination, and replacement. The Fund will notify shareholders of any change of a Fund sub-adviser.

**Investment Sub-Adviser (to KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF and KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF)**

Bosera Asset Management (International) Co., Ltd. ("Bosera") serves as the Sub-Adviser to the KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF and KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF. Bosera is a Hong Kong limited liability company. Bosera's offices are located at Suite 4109, Jardine House, One Connaught Place, Central, Hong Kong.

Bosera, a registered investment adviser with the SEC, is being directly held by Bosera Asset Management Co., Limited and China Merchants Fund Management Co., Limited as to 55% and 45% ordinary shares of Bosera. Bosera's majority shareholder, Bosera Asset Management Company Limited, is one of the largest fund management companies in China. Headquartered in Shenzhen, Bosera Asset Management Company Limited was established in 1998, among the first fund houses in China. As of March 31, 2025, the Bosera group managed more than $216 billion (including Bosera Asset Management Co., Ltd. and Bosera Asset Management (International) Co., Ltd.) in assets for clients in Asia, Europe and North America. With more than 200 investment professionals in China, the Bosera group seeks to offer expertise and on-the-ground insight into China, servicing and advising institutional and retail investors globally, including sovereign wealth funds, central banks and national pensions. The Bosera group also has strong experience in managing several index funds and ETFs in China.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board's approval of the investment sub-advisory agreements with Bosera, are available in the Funds' Form N-CSR for the period ending September 30, 2024 for KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF and KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF.

**Investment Sub-Adviser (to KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF)**

Nikko Asset Management Americas, Inc. (the "Sub-Adviser") located at 605 Third Avenue, 38th Floor, New York, NY 10158, serves as the sub-adviser to KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF. The Sub-Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day investment management of the Fund, subject to the supervision of Krane and the Board of Trustees. The Sub-Adviser delegates to its affiliate Nikko Asset Management Asia, Ltd. ("Nikko Asia") located at 12 Marina View, #18- 02 Asia Square Tower 2 Singapore 018961, a registered investment adviser with the SEC, certain of its responsibilities for the management of the Fund.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board's approval of the investment sub-advisory agreement with the Sub-Adviser is available in the Fund's Form N-CSR for the period ending September 30, 2024.

The Sub-Adviser, a registered investment adviser with the SEC, was established in the State of Delaware and is principally engaged in the provision of investment advisory services to corporations, pooled investment vehicles, institutions and individual investors. As of May 31, 2025, the Sub-Adviser had approximately $10.21 billion in assets under management. Both the Sub-Adviser and Nikko Asia are wholly owned subsidiaries of Nikko Asset Management Co., Ltd. On or around September 1, 2025, the Sub-Adviser will be renamed as Amova Asset Management Americas, Inc.

**Investment Sub-Adviser (to KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF)**

Mount Lucas Index Advisers LLC ("MLIA"), located at 405 South State Street, Newtown, Pennsylvania, 18940, serves as sub-adviser to the Fund. MLIA is responsible for the day-to-day investment management of the Fund, subject to the supervision of Krane and the Board of Trustees.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board's approval of the Fund's investment sub-advisory agreement is available in the Fund's Form N-CSR for the period ending September 30, 2024.

MLIA was established in 2010 as a Delaware limited liability company and is registered with the SEC as a registered investment advisor under the Investment Advisors Act of 1940. MLIA provides portfolio management and advisory services for investment companies.

**Investment Sub-Adviser (to KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF and KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF)**

Climate Finance Partners LLC ("CFP" or "Sub-Adviser") serves as Sub-Adviser to KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF and KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF. CFP will provide non-discretionary sub-advisory services to the Fund, which includes advice, research and subject matter expertise related to the Fund's investments. For the services it will provide, Krane will pay CFP a fee equal to thirty-two percent (32%) of the Net Revenue received by the Krane from the Fund. Net Revenue is defined for these purposes as gross revenue under Schedule A of the Advisory Agreement minus gross fund-related expenses (including any waiver by the Adviser of its compensation under the Advisory Agreement and any reimbursements by the Adviser of the Fund's expenses).

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board's approval of the Funds' sub-advisory agreement with CFP is available in the Funds' Form N-CSR for the period ending September 30, 2024. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board's approval of KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF investment sub-advisory agreement with CFP will be available in the Fund's first Form N-CSR.

**Investment Sub-Adviser (to KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF)**

Etna Capital Management Company Ltd ("Etna") serves as the investment sub-adviser to the Fund. Etna is responsible for the selection of the Fund's private securities, subject to the supervision of Krane and the Board of Trustees. For the services it will provide, Krane will pay Etna a fee equal to thirty percent (30%) of the total gross advisory fee paid to Krane by the Fund under the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement (the "Sub-Advisory Fee").

Etna's principal office is located at 1532 Nexxus Building, Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong. Etna, a private Hong Kong company, is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment adviser and is a research and advisory team specializing in disruptive innovations.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board's approval of the Fund's investment sub-advisory agreement is available in the Fund's Form N-CSR for the period ending September 30, 2024.

**Investment Sub-Adviser (to KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF)**

Numeric Investors LLC ("Numeric" or "Sub-Adviser"), located at 200 Pier 4 Boulevard, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA, 02210, serves as the index provider and investment sub-adviser of the Fund and selects investments for the Underlying Index using a systematic process as defined in the index methodology. Information about the Underlying Index is available on the Index Calculation Agent's website, www.solactive.com. Krane retains sole responsibility for submitting investment orders and executing trades on behalf of the Fund. Krane will pay Numeric forty-five (45%) percent of the Net Revenue received by Krane from the Fund on the first $1 billion in Assets and fifty (50%) percent on any amounts thereafter. Net Revenue is defined for these purposes as gross revenue under Schedule A of the Sub-Advisory Agreement – (minus) gross fund-related expenses (including any waiver by Krane of its compensation under the Investment Advisory Agreement and any reimbursements by Krane of the Fund's expenses).

The Sub-Adviser is a limited liability company organized under the laws of the State of Delaware, and is a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of Man Group plc. The Sub-Adviser is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The Sub-Adviser is also registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the "CFTC") as a commodity pool operator and is a member of the National Futures Association.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board's approval of the Fund's investment sub-advisory agreement is available in the Fund's Form N-CSR for the period ending March 31, 2025.

**Portfolio Managers**

**KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF, KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF, KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF, KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF, KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF, KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF, KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF, KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF, KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF, KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF, KraneShares Hang Seng TECH ETF, KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF, KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF, KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF, KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF, KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF, KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF, KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF, KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF and KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of each Fund since January 2020 or since inception, as applicable. He joined the Adviser in 2020 and has over 20 years of experience in the investment management industry. Previously, he was a Vice President in the Institutional ETF Group and a member of the ETF Capital Markets Group at State Street Global Advisors (2010-2019); and an ETF trader at Goldman Sachs & Co (2005-2009). Mr. Maund graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics from Wesleyan University.

Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, also serves as a portfolio manager of each Fund and supports Mr. Maund and Krane's investment team with respect to each Fund. Mr. Shelon has been a portfolio manager of each Fund since August 2018 (in the case of KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF, KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF, KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF, KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF, KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF and KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF) or since inception. Mr. Shelon joined Krane in 2015. Mr. Shelon has spent the majority of his career managing investment portfolios and diverse teams at leading asset management organizations. Prior to joining Krane, he was the Chief Investment Officer of a 40-person global Specialized Strategies Team at J.P. Morgan with $40 billion AUM. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, Mr. Shelon spent ten years as a portfolio manager at Fidelity Investments where he was responsible for the investment performance, process and evolution of their target-date strategies for retirement savings, college savings and income generation.

Additional information about the Portfolio Managers' compensation, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers, and the Portfolio Managers' ownership of Fund shares is available in the SAI.

**KraneShares Electric Vehicles And Future Mobility Index ETF**

Anthony Sassine, Senior Investment Strategist of the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of KARS since August 1, 2022. Mr. Sassine joined Krane in 2019. Prior to joining Krane, Mr. Sassine spent eight years at Van Eck and Pinebridge as a product strategist focusing on emerging markets equity and debt. At Van Eck, Mr. Sassine oversaw the growth of the firm's emerging markets active business.

Additional information about the Portfolio Manager's compensation, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Manager, and the Portfolio Manager's ownership of Fund shares is available in the SAI.

**KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF and KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF**

Ms. Qiong Wan, Fund Manager at Bosera, is responsible for managing each Fund. Ms. Wan has more than seventeen years of work experience in the financial industry. During that time, she has managed ETFs and index funds. Ms. Wan joined Bosera in March 2011 as portfolio manager assistant of the Passive & Quant Investment Team, and then worked as portfolio manager of the Passive & Quant Investment Team since June 2015. Currently, she also serves as Head of the Passive & Quant Investment Team at Bosera. Ms. Wan graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration from China's Central South University and a Master of Science in Quantitative Economics from China's Central South University.

Additional information about the Portfolio Manager's compensation, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Manager, and the Portfolio Manager's ownership of Fund shares is available in the SAI.

**KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF**

Wai Hoong Leong and Jian Wei Loh serve as portfolio managers for the Fund since August 2021 and February 2024, respectively.

Wai Hoong Leong is a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Asian Fixed Income investment team, responsible for managing active Asian credit portfolios. He has been highly commended as "One of the Most Astute Investors" by "The Asset Benchmark Research" over numerous years, particularly for the Asian G3 denominated bonds category. Wai Hoong joined Nikko AM Asia in August 2006 and has 25 years of experience in credit analysis, and was previously with The Norinchukin Bank, Singapore Branch and DBS Bank. Wai Hoong holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours) Degree in Banking and Finance from the National University of Singapore and is a CFA charterholder.

Jian Wei Loh is a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Asian Fixed Income investment team. He currently manages institutional Asian Fixed Income portfolios and is mainly responsible for shaping portfolio strategies across the firm's Asian Investment Grade Credit mandates. He also has experience managing various strategies ranging from fully active benchmarked funds to passive mandates. Jian Wei joined Nikko AM Asia in August 2011. Prior to this, he was with Prudent Asia Capital Management and UOB Asset Management where he specialised in bank capital and global credits. He has 24 years of experience in the financial industry, combining 17 years of credit-related experience in the asset management industry, and 7 years as an economist with Bank Negara Malaysia in the Monetary Assessment and Strategy Department. Jian Wei holds a Bachelor of Arts (Economics) from Cambridge University, United Kingdom, and is a CFA<sup>®</sup> charterholder.

Additional information about the Portfolio Managers' compensation, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers, and the Portfolio Managers' ownership of Fund shares is available in the SAI.

**KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF**

Timothy J. Rudderow Sr., is the Chief Executive Officer and co-Chief Investment Officer of MLIA and its managing member, Mount Lucas Management LP. Mr. Rudderow helped to establish Mount Lucas Management Corporation in 1986. Prior to the mergers that took place in October 1999, Mr. Rudderow was also a principal of Little Brook Corporation in New Jersey, which he joined in 1983 as Director of Research and Development, and of CA Partners, Inc., a company he helped form in 1990. From 1984 to 2000, he was registered as a Commodity Trading Advisor in his own name. Prior to joining Little Brook, Mr. Rudderow was employed by Commodities Corporation with responsibilities for the design and management of technical trading systems. Before joining Commodities Corporation, Mr. Rudderow taught Economics at Drexel University. Mr. Rudderow received a B.A. in Mathematics from Rutgers University in 1977 and an M.B.A. in Management Analysis from Drexel University in 1979.

Gerald L. Prior, III is Chief Operating Officer and Senior Portfolio Manager of MLIA and its managing member, Mount Lucas Management LP. Mr. Prior joined the predecessor to Mount Lucas Management LP (Mount Lucas Management Corp.) in 1997. He served as portfolio manager for MLM Index™, for MLM Symmetry™ and for custom quantitative derivative products. Previously, he was responsible for maintaining the firm's investment technology infrastructure and for conducting extensive portfolio research using futures modelling. Mr. Prior's particular expertise is in the development, implementation, and oversight of the firm's proprietary models, and their execution through the trading operation. Mr. Prior graduated cum laude in 1997 from Villanova University with a B.S. in Mathematics.

David Aspell, co-Chief Investment Officer, joined MLIA's managing member, Mount Lucas Management LP, in 2011 as the Chief Risk Officer. Prior to joining Mount Lucas, Mr. Aspell spent approximately 6 years at Man Group as a Senior Risk Manager, working in London, New York, and Chicago. Mr. Aspell holds a Masters degree from Nottingham University.

Additional information about the Portfolio Managers' compensation, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers, and the Portfolio Managers' ownership of Fund shares is available in the SAI.

**KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF and KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF**

Luke Oliver, Managing Director, Head of Strategy and also Head of Climate Investments at the Adviser, has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception. He joined the Adviser in 2021 and has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. Previously, he oversaw the U.S. ETF business at DWS (formally Deutsche Asset Management) as Head of ETFs and Index Investing from 2019-2021, and as Head of Capital Markets from 2013-2019 and one of the co-founders of the business. From 2009-2013 he was Director, Portfolio Manager for the DB PowerShares suite of commodity ETFs. Prior to that, at Deutsche Bank, he was Head of Transaction Management for Deutsche US FX Business.

Additional information about the Portfolio Manager's compensation, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Manager, and the Portfolio Manager's ownership of Fund shares is available in the SAI.

**KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF**

Solomon Bier is a Partner and a Portfolio Manager at the Sub-Adviser and joined the Sub-Adviser in 2021. Mr. Bier has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception. He brings extensive experience in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry, previously holding a founding role at Cruise Automation from 2015-2020, where he was granted 7 patents in machine learning, AI, and computer vision technologies and has served on the Sub-Adviser's Investment Committee since its inception. He holds a Bachelor degree from the University of Southern California.

Max Chen serves as an Executive Director and Portfolio Manager at the Sub-Adviser. Mr. Chen has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Mr. Chen has been a member of the Sub-Adviser's Investment Committee since the firm's founding. He joined the Sub-Adviser in 2021 after accumulating extensive experience in the investment management industry and working with diverse teams at leading asset management organizations. Prior to joining the Sub-Adviser, Mr. Chen was the Director of the Institutional Business Team at Ping An Asset Management HK from 2017-2021, overseeing over $20 billion in assets under management. Previously, he held roles at Sequoia and gained corporate finance experience at a Hong Kong-listed company and KPMG. Mr. Chen holds an MBA from Cornell University and a Master of Science in Policy Analysis from KU Leuven.

Additional information about the Portfolio Managers' compensation, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers, and the Portfolio Managers' ownership of Fund shares is available in the SAI.

**KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF**

John Lidington is a portfolio manager, covering liquid private equity and a senior client portfolio manager at Numeric and has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception. Prior to joining Numeric in 2017, John ran a technology company and was previously responsible for launching Infogroup's expansion into providing alternative data products to the investment management industry. John began his career at Russell Investments as a senior researcher and portfolio manager. John graduated from Harvard University and is a CFA charterholder.

Additional information about the Portfolio Manager's compensation, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Manager, and the Portfolio Manager's ownership of Fund shares is available in the SAI.

**Other Service Providers**

SEI Investments Global Funds Services ("Administrator") serves as administrator for the Fund. The Administrator provides necessary administrative and accounting services for the maintenance and operations of the Trust and the Fund, and makes available the office space, equipment, personnel and facilities required to provide such services.

SEI Investments Distribution Co. ("Distributor"), an affiliate of the Administrator, serves as the Fund's distributor. Shares in less than Creation Units are not distributed by the Distributor, and the Distributor does not maintain a secondary market in the shares of the Fund.

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. ("BBH") serves as custodian and transfer agent for the Fund. BBH maintains in separate accounts cash, securities and other assets of the Fund, keeps all necessary accounts and records, and provides other services.

China Construction Bank Corporation serves as the local custodian in the People's Republic of China ("PRC Custodian"). PRC securities are dealt and held in book-entry form through the China Central Depository and Clearing Corporation Limited ("CCDCC") and Shanghai Clearing House ("SCH"). PRC securities purchased by Krane in its capacity as each Fund's QFI (if applicable), through the Bond Connect Program or through the CIBM may be received in a securities account maintained by the PRC Custodian in the joint names of the PRC Custodian and the Fund.

PRC securities purchased by Krane or a sub-adviser in their capacity as QFI are received in a securities account maintained by the PRC Custodian in the joint names of the Funds and Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable. Pursuant to a sub-custodian agreement and a supplementary control agreement, the Funds are or would be recognized as the beneficial owner, and control the disposition, of assets in the account, even though, pursuant to Chinese law and regulations, the QFI holder (in addition to the Funds) is the legal owner of the account.

**<u>Prior Performance of Similar Accounts Managed by Nikko Asset Management Americas, Inc</u>.**

Nikko Asset Management Americas, Inc. and its affiliates (the "Sub-Adviser") also manage other accounts referred to as Asia High Yield Bond Composite (the "Composite") that comprises all accounts managed by the Sub-Adviser with investment objectives, policies and strategies that are substantially similar to the Fund. Below you will find information about the prior performance of the Composite. The total asset size of all the accounts comprising the Composite as of May 31, 2025 was approximately $43.86 million. The performance information has been provided by the Sub-Adviser and relates to the historical performance of the Composite, as measured against a broad-based market index, the JP Morgan Asia Credit Index (JACI) Non-Investment Grade Corporate Index.

**The performance of the Composite should not be considered a substitute for the performance of the Fund, does not represent the past performance of the Fund and is not an indication of the future performance of the Fund.** You should not assume that the Fund will have the same performance as the Composite. The performance of the Fund may be better or worse than the performance of the Composite due to, among other things, differences in brokerage commissions, account expenses, including management fees, the size of positions taken in relation to account size and diversification of securities, timing of purchases and sales, and availability of cash for new investments between the Fund and the accounts in the Composite. In addition, the accounts included in the Composite are not registered mutual funds and are not subject to the same types of expenses as the Fund, nor have they been subject to certain investment limitations, diversification requirements or other restrictions imposed by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, which, if applicable, may have adversely affected the performance results of the Composite. Notwithstanding these differences, the accounts included in the Composite and the Fund are substantially similar from an investment perspective.

The Composite's performance information is calculated in accordance with GIPS<sup>®</sup>, created and administered by the CFA Institute. This method of calculating performance differs from the SEC's standardized methodology that will be used to calculate the Funds' performance and may result in an average annual total return that may be higher than that derived from the SEC's standardized methodology. The Composite consists of more than one account and is asset weighted by beginning-of-period asset values. Investment results are time-weighted performance calculations representing total return. Returns are calculated using geometric linking of monthly returns. The Composite is valued at least monthly, taking into account cash flows. All realized and unrealized capital gains and losses, as well as all

dividends and interest from investments and cash balances, are included. Equity dividends are accrued as of the ex-dividend date. Investment transactions are accounted for on a trade date basis. The Composite results include all actual fee-paying, discretionary client accounts including those clients no longer with the Sub-Adviser or its affiliates. Accounts are included in the Composite beginning with the first full month of performance to the present or to the cessation of the client's relationship with the Sub-Adviser or its affiliates. Terminated accounts are included through the last full month in which they were fully invested, and no alterations of the Composite have occurred due to changes in personnel.

Net returns are presented net of actual investment management fees, trading commission and administration fees. Gross returns are presented gross of investment management fees and other fund related fees (e.g. custodial fee, administrative fee, etc.) but net of all trading commissions.

The first table below shows how the performance of the Composite has varied from year to year. The second table shows what the returns of the Composite would equal if you averaged out actual performance over various lengths of time.

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| | | | | | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Calendar Year Returns Ended December 31** | **2015** | **2016** | **2017** | **2018** | **2019** | **2020** | **2021** | **2022** | **2023** | **2024** |
| **Composite (net)** | 5.55 | 9.38 | 6.19 | -1.99 | 10.26 | 6.68 | -15.93 | -9.42 | 3.69 | 10.51 |
| **Composite (gross)** | 6.72 | 10.58 | 7.45 | -0.82 | 11.63 | 8.13 | -14.75 | -8.68 | 4.53 | 11.30 |
| **JP Morgan Asia Credit Index (JACI) Non-Investment Grade Corporate Index** | 5.82 | 11.36 | 6.15 | -3.24 | 12.72 | 7.02 | -13.39 | -13.83 | 0.52 | 13.95 |

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Average Annual Returns as of December 31, 2024** | **1 year** | **5 years** | **10 years** |
| **Composite (net)** | 10.51 | -1.42 | 2.12 |
| **Composite (gross)** | 11.30 | -0.42 | 3.24 |
| **JP Morgan Asia Credit Index (JACI) Non-Investment Grade Corporate Index** | 13.95 | -1.76 | 2.24 |

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The JP Morgan Asia Credit Index (JACI) Non-Investment Grade Corporate Index captures the performance of high yield US denominated debt instruments issued by corporate entities in Asia.

**Shareholder Information**

**Calculating NAV**

Each Fund calculates its NAV by:

● Taking the current market value of its total assets

● Subtracting any liabilities and withholdings (if any)

● Dividing that amount by the total number of shares owned by the shareholders

Each Fund normally calculates NAV as of the regularly scheduled close of normal trading on each day that the NYSE is scheduled to be open for business (a "Business Day") (normally, 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time). Any assets or liabilities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted into U.S. dollars at the current market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more sources.

Securities listed on a securities exchange (i.e., exchange-traded equity securities), market or automated quotation system for which quotations are readily available (except for securities traded on NASDAQ), including securities traded over the counter, are valued by independent pricing agents at the last reported sale price on the primary exchange or market (foreign or domestic) on which they are traded (or at the time as of which the Fund's NAV is calculated if a security's exchange is normally open at that time). If there is no such reported sale, such securities are valued at the most recently reported bid price. For securities traded on NASDAQ, the NASDAQ Official Closing Price will be used. If a security price cannot be obtained from an independent, third-party pricing agent, the Fund seeks to obtain bid and ask prices from two broker-dealers who make a market in the portfolio instrument and determines the average of the two.

If available, debt securities are priced based upon valuations provided by independent, third-party pricing agents. Such values generally reflect the last reported sales price if the security is actively traded. The third-party pricing agents may also value debt securities at an evaluated bid price by employing methodologies that utilize actual market transactions, broker-supplied valuations, or other methodologies designed to identify the market value for such securities. Debt obligations with remaining maturities of sixty days or less may be valued at their amortized cost, which approximates market value.

The prices for foreign securities are reported in local currency and converted to U.S. dollars using currency exchange rates. The exchange rates used for valuation are captured as of the close of the London Stock Exchange each day normally at 4:00 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time.

The value of a swap contract is equal to the obligation (or rights) under the swap contract, which will generally be equal to the net amounts to be paid or received under the contract based upon the relative values of the positions held by each party to the contract as determined by the applicable independent, third party pricing agent.

Swaps cleared through a central clearing house ("centrally cleared swaps") are valued at the settlement price established each day by the board of the exchange on which they are listed. The daily settlement prices for centrally cleared swaps are provided by an independent pricing agent. Swaps which are not centrally cleared are priced based on valuations provided by an independent pricing agent.

In a typical equity swap, one party agrees to pay another party the return on a stock, stock index, or basket of stocks (the "equity leg" of the swap) in return for interest payment(s) calculated based on the notional amount of the swap (the "financing leg" of the swap). Each leg of the swap is valued separately, and the net amount of the two legs is included in the Fund's net asset value. The value of the equity leg of the swap is provided by an independent pricing agent based on the value of the financial instrument underlying the swap. The value of the financing leg of the swap is systematically calculated by the Fund's accounting agent based on the details of the swap.

Exchange-traded options, except as discussed below for FLEX options, are valued at the mean of their most recent bid and asked price, if available, and otherwise, long positions will be valued at the most-recent bid price, and short positions will be valued at the most-recent ask price. Over-the-counter ("OTC") options are valued based upon prices determined by the applicable independent, third party pricing agent. FLEX (short for flexible) options are normally valued using a model-based price provided by a third-party pricing vendor. On days when a trade in a FLEX options occurs, the trade price will be used to value such FLEX options in lieu of the model price.

Futures are valued at the settlement price established by the board of trade on which they are traded. Foreign currency forward contracts are valued at the current day's interpolated foreign exchange rate, as calculated using the current day's spot rate and the 30-, 60-, 90- and 180-day forward rates provided by an independent pricing agent.

Securities issued by a wholly owned subsidiary of a Fund will be valued at the subsidiary's net asset value, which will be determined using the same pricing policies and procedures applicable to the Fund.

Investments in open-end investment companies that do not trade on an exchange are valued at the end of day NAV per share. Investments in open-end investment companies that trade on an exchange are valued in the same manner as other exchange-traded equity securities (described above).

On certain days, the settlement price for futures may not be available at the time the Fund calculates its NAV. On such days, the best available price (which is typically the last trade price) may be used to value futures.

Investments for which market prices are not "readily available," or are not deemed to reflect current market values, or are debt securities where no evaluated price is available from third-party pricing agents pursuant to established methodologies, are fair valued in accordance with the Adviser's valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. Some of the more common reasons that may necessitate that a security be valued using "fair value" pricing may include, but are not limited to: the security's trading has been halted or suspended; the security's primary trading market is temporarily closed; or the security has not been traded for an extended period of time.

In addition, a Fund may fair value its securities if an event that may materially affect the value of a Fund's securities that trade outside of the United States (a "Significant Event") has occurred between the time of the security's last close and the time that a Fund calculates its NAV. A Significant Event may relate to a single issuer or to an entire market sector, country or region. Events that may be Significant Events may include: government actions, natural disasters, armed conflict, acts of terrorism and significant market fluctuations. If Krane becomes aware of a Significant Event that has occurred with respect to a portfolio instrument or group of portfolio instruments after the closing of the exchange or market on which the portfolio instrument or portfolio instruments principally trade, but before the time at which a Fund calculates its NAV, it will notify the Administrator and may request that an ad hoc meeting of the Fair Value Pricing Committee be called.

With respect to trade-halted securities, the Adviser typically will fair value a trade-halted security by adjusting the security's last market close price by the security's sector performance, as measured by a predetermined index, unless Krane's Fair Value Pricing Committee determines to make additional adjustments. Certain foreign securities exchanges have mechanisms in place that confine one day's price movement in an individual security to a pre-determined price range based on that day's opening price ("Collared Securities"). Fair value determinations for Collared Securities will generally be capped based on any applicable pre-determined "limit down" or "limit up" prices established by the relevant foreign securities exchange. As an example, China A-Shares can only be plus or minus ten percent in one day of trading in the relevant mainland China equity market. As a result, the fair value price determination on a given day will generally be capped plus or minus ten percent.

Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that a fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value that could actually be realized upon the sale of the security or that another fund that uses market quotations or its own fair value procedures to price the same securities.

Trading in securities on many foreign exchanges is normally completed before the close of business on each Business Day. In addition, securities trading in a particular country or countries may not take place on each Business Day or may take place on days that are not Business Days. Changes in valuations on certain securities may occur at times or on days on which a Fund's NAV is not calculated and on which Fund shares do not trade and sales and redemptions of shares do not occur. As a result, the value of a Fund's portfolio securities and the net asset value of its shares may change on days when share purchases or sales cannot occur.

With respect to the securities of private companies, the Administrator will obtain the price of private company securities from the Valuation Designee, who will determine their fair value using various inputs, including observable data such as cost basis, primary financing rounds, tender offers, and secondary market activity. The Valuation Designee will also consider pricing from independent pricing experts<sup>2</sup>, comparables of public and private companies, and relevant market news. While primary financing rounds, tender offers, and cost basis are expected to be the main drivers of fair value, all factors will be considered. A daily dashboard will be stored to record data being considered. In addition to conducting a pricing and trend analysis on the data received from the independent pricing experts, the Valuation Designee will take business cycle, market depth, transaction size and other relevant factors into consideration when reviewing observable data and will periodically assess the pricing methodology used by the independent pricing experts.

<sup>2</sup> It is currently expected that the Valuation Designee will get pricing from two independent pricing agents.

**Buying and Selling Fund Shares**

Shares of a Fund may be purchased or redeemed directly from the Fund only in Creation Units or multiples thereof. Only a broker-dealer ("Authorized Participant") that enters into an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Fund's distributor, SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the "Distributor"), may engage in creation and redemption transactions directly with the Fund. Purchases and redemptions directly with a Fund must follow the Fund's procedures, and are subject to transaction fees, which are described in the SAI. Orders for such transactions may be rejected or delayed if they are not submitted in good order and subject to the other conditions set forth in this prospectus and the SAI.

Please see the SAI for more information about purchases and redemptions of Creation Units.

Once purchased (i.e., created) by an Authorized Participant, shares are listed on the Exchange and trade in the secondary market. When you buy or sell a Fund's shares in the secondary market, you will pay or receive the market price. The price at which you buy or sell Shares (i.e., the market price) may be more or less than the NAV of the Shares. Unless imposed by your broker, there is no minimum dollar amount you must invest in the Fund and no minimum number of Shares you must buy. Shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities. Most investors will buy and sell shares through a broker and, thus, will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares. **Except when aggregated in Creation Units, Shares are not redeemable by the Fund.**

The secondary markets are closed on weekends and also are generally closed on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day (observed), Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans' Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

For more information on how to buy and sell shares of a Fund, call 1.855.857.2638 or visit www.kraneshares.com.

**Premium/Discount Information**

Information showing the number of days the market price of each Fund's shares was greater than the Fund's NAV per share (*i.e.*, at a premium) and the number of days it was less than the Fund's NAV per share (*i.e.*, at a discount) for various time periods is available by visiting the Fund's website at www.kraneshares.com. The premium and discount information contained on the website represents past performance and cannot be used to predict future results.

**Portfolio Holdings Information**

Each day the Fund is open for business, the Trust publicly disseminates the Fund's full portfolio holdings as of the close of the previous day through the website. A description of the Funds' policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio holdings is available in the Funds' Statement of Additional Information ("SAI"). The holdings of a Fund can be found on the Funds' website at www.kraneshares.com.

**Active Investors and Market Timing**

The Trust's Board of Trustees has determined not to adopt policies and procedures designed to prevent or monitor for frequent purchases and redemptions of each Fund's shares because each Fund sells and redeems its shares at NAV only in Creation Units pursuant to the terms of an Authorized Participant Agreement between the Authorized Participant and the Distributor, and such direct trading between the Fund and Authorized Participants is critical to ensuring that the Fund's shares trade at or close to NAV. Further, the vast majority of trading in Fund shares occurs on the secondary market, which does not involve a Fund directly and therefore does not cause the Fund to experience many of the harmful effects of market timing, such as dilution and disruption of portfolio management. In addition, each Fund imposes a transaction fee on Creation Unit transactions, which is designed to offset transfer and other transaction costs incurred by the Fund in connection with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units and may employ fair valuation pricing to minimize potential dilution from market timing. Each Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order at any time and reserves the right to impose restrictions on disruptive, excessive, or short-term trading.

**Investments by Registered Investment Companies**

Except as noted below, each Fund is eligible for investment by other investment companies pursuant to the exemptive relief provided by the SEC in Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act. Each of KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF and KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF is not eligible for investment by other investment companies pursuant to the exemptive relief provided by the SEC in Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act. This policy is subject to change.

**Continuous Offering**

The method by which Creation Units of Fund shares are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units of shares are issued and sold by each Fund on an ongoing basis, a "distribution," as such term is used in the Securities Act, may occur at any point. 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 requirement 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 constituent shares and sells the 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 a characterization 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(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of 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 engaging in ordinary secondary market transactions) and thus dealing with the shares that are part of an overallotment within the meaning of Section 4(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the Securities Act. For delivery of prospectuses to exchange members, the prospectus delivery mechanism of Rule 153 under the Securities Act is only available with respect to transactions on a national exchange.

**Dealers effecting transactions in a Fund's shares, whether or not participating in this distribution, are generally required to deliver a Prospectus. This is in addition to any obligation of dealers to deliver a Prospectus when acting as underwriters.**

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

If you purchase shares of a Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), Krane, a Fund sub-adviser or an affiliate of either may pay the intermediary for marketing activities or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other financial intermediary and your sales person to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your sales person or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

**Distribution Plan**

The Fund has adopted a Distribution Plan (the "Plan") that allows each Fund to pay distribution fees to the Distributor and other firms that provide distribution services ("Service Providers"). Under the Plan, if a Service Provider provides distribution services, a Fund would pay distribution fees to the Distributor at an annual rate not to exceed 0.25% of average daily net assets, pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. The Distributor would, in turn, pay the Service Provider out of its fees. The Board of Trustees currently has determined not to implement any 12b-1 fees pursuant to the Plan. 12b-1 fees may only be imposed after approval by the Board of Trustees. Because any distribution fees would be paid out of a Fund's assets on an on-going basis, if payments are made in the future, the distribution fees would increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.

**Householding Policy**

To reduce expenses, we mail only one copy of the prospectus or summary prospectus, each annual and semi-annual report, and any proxy statements to each address shared by two or more accounts with the same last name or that the Trust reasonably believes are members of the same family. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, please call the Trust at 1.855.857.2638 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time on days the Fund is open for business or contact your financial institution. We will begin sending you individual copies thirty days after receiving your request. **Investors who hold their shares through an intermediary are subject to the intermediary's policies. Contact your financial intermediary for any questions you may have.**

**Dividends and Distributions**

Each Fund, except for the KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF, KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF, KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF, KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF, KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF and KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF, intends to pay out dividends, if any, at least annually. Each of KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF, KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF and KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF intends to pay out dividends, if any, at least monthly, which may include return of capital. Each of KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF, KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF may pay out net investment income, if any, at least semi-annually in June and December, but may pay such income as frequently as quarterly. The KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF typically distributes any net investment income quarterly. Each Fund also distributes its net realized capital gains, if any, to investors annually. Each Fund may make distributions on a more or less frequent basis. A Fund may occasionally be required to make supplemental distributions at some other time during the year. Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole shares only if the broker through whom you purchased shares makes such option available. Your broker is responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions to you. Each Fund reserves the right to declare special distributions, including if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the status of the Fund as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code, or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.

KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF currently intends to distribute on a monthly basis its option premium income so that the Fund's monthly distribution percentage does not exceed 2% of net asset value. The Fund's distribution in December may exceed this amount in order for the Fund to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company.

**Additional Tax Information**

The following is a summary of some important tax issues that affect each Fund and its shareholders. The summary is based on current tax laws, which may be changed by legislative, judicial or administrative action. You should not consider this summary to be a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Funds, or the tax consequences of an investment in a Fund. **More information about taxes is located in the SAI. You are urged to consult your tax adviser regarding specific questions as to federal, state and local income taxes.**

**Tax Status of each Fund**

Each Fund is treated as a separate entity for federal tax purposes, and intends to qualify for the special tax treatment afforded to regulated investment companies. As long as a Fund qualifies for treatment as a regulated investment company, it pays no federal income tax on the earnings it distributes to shareholders.

**Tax Status of Distributions**

Each Fund will, at least annually, distribute substantially all of its net investment taxable income and net capital gains.

The income dividends you receive from a Fund (which include the Fund's short-term capital gains) will be taxed as either ordinary income or qualified dividend income. For non-corporate shareholders, dividends that are reported as qualified dividend income are generally taxable at reduced maximum tax rates to the extent that the Fund receives qualified dividend income and subject to certain limitations and holding period requirements.

Distributions of a Fund's short-term capital gains are generally taxable as ordinary income. Any distributions of net capital gain (the excess of a Fund's net long-term capital gains over its net short-term capital losses) are taxable as long-term capital gains regardless of how long you have owned your shares. Long-term capital gains are taxable at reduced maximum tax rates.

If a Fund makes distributions to a shareholder in excess of the Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits in any taxable year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of the shareholder's tax basis in its shares, and thereafter as capital gain. A return of capital is not taxable, but reduces a shareholder's tax basis in its shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of its shares.

Each Fund may invest in complex securities. These investments may be subject to numerous special and complex rules. These rules could affect whether gains and losses recognized by a Fund are treated as ordinary income or capital gain, accelerate the recognition of income to the Fund and/or defer the Fund's ability to recognize losses. In turn, these rules may affect the amount, timing or character of distributions you receive from a Fund.

Dividends and distributions are generally taxable to you whether you receive them in cash or in additional shares. Corporate shareholders may be entitled to a dividends-received deduction for the portion of dividends they receive that is attributable to dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations, subject to certain limitations. The KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF, KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF, KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF, KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF, KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF, KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF and KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF do not expect to distribute dividends eligible for qualified dividend income treatment or the dividends received deduction.

Distributions paid in January but declared by a Fund in October, November or December of the previous year may be taxable to you in the previous year. Your broker will inform you of the amount of your ordinary income dividends, qualified dividend income, and capital gains distributions shortly after the close of each calendar year.

If you lend your Fund shares pursuant to securities lending arrangements, you may lose the ability to treat the Fund's dividends (paid while the shares are held by the borrower) as qualified dividend income. Consult your financial intermediary or tax adviser.

Some foreign governments levy withholding taxes against dividend and interest income. Although in some countries a portion of these withholding taxes is recoverable, the non-recovered portion will reduce the income received from the securities in a Fund. If more than 50% of the total assets of a Fund at the close of a year consist of non-U.S. stocks or securities, then the Fund may elect, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, to treat certain non-U.S. income taxes (including withholding taxes) paid by the Fund as paid by its shareholders. The Fund will provide you with the information necessary to reflect foreign taxes paid on your income tax return if it makes this election. Please see "— Chinese Tax Considerations" below for a further discussion of these issues with respect to China, which imposes withholding taxes on interest payments, dividends and possibly capital gains from PRC securities.

If you hold your shares in a tax-qualified retirement account, you generally will not be subject to federal taxation on income received with respect to the shares (including Fund dividends and distributions, and any gain on the sale of shares), until you begin receiving payments from your retirement account. You should consult your tax adviser regarding the tax rules that apply to your retirement account.

**Tax Status of Share Transactions**

Any capital gain or loss upon a sale of a Fund's shares is generally treated as a long-term gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term gain or loss if held for one year or less. Any capital loss on the sale of a Fund's shares held for six months or less is treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent that any capital gain distributions were paid with respect to such shares.

**Medicare Contribution Tax**

U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly) are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on all or a portion of their "net investment income," including interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (including capital gains realized on the sale or exchange of shares of a 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.

**Back-Up Withholding**

A Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold at applicable withholding rates (currently 24%) and remit to the U.S. Treasury the amount withheld on amounts payable to any shareholder who (1) has provided the Fund either an incorrect tax identification number or no number at all, (2) is subject to back-up withholding by the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") for failure to properly report payments of interest or dividends, (3) has failed to certify to the Fund that such shareholder is not subject to back-up withholding, or (4) has not certified that such shareholder is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien).

**Non-U.S. Investors**

If you are not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States or if you are a non-U.S. entity, a Fund's ordinary income dividends (which include distributions of net short-term capital gains, unless the Fund designates such distributions as short-term capital gain dividends) will generally be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax, unless a lower treaty rate applies, provided that withholding tax will generally not apply to any gain or income realized by a non-U.S. shareholder in respect of any distributions of long-term capital gains or upon the sale or other disposition of shares of the Fund (or dividends designated as interest-related dividends or short-term capital gain dividends). You also may potentially be subject to U.S. federal estate taxes.

A 30% withholding tax will generally be imposed on dividends paid by a Fund to (i) foreign financial institutions including non-U.S. investment funds unless they agree to collect and disclose to the IRS, or the tax authorities in their home jurisdictions, information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. account holders and (ii) certain other foreign entities, unless they certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners. A non-U.S. shareholder may be exempt from the withholding described in this paragraph under an intergovernmental agreement between the United States and a foreign government, provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement. Proposed regulations (which are effective while pending) eliminate the application of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act ("FATCA") withholding tax to capital gain dividends and redemption proceeds that was scheduled to take effect in 2019.

**State Tax Considerations**

In addition to federal taxes, distributions by a Fund and ownership of a Fund's shares may be subject to state and local taxes. You should consult your tax adviser regarding how state and local tax laws affect your investment in the Fund's shares.

**Chinese Tax Considerations**

Although Chinese law provides for a 10% tax on capital gains realized by non-residents ("CGT"), significant uncertainties remain regarding the implementation of this law. Such uncertainties may result in capital gains imposed upon the Fund relative to debt securities of companies headquartered, managed or listed in China. While the application and enforcement of this law with respect to the Funds remain subject to clarification, to the extent that such taxes are imposed on any capital gains of the Funds, the Funds' NAV or returns may be adversely impacted.

Per a circular (Caishui [2014] 79), the Fund is temporarily exempt from the Chinese CGT on trading in A-Shares as a QFI on the Shanghai Stock Exchange through the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect as of November 17, 2014, and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange through the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect as of December 5, 2016. There is no indication as to how long the temporary exemption will remain in effect. Accordingly, a Fund may be subject to such taxes in the future. On October 27, 2021, the Chinese government extended an exemption from the corporate income tax withholding tax and value added tax for China-sourced bond interest derived by overseas institutional investors until December 31, 2025, but its application, such as with respect to the type of debt issuers covered by the exemption, and whether such taxes will be implemented again after December 31, 2025, remains unclear in certain respects.

The Funds reserve the right to establish reserves for taxes which present uncertainty as to whether they will be assessed, although they currently do not do so. If a Fund establishes such a reserve but is not ultimately subject to these taxes, shareholders who redeemed or sold their shares while the reserve was in place will effectively bear the tax and may not benefit from the later release, if any, of the reserve. Conversely, if a Fund does not establish such a reserve but ultimately is subject to the tax, shareholders who redeemed or sold their shares prior to the tax being withheld, reserved or paid will have effectively avoided the tax. Investors should note that such provision, if any, may be excessive or inadequate to meet actual tax liabilities (which could include interest and penalties) on a Fund's investments. As a result, investors may be advantaged or disadvantaged depending on the final rules of the relevant tax authorities.

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

A person who purchases a Creation Unit by exchanging securities in-kind generally will recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the sum of the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and any net amount of cash received by the Authorized Participant in the exchange and (ii) the sum of the purchaser's aggregate basis in the securities surrendered and any net amount of cash paid for the Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units and receives securities in-kind from a Fund will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the redeemer's basis in the Creation Units, and the aggregate market value of the securities received and any net cash received. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an in-kind exchange of securities for Creation Units or an exchange of Creation Units for securities cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing "wash sales," or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. Persons effecting in-kind creations or redemptions should consult their own tax adviser with respect to these matters.

Each Fund has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the shares 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 deposit securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. Each Fund also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of the 80% determinations.

**Index Provider Information and Disclaimers**

**KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF**

**KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF**

China Securities Index Co., Ltd. ("CSI"), a leading index provider in China, is a joint venture between the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange that specializes in the creation of indices and index-related services. CSI is not affiliated with the Trust, Krane, the Trust's administrator, custodian, transfer agent or Distributor, or any of their respective affiliates. Krane has entered into a license agreement with CSI to use the relevant Underlying Indexes and CSI marks, and sublicenses such rights to the relevant Funds at no charge. Krane uses the marks for the purpose of promoting and marketing the Funds.

*The Funds are neither sponsored nor promoted, distributed or in any other manner supported by CSI. The Underlying Indexes are compiled and calculated by CSI. CSI will apply all necessary means to ensure the accuracy of the Underlying Indexes. However, neither CSI nor the Shanghai Stock Exchange nor the Shenzhen Stock Exchange shall be liable (whether in negligence or otherwise) to any person for any error in the Underlying Indexes and neither CSI nor the Shanghai Stock Exchange nor the Shenzhen Stock Exchange shall be under any obligation to advise any person of any error therein. All copyrights in the Underlying Index values and constituent lists vest in CSI. Neither the publication of the Underlying Indexes by CSI nor the granting of a license of rights relating to the Underlying Indexes or to the Index Trademark for the utilization in connection with the Funds, represents a recommendation by CSI for a capital investment or contains in any manner a warranty or opinion by CSI with respect to the attractiveness of an investment in the Funds.*

**KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF**

Neither MerQube, Inc. nor any of its affiliates (collectively, "MerQube") is the issuer or producer of KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF and MerQube has no duties, responsibilities, or obligations to investors in KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF. The index underlying the KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF is a product of MerQube and has been licensed for use by Krane Funds Advisors, LLC. Such index is calculated using, among other things, market data or other information ("Input Data") from one or more sources (each such source, a "Data Provider"). MerQube<sup>®</sup> is a registered trademark of MerQube, Inc. This trademark has been licensed for certain purposes by Krane Funds Advisors, LLC in its capacity as the issuer of the KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF. KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by MerQube, any Data Provider, or any other third party, and none of such parties make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF particularly, nor do they have any liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions of the Input Data, the MerQube Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index, or any associated data. Neither MerQube nor the Data Providers make any representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the shares/units of KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF or to any member of the public, of any kind, including regarding the ability of the MerQube Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index to track market performance or any asset class. The MerQube Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index is determined, composed and calculated by MerQube without regard to Krane Funds Advisors, LLC or the KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF. MerQube and Data Providers have no obligation to take the needs of Krane Funds Advisors, LLC or the owners of KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the MerQube Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index. Neither

MerQube nor any Data Provider is responsible for and have not participated in the determination of the prices or amount of KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF or the timing of the issuance or sale of KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF is to be converted into cash, surrendered or redeemed, as the case may be. MerQube and Data Providers have no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF. There is no assurance that investment products based on the MerQube Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index will accurately track index performance or provide positive investment returns. MerQube is not an investment advisor. Inclusion of a security within an index is not a recommendation by MerQube to buy, sell, or hold such security, nor is it considered to be investment advice.

NEITHER MERQUBE NOR ANY OTHER DATA PROVIDER GUARANTEES THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE MERQUBE GLOBAL HUMANOID AND EMBODIED INTELLIGENCE INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO (INCLUDING DATA INPUTS) OR ANY COMMUNICATION WITH RESPECT THERETO. NEITHER MERQUBE NOR ANY OTHER DATA PROVIDERS SHALL BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS THEREIN. MERQUBE AND ITS DATA PROVIDERS MAKE NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND THEY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY KRANE FUNDS ADVISORS, LLC, OWNERS OF THE KRANESHARES GLOBAL HUMANOID AND EMBODIED INTELLIGENCE INDEX ETF, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE MERQUBE GLOBAL HUMANOID AND EMBODIED INTELLIGENCE INDEX OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER SHALL MERQUBE OR DATA PROVIDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE. THE FOREGOING REFERENCES TO "MERQUBE" AND/OR "DATA PROVIDER" SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO INCLUDE ANY AND ALL SERVICE PROVIDERS, CONTRACTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, AND AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE REFERENCED PARTY.

**KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF**

**KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF**

**KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF**

**KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF**

Solactive AG is a leading index provider to exchange-traded funds. Solactive is not affiliated with is not affiliated with the Trust, Krane, the Trust's administrator, custodian, transfer agent or Distributor, or any of their respective affiliates. "Solactive" is a trademark of the Solactive AG. Krane has entered into a license agreement with Solactive to use the relevant Underlying Index and Solactive marks, and sublicenses such rights to the relevant Fund at no charge. Krane uses the marks for the purpose of promoting and marketing the Funds.

*The Funds are not in any way sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by the Solactive and Solactive does not make any claim, prediction, warranty or representation whatsoever, expressly or impliedly, either as to (i) the results to be obtained from the use of the Underlying Index, (ii) the figure at which the Underlying Index is said to stand at any particular time on any particular day or otherwise, or (iii) the fitness or suitability of the Underlying Index for the particular purpose to which it is being put in connection with the Funds. Solactive has not provided and does not provide any financial or investment advice or recommendation in relation to the Underlying Index to Krane or its affiliates or to its customers or clients, including the Funds. The Underlying Index is calculated by Solactive or its agent. Solactive is not liable (whether in negligence or otherwise) to any person for any error in the Underlying Index and is under no obligation to advise any person of any error therein. All rights in the Underlying Index vest in Solactive.*

*The Index Provider makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by Krane or its affiliates, owners of shares of the Funds or any other person or entity from the use of the Underlying Index or any data included therein. The Index Provider makes no express or implied warranties and expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to the Underlying Index or any data included therein. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Index Provider have any liability for any special, punitive, indirect or consequential damages (including lost profits) resulting from the use of the Underlying Index or any data included therein, even if notified of the possibility of such damages.*

**KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF**

**KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF**

**KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF**

**KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF**

**KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF**

**KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF**

MSCI Inc. is a leading provider of global indexes. MSCI is not affiliated with the Trust, Krane, the Trust's administrator, custodian, transfer agent or Distributor, or any of their respective affiliates. Krane has entered into a license agreement with MSCI to use the relevant Underlying Indexes and MSCI marks, and sublicenses such rights to the relevant Funds at no charge. Krane uses the marks for the purpose of promoting and marketing the Funds.

*THE FUNDS ARE NOT SPONSORED, ENDORSED, SOLD OR PROMOTED BY MSCI INC. ("MSCI"), ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES, ANY OF ITS INFORMATION PROVIDERS OR ANY OTHER THIRD PARTY INVOLVED IN, OR RELATED TO, COMPILING, COMPUTING OR CREATING ANY MSCI INDEX (COLLECTIVELY, THE "MSCI PARTIES"). THE MSCI INDEXES ARE THE EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OF MSCI. MSCI AND THE MSCI INDEX NAMES ARE SERVICE MARK(S) OF MSCI OR ITS AFFILIATES AND HAVE BEEN LICENSED FOR USE FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES BY KRANE. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES MAKES ANY REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, TO THE ISSUER OR OWNERS OF THE FUNDS OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY REGARDING THE ADVISABILITY OF INVESTING IN FUNDS GENERALLY OR IN THIS FUND PARTICULARLY OR THE ABILITY OF ANY MSCI INDEX TO TRACK CORRESPONDING STOCK MARKET PERFORMANCE. MSCI OR ITS AFFILIATES ARE THE LICENSORS OF CERTAIN TRADEMARKS, SERVICE MARKS AND TRADE NAMES AND OF THE MSCI INDEXES WHICH ARE DETERMINED, COMPOSED AND CALCULATED BY MSCI WITHOUT REGARD TO THE FUNDS OR THE ISSUER OR OWNERS OF THE FUNDS OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES HAS ANY OBLIGATION TO TAKE THE NEEDS OF THE ISSUER OR OWNERS OF THE FUNDS OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY INTO CONSIDERATION IN DETERMINING, COMPOSING OR CALCULATING THE MSCI INDEXES. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OR HAS PARTICIPATED IN THE DETERMINATION OF THE TIMING OF, PRICES AT, OR QUANTITIES OF THE FUNDS TO BE ISSUED OR IN THE DETERMINATION OR CALCULATION OF THE EQUATION BY OR THE CONSIDERATION INTO WHICH THE FUNDS ARE REDEEMABLE. FURTHER, NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES HAS ANY OBLIGATION OR LIABILITY TO THE ISSUER OR OWNERS OF THE FUNDS OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY IN CONNECTION WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, MARKETING OR OFFERING OF THE FUNDS.*

*ALTHOUGH MSCI SHALL OBTAIN INFORMATION FOR INCLUSION IN OR FOR USE IN THE CALCULATION OF THE MSCI INDEXES FROM SOURCES THAT MSCI CONSIDERS RELIABLE, NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES WARRANTS OR GUARANTEES THE ORIGINALITY, ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF ANY MSCI INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES MAKES ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE ISSUER OF THE FUNDS, OWNERS OF THE FUNDS, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY, FROM THE USE OF ANY MSCI INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES SHALL HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS OR INTERRUPTIONS OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH ANY MSCI INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. FURTHER, NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES MAKES ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, AND THE MSCI PARTIES HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO EACH MSCI INDEX AND ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY OF THE MSCI PARTIES HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, CONSEQUENTIAL OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS) EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.*

*No purchaser, seller or holder of this security, product or fund, or any other person or entity, should use or refer to any MSCI trade name, trademark or service mark to sponsor, endorse, market or promote this security without first contacting MSCI to determine whether MSCI's permission is required. Under no circumstances may any person or entity claim any affiliation with MSCI without the prior written permission of MSCI.*

**KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF**

"Bloomberg<sup>®</sup>" and Bloomberg Electric Vehicles Index (the "Index") are service marks of Bloomberg Finance L.P. and its affiliates, including Bloomberg Index Services Limited ("BISL"), the administrator of the index (collectively, "Bloomberg"), and have been licensed for use for certain purposes by Krane.

*The Funds are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Bloomberg. Bloomberg does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of or counterparties to the Funds or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Funds particularly. The only relationship of Bloomberg to Krane is the licensing of certain trademarks, trade names and service marks and of the Index, which is determined, composed and calculated by BISL without regard to Krane or the Funds. Bloomberg has no obligation to take the needs of Krane, or the owners of the Funds into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the Index. Bloomberg is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of the Funds to be issued. Bloomberg shall not have any obligation or liability, including, without limitation, to Funds customers, in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Funds.*

*BLOOMBERG DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO AND SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS OR INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN. BLOOMBERG DOES NOT MAKE ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY KRANE, OWNERS OF THE FUNDS OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. BLOOMBERG DOES NOT MAKE ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW, BLOOMBERG, ITS LICENSORS, AND ITS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, AGENTS, SUPPLIERS, AND VENDORS SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY WHATSOEVER FOR ANY INJURY OR DAMAGES—WHETHER DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE OR OTHERWISE—ARISING IN CONNECTION WITH THE FUNDS OR INDEX OR ANY DATA OR VALUES RELATING THERETO—WHETHER ARISING FROM THEIR NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF.*

**KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF**

**KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF**

**KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF**

**KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF**

*The Index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC or its affiliates ("SPDJI") and has been licensed for use by Krane Funds Advisors, LLC. S&P<sup>®</sup>, S&P 500<sup>®</sup>, US 500, The 500, iBoxx<sup>®</sup>, iTraxx<sup>®</sup> and CDX<sup>®</sup> are trademarks of S&P Global, Inc. or its affiliates ("S&P"); Dow Jones<sup>®</sup> is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC ("Dow Jones") and these trademarks have been licensed for use by SPDJI and sublicensed for certain purposes by Krane Funds Advisors, LLC. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Krane Funds Advisors, LLC Products are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by SPDJI, Dow Jones, S&P, any of their respective affiliates (collectively, "S&P Dow Jones Indices"). S&P Dow Jones Indices does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Krane Funds Advisors, LLC Products or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in Krane Funds Advisors, LLC Products particularly or the ability of the Index to track general market performance. Past performance of an index is not an indication or guarantee of future results. S&P Dow Jones Indices' only relationship to Krane Funds Advisors, LLC with respect to the Index is the licensing of the Index and certain trademarks, service marks and/or trade names of S&P Dow Jones Indices and/or its licensors. The Index is determined, composed and calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices without regard to Krane Funds Advisors, LLC or the Krane Funds Advisors, LLC Products. S&P Dow Jones Indices has no obligation to take the needs of Krane Funds Advisors, LLC or the owners of Krane Funds Advisors, LLC Products into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the Index. S&P Dow Jones Indices has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of Krane Funds Advisors, LLC Products. There is no assurance that*

 

 

*investment products based on the Index will accurately track index performance or provide positive investment returns. S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC is not an investment adviser, commodity trading advisory, commodity pool operator, broker dealer, fiduciary, promoter" (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended), "expert" as enumerated within 15 U.S.C. § 77k(a) or tax advisor. Inclusion of a security, commodity, crypto currency or other asset within an index is not a recommendation by S&P Dow Jones Indices to buy, sell, or hold such security, commodity, crypto currency or other asset, nor is it considered to be investment advice or commodity trading advice. SPDJI provides indices that use environmental, social and/or governance (ESG) indicators (including, without limit, business involvement screens, conformance to voluntary corporate standards, GHG emissions data, and ESG scores) to select, weight and/or exclude constituents. ESG indicators seek to measure a company's, or an asset's performance, with respect to E, S and/or G criteria. ESG indicators are derived from publicly reported data, modelled data, or a combination of reported and modelled data. ESG indicators are based on a qualitative assessment due to the absence of well-defined uniform market standards and the use of multiple methodologies to assess ESG factors. No single clear, definitive test or framework (legal, regulatory, or otherwise) exists to determine labels such as, 'ESG', 'sustainable', 'good governance', 'no adverse environmental, social and/or other impacts', or other equivalently labelled objectives. Therefore, the exercise of subjective judgment is necessary. Different persons may classify the same investment, products and/or strategy differently regarding the foregoing labels.*

*NEITHER S&P DOW JONES INDICES NOR THIRD PARTY LICENSOR GUARANTEES THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO OR ANY COMMUNICATION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ORAL OR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (INCLUDING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS) WITH RESPECT THERETO. S&P DOW JONES INDICES SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS THEREIN. S&P DOW JONES INDICES MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY KRANE FUNDS ADVISORS, LLC, OWNERS OF THE KRANE FUNDS ADVISORS, LLC, PRODUCTS, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE INDEX OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER SHALL S&P DOW JONES INDICES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBLITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE. S&P DOW JONES INDICES HAS NOT REVIEWED, PREPARED AND/OR CERTIFIED ANY PORTION OF, NOR DOES S&P DOW JONES INDICES HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER, THE LICENSEE PRODUCT REGISTRATION STATEMENT, PROSPECTUS OR OTHER OFFERING MATERIALS. THERE ARE NO THIRD-PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN S&P DOW JONES INDICES AND KRANE FUNDS ADVISORS, LLC, OTHER THAN THE LICENSORS OF S&P DOW JONES INDICES.*

**KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF**

The Shanghai Stock Exchange ("SSE") is a comprehensive exchange. China Securities Index Co., Ltd. ("CSI") is a leading index provider in China. Neither SSE nor CSI is affiliated with the Trust, Krane, the Trust's administrator, custodian, transfer agent or Distributor, or any of their respective affiliates. Krane has entered into a license agreement with CSI to use the relevant Underlying Index and SSE and CSI marks, and sublicenses such rights to the Fund at no charge. Krane uses the marks for the purpose of promoting and marketing the Fund.

*The Fund is not in any way sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by SSE or CSI and neither SSE nor CSI makes any claim, prediction, warranty or representation whatsoever, expressly or impliedly, either as to (i) the results to be obtained from the use of the Underlying Index, (ii) the figure at which the Underlying Index is said to stand at any particular time on any particular day or otherwise, or (iii) the fitness or suitability of the Underlying Index for the particular purpose to which it is being put in connection with the Fund. Neither SSE nor CSI have provided and does not provide any financial or investment advice or recommendation in relation to the Underlying Index to Krane or its affiliates or to its customers or clients, including the Fund. The Underlying Index is calculated by CSI or its agent. Neither SSE nor CSI are liable (whether in negligence or otherwise) to any person for any error in the Underlying Index and is under no obligation to advise any person of any error therein. All rights in the Underlying Index vest in SSE or CSI.*

*SSE and CSI make no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by Krane or its affiliates, owners of shares of the Fund or any other person or entity from the use of the Underlying Index or any data included therein. They make no express or implied warranties and expressly disclaim all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to the Underlying Index or any data included therein. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall SSE or CSI have any liability for any special, punitive, indirect or consequential damages (including lost profits) resulting from the use of the Underlying Index or any data included therein, even if notified of the possibility of such damages.*

**Kraneshares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF**

*The Hang Seng TECH Index (the "Index") is published and compiled by Hang Seng Indexes Company Limited pursuant to a licence from Hang Seng Data Services Limited. The mark and name Hang Seng TECH Index are proprietary to Hang Seng Data Services Limited. Hang Seng Indexes Company Limited and Hang Seng Data Services Limited have agreed to the use of, and reference to, the Index by Krane Funds Advisors, LLC in connection with KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF (the "Product"), **BUT NEITHER HANG SENG INDEXES COMPANY LIMITED NOR HANG SENG DATA SERVICES LIMITED WARRANTS OR REPRESENTS OR GUARANTEES TO ANY BROKER OR HOLDER OF THE PRODUCT OR ANY OTHER PERSON (i) THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE INDEX AND ITS COMPUTATION OR ANY INFORMATION RELATED THERETO; OR (ii) THE FITNESS OR SUITABILITY FOR ANY PURPOSE OF THE INDEX OR ANY COMPONENT OR DATA COMPRISED IN IT; OR (iii) THE RESULTS WHICH MAY BE OBTAINED BY ANY PERSON FROM THE USE OF THE INDEX OR ANY COMPONENT OR DATA COMPRISED IN IT FOR ANY PURPOSE, AND NO WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION OR GUARANTEE OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER RELATING TO THE INDEX IS GIVEN OR MAY BE IMPLIED.** The process and basis of computation and compilation of the Index and any of the related formula or formulae, constituent stocks and factors may at any time be changed or altered by Hang Seng Indexes Company Limited without notice. **TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY IS ACCEPTED BY HANG SENG INDEXES COMPANY LIMITED OR HANG SENG DATA SERVICES LIMITED (i) IN RESPECT OF THE USE OF AND/OR REFERENCE TO THE INDEX BY KRANE FUNDS ADVISORS, LLC IN CONNECTION WITH THE PRODUCT; OR (ii) FOR ANY INACCURACIES, OMISSIONS, MISTAKES OR ERRORS OF HANG SENG INDEXES COMPANY LIMITED IN THE COMPUTATION OF THE INDEX; OR (iii) FOR ANY INACCURACIES, OMISSIONS, MISTAKES, ERRORS OR INCOMPLETENESS OF ANY INFORMATION USED IN CONNECTION WITH THE COMPUTATION OF THE INDEX WHICH IS SUPPLIED BY ANY OTHER PERSON; OR (iv) FOR ANY ECONOMIC OR OTHER LOSS WHICH MAY BE DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY SUSTAINED BY ANY BROKER OR HOLDER OF THE PRODUCT OR ANY OTHER PERSON DEALING WITH THE PRODUCT AS A RESULT OF ANY OF THE AFORESAID, AND NO CLAIMS, ACTIONS OR LEGAL PROCEEDINGS MAY BE BROUGHT AGAINST HANG SENG INDEXES COMPANY LIMITED AND/OR HANG SENG DATA SERVICES LIMITED** in connection with the Product in any manner whatsoever by any broker, holder or other person dealing with the Product. Any broker, holder or other person dealing with the Product does so therefore in full knowledge of this disclaimer and can place no reliance whatsoever on Hang Seng Indexes Company Limited and Hang Seng Data Services Limited. For the avoidance of doubt, this disclaimer does not create any contractual or quasi-contractual relationship between any broker, holder or other person and Hang Seng Indexes Company Limited and/or Hang Seng Data Services Limited and must not be construed to have created such relationship.*

**KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF**

The KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF (the "Fund") is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Morningstar, Inc. Morningstar makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Fund in particular or the ability of the Morningstar<sup>®</sup> Developed Markets: China and Emerging Markets Revenue Exposure Index℠ (the "Underlying Index") to track general stock market performance. Morningstar's only relationship to Krane Fund Advisors, LLC is the licensing of certain trademarks, service marks, and service names of Morningstar and of the Underlying Index which is determined, composed and calculated by Morningstar without regard to Krane Fund Advisors, LLC or the Fund. Morningstar has no obligation to take the needs of Krane Fund Advisors, LLC or the owners of Fund into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the Underlying Index. Morningstar is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the prices and amount of the Fund or the timing of the issuance or sale of the Fund or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Fund is converted into cash. Morningstar has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Fund.

MORNINGSTAR, INC., EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTY AROUND THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS AND/OR TIMELINESS OF THE UNDERLYING INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN AND MORNINGSTAR SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN. MORNINGSTAR MAKES NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY KRANE FUND ADVISORS, LLC, OWNERS OR USERS OF THE FUND, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE UNDERLYING INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. MORNINGSTAR MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE UNDERLYING INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL MORNINGSTAR HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS), EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

**KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF**

Value Line<sup>®</sup>, the Value Line<sup>®</sup> logo, Timeliness™, and Safety™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of Value Line<sup>®</sup>, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries ("VL Marks"). These trademarks together with others have been licensed to EULAV Asset Management. Redistribution or reproduction in whole or in part are prohibited without written permission of EULAV Asset Management. The Fund is neither sponsored nor promoted, distributed or in any other manner supported by EULAV Asset Management, Value Line<sup>®</sup> Publishing LLC ("VLP"), Value Line<sup>®</sup> Inc. ("VLI") or any of their affiliates (collectively, "VL") nor is VL affiliated with the Trust, Krane, the Trust's administrator, custodian, transfer agent or Distributor, or any of their respective affiliates. Krane has entered into a license agreement with EULAV Asset Management as the index provider to use the Underlying Index and VL marks for the Fund. Krane uses the marks for the purpose of promoting and marketing the Fund.

VL does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of or counterparties to the Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Fund particularly. The only relationship of VL to Krane is the licensing of certain trademarks, trade names and service marks such as the VL Marks and of the Underlying Index, which is determined and composed by EULAV Asset Management and calculated by Fuzzy Logix, Inc. (doing business as "FastINDX") without regard to Krane or the Fund. VL has no obligation to take the needs of Krane, or the owners of the Fund into consideration in determining or composing the Underlying Index. VL is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of the Fund to be issued. VL shall not have any obligation or liability, including, without limitation, to Fund customers, in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Fund.

VL DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE UNDERLYING INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO AND SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS OR INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN. VL DOES NOT MAKE ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY KRANE, OWNERS OF THE FUND OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE UNDERLYING INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. VL DOES NOT MAKE ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE UNDERLYING INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW, VL, ITS LICENSORS, AND ITS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, AGENTS, SUPPLIERS, AND VENDORS SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY WHATSOEVER FOR ANY INJURY OR DAMAGES—WHETHER DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE OR OTHERWISE—ARISING IN CONNECTION WITH THE FUND OR UNDERLYING INDEX OR ANY DATA OR VALUES RELATING THERETO—WHETHER ARISING FROM THEIR NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF.

**KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF**

Krane has entered into a license agreement with the Index Provider to use the Index and marks, and sublicenses such rights to the Fund at no charge. Krane uses the marks for the purpose of promoting and marketing the Fund. All rights in the Index vest in the Index Provider.

The Index Provider makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by Krane or its affiliates, owners of shares of the Fund or any other person or entity from the use of the Index or any data included therein. The Index Provider makes no express or implied warranties and expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to the Index or any data included therein. In no event shall the Index Provider have liability for special, punitive, indirect or consequential damages (including lost profits) resulting from the use of the Index or any data included therein, even if notified of the possibility of such damages.

**KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF**

*HAM is not affiliated with the Trust, Krane, the Trust's administrator, custodian, transfer agent or Distributor, or any of their respective affiliates. Krane and HAM have entered into an index provider agreement (the "Agreement") pursuant to which HAM has licensed the exclusive use of the Index and certain related marks to Krane for a fee, and Krane is permitted to sublicense such rights to the Fund and uses the marks for the purpose of promoting and marketing the Fund. Under the Agreement, HAM is compensated, in part, on the asset size of the Fund and therefore benefits directly from investments in the Fund. HAM is a subsidiary of HRM. HRM provides Hedgeye Risk Range™ signals to HAM under a licensing agreement. As such, HRM benefits directly from investments in the Fund.*

*The Fund is not in any way advised, managed, sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by HAM or HRM, and neither HAM nor HRM make any claim, prediction, warranty or representation whatsoever, expressly or impliedly, either as to (i) the results to be obtained from the use of the Index, (ii) the performance or price of the Index at any particular time on any particular day or otherwise, or (iii) the merchantability, fitness or suitability of the Index for the particular purpose to which it is being put in connection with the Fund. Neither HAM nor HRM has provided, nor do they provide, any financial or investment advice or recommendation in relation to the Index to Krane or its affiliates, including the Fund. All rights in the Index vest in HAM other than those licensed to Krane under the Agreement.*

*Neither HAM nor HRM makes any warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by Krane or its affiliates, owners of shares of the Fund or any other person or entity from the use of the Index or any data included therein. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall HAM or HRM have any liability for any special, punitive, indirect or consequential damages (including lost profits) resulting from the use of the Index or any data included therein, even if notified of the possibility of such damages.*

*HRM sells financial research to financial institutions and investors, including the Hedgeye Risk Range™ signals which are a critical input of the Index provided to the Fund by HRM subsidiary, HAM. HRM publishes Hedgeye Risk Range™ signals direct to its subscribers who will receive the Risk Range™ signals before they are delivered to HAM and become a part of the Index. As such, due to processing time between publication and receipt of the Risk Range™ signals by HAM, other investors may execute trades based on the signals before Krane received the published Index for the Fund.*

**KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF**

*Quant Insight Ltd. ("Index Provider") is not affiliated with the Trust, Krane, the Trust's administrator, custodian, transfer agent or Distributor, or any of their respective affiliates. Krane has entered into a license agreement with the Index Provider to use the Underlying Index and marks, and sublicenses such rights to the Fund at no charge. Krane uses the marks for the purpose of promoting and marketing the Fund.*

*The Fund is not in any way sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by the Index Provider, and the Index Provider does not make any claim, prediction, warranty or representation whatsoever, expressly or impliedly, either as to (i) the results to be obtained from the use of the Underlying Index, (ii) the figure at which the Underlying Index is said to stand at any particular time on any particular day or otherwise, or (iii) the fitness or suitability of the Underlying Index for the particular purpose to which it is being put in connection with the Fund. The Index Provider has not provided and does not provide any financial or investment advice or recommendation in relation to the Underlying Index to Krane or its affiliates or to its customers or clients, including the Fund. All rights in the Underlying Index vest in the Index Provider.*

*The Index Provider makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by Krane or its affiliates, owners of shares of the Fund or any other person or entity from the use of the Underlying Index or any data included therein. The Index Provider makes no express or implied warranties and expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to the Underlying Index or any data included therein. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Index Provider have any liability for any special, punitive, indirect or consequential damages (including lost profits) resulting from the use of the Underlying Index or any data included therein, even if notified of the possibility of such damages.*

**KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF**

The Underlying Index is provided by Numeric Investors LLC ("Index Provider"). The Index Provider determines the components and the relative weightings of the component securities in the Underlying Index. Additional information about the Underlying Index is available at <u>www.solactive.com</u>.

The Index Provider is not affiliated with Krane, the Fund's administrator, custodian, transfer agent or Distributor, or any of their respective affiliates. The Index Provider is affiliated with the Fund (solely in its capacity as Sub-Adviser to the Fund).

Krane has entered into a license agreement with Index Provider to use the Index and marks, and sublicenses such rights to the Fund at no charge. Krane uses the marks for the purpose of promoting and marketing the Fund. All rights in the Index vest in the Index Provider.

The Index Provider makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by Krane or its affiliates, owners of shares of the Fund or any other person or entity from the use of the Index or any data included therein. The Index Provider makes no express or implied warranties and expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to the Index or any data included therein. In no event shall the Index Provider have liability for special, punitive, indirect or consequential damages (including lost profits) resulting from the use of the Index or any data included therein, even if notified of the possibility of such damages.

**Index Calculation Agent Disclaimers**

**KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF**

**KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF**

**KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF**

*Solactive AG ("Solactive") is the calculation agent of the Underlying Indexes. The financial instrument that is referencing each Underlying Index is not sponsored, endorsed, promoted, sold or supported by Solactive in any way and Solactive makes no express or implied representation, guarantee or assurance with regard to: (a) the advisability in investing in the financial instruments; (b) the quality, accuracy and/or completeness of the Underlying Index; and/or (c) the results obtained or to be obtained by any person or entity from the use of the Underlying Index. Solactive does not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the Underlying Indexes and shall not have any liability for any errors or omissions with respect thereto.*

**Additional Disclaimers**

**Krane and Trust Disclaimer**

*Neither Krane nor the Trust guarantees the accuracy or the completeness of any Underlying Index or any data included therein and neither shall have any liability for any errors, omissions or interruptions therein. Krane and the Funds further make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of shares of the Funds or any members of the public as to results to be obtained by the Funds from the use of any Underlying Index, as to any data included therein, or as to the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Funds particularly. Krane expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to any Underlying Index or Fund. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall Krane have any liability for any special, punitive, direct, indirect or consequential damages (including lost profits), even if notified of the possibility of such damages.*

**Value Line Publishing LLC and Value Line, Inc. Disclaimer** (KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF)

*Value Line<sup>®</sup>, the Value Line<sup>®</sup> Logo, Timeliness™ and Safety™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of Value Line, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. Used by permission. This Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Value Line Publishing LLC ("VLP"), Value Line, Inc. ("VLI") or any of their affiliates (collectively, "VL"). VL makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners and advisors of the KRANESHARES VALUE LINE<sup>®</sup> DYNAMIC DIVIDEND EQUITY INDEX ETF or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the KRANESHARES VALUE LINE<sup>®</sup> DYNAMIC DIVIDEND EQUITY INDEX ETF particularly. VL's only relationship to Krane Funds Advisors LLC ("Licensee") in connection with this KRANESHARES VALUE LINE<sup>®</sup> DYNAMIC DIVIDEND EQUITY INDEX ETF is Licensee's right to license certain VL service marks and trade names and to use authorized advisory and sub-advisory service providers that license the Value Line<sup>®</sup> Safety™ Ranking System and the Value Line<sup>®</sup> Timeliness™ Ranking System (the "Ranks"), which are composed by VL without regard to Licensee, this KRANESHARES VALUE LINE<sup>®</sup> DYNAMIC DIVIDEND EQUITY INDEX ETF or any investor. VL has no obligation to take the needs of Licensee or any investor in the KRANESHARES VALUE LINE<sup>®</sup> DYNAMIC DIVIDEND EQUITY INDEX ETF into consideration in composing the Ranks. The KRANESHARES VALUE LINE<sup>®</sup> DYNAMIC DIVIDEND EQUITY INDEX ETF results may differ from the hypothetical or published results of the Ranks. VL is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the prices and composition of the KRANESHARES VALUE LINE<sup>®</sup> DYNAMIC DIVIDEND EQUITY INDEX ETF or the timing of the issuance for sale of the KRANESHARES VALUE LINE<sup>®</sup> DYNAMIC DIVIDEND EQUITY INDEX ETF or in the calculation of the equations by which the KRANESHARES VALUE LINE<sup>®</sup> DYNAMIC DIVIDEND EQUITY INDEX ETF is to be converted into cash. VL MAKES NO WARRANTY AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES CONCERNING THE RANKS, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES ARISING FROM USAGE OF TRADE, COURSE OF DEALING OR COURSE OF PERFORMANCE, AND VL MAKES NO WARRANTY AS TO THE POTENTIAL PROFITS OR ANY OTHER BENEFITS THAT MAY BE ACHIEVED BY USING THE RANKS OR ANY INFORMATION OR MATERIALS GENERATED THEREFROM. VL DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE RANKS WILL MEET ANY REQUIREMENTS OR THAT IT WILL BE ACCURATE OR ERROR-FREE. VL ALSO DOES NOT GUARANTEE ANY USES, INFORMATION, DATA OR OTHER RESULTS GENERATED FROM THE RANKS. VLP HAS NO OBLIGATION OR LIABILITY (I) IN CONNECTION WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, MARKETING OR TRADING OF THIS KRANESHARES VALUE LINE<sup>®</sup> DYNAMIC DIVIDEND EQUITY INDEX ETF; OR (II) FOR ANY LOSS, DAMAGE, COST OR EXPENSE SUFFERED OR INCURRED BY ANY INVESTOR OR OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY IN CONNECTION WITH THIS KRANESHARES VALUE LINE<sup>®</sup> DYNAMIC DIVIDEND EQUITY INDEX ETF, AND IN NO EVENT SHALL VL BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR OTHER CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES IN CONNECTION WITH THIS KRANESHARES VALUE LINE<sup>®</sup> DYNAMIC DIVIDEND EQUITY INDEX ETF, EVEN IF IT HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE. THE LICENSING AGREEMENT TO WHICH KRANE FUNDS ADVISORS, LLC IS A PARTY ("LICENSEE") IS SOLELY FOR THEIR BENEFIT AND THE BENEFIT OF VL AND EAM, AND NOT FOR THE BENEFIT OF ANY OTHER OWNERS OF THE KRANESHARES VALUE LINE<sup>®</sup> DYNAMIC DIVIDEND EQUITY INDEX ETF OR ANY OTHER THIRD PARTIES.*

**S&P Dow Jones Disclaimer** (KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF)

The Index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC or its affiliates ("SPDJI") and has been licensed for use by Hedgeye Asset Management, LLC ("HAM"). S&P<sup>®</sup>, S&P 500<sup>®</sup>, US 500, The 500, iBoxx<sup>®</sup>, iTraxx<sup>®</sup> and CDX<sup>®</sup> are trademarks of S&P Global, Inc. or its affiliates ("S&P"); Dow Jones<sup>®</sup> is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC ("Dow Jones") and these trademarks have been licensed for use by SPDJI and sublicensed for certain purposes by HAM. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. HAM Products are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by SPDJI, Dow Jones, S&P, any of their respective affiliates (collectively, "S&P Dow Jones Indices"). S&P Dow Jones Indices does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the HAM Products or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in HAM Products particularly or the ability of the Index to track general market performance. Past performance of an index is not an indication or guarantee of future results. S&P Dow Jones Indices' only relationship to HAM with respect to the Index is the licensing of the Index and certain trademarks, service marks and/or trade names of S&P Dow Jones Indices and/or its licensors. The Index is determined, composed and calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices without regard to HAM or the HAM Products. S&P Dow Jones Indices has no obligation to take the needs of HAM

or the owners of HAM Products into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the Index. S&P Dow Jones Indices has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of HAM Products. There is no assurance that investment products based on the Index will accurately track index performance or provide positive investment returns. S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC is not an investment adviser, commodity trading advisory, commodity pool operator, broker dealer, fiduciary, promoter" (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended), "expert" as enumerated within 15 U.S.C. § 77k(a) or tax advisor. Inclusion of a security, commodity, crypto currency or other asset within an index is not a recommendation by S&P Dow Jones Indices to buy, sell, or hold such security, commodity, crypto currency or other asset, nor is it considered to be investment advice or commodity trading advice. SPDJI provides indices that use environmental, social and/or governance (ESG) indicators (including, without limit, business involvement screens, conformance to voluntary corporate standards, GHG emissions data, and ESG scores) to select, weight and/or exclude constituents. ESG indicators seek to measure a company's, or an asset's performance, with respect to E, S and/or G criteria. ESG indicators are derived from publicly reported data, modelled data, or a combination of reported and modelled data. ESG indicators are based on a qualitative assessment due to the absence of well-defined uniform market standards and the use of multiple methodologies to assess ESG factors. No single clear, definitive test or framework (legal, regulatory, or otherwise) exists to determine labels such as, 'ESG', 'sustainable', 'good governance', 'no adverse environmental, social and/or other impacts', or other equivalently labelled objectives. Therefore, the exercise of subjective judgment is necessary. Different persons may classify the same investment, products and/or strategy differently regarding the foregoing labels.

NEITHER S&P DOW JONES INDICES NOR THIRD PARTY LICENSOR GUARANTEES THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO OR ANY COMMUNICATION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ORAL OR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (INCLUDING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS) WITH RESPECT THERETO. S&P DOW JONES INDICES SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS THEREIN. S&P DOW JONES INDICES MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY HAM, OWNERS OF THE HAM PRODUCTS, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE INDEX OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER SHALL S&P DOW JONES INDICES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBLITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE. S&P DOW JONES INDICES HAS NOT REVIEWED, PREPARED AND/OR CERTIFIED ANY PORTION OF, NOR DOES S&P DOW JONES INDICES HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER, THE LICENSEE PRODUCT REGISTRATION STATEMENT, PROSPECTUS OR OTHER OFFERING MATERIALS. THERE ARE NO THIRD-PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN S&P DOW JONES INDICES AND HAM, OTHER THAN THE LICENSORS OF S&P DOW JONES INDICES.

**NYSE Arca, Inc. Disclaimer**

*Shares of the Funds are not sponsored, endorsed or promoted by NYSE Arca, Inc. ("NYSE Arca"). NYSE Arca makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the shares of the Funds or any member of the public regarding the ability of the Funds to track the total return performance of the Underlying Index or the ability of the Underlying Indexes to track stock market performance. NYSE Arca is not responsible for, nor has it participated in, the determination of the compilation or the calculation of the Underlying Indexes, nor in the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of shares of the Funds to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the shares are redeemable. NYSE Arca has no obligation or liability to owners of the shares of the Funds in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the shares of the Funds.*

*NYSE Arca does not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the Underlying Indexes or any data included therein. NYSE Arca makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by the Trust on behalf of the Funds as licensee, licensee's customers and counterparties, owners of the shares of the Funds, or any other person or entity from the use of the subject index or any data included therein in connection with the rights licensed as described herein or for any other use. NYSE Arca makes no express or implied warranties and hereby expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to the Underlying Indexes or any data included therein. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall NYSE Arca have any liability for any direct, indirect, special, punitive, consequential or any other damages (including lost profits) even if notified of the possibility of such damages.*

**Financial Highlights**

The table that follows presents the financial highlights for each Fund that was operational as of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025 for the fiscal periods indicated. The table is intended to help you understand each Fund's financial performance. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The information has been derived from financial statements audited by KPMG LLP, the Trust's independent registered public accounting firm. Their report, along with the financial highlights and financial statements, is included in the Funds' most recent Form N-CSR (see back cover for information on how to obtain each Fund's financial statements).

KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF (KWEB)

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios**

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF** | **2025** | **2024** | **2023** | **2022** | **2021** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year ($) | 26.27 | 31.25 | 29.52 | 75.59 | 45.19 |
| Net Investment Income (Loss) ($)\* | 0.36 | 0.06 | 0.18 | (0.05) | (0.28) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments ($) | 9.23 | (4.58) | 1.55 | (43.44) | 30.90 |
| Total from Operations ($) | 9.59 | (4.52) | 1.73 | (43.49) | 30.62 |
| Distribution from Net Investment Income ($) | (1.02) | (0.46) |  |  | (0.22) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution from Capital Gains ($) |  |  |  | (2.58) |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Return of Capital ($) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Total from Distributions ($) | (1.02) | (0.46) |  | (2.58) | (0.22) |
| Net Asset Value, End of Year ($) | 34.84 | 26.27 | 31.25 | 29.52 | 75.59 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | 37.13 | (14.48) | 5.86 | (57.99) | 67.77 |
| Net Assets End of Year ($) (000) | 8047217 | 5430986 | 6111669 | 6239534 | 3662260 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%)~ | 0.70<sup>(1)</sup> | 0.70<sup>(1)</sup> | 0.69<sup>(1)</sup> | 0.69<sup>(1)</sup> | 0.70<sup>(1)</sup> |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, as applicable) (%)~ | 0.70 | 0.70 | 0.69 | 0.69 | 0.70 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (%) | 1.17 | 0.24 | 0.61 | (0.12) | (0.39) |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate (%) | 54 | 32 | 60 | 60 | 89 |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| ~ | During the periods, certain fees were waived. |
| (1) | The expense ratios include $857,238, $600,758, $301,354, $337,352, and $376,498, respectively, in security lending fees paid to the Adviser. Had these fees been excluded, the expense ratios would have been 0.69%, 0.70%, 0.69%, 0.68%, and 0.69%, respectively. |

---

KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF (KBA)

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios**

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF** | **2025** | **2024** | **2023** | **2022** | **2021** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year ($) | 21.45 | 26.09 | 37.05 | 43.97 | 29.51 |
| Net Investment Income (Loss) ($)\* | 0.57 | 0.51 | 0.57 | 0.43 | 0.30 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments ($) | 2.13 | (4.67) | (5.28) | (3.41) | 14.46 |
| Total from Operations ($) | 2.70 | (4.16) | (4.71) | (2.98) | 14.76 |
| Distribution from Net Investment Income ($) | (0.51) | (0.48) | (0.54) | (0.49) | (0.30) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution from Capital Gains ($) |  |  | (5.71) | (3.45) |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Return of Capital ($) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Total from Distributions ($) | (0.51) | (0.48) | (6.25) | (3.94) | (0.30) |
| Net Asset Value, End of Year ($) | 23.64 | 21.45 | 26.09 | 37.05 | 43.97 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | 12.61 | (15.78) | (12.63) | (7.96) | 50.00 |
| Net Assets End of Year ($) (000) | 189121 | 190866 | 470873 | 559393 | 802364 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%)~ | 0.56 | 0.56 | 0.55 | 0.59 | 0.59 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, applicable) (%)~ | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.78 | 0.79 | 0.79 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (%) | 2.47 | 2.23 | 1.83 | 0.97 | 0.74 |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate (%) | 77 | 38 | 68 | 89 | 35 |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| ~ | During the periods, certain fees were waived. |

---

KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF (KHYB)

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios**

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF** | **2025** | **2024** | **2023** | **2022** | **2021** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year ($) | 24.64 | 26.73 | 29.48 | 39.14 | 37.32 |
| Net Investment Income (Loss) ($)\* | 2.84 | 2.99 | 2.23 | 1.78 | 2.10 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments ($) | (0.95) | (1.39) | (2.44) | (9.26) | 2.44 |
| Total from Operations ($) | 1.89 | 1.60 | (0.21) | (7.48) | 4.54 |
| Distribution from Net Investment Income ($) | (2.46) | (3.69) | (2.54) | (1.88) | (2.58) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution from Capital Gains ($) |  |  |  |  | (0.14) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Return of Capital ($) |  |  |  | (0.30) |  |
| Total from Distributions ($) | (2.46) | (3.69) | (2.54) | (2.18) | (2.72) |
| Net Asset Value, End of Year ($) | 24.07 | 24.64 | 26.73 | 29.48 | 39.14 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | 7.93 | 6.81 | (0.44) | (19.73) | 12.32 |
| Net Assets End of Year ($) (000) | 25274 | 14784 | 20045 | 26535 | 9786 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%)~ | 0.69 | 0.69 | 0.69 | 0.68 | 0.69 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, as applicable) (%)~ | 0.69 | 0.69 | 0.69 | 0.68 | 0.69 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (%) | 11.52 | 11.77 | 8.19 | 5.33 | 5.32 |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate (%) | 158 | 121 | 119 | 150 | 53 |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| ~ | During the periods, certain fees were waived. |

---

KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF (KARS)

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios**

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF** | **2025** | **2024** | **2023** | **2022** | **2021** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year ($) | 22.47 | 30.60 | 39.57 | 42.25 | 19.02 |
| Net Investment Income (Loss) ($)\* | 0.16 | 0.21 | 0.33 | 0.08 | 0.08 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments ($) | (1.25) | (8.11) | (8.98) | 0.39<sup>(2)</sup> | 23.21 |
| Total from Operations ($) | (1.09) | (7.90) | (8.65) | 0.47 | 23.29 |
| Distribution from Net Investment Income ($) | (0.16) | (0.23) | (0.32) | (0.52) | (0.06) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution from Capital Gains ($) |  |  |  | (2.63) |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Return of Capital ($) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Total from Distributions ($) | (0.16) | (0.23) | (0.32) | (3.15) | (0.06) |
| Net Asset Value, End of Year ($) | 21.22 | 22.47 | 30.60 | 39.57 | 42.25 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | (4.86) | (25.91) | (21.78) | 0.04 | 122.46 |
| Net Assets End of Year ($) (000) | 63660 | 105618 | 185106 | 296761 | 198570 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%)~ | 0.72<sup>(1)</sup> | 0.72<sup>(1)</sup> | 0.72<sup>(1)</sup> | 0.70 | 0.70 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, as applicable) (%)~ | 0.72 | 0.72 | 0.72 | 0.70 | 0.70 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (%) | 0.77 | 0.78 | 0.99 | 0.17 | 0.21 |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate (%) | 39 | 42 | 69 | 114 | 81 |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| ~ | During the periods, certain fees were waived. |
| (1) | The expense ratio includes $22,696, $42,152, and $67,245, respectively, in security lending fees paid to the Adviser. Had these fees been excluded, the expense ratios would have been 0.69%, 0.68%, and 0.69%, respectively. |
| (2) | Realized and unrealized gains and losses per share are balancing amounts necessary to reconcile the change in net asset value per share for the period, and may not reconcile with the aggregate gains and losses in the Statement of Operations due to share transactions for the period. |

---

KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF (KEMQ)

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios**

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF** | **2025** | **2024** | **2023** | **2022** | **2021** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year ($) | 14.86 | 15.28 | 18.04 | 32.06 | 19.55 |
| Net Investment Income (Loss) ($)\* | 0.16 | 0.03 | 0.10 | (0.05) | 0.11 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments ($) | 3.46 | (0.41) | (2.86) | (13.90) | 13.14 |
| Total from Operations ($) | 3.62 | (0.38) | (2.76) | (13.95) | 13.25 |
| Distribution from Net Investment Income ($) | (0.12) | (0.04) |  | (0.01) | (0.74) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution from Capital Gains ($) |  |  |  | (0.06) |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Return of Capital ($) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Total from Distributions ($) | (0.12) | (0.04) |  | (0.07) | (0.74) |
| Net Asset Value, End of Year ($) | 18.36 | 14.86 | 15.28 | 18.04 | 32.06 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | 24.41 | (2.47) | (15.30) | (43.57) | 67.85 |
| Net Assets End of Year ($) (000) | 20198 | 18577 | 30562 | 55935 | 110604 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%)~ | 0.55<sup>(1)</sup> | 0.60<sup>(1)</sup> | 0.60<sup>(1)</sup> | 0.59 | 0.59 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, as applicable) (%)~ | 0.80 | 0.80 | 0.80 | 0.79 | 0.79 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (%) | 0.97 | 0.21 | 0.66 | (0.17) | 0.36 |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate (%) | 63 | 135 | 87 | 97 | 112 |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| ~ | During the periods, certain fees were waived. |
| (1) | The expense ratios include $336, $927, and $6,087, respectively, in security lending fees paid to the Adviser. Had these fees been excluded, the expense ratios would have been 0.55%, 0.59%, and 0.58%, respectively. |

---

KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF (KURE)

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios**

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF** | **2025** | **2024** | **2023** | **2022** | **2021** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year ($) | 14.63 | 20.77 | 23.79 | 38.30 | 23.78 |
| Net Investment Income (Loss) ($)\* | 0.15 | 0.13 | 0.07 | (0.02) | (0.09) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments ($) | 1.00 | (6.16) | (3.08) | (10.44) | 14.61 |
| Total from Operations ($) | 1.15 | (6.03) | (3.01) | (10.46) | 14.52 |
| Distribution from Net Investment Income ($) | (0.18) | (0.11) | (0.01) |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution from Capital Gains ($) |  |  |  | (4.05) |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Return of Capital ($) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Total from Distributions ($) | (0.18) | (0.11) | (0.01) | (4.05) |  |
| Net Asset Value, End of Year ($) | 15.60 | 14.63 | 20.77 | 23.79 | 38.30 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | 7.98 | (29.10) | (12.65) | (28.88) | 61.06 |
| Net Assets End of Year ($) (000) | 86599 | 46804 | 94492 | 136811 | 214464 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%)~ | 0.65<sup>(1)</sup> | 0.65<sup>(1)</sup> | 0.65<sup>(1)</sup> | 0.65 | 0.65 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, as applicable) (%)~ | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.79 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (%) | 1.02 | 0.74 | 0.35 | (0.04) | (0.25) |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate (%) | 77 | 17 | 32 | 44 | 45 |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| # | Amount represents less than $0.005 per share. |
| ~ | During the periods, certain fees were waived. |
| (1) | The expense ratio includes $941, $541, and $1,908, respectively, in security lending fees paid to the Adviser. Had these fees been excluded, the expense ratios would have been 0.65%, 0.65%, and 0.64%, respectively. |

---

KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF (KGRN)

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios**

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF** | **2025** | **2024** | **2023** | **2022** | **2021** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year ($) | 20.34 | 28.54 | 36.71 | 40.34 | 16.60 |
| Net Investment Income (Loss) ($)\* | 0.33 | 0.18 | 0.12 | 0.21 | (0.28) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments ($) | 5.13 | (8.21) | (7.75) | (3.65) | 24.02 |
| Total from Operations ($) | 5.46 | (8.03) | (7.63) | (3.44) | 23.74 |
| Distribution from Net Investment Income ($) | (0.33) | (0.17) | (0.10) | (0.19) |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution from Capital Gains ($) |  |  | (0.44) |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Return of Capital ($) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Total from Distributions ($) | (0.33) | (0.17) | (0.54) | (0.19) |  |
| Net Asset Value, End of Year ($) | 25.47 | 20.34 | 28.54 | 36.71 | 40.34 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | 27.07 | (28.17) | (20.71) | (8.61) | 143.03 |
| Net Assets End of Year ($) (000) | 48392 | 56952 | 95611 | 146859 | 141173 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%)~ | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.78 | 0.78 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, as applicable) (%)~ | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.78 | 0.78 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (%) | 1.50 | 0.72 | 0.38 | 0.48 | (0.65) |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate (%) | 36 | 65 | 49 | 62 | 164 |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| # | Amount represents less than $0.005 per share. |
| ~ | During the periods, certain fees were waived. |

---

KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF (KEMX)

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios**

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF** | **2025** | **2024** | **2023** | **2022** | **2021** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year ($) | 29.17 | 25.09 | 29.73 | 30.99 | 18.41 |
| Net Investment Income (Loss) ($)\* | 0.78 | 0.79 | 0.91 | 0.79 | 0.55 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments ($) | (1.19) | 3.86 | (4.56) | (0.56) | 12.53 |
| Total from Operations ($) | (0.41) | 4.65 | (3.65) | 0.23 | 13.08 |
| Distribution from Net Investment Income ($) | (0.94) | (0.57) | (0.99) | (0.73) | (0.50) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution from Capital Gains ($) |  |  |  | (0.76) |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Return of Capital ($) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Total from Distributions ($) | (0.94) | (0.57) | (0.99) | (1.49) | (0.50) |
| Net Asset Value, End of Year ($) | 27.82 | 29.17 | 25.09 | 29.73 | 30.99 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | (1.51) | 18.67 | (12.12) | 0.57 | 71.19 |
| Net Assets End of Year ($) (000) | 63996 | 78752 | 30112 | 32699 | 30991 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%)~ | 0.24 | 0.24 | 0.24 | 0.23 | 0.30 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, as applicable) (%)~ | 0.59 | 0.59 | 0.59 | 0.58 | 0.58 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (%) | 2.62 | 2.95 | 3.55 | 2.52 | 1.90 |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate (%) | 3 | 6 | 50 | 23 | 19 |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| ~ | During the periods, certain fees were waived. |

---

KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF (OBOR)

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios**

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF** | **2025** | **2024** | **2023** | **2022** | **2021** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year ($) | 20.94 | 22.43 | 27.63 | 28.85 | 17.76 |
| Net Investment Income (Loss) ($)\* | 0.74 | 0.59 | 0.73 | 0.95 | 0.48 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments ($) | 0.80 | (1.39) | (4.85) | (1.18) | 11.16 |
| Total from Operations ($) | 1.54 | (0.80) | (4.12) | (0.23) | 11.64 |
| Distribution from Net Investment Income ($) | (0.82) | (0.69) | (1.08) | (0.99) | (0.55) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution from Capital Gains ($) |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Return of Capital ($) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Total from Distributions ($) | (0.82) | (0.69) | (1.08) | (0.99) | (0.55) |
| Net Asset Value, End of Year ($) | 21.66 | 20.94 | 22.43 | 27.63 | 28.85 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | 7.37 | (3.41) | (14.98) | (1.11) | 65.82 |
| Net Assets End of Year ($) (000) | 3249 | 4188 | 4485 | 8290 | 10099 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%)~ | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.78 | 0.79 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, as applicable) (%)~ | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.78 | 0.79 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (%) | 3.36 | 2.77 | 2.96 | 3.12 | 2.07 |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate (%) | 19 | 27 | 34 | 36 | 39 |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| ~ | During the periods, certain fees were waived. |

---

KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF (KSTR)

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios**

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF** | **2025** | **2024** | **2023** | **2022** | **2021<sup>(1)</sup>** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year ($) | 10.90 | 16.89 | 18.76 | 21.06 | 25.00 |
| Net Investment Income (Loss) ($)\* | (0.04) | (0.01) | (0.07) | (0.14) | (0.03) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments ($) | 2.97 | (5.98) | (1.80) | (2.16) | (3.91 |
| Total from Operations ($) | 2.93 | (5.99) | (1.87) | (2.30) | (3.94 |
| Distribution from Net Investment Income ($) |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution from Capital Gains ($) |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Return of Capital ($) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Total from Distributions ($) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net Asset Value, End of Year ($) | 13.83 | 10.90 | 16.89 | 18.76 | 21.06 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | 26.88 | (35.46) | (9.97) | (10.92) | (15.76 |
| Net Assets End of Year ($) (000) | 35948 | 24534 | 48130 | 65674 | 93722 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%)~ | 0.89 | 0.89 | 0.89 | 0.88 | 0.88 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, as applicable) (%)~ | 0.89 | 0.89 | 0.89 | 0.88 | 0.88 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (%) | (0.30) | (0.04) | (0.44) | (0.57) | (0.88) |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate (%) | 57 | 32 | 43 | 78 | 12 |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| † | Annualized. |
| †† | Portfolio turnover rate is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. Excludes effect of in-kind transfers. |
| ~ | During the periods, certain fees were waived. |
| (1) | The Fund's inception date was on January 26, 2021. |

---

KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF (KTEC)

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios**

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

---

| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF** | **2025** | **2024** | **2023** | **2022<sup>(1)</sup>** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year ($) | 10.78 | 13.30 | 13.93 | 25.00 |
| Net Investment Income (Loss) ($)\* | 0.01 |  | 0.05 | 0.01 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments ($) | 5.42 | (2.43) | (0.66) | (11.08 |
| Total from Operations ($) | 5.43 | (2.43) | (0.61) | (11.07 |
| Distribution from Net Investment Income ($) | (0.04) | (0.09) | (0.02) |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution from Capital Gains ($) |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Return of Capital ($) |  |  |  |  |
| Total from Distributions ($) | (0.04) | (0.09) | (0.02) |  |
| Net Asset Value, End of Year ($) | 16.17 | 10.78 | 13.30 | 13.93 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | 50.40 | (18.29) | (4.37) | (44.28 |
| Net Assets End of Year ($) (000) | 46082 | 5391 | 7315 | 5570 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%)~ | 0.69 | 0.69 | 0.69 | 0.68 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, as applicable) (%)~ | 0.69 | 0.69 | 0.69 | 0.68 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (%) | 0.10 | 0.02 | 0.42 | 0.09 |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate (%) | 86 | 55 | 126 | 60 |

---

(1) The Fund's inception date was on June 8, 2021.

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| † | Annualized. |
| †† | Portfolio turnover rate is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. Excludes effect of in-kind transfers. |
| ~ | During the periods, certain fees were waived. |

---

KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF (Formerly, KraneShares China Internet

and Covered Call Strategy ETF) (KLIP)

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios**

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF<sup>(2)(3)</sup>** | **2025** | **2024** | **2023<sup>(1)</sup>** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year ($) | 43.62 | 63.78 | 75.00 |
| Net Investment Income (Loss) ($)\* | 0.99 | 1.14 | (0.03) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments ($) | 2.44 | 5.52 | (2.73 |
| Total from Operations ($) | 3.43 | 6.66 | (2.76 |
| Distribution from Net Investment Income ($) | (5.54) | (14.76) | (6.27) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution from Capital Gains ($) |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Return of Capital ($) | (8.66) | (12.06) | (2.19 |
| Total from Distributions ($) | (14.20) | (26.82) | (8.46 |
| Net Asset Value, End of Year ($) | 32.85 | 43.62 | 63.78 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | 10.51 | 14.27 | (3.56 |
| Net Assets End of Year ($) (000) | 104569 | 163601 | 5314 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%) | 0.26‡ | 0.26‡ | 0.26 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, as applicable) (%) | 0.26‡ | 0.26‡ | 0.26 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (%) | 2.65 | 2.30 | (0.14) |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate (%) | 424 | 347 |  |

---

(1) The Fund's inception date was on January 11, 2023.

(2) Effective January 27, 2025, the KraneShares China Internet and Covered Call Strategy ETF was renamed the KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF.

(3) Share transactions have been adjusted to reflect the effect of
 a 1 for 3 reverse share split on January 1, 2025 (See Note 9 in the Notes to Financial Statements).

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| † | Annualized. |
| †† | Portfolio turnover rate is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. Excludes effect of in-kind transfers. |
| ‡ | In addition to the fees and expenses which the Fund bears directly, it also indirectly bears a pro-rata share of the fees and expenses of the underlying funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the above expense ratios. |

---

KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF (KLXY)

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios**

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF** | **2025** | **2024<sup>(1)</sup>** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year ($) | 26.73 | 25.00 |
| Net Investment Income (Loss) ($)\* | 0.21 | 0.07 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments ($) | (3.79) | 1.70 |
| Total from Operations ($) | (3.58) | 1.77 |
| Distribution from Net Investment Income ($) | (0.13) | (0.04) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution from Capital Gains ($) | (0.05) |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Return of Capital ($) |  |  |
| Total from Distributions ($) | (0.18) | (0.04 |
| Net Asset Value, End of Year ($) | 22.97 | 26.73 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | (13.44) | 7.08 |
| Net Assets End of Year ($) (000) | 2871 | 2673 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%) | 0.69 | 0.69 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, as applicable) (%) | 0.69 | 0.69 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (%) | 0.88 | 0.53 |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate (%) | 55 | 14 |

---

(1) The Fund's inception date was on September 6, 2023.

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| † | Annualized. |
| †† | Portfolio turnover rate is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. Excludes effect of in-kind transfers. |

---

KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF (KVLE)

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios**

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF<sup>(1)</sup>** | **2025** | **2024** | **2023** | **2022** | **2021<sup>(2)</sup>** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year ($) | 24.13 | 22.27 | 23.53 | 23.01 | 20.00 |
| Net Investment Income (Loss) ($)\* | 0.54 | 0.60 | 0.56 | 0.48 | 0.20 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments ($) | 2.24 | 2.11 | (0.59) | 2.45 | 2.88 |
| Total from Operations ($) | 2.78 | 2.71 | (0.03) | 2.93 | 3.08 |
| Distribution from Net Investment Income ($) | (0.54) | (0.63) | (0.55) | (0.58) | (0.07) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution from Capital Gains ($) | (1.60) | (0.22) | (0.68) | (1.83) |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Return of Capital ($) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Total from Distributions ($) | (2.14) | (0.85) | (1.23) | (2.41) | (0.07 |
| Net Asset Value, End of Year ($) | 24.77 | 24.13 | 22.27 | 23.53 | 23.01 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | 11.31 | 12.45 | 0.19 | 12.62 | 15.46 |
| Net Assets End of Year ($) (000) | 28483 | 31375 | 31174 | 30583 | 25315 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%) | 0.56 | 0.56 | 0.56 | 0.55 | 0.55 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, as applicable) (%) | 0.56 | 0.56 | 0.56 | 0.55 | 0.55 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (%) | 2.13 | 2.69 | 2.53 | 1.99 | 2.68 |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate (%) | 80 | 200 | 155 | 164 | 55 |

---

(1) Effective September 29, 2023, the KFA Value Line<sup>®</sup>Dynamic Core Equity Index ETF was renamed the KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup>Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF.

(2) The Fund's inception date was on November 23, 2020.

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| † | Annualized. |
| †† | Portfolio turnover rate is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. Excludes effect of in-kind transfers. |

---

Amounts designated as "—" are $0 or have been rounded to $0.

KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF (KMLM)

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios**

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF** | **2025<sup>(1)</sup>** | **2024<sup>(1)</sup>** | **2023<sup>(1)</sup>** | **2022<sup>(1)</sup>** | **2021<sup>(1)(2)</sup>** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year ($) | 29.90 | 29.60 | 31.51 | 27.55 | 25.00 |
| Net Investment Income (Loss) ($)\* | 1.10 | 1.26 | 0.54 | (0.18) | (0.06) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments ($) | (3.45) | (0.96) | 1.59 | 5.98 | 2.61 |
| Total from Operations ($) | (2.35) | 0.30 | 2.13 | 5.80 | 2.55 |
| Distribution from Net Investment Income ($) | (0.23) |  | (1.56) | (1.77) |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution from Capital Gains ($) |  |  | (2.48) | (0.07) |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Return of Capital ($) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Total from Distributions ($) | (0.23) |  | (4.04) | (1.84) |  |
| Net Asset Value, End of Year ($) | 27.32 | 29.90 | 29.60 | 31.51 | 27.55 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | (7.88) | 1.01 | 6.21 | 22.21 | 10.20 |
| Net Assets End of Year ($) (000) | 221265 | 264626 | 278274 | 45697 | 28923 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%) | 0.90 | 0.90 | 0.90 | 0.89 | 0.89 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, as applicable) (%) | 0.90 | 0.90 | 0.90 | 0.89 | 0.89 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (%) | 3.82 | 4.14 | 1.61 | (0.63) | (0.63) |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate (%) |  |  | 251 | 15 |  |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| † | Annualized. |
| †† | Portfolio turnover rate is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. Excludes effect of in-kind transfers. |
| (1) | KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF includes the account of the Fund's Subsidiary, KFA MLM Index Subsidiary, Ltd. |
| (2) | The Fund's inception date was on December 1, 2020. |

---

Amounts designated as "—" are $0 or have been rounded to $0.

KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF (KRBN)

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios**

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31 (unless otherwise indicated)**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF** | **2025<sup>(1)</sup>** | **2024<sup>(1)</sup>** | **2023<sup>(1)</sup>** | **2022<sup>(1)</sup>** | **2021<sup>(1)(2)</sup>** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year ($) | 30.84 | 39.70 | 46.53 | 28.39 | 20.00 |
| Net Investment Income (Loss) ($)\* | 0.96 | 1.01 | (0.06) | (0.38) | (0.12) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments ($) | (1.49) | (7.10) | 1.59 | 18.77 | 8.51 |
| Total from Operations ($) | (0.53) | (6.09) | 1.53 | 18.39 | 8.39 |
| Distribution from Net Investment Income ($) | (2.08) | (2.77) | (8.36) | (0.25) |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Return of Capital ($) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Total from Distributions ($) | (2.08) | (2.77) | (8.36) | (0.25) |  |
| Net Asset Value, End of Year ($) | 28.23 | 30.84 | 39.70 | 46.53 | 28.39 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | (1.46) | (16.16) | 4.43 | 64.71 | 41.95 |
| Net Assets End of Year ($) (000) | 172178 | 303813 | 635278 | 1363252 | 93701 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%) | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.87 | 0.78 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, as applicable) (%) | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.87 | 0.78 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (%) | 3.03 | 2.78 | (0.13) | (0.86) | (0.72) |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate (%) | 45 |  |  |  |  |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| † | Annualized. |
| †† | Portfolio turnover rate is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. Excludes effect of in-kind transfers. |
| (1) | KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF includes the account of the Fund's Subsidiary, KFA Global Carbon Subsidiary, Ltd. |
| (2) | The Fund's inception date was on July 29, 2020. |

---

KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF (KEUA)

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios**

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31 (unless otherwise indicated)**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

---

| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF** | **2025<sup>(1)</sup>** | **2024<sup>(1)</sup>** | **2023<sup>(1)</sup>** | **2022<sup>(1)(2)(3)</sup>** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year ($) | 21.16 | 34.02 | 28.81 | 25.00 |
| Net Investment Income (Loss) ($)\* | 0.54 | 0.61 | (0.15) | (0.13) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments ($) | 1.00 | (11.91) | 5.36 | 3.94 |
| Total from Operations ($) | 1.54 | (11.30) | 5.21 | 3.81 |
| Distribution from Net Investment Income ($) | (1.67) | (1.56) |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Return of Capital ($) |  |  |  |  |
| Total from Distributions ($) | (1.67) | (1.56) |  |  |
| Net Asset Value, End of Year ($) | 21.03 | 21.16 | 34.02 | 28.81 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | 8.05 | (33.81) | 18.08 | 15.24 |
| Net Assets End of Year ($) (000) | 7360 | 11640 | 31472 | 28810 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%) | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.87 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, as applicable) (%) | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.87 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (%) | 2.35 | 2.09 | (0.49) | (0.87) |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate (%) | 10 |  |  |  |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| † | Annualized. |
| †† | Portfolio turnover rate is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. Excludes effect of in-kind transfers. |
| (1) | KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF includes the account of the Fund's Subsidiary, KraneShares European Carbon Subsidiary, Ltd. |
| (2) | The Fund's inception date was on October 4, 2021. |
| (3) | All per share amounts and net asset values have been adjusted as a result of a 3 to 1 forward stock split on December 10, 2021. |

---

KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF (KCCA)

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios**

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31 (unless otherwise indicated)**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

---

| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF** | **2025<sup>(2)</sup>** | **2024<sup>(2)</sup>** | **2023<sup>(2)</sup>** | **2022<sup>(1)(2)</sup>** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year ($) | 28.63 | 23.95 | 25.77 | 25.00 |
| Net Investment Income (Loss) ($)\* | 0.82 | 1.00 | 0.26 | (0.11) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments ($) | (6.73) | 4.62 | (2.02) | 0.88 |
| Total from Operations ($) | (5.91) | 5.62 | (1.76) | 0.77 |
| Distribution from Net Investment Income ($) | (6.00) | (0.94) | (0.06) |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Return of Capital ($) |  |  |  |  |
| Total from Distributions ($) | (6.00) | (0.94) | (0.06) |  |
| Net Asset Value, End of Year ($) | 16.72 | 28.63 | 23.95 | 25.77 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | (24.92) | 23.47 | (6.83) | 3.08 |
| Net Assets End of Year ($) (000) | 109082 | 261265 | 229310 | 139149 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%) | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.91 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, as applicable) (%) | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.91 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (%) | 3.71 | 3.57 | 1.11 | (0.91) |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate (%) | 74 |  |  |  |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| † | Annualized. |
| †† | Portfolio turnover rate is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. Excludes effect of in-kind transfers. |

---

(1) The Fund's inception date was on October 4, 2021.

(2) KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF includes the account of the Fund's Subsidiary, KraneShares California Carbon Subsidiary, Ltd.

KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF (KSPY)

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios**

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF** | **2025<sup>(1)</sup>** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year ($) | 25.00 |
| Net Investment Income (Loss) ($)\* | 0.11 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments ($) | 0.62 |
| Total from Operations ($) | 0.73 |
| Distribution from Net Investment Income ($) | (0.05) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution from Capital Gains ($) | (0.28) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Return of Capital ($) |  |
| Total from Distributions ($) | (0.33 |
| Net Asset Value, End of Period ($) | 25.40 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | 2.91 |
| Net Assets End of Year ($) (000) | 13968 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%) | 0.69 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, as applicable) (%)~ | 0.79 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (%) | 0.62 |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate (%) | 2 |

---

(1) The Fund's inception date was on July 15, 2024.

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| † | Annualized. |
| †† | Portfolio turnover rate is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. Excludes effect of in-kind transfers. |
| ~ | During the periods, certain fees were waived. |

---

KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF (AGIX)

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios**

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF** | **2025<sup>(1)</sup>** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year ($) | 25.00 |
| Net Investment Income (Loss) ($)\* | (0.13) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments ($) | (0.16 |
| Total from Operations ($) | (0.29 |
| Distribution from Net Investment Income ($) |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution from Capital Gains ($) | (0.11) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Return of Capital ($) |  |
| Total from Distributions ($) | (0.11 |
| Net Asset Value, End of Period ($) | 24.60 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | (1.24 |
| Net Assets End of Period ($) (000) | 22141 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%) | 0.99 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, as applicable) (%) | 0.99 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (%) | (0.64) |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate (%) | 49 |

---

(1) The Fund's inception date was on July 17, 2024.

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| † | Annualized. |
| †† | Portfolio turnover rate is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. Excludes effect of in-kind transfers. |

---

KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF (KCSH)

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios**

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF** | **2025<sup>(1)</sup>** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Year ($) | 25.00 |
| Net Investment Income (Loss) ($)\* | 0.83 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments ($) | 0.02 |
| Total from Operations ($) | 0.85 |
| Distribution from Net Investment Income ($) | (0.80) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution from Capital Gains ($) |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Return of Capital ($) |  |
| Total from Distributions ($) | (0.80 |
| Net Asset Value, End of Period ($) | 25.05 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | 3.43 |
| Net Assets End of Period ($) (000) | 210407 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%) | 0.20 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, as applicable) (%)~ | 0.30 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (%) | 4.82 |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate (%) |  |

---

(1) The Fund's inception date was on July 25, 2024.

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| † | Annualized. |
| †† | Portfolio turnover rate is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. Excludes effect of in-kind transfers. |
| ~ | During the periods, certain fees were waived. |

---

KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF (KCAI)

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios**

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF** | **2025<sup>(1)</sup>** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period ($) | 25.00 |
| Net Investment Income (Loss) ($)\* | 0.19 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments ($) | 2.55 |
| Total from Operations ($) | 2.74 |
| Distribution from Net Investment Income ($) | (0.19) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution from Capital Gains ($) | (0.40) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Return of Capital ($) |  |
| Total from Distributions ($) | (0.59 |
| Net Asset Value, End of Period ($) | 27.15 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | 11.02 |
| Net Assets End of Period ($) (000) | 10859 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%) | 0.79 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, as applicable) (%) | 0.79 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (%) | 1.17 |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate (%) | 149 |

---

(1) The Fund's inception date was on August 27, 2024.

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| † | Annualized. |
| †† | Portfolio turnover rate is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. Excludes effect of in-kind transfers. |

---

KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF (BUYO)

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios**

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF** | **2025<sup>(1)</sup>** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period ($) | 25.00 |
| Net Investment Income (Loss) ($)\* |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments ($) | (2.29 |
| Total from Operations ($) | (2.29 |
| Distribution from Net Investment Income ($) |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution from Capital Gains ($) | (0.01) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Return of Capital ($) |  |
| Total from Distributions ($) | (0.01 |
| Net Asset Value, End of Period ($) | 22.70 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | (9.16 |
| Net Assets End of Period ($) (000) | 10217 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%) | 0.89 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, as applicable) (%) | 0.89 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (%) | 0.01 |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate (%) | 27 |

---

(1) The Fund's inception date was on October 7, 2024.

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| † | Annualized. |
| †† | Portfolio turnover rate is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. Excludes effect of in-kind transfers. |

---

**Additional Information**

*Additional and more detailed information about the Funds are included in the SAI dated August 1, 2025. The SAI has been filed with the SEC and is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus and, therefore, legally forms a part of this Prospectus. The SEC maintains the EDGAR database on its website ("http://www.sec.gov") that contains the SAI, material incorporated by reference, and other information regarding registrants that file electronically with the SEC and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.*

*You may obtain a copy of the SAI, the Annual or Semi-Annual Reports to shareholders, and other information such as Fund financial statements, or make inquiries, without charge, by calling 1.855.857.2638, visiting www.kraneshares.com, or writing the Trust at 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10017. Additional information about the Funds' investments will be available in the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports and in Form N-CSR. Also, in the Funds' Annual Report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Funds' performance during its last fiscal year. In Form N-CSR, you will find the Funds' annual and semi-annual financial statements. Each Fund's fiscal year end is March 31.*

*No one has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations not contained in this Prospectus or in the Funds' SAI in connection with the offering of Fund shares. Do not rely on any such information or representations as having been authorized by a Fund, Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable. This Prospectus does not constitute an offering by a Fund in any jurisdiction where such an offering is not lawful.*

*The Trust enters into contractual arrangements with various parties, including among others, the Funds' investment adviser, sub-adviser(s) (if applicable), distributor, custodian, and transfer agent who provide services to the Funds. Shareholders are not parties to any such contractual arrangements or intended beneficiaries of those contractual arrangements, and those contractual arrangements are not intended to create in any shareholder any right to enforce them against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the Trust.*

*This prospectus provides information concerning the Funds that you should consider in determining whether to purchase Fund shares. Neither this prospectus nor the SAI is intended, or should be read, to be or give rise to an agreement or contract between the Trust, the Trustees, or the Fund and any investor, or to give rise to any rights in any shareholder or other person other than any rights under federal or state law that may not be waived.*

The Trust's Investment Company Act file number is 811-22698.

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**KraneShares Trust**

Prospectus

August 1, 2025

Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF - (IVOL)

Quadratic Deflation ETF - (BNDD)

Fund shares are not individually redeemable. Fund shares are listed on NYSE Arca, Inc. ("Exchange").

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

**KraneShares Trust**

**Table of Contents**

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Fund Summary** |  |
| [Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF](#pro-ivol_002) | 1 |
| [Quadratic Deflation ETF](#pro-ivol_003) | 10 |
| **[Additional Information About the Funds](#pro-ivol_004)** | **19** |
| **[Management](#pro-ivol_006)** | **30** |
| [Investment Adviser](#pro-ivol_007) | 30 |
| [Investment Sub-Adviser](#pro-ivol_008) | 31 |
| [Portfolio Manager](#pro-ivol_009) | 32 |
| **[Shareholder Information](#pro-ivol_010)** | 32 |
| [Calculating NAV](#pro-ivol_011) | 32 |
| [Buying and Selling Fund Shares](#pro-ivol_012) | 34 |
| [Active Investors and Market Timing](#pro-ivol_013) | 35 |
| [Investments by Registered Investment Companies](#pro-ivol_014) | 35 |
| [Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries](#pro-ivol_015) | 35 |
| [Distribution Plan](#pro-ivol_016) | 36 |
| [Dividends and Distributions](#pro-ivol_017) | 36 |
| [Additional Tax Information](#pro-ivol_018) | 37 |
| [Disclaimers](#pro-ivol_019) | 40 |
| **[Financial Highlights](#pro-ivol_020)** | **41** |
| **[Additional Information](#pro-ivol_021)** | **44** |

---

i

**Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF**

**Investment Objective**

The Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF (the "Fund") is a fixed income ETF that seeks to hedge relative interest rate movements, whether these movements arise from falling short-term interest rates or rising long-term interest rates, and to benefit from market stress when fixed income volatility increases, while providing the potential for enhanced inflation-protected income.

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees** (fees paid directly from your investment)

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.99% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees<sup>\*</sup> | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses | 0.02% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses | 0.01% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 1.02% |

---

\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| $104 | $325 | $563 | $1248 |

---

**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 0% of the average value of its portfolio. This rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Fund's shares and is calculated without regard to most derivatives. If such instruments were included, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate would be higher.

1 Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility andInflation Hedge ETF

**Principal Investment Strategies**

The Fund is actively managed and, under normal circumstances, seeks to achieve its investment objective primarily by investing, directly or indirectly, in a mix of U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities ("TIPS") and long options tied to the shape of the U.S. interest rate curve (described below). A "long option" refers to the purchase of an option, as opposed to the sale of an option not previously owned by the Fund, which would be referred to as a "short option." The Fund's strategy is designed to hedge against inflation risk and generate positive returns from the Fund's options during periods when interest rate volatility increases and/or the U.S. interest rate curve steepens (i.e., the spread between interest rates on U.S. long-term debt instruments and U.S. shorter-term debt instruments widens). Because equity and real estate market corrections tend to be correlated with interest rate volatility and a steepening of the interest rate curve, the Fund's strategy may also serve to hedge against the risks of such market corrections.

The Fund invests in TIPS directly or through other exchange-traded funds ("ETFs") that invest in TIPS. TIPS are U.S. government bonds (specifically, Treasury securities) whose principal amount increases with inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index ("CPI"), and are designed to protect investors from inflation risk. The Fund may purchase TIPS of any maturity.

The Fund also invests in long options tied to the shape of the U.S. interest rate swap curve. The U.S. interest rate swap curve is a type of interest rate curve that reflects the fixed interest rates used in interest rate swap agreements with different maturities (swap rates are the fixed interest rate exchanged for a floating interest rate in an interest rate swap). Such options are expected to (i) appreciate in value as the curve steepens or interest rate volatility increases and (ii) decrease in value or become worthless as the curve flattens or inverts or interest rate volatility declines. The U.S. interest rate swap curve "steepens" when the spread between swap rates on longer-term debt instruments and shorter-term debt instruments widens, "flattens" when such spread narrows, and "inverts" when swap rates on longer-term debt instruments become lower than those for shorter-term debt instruments (i.e., the spread is negative).

When the Fund purchases an option, the Fund pays a cost (premium) to purchase the option. The Fund's investments in options will be traded in the over-the counter ("OTC") market. OTC derivative instruments generally have more flexible terms negotiated between the buyer and the seller. These instruments would generally be subject to greater counterparty risk. Many of the protections afforded to exchange participants will not be available for OTC options and there is no daily price fluctuation limits. OTC instruments also may be subject to greater liquidity risk. Under the Fund's option contracts, the Fund pays upfront for the option contracts (i.e., the premium), and counterparties are not required to post variation margin. There is no potential additional cash outflow or future liability for the Fund under the options; the Fund's only potential loss on such options is the premium paid in advance. However, the Fund's options contracts are subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk of non-performance by an options counterparty. Such non-performance could result in a material loss to the Fund. The Fund is also subject to custodial risk as a result of (1) holding cash at the Fund's custodian because such cash deposits are unsecured liabilities of the custodian and (2) the custodian, at times, sweeping excess cash to other banks, which would be unsecured liabilities of those other banks.

Options contracts, by their terms, have stated expirations; therefore, to maintain consistent exposure to options, the Fund must periodically migrate out of options nearing expiration and into options with later expirations — a process referred to as "rolling." The Fund's investment sub-adviser, Quadratic Capital Management LLC ("Quadratic" or the "Sub-Adviser"), expects that the Fund will typically purchase options with a time-to-expiration of between six months and two years, though the Fund may purchase options with shorter or longer expirations.

Under normal circumstances, the Sub-Adviser generally expects to invest less than 20% of the Fund's assets in option premiums (as defined below) and to actively manage the Fund's options investments to reduce the weight of such options in the Fund's portfolio if their value increases above the desired amount. Similarly, the Sub-Adviser generally expects to sell portfolio investments and reinvest proceeds in options if the value of such options declines below the desired amount.

2 Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility andInflation Hedge ETF

Investments in derivative instruments, such as options, have the economic effect of creating financial leverage in the Fund's portfolio because such investments may give rise to gains or losses that are disproportionate to the amount the Fund has invested in those instruments. Because the Fund only invests in long options as part of its principal investment strategy, the maximum loss for the Fund's options position is the "options premium," which is defined as the premium paid for the options and any post-purchase appreciation in value. Thus, any disproportionate returns are generally expected to exist only when the value of such options appreciates. However, following such appreciation, even small changes in the shape of the U.S. interest rate curve or interest rate volatility may result in a significant decline in the value of such options with a maximum loss equal to the options premium. **The Fund is likely to be significantly more volatile than a fund holding only long positions in the same U.S. government bonds as the Fund because the options component of the Fund could result in significant gains for the Fund or in a complete loss of the premium for the Fund's options.**

The Fund is non-diversified and therefore may invest a larger percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or smaller number of issuers than diversified funds.

**Principal Risks**

As with all exchange traded funds ("ETFs"), a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

The derivative instruments and techniques that the Fund may principally use include the following risks:

*Options Risk.* If the Fund buys an option, it buys a legal contract giving it the right to buy or sell a specific amount of the underlying instrument or swap on the underlying instrument at an agreed-upon price typically in exchange for a premium paid by the Fund. In general, most options on interest rate swaps are "European-style" options, which means that they can only be exercised at the end of the option term. A decision as to whether, when and how to use options involves the exercise of skill and judgment and even a well-conceived option transaction may be unsuccessful because of market behavior or unexpected events. The prices of options can be highly volatile and the use of options can lower total returns.

OTC options generally have more flexible terms negotiated between the buyer and the seller, but the counterparties may be required to post "variation margin" as frequently as daily to reflect any gains or losses in such options contracts. Where, as here, such variation margin is not required to be posted, such instruments are generally subject to greater credit risk and counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party to the derivative will fail to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the option. Counterparty risk may arise because of market activities and developments, the counterparty's financial condition (including financial difficulties, bankruptcy, or insolvency), or other reasons. OTC instruments also may be subject to greater liquidity risk.

3 Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility andInflation Hedge ETF

**Hedging Risk.** The Fund seeks to mitigate (or hedge) the risk associated with the potential impact of a steepening U.S. interest rate curve ("curve risk"), an increase in inflation and inflation expectations, and an increase in interest rate volatility on the performance of U.S. government bonds. The Fund does not seek to mitigate credit risk, non-curve interest rate risk, or other factors influencing the price of U.S. government bonds, which factors may have a greater impact on the bonds' returns than the U.S. interest rate curve or inflation. Further, there is no guarantee that the Fund's investments will eliminate or mitigate curve risk, inflation risk or the potential impact of interest rate volatility on long positions in U.S. government bonds. **If interest rates rise in parallel within the U.S. interest rate curve, the Fund will not be hedged.** In addition, when the U.S. interest rate curve flattens or inverts, the Fund's investments in options may lose value or end up worthless. Under such circumstances, the Fund will generally underperform a portfolio comprised solely of U.S. government bonds (without the options owned by the Fund). **In a flattening or inverted curve environment, the Fund's hedging strategy could result in disproportionately larger losses in the Fund's options as compared to gains or losses in its U.S. government bond positions attributable to interest rate changes.** There is no guarantee that the Fund will have positive returns, even in environments of sharply rising inflation rates in which the Fund's options might be expected to mitigate the effects of such rises. The Fund will incur expenses when entering into positions in rate-linked options. Moreover, to the extent that curve risk has been priced into the U.S. government bonds owned by the Fund, the Fund will underperform other investments even during periods of curve steepening.

**Rate-Linked Derivatives Investment Risk.** The Fund's exposure to derivatives tied to interest rates subjects the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities, such as stocks and bonds. **Investing in derivatives tied to interest rates, including through options tied to the shape of the U.S. interest rate curve, can be extremely volatile.** The value of such investments may fluctuate rapidly based on a variety of factors, including overall market movements; economic events and policies; changes in interest rates or inflation rates; changes in monetary and exchange control programs; war; acts of terrorism; natural disasters; and technological developments. The Fund is expected to benefit from the options it holds if the U.S. interest rate curve steepens during the time period in which the Fund holds the options. However, if the U.S. interest rate curve flattens or inverts, the Fund will lose money on the options, up to the amount invested in option premiums, and underperform an otherwise identical bond fund that had not used such options. Rate-linked derivatives may lose money if interest rates change in a manner not anticipated by the Sub-Adviser.

An increase in interest rates may cause the value of securities held directly or indirectly by the Fund to decline to the extent that the increase is not linked to a steepening of the U.S. interest rate curve or the Fund's hedging strategy is not effectively implemented. Even if the Fund is hedged against losses due to interest rate increases linked to U.S. interest rate curve steepening, outright interest rate increases may lead to heightened volatility in the fixed-income markets and may positively affect the value of the Fund's options while negatively impacting the Fund's investments in TIPS.

There can be no assurance that the Fund's interest-rate linked options will accurately deliver positive returns if inflation experienced in the United States or the rate of expected future inflation reflected in the prices and yields of bonds held by the Fund rises. The Fund could lose money on the options held by the Fund, and the present value of the Fund's portfolio investments could decrease if inflation increases. These interest rate-linked options may also cause the Fund's net asset value and returns to be more volatile and expose the Fund to increased counterparty risk. Fluctuations in the steepness of the U.S. interest rate curve or the price of the options owned by the Fund could materially adversely affect an investment in the Fund.

The Fund's investments in options are not intended to mitigate duration and credit risk or other factors influencing the price of U.S. government bonds, which may have a greater impact on the bonds' returns than curve risk. Moreover, to the extent that curve risk has been priced into the government bonds owned directly or indirectly by the Fund, the Fund could underperform other investments even during inflationary periods. There is no guarantee that the Fund will have positive performance even in environments of sharply rising inflation. There is no guarantee that the Fund will be able to successfully mitigate inflation risk or that bond values and interest rates will match changes in inflation rates.

4 Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility andInflation Hedge ETF

**Fixed Income Securities Risk.** Investing in fixed income securities subjects the Fund to the following risks:

**Credit Risk.** Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a security will not be able to make payments of interest and principal when due. Changes in an issuer's credit rating or the market's perception of an issuer's creditworthiness may also affect the value of an investment in that issuer.

**Event Risk.** Event risk is the risk that an unexpected event could interfere with an issuer's ability to make timely interest or principal payments or that causes market speculation about the issuer's ability to make such payments, which could cause the credit quality and market value of an issuer's bonds and/or other debt securities to decline significantly.

**Interest Rate Risk.** Generally, the value of fixed income securities will change inversely with changes in interest rates. As interest rates rise, the market value of fixed income securities tends to decrease. Conversely, as interest rates fall, the market value of fixed income securities tends to increase. This risk will be greater for long-term securities than for short-term securities. Changes in monetary policy, which can be difficult to predict, may heighten the level of interest rate risk for the Fund.

**Maturity Risk.** The value of the Fund's fixed income investments is also dependent on their maturity. Generally, the longer the maturity of a fixed income security, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates.

**TIPS Risk.** U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities ("TIPS") are debt instruments issued by the by the United States Department of the Treasury. The principal of TIPS increases with inflation and decreases with deflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index ("CPI"). When TIPS mature, investors are paid the adjusted principal or original principal, whichever is greater. Interest payments on TIPS are unpredictable and will fluctuate as the principal and corresponding interest payments are adjusted for inflation. Inflation-indexed bonds generally pay a lower nominal interest rate than a comparable non-inflation-indexed bond. There can be no assurance that the CPI will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services. Any increases in the principal amount of TIPS will be considered taxable ordinary income, even though the Fund or applicable underlying ETF will not receive the principal until maturity. As a result, the Fund may make income distributions to shareholders that exceed the cash it receives. In addition, TIPS are subject to credit risk, interest rate risk, and maturity risk.

**U.S. Government Obligations Risk.** Obligations of U.S. Government agencies and authorities receive varying levels of support and may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government, which could affect the Fund's ability to recover should they default. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Government will provide financial support to its agencies and authorities if it is not obligated by law to do so. Additionally, market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government or other countries may decline or be negative for short or long periods of time.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

5 Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility andInflation Hedge ETF

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, market turmoil, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants, or the lack of an active trading market. Markets for securities or financial instruments could be disrupted by a number of events, including, but not limited to, an economic crisis, natural disasters, new legislation or regulatory changes inside or outside the U.S. Liquid investments may become less liquid after being purchased by the Fund, particularly during periods of market stress. In addition, if a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt.

**Management Risk.** The Fund is actively-managed and may not meet its investment objective based on the Sub-Adviser's success or failure to implement investment strategies for the Fund. The Sub-Adviser's evaluations and assumptions regarding investments, interest rates, inflation, and other factors may not successfully achieve the Fund's investment objective given actual market conditions.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. In addition, the securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days that the Fund does not price its shares; as a result, the value of Fund shares may change on days when investors cannot purchase or sell their Fund holdings.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

6 Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility andInflation Hedge ETF

**High Portfolio Turnover Risk.** Pursuant to government regulations, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to most derivatives. As a result, the Fund's portfolio turnover may be low despite relatively high portfolio activity. High portfolio turnover or high portfolio activity may increase the Fund's brokerage commission costs and other transaction costs and may negatively impact the Fund's performance. Such portfolio turnover or activity also may generate net short-term capital gains.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane, a sub-adviser, and/or their affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane and a sub-adviser are subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane, a sub-adviser and/or their affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

**Tax Risk.** To qualify for the favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment accorded to a regulated investment company ("RIC") under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. Among other requirements, the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income each taxable year from certain qualifying sources of income and the Fund's assets must be diversified so that at least 50% of the value of the Fund's total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities, subject to certain other limitations (see the "Taxes" section in the SAI for additional information). The Fund's investments in certain rate-linked derivative instruments (such as rate-linked options) may generate income that is not qualifying income and such investments may not be treated as investments in "securities" for purposes of the asset diversification requirement. The Fund will also need to manage its exposure to derivatives counterparties for purposes of satisfying the diversification test. If the Fund were to fail to meet the qualifying income test or asset diversification test and fail to qualify as a RIC, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, and distributions to its shareholders would not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income, which would adversely affect the Fund's performance. The failure by the Fund to qualify as a RIC would have significant negative tax consequences to Fund shareholders and would significantly and adversely affect a shareholder's return on its investment in the Fund. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may be able to cure a failure to meet the qualifying income test or asset diversification test if such failure was due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, but to do so the Fund may incur significant fund-level taxes, which would effectively reduce (and could eliminate) the Fund's returns.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. Holding cash or cash equivalents, even strategically, may lead to missed investment opportunities. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Return of Capital Risk.** Historically, a portion of the Fund's distributions have been treated as a return of capital for tax purposes. Return of capital distributions are not taxable income to you but reduce your tax basis in your shares of the Fund. Such a reduction in tax basis will result in larger taxable gains and/or lower tax losses on a subsequent sale of shares of the Fund. There is no guarantee that the character of the Fund's distributions will be similar in the future.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

7 Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility andInflation Hedge ETF

**Performance Information**

The following bar chart and table illustrate the variability of the Fund's returns and indicate the risks of investing in the Fund by showing how the Fund's average annual total returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. All returns include the reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As always, please note that the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.ivoletf.com.

![](pro-ivol_001.jpg)

As of June 30, 2025, the Fund's calendar year-to-date total return was 12.08%.

**Best and Worst Quarter Returns (for the period reflected in the bar chart above)** 

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Return** | **Quarter Ended/Year** |
| Highest Return | 5.05% | 9/30/2024 |
| Lowest Return | -11.51% | 9/30/2022 |

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**Average Annual Total Returns for the periods ended December 31, 2024**

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF** | **1 year** | **5 years** | **Since Inception<br>(5-14-2019)** |
| Return Before Taxes | -10.92% | -3.36% | -2.45% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | -10.92% | -3.81% | -3.00% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | -6.47% | -2.61% | -1.97% |
| Bloomberg US Treasury Inflation-Linked Bond Index<br> (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | 1.84% | 1.87% | 2.45% |

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Bloomberg US Treasury Inflation-Linked Bond Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

8 Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility andInflation Hedge ETF

**Management**

**Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

Quadratic Capital Management LLC ("Quadratic" or "Sub-Adviser"), a registered Small/Minority Business Enterprise and a majority woman-owned firm, serves as the investment sub-adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Manager**

Nancy Davis, Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of Quadratic, has been primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund's portfolio since the Fund's inception in April 2019.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.ivoletf.com.

**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 IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

9 Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility andInflation Hedge ETF

**Quadratic Deflation ETF**

**Investment Objective**

The Quadratic Deflation ETF (the "Fund") seeks to benefit from lower growth, deflation, lower or negative long-term interest rates, and/or a reduction in the spread between shorter and longer term interest rates by investing in U.S. Treasuries and options.

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees** (fees paid directly from your investment)

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.99% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees<sup>\*</sup> | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses | 0.02% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses | 0.01% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 1.02% |

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\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| $104 | $325 | $563 | $1248 |

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**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 0% of the average value of its portfolio. This rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of the Fund's shares and is calculated without regard to most derivatives. If such instruments were included, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate would be higher.

10 Quadratic Deflation ETF

**Principal Investment Strategies**

The Fund is actively managed by the Fund's investment sub-adviser, Quadratic Capital Management LLC ("Quadratic" or the "Sub-Adviser"), and seeks to achieve its investment objective primarily by investing, directly or indirectly, in a mix of U.S. Treasury securities ("Treasuries") and option strategies (as defined below) tied to the shape of the U.S. interest rate swap curve (described below). The Fund's strategy is designed to hedge against deflation risk and generate positive returns from the Fund's options during periods when the U.S. interest rate curve flattens (i.e., the spread between interest rates on U.S. long-term debt instruments and U.S. shorter-term debt instruments tightens) or inverts.

The Fund invests in Treasuries of various maturities directly or through other exchange-traded funds ("ETFs") that invest in Treasuries. The "option strategies" used by the Fund are options strategies of various maturities that are tied to the shape of the U.S. interest rate swap curve and structured to limit the loss to the Fund and include long options, long spreads and butterflies. The U.S. interest rate swap curve is a type of interest rate curve that reflects the fixed interest rates used in interest rate swap agreements with different maturities. ("Swap rates" are a fixed interest rate exchanged for a floating interest rate in an interest rate swap). The Fund may buy options, long spreads and "butterflies". Long spreads involve buying one call (put) option and selling another call (put) option to create a range consisting of a lower (higher) strike price and an upper (lower) strike price and the maximum loss should be limited to the premium paid. Butterflies involve buying a call (put) with a lower (higher) strike price, selling two call (put) options with an intermediate strike price, and buying one additional call (put) option with a higher (lower) strike price and the maximum loss should be limited to the premium paid.

The option strategies used by the Fund are expected to (i) appreciate in value as the curve flattens or inverts (i.e., lower or negative long-term interest rates and/or a reduction in the spread between shorter and longer term interest rates) and (ii) decrease in value or become worthless as the curve steepens. The U.S. interest rate swap curve "flattens" when the spread between swap rates on longer-term debt instruments and shorter-term debt instruments narrows, "steepens" when such spread widens, and "inverts" when swap rates on longer-term debt instruments become lower than those for shorter-term debt instruments (i.e., the spread is negative).

When the Fund purchases an option, the Fund pays a cost (premium) to purchase the option. The Fund's investments in options will be traded in the over-the counter ("OTC") market. OTC derivative instruments generally have more flexible terms negotiated between the buyer and the seller. These instruments would generally be subject to greater counterparty risk. Many of the protections afforded to exchange participants will not be available for OTC options and there is no daily price fluctuation limits. OTC instruments also may be subject to greater liquidity risk. Under the Fund's option contracts, the Fund pays upfront for the option contracts (i.e., the premium), and counterparties are not required to post variation margin. There is no potential additional cash outflow or future liability for the Fund under the options; the Fund's only potential loss on such options is the premium paid in advance. However, the Fund's options contracts are subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk of non-performance by an options counterparty. Such non-performance could result in a material loss to the Fund. The Fund is also subject to significant counterparty risk as a result of holding cash at the Fund's custodian because such cash deposits are unsecured liabilities of the custodian.

Options contracts, by their terms, have stated expirations; therefore, to maintain consistent exposure to options, the Fund will periodically migrate out of existing positions and into different positions with different strike prices and maturities — a process referred to as "rolling." Quadratic will use its discretion to implement option strategies with a time-to-expiration of any maturity.

Under normal circumstances, the Sub-Adviser generally expects to invest less than 20% of the Fund's assets in option premiums (as defined below) and to actively manage the Fund's options investments to reduce the weight of such options in the Fund's portfolio if their value increases above the desired amount. Similarly, the Sub-Adviser generally expects to sell portfolio investments and reinvest proceeds in options if the value of such options declines below the desired amount.

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Investments in derivative instruments, such as the options used in the options strategies, have the economic effect of creating financial leverage in the Fund's portfolio because such investments may give rise to gains or losses that are disproportionate to the amount the Fund has invested in those instruments. Because the Fund only invests option strategies structured to limit the potential loss to the Fund as part of its principal investment strategy, the maximum loss for the Fund's options position is the "options premium," which is defined as the net premium paid for the options and any post-purchase appreciation in value. Thus, any disproportionate returns are generally expected to exist only when the value of such options appreciates. However, following such appreciation, even small changes in the shape of the U.S. interest rate curve or interest rate volatility may result in a significant decline in the value of such options with a maximum loss equal to the options premium at risk. Even small changes in the shape of the U.S. interest rate curve or changes to interest rate volatility levels may result in a significant decline in the value of such options. While the options strategies used by the Fund are structured to limit the potential loss to the Fund, there is no guarantee that this will occur.

The Fund is non-diversified and therefore may invest a larger percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or smaller number of issuers than diversified funds.

**Principal Risks**

As with all exchange traded funds ("ETFs"), a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

The derivative instruments and techniques that the Fund may principally use include the following risks:

*Options Risk.* If the Fund buys an option, it buys a legal contract giving it the right to buy or sell a specific amount of the underlying instrument or swap on the underlying instrument at an agreed-upon price typically in exchange for a premium paid by the Fund. In general, most options on interest rate swaps are "European-style" options, which means that they can only be exercised at the end of the option term. A decision as to whether, when and how to use options involves the exercise of skill and judgment and even a well-conceived option transaction may be unsuccessful because of market behavior or unexpected events. The prices of options can be highly volatile and the use of options can lower total returns.

OTC options generally have more flexible terms negotiated between the buyer and the seller, but the counterparties may be required to post "variation margin" as frequently as daily to reflect any gains or losses in such options contracts. Where, as here, such variation margin is not required to be posted, such instruments are generally subject to greater credit risk and counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party to the derivative will fail to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the option. Counterparty risk may arise because of market activities and developments, the counterparty's financial condition (including financial difficulties, bankruptcy, or insolvency), or other reasons. OTC instruments also may be subject to greater liquidity risk.

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*Options Strategies Risk.* The options strategies used by the Fund may involve writing covered options and are structured as long call spreads, long put spreads or long butterflies. If there is a broad market move, the strategies may not have the same return as a strategy composed of only long options. The Fund will pay a premium for its options strategies and they are structured to limit the potential loss to the Fund to the market value of the options strategy; however, there is no guarantee that this will occur. If an option that the Fund has purchased is never exercised or closed out, the Fund will lose the amount of the premium it paid and the use of those funds.

**Hedging Risk.** The Fund seeks to mitigate (or hedge) the risk associated with the potential impact of a flattening or inverting U.S. interest rate curve ("curve risk"), deflation and deflationary expectations, on the performance of U.S. government bonds. The Fund does not seek to mitigate credit risk, non-curve interest rate risk, or other factors influencing the price of U.S. government bonds, which factors may have a greater impact on the bonds' returns than the U.S. interest rate curve or deflation. Further, there is no guarantee that the Fund's investments will eliminate or mitigate curve risk, deflation risk on long positions in U.S. government bonds. **If interest rates increase in parallel within the U.S. interest rate curve, the Fund will not be hedged.** In addition, when the U.S. interest rate curve steepens, the Fund's investments in options may lose value or end up worthless. Under such circumstances, the Fund will generally underperform a portfolio comprised solely of U.S. government bonds (without the options owned by the Fund). **In a steepening curve environment, the Fund's hedging strategy could result in disproportionately larger losses in the Fund's options as compared to gains or losses in its U.S. government bond positions attributable to interest rate changes.** There is no guarantee that the Fund will have positive returns, even in environments of sharply declining inflation rates. The Fund will incur expenses when entering into positions in rate-linked options. Moreover, to the extent that curve risk has been priced into the U.S. government bonds owned by the Fund, the Fund will underperform other investments even during periods of curve flattening.

**Rate-Linked Derivatives Investment Risk.** The Fund's exposure to derivatives tied to interest rates subjects the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities, such as stocks and bonds. **Investing in derivatives tied to interest rates, including through options tied to the shape of the U.S. interest rate curve, can be extremely volatile.** The value of such investments may fluctuate rapidly based on a variety of factors, including overall market movements; economic events and policies; changes in interest rates or inflation rates; changes in monetary and exchange control programs; war; acts of terrorism; natural disasters; and technological developments. The Fund is expected to benefit from the options it holds if the U.S. interest rate curve flattens or inverts during the time period in which the Fund holds the options. However, if the U.S. interest rate curve steepens, the Fund will lose money on the options, up to the amount invested in option premiums, and underperform an otherwise identical bond fund that had not used such options. Rate-linked derivatives may lose money if interest rates change in a manner not anticipated by the Sub-Adviser.

An increase in interest rates may cause the value of securities held directly or indirectly by the Fund to decline to the extent that the increase is not linked to a flattening or inverting of the U.S. interest rate curve or the Fund's hedging strategy is not effectively implemented. Even if the Fund is hedged against losses due to interest rate increase linked to U.S. interest rate curve flattening or inverting, outright interest rate increases may lead to heightened volatility in the fixed-income markets and may positively affect the value of the Fund's options while negatively impacting the Fund's investments in Treasuries.

There can be no assurance that the Fund's interest-rate linked options will accurately deliver positive returns if deflation experienced in the United States or the rate of expected future inflation reflected in the prices and yields of bonds held by the Fund declines. The Fund could lose money on the options held by the Fund, and the present value of the Fund's portfolio investments could decrease if deflation occurs. These interest rate-linked options may also cause the Fund's net asset value and returns to be more volatile and expose the Fund to increased counterparty risk. Fluctuations in the steepness of the U.S. interest rate curve or the price of the options owned by the Fund could materially adversely affect an investment in the Fund.

The Fund's investments in options are not intended to mitigate duration and credit risk or other factors influencing the price of U.S. government bonds, which may have a greater impact on the bonds' returns than curve risk. Moreover, to the extent that curve risk has been priced into the government bonds owned directly or indirectly by the Fund, the Fund could underperform other investments even during deflationary periods. There is no guarantee that the Fund will have positive performance even in environments of sharply declining inflation. There is no guarantee that the Fund will be able to successfully mitigate deflation risk or that bond values and interest rates will match changes in inflation rates.

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**Fixed Income Securities Risk.** Investing in fixed income securities subjects the Fund to the following risks:

**Credit Risk.** Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a security will not be able to make payments of interest and principal when due. Changes in an issuer's credit rating or the market's perception of an issuer's creditworthiness may also affect the value of an investment in that issuer.

**Event Risk.** Event risk is the risk that an unexpected event could interfere with an issuer's ability to make timely interest or principal payments or that causes market speculation about the issuer's ability to make such payments, which could cause the credit quality and market value of an issuer's bonds and/or other debt securities to decline significantly.

**Interest Rate Risk.** Generally, the value of fixed income securities will change inversely with changes in interest rates. As interest rates rise, the market value of fixed income securities tends to decrease. Conversely, as interest rates fall, the market value of fixed income securities tends to increase. This risk will be greater for long-term securities than for short-term securities. Changes in monetary policy, which can be difficult to predict, may heighten the level of interest rate risk for the Fund.

**Maturity Risk.** The value of the Fund's fixed income investments is also dependent on their maturity. Generally, the longer the maturity of a fixed income security, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates.

**U.S. Government Obligations Risk.** Obligations of U.S. Government agencies and authorities receive varying levels of support and may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government, which could affect the Fund's ability to recover should they default. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Government will provide financial support to its agencies and authorities if it is not obligated by law to do so. Additionally, market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government or other countries may decline or be negative for short or long periods of time.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

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**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, market turmoil, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants, or the lack of an active trading market. Markets for securities or financial instruments could be disrupted by a number of events, including, but not limited to, an economic crisis, natural disasters, new legislation or regulatory changes inside or outside the U.S. Liquid investments may become less liquid after being purchased by the Fund, particularly during periods of market stress. In addition, if a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt.

**Management Risk.** The Fund is actively-managed and may not meet its investment objective based on the Sub-Adviser's success or failure to implement investment strategies for the Fund. The Sub-Adviser's evaluations and assumptions regarding investments, interest rates, inflation, and other factors may not successfully achieve the Fund's investment objective given actual market conditions.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. In addition, the securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days that the Fund does not price its shares; as a result, the value of Fund shares may change on days when investors cannot purchase or sell their Fund holdings.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

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**High Portfolio Turnover Risk.** Pursuant to government regulations, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to most derivatives. As a result, the Fund's portfolio turnover may be low despite relatively high portfolio activity. High portfolio turnover or high portfolio activity may increase the Fund's brokerage commission costs and other transaction costs and may negatively impact the Fund's performance. Such portfolio turnover or activity also may generate net short-term capital gains.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane, a sub-adviser, and/or their affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane and a sub-adviser are subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane, a sub-adviser and/or their affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

**Tax Risk.** To qualify for the favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment accorded to a regulated investment company ("RIC") under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. Among other requirements, the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income each taxable year from certain qualifying sources of income and the Fund's assets must be diversified so that at least 50% of the value of the Fund's total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities, subject to certain other limitations (see the "Taxes" section in the SAI for additional information). The Fund's investments in certain rate-linked derivative instruments (such as rate-linked options) may generate income that is not qualifying income and such investments may not be treated as investments in "securities" for purposes of the asset diversification requirement. The Fund will also need to manage its exposure to derivatives counterparties for purposes of satisfying the diversification test. If the Fund were to fail to meet the qualifying income test or asset diversification test and fail to qualify as a RIC, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, and distributions to its shareholders would not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income, which would adversely affect the Fund's performance. The failure by the Fund to qualify as a RIC would have significant negative tax consequences to Fund shareholders and would significantly and adversely affect a shareholder's return on its investment in the Fund. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may be able to cure a failure to meet the qualifying income test or asset diversification test if such failure was due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, but to do so the Fund may incur significant fund-level taxes, which would effectively reduce (and could eliminate) the Fund's returns.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. Holding cash or cash equivalents, even strategically, may lead to missed investment opportunities. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Return of Capital Risk.** Historically, a portion of the Fund's distributions have been treated as a return of capital for tax purposes. Return of capital distributions are not taxable income to you but reduce your tax basis in your shares of the Fund. Such a reduction in tax basis will result in larger taxable gains and/or lower tax losses on a subsequent sale of shares of the Fund. There is no guarantee that the character of the Fund's distributions will be similar in the future.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

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**Performance Information**

The following bar chart and table illustrate the variability of the Fund's returns and indicate the risks of investing in the Fund by showing how the Fund's average annual total returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. All returns include the reinvestment of dividends and distributions. As always, please note that the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.bnddetf.com.

![](pro-ivol_002.jpg)

As of June 30, 2025, the Fund's calendar year-to-date total return was -5.71%.

**Best and Worst Quarter Returns (for the period reflected in the bar chart above)** 

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Return** | **Quarter Ended/Year** |
| Highest Return | 6.46% | 12/31/2023 |
| Lowest Return | -11.56% | 6/30/2022 |

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**Average Annual Total Returns for the periods ended December 31, 2024**

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Quadratic Deflation ETF** | **1 year** | **Since Inception<br>(9-20-2021)** |
| Return Before Taxes | -6.25% | -4.99% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions | -7.35% | -9.69% |
| Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | -3.66% | -5.51% |
| Bloomberg Long U.S. Treasury Index<br> (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | -6.41% | -11.33% |

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Bloomberg Long U.S. Treasury Index (Reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

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**Management**

**Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

Quadratic Capital Management LLC ("Quadratic" or "Sub-Adviser"), a registered Small/Minority Business Enterprise and a majority woman-owned firm, serves as the investment sub-adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Manager**

Nancy Davis, Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of Quadratic, has been primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund's portfolio since the Fund's inception in September 2021.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.bnddetf.com.

**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 IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

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**<u>Additional Information About the Funds</u>**

Each of the policies described in this Prospectus, including each Fund's investment objective, is a non-fundamental policy that may be changed by the Board of Trustees of the KraneShares Trust ("Trust") without shareholder approval. Certain fundamental policies of the Funds are set forth in the SAI.

Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF ("IVOL")

The Fund primarily invests, directly or indirectly, in TIPS. TIPS are marketable securities whose principal is adjusted based on changes in the CPI. With inflation (an increase in the CPI), the principal increases, and with deflation (a decrease in the CPI), the principal decreases. The relationship between TIPS and the CPI affects both the principal amount paid when a TIPS instrument matures and the amount of interest that a TIPS instrument pays semi-annually. When a TIPS instrument matures, the principal paid is the greater of the CPI-adjusted principal or the original principal. TIPS pay interest at a fixed rate. However, because the fixed rate is applied to the CPI-adjusted principal, interest payments can vary in amount from one period to the next. If inflation occurs, the interest payment increases. In the event of deflation, the interest payment decreases.

The Fund also invests in long options tied to the shape of the U.S. interest rate curve, which reflects the difference between swap rates applicable to debt instruments with different maturities. Interest rate swaps are derivative instruments used by two parties to "swap" interest rate exposures typically from a fixed-rate to a floating-rate or vice versa. For example, a party receiving interest based on a floating interest rate may seek to "swap" such interest payments for payments based on a fixed interest rate (known as the "swap rate"). A graph showing the swap rates for a given instrument with varying maturities would depict the swap curve for such an instrument. The Fund's options are designed to increase in value when the U.S. interest rate curve steepens and decrease in value (or become worthless) when the U.S. interest rate curve flattens or inverts.

The Sub-Adviser utilizes a proprietary investment process to assemble an investment portfolio for the Fund that is designed to generate positive returns from the Fund's options during periods when the U.S. interest rate curve steepens and/or interest rate volatility increases, while also seeking to protect against the effects of inflation. The Fund's options investments are not intended to mitigate other factors influencing the price of government bonds, such as credit and interest rate risk, which may have a greater impact on the bonds' returns together with rising or falling interest rates. Relative to a long-only investment in the same government bonds, the Fund's investment strategy is designed to outperform in a rising steepness of the U.S. interest rate curve environment and underperform in a flattening or inverted environment. Performance of the Fund could be particularly poor in risk positive, market rallying environments when it is common for government bonds to decline in value and for interest rates to rise and the U.S. interest rate curve to flatten. In addition, the performance of the Fund depends on many factors beyond rising or falling U.S. interest rate curve levels, such as the perceived level of credit risk in the government bond positions and changes in interest rates that are not correlated with inflation and curve levels. These factors may be as or more important to the performance of the Fund than the impact of U.S. interest rate curve changes and inflation. As such, there is no guarantee that the Fund will have positive performance even in environments of sharply rising inflation rates in which the hedging positions would be expected to mitigate the effect of such rises. The Fund is likely to be significantly more volatile than a fund holding only long positions in the same U.S. government bonds as the Fund because the hedging component of the Fund could result in significant gains for the Fund or in a complete loss of the premiums paid for the Fund's options.

The Sub-Adviser periodically rebalances the Fund's portfolio to maintain the desired exposure. Occasionally, market conditions and/or large Fund cash flows may require more frequent adjustment of the exposures. During the rebalancing process, the Sub-Adviser may identify securities and other instruments in the portfolio that no longer meet the principal investment strategies of the Fund and may sell such securities or other instruments to better align the portfolio with the Fund's principal investment strategies.

Quadratic Deflation ETF ("BNDD")

The Fund primarily invests, directly or indirectly, in Treasuries of any maturity. The Fund also invests in option strategies tied to the shape of the U.S. interest rate swap curve, which reflects the difference between swap rates applicable to debt instruments with different maturities. Interest rate swaps are derivative instruments used by two parties to "swap" interest rate exposures typically from a fixed-rate to a floating-rate or vice versa. For example, a party receiving interest based on a floating interest rate may seek to "swap" such interest payments for payments based on a fixed interest rate (known as the "swap rate"). A graph showing the swap rates for a given instrument with varying maturities would depict the swap curve for such an instrument. The option strategies used by the Fund are expected to increase in value when the U.S. interest rate swap curve flattens or inverts and decrease in value (or become worthless) when the U.S. interest rate swap curve steepens.

The Sub-Adviser utilizes a proprietary investment process to assemble an investment portfolio for the Fund that is designed to generate positive returns from the Fund's option strategies during periods when the U.S. interest rate swap curve flattens or inverts, while also seeking to protect against the effects of deflation. The Fund's option strategies are not intended to mitigate other factors influencing the price of government bonds, such as credit and interest rate risk, which may have a greater impact on the bonds' returns together with rising or falling interest rates. Relative to a long-only investment in the same government bonds, the Fund's investment strategy is designed to outperform in a flattening or inverted U.S. interest rate curve environment and underperform when the curve is becoming steeper. Performance of the Fund could be particularly poor in risk-on, market rallying environments when it is common for government bonds to decline in value and for interest rates to rise and the U.S. interest rate curve to steepen. In addition, the performance of the Fund depends on many factors beyond rising or falling U.S. interest rate curve levels, such as the perceived level of credit risk in the government bond positions and changes in interest rates that are not correlated with deflation and curve levels. These factors may be as or more important to the performance of the Fund than the impact of U.S. interest rate curve changes and deflation. As such, there is no guarantee that the Fund will have positive performance even in environments of sharply declining inflation rates in which the hedging positions would be expected to mitigate the effect of such decline. The Fund is likely to be significantly more volatile than a fund holding only long positions in the same U.S. government bonds as the Fund because the hedging component of the Fund could result in significant gains for the Fund or in a complete loss of the premiums paid for the Fund's option strategies.

The Sub-Adviser periodically rebalances the Fund's portfolio to maintain the desired exposure. Occasionally, market conditions and/or large Fund cash flows may require more frequent adjustment of the exposures. During the rebalancing process, the Sub-Adviser may identify securities and other instruments in the portfolio that no longer meet the principal investment strategies of the Fund and may sell such securities or other instruments to better align the portfolio with the Fund's principal investment strategies.

Each Fund represents an ESG "impact" investment insofar as Quadratic is a registered Small/Minority Business Enterprise and a majority woman-owned firm and, thus, an investment in the Funds advances certain ESG governance principles.

Temporary Defensive Positions

From time to time, each Fund may take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with its principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to poor market liquidity, adverse markets, economic, political, or other conditions. In such instances, a Fund may hold up to 100% of its assets in cash; short-term U.S. government securities and government agency securities; investment grade money market instruments; money market mutual funds; investment grade fixed-income securities; repurchase agreements; commercial paper; cash equivalents; and ETFs that principally invest in the foregoing instruments. However, the Sub-Adviser will not seek to actively time market movements. As a result of engaging in these temporary measures, the Funds may not achieve their investment objective.

**Investment Risks**

The following section provides additional information regarding certain of the risks of investing in a Fund. An investment in a Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in a Fund involves a risk of a total loss. There is no guarantee that a Fund will meet its investment objective.

"X" denotes a principal investment risk.

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Risk** | **IVOL** | **BNDD** |
| Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk | X | X |
| Derivatives Risk | X | X |
| ETF Risk | X | X |
| Fixed Income Securities Risk | X | X |
| Hedging Risk | X | X |
| High Portfolio Turnover Risk | X | X |
| Investments in Investment Companies Risk | X | X |
| Large Shareholder Risk | X | X |
| Liquidity Risk | X | X |
| Management Risk | X | X |
| Market Risk | X | X |
| Non-Diversified Fund Risk | X | X |
| Operational and Cybersecurity Risk | X | X |
| Rate-Linked Derivatives Investment Risk | X | X |
| Return of Capital Risk | X | X |
| Tax Risk | X | X |
| TIPS Risk | X | |
| U.S. Government Obligations Risk | X | X |
| Valuation Risk | X | X |

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**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. Holding cash or cash equivalents, even strategically, may lead to missed investment opportunities. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Derivatives Risk.** Derivatives are financial instruments whose values are based on the value of one or more reference assets, such as a security, asset, currency, interest rate or index. Derivatives involve risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other more traditional investments. For example, derivatives involve the risk of mispricing or improper valuation and the risk that changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the reference asset(s). Derivative transactions can create investment leverage, may be highly volatile and the Fund could lose more than the amount it invests. Many derivative transactions are entered into "over-the-counter" (not on an exchange or contract market); as a result, the value of such a derivative transaction will depend on the ability and the willingness of the Fund's counterparty to perform its obligations under the transaction. If a counterparty were to default on its obligations, the Fund's contractual remedies against such counterparty may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could affect the Fund's rights as a creditor (e.g., the Fund may not receive the net amount of payments that it is contractually entitled to receive). A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund's derivative positions at any time. If a derivative transaction is centrally cleared, it will be subject to the rules of the clearing exchange and subject to risks associated with the exchange. Derivatives can be illiquid and imperfectly correlate with the reference asset(s), resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. It is possible that developments in the derivatives market, including ongoing or potential government regulation, could adversely affect the Fund's ability to enter into new derivatives agreements, terminate existing derivative agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such instruments.

**Counterparty Risk.** Because many derivatives are an obligation of the counterparty rather than a direct investment in the reference asset, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations under the derivative agreement as a result of bankruptcy or otherwise. Any loss would result in a reduction in the NAV of the Fund and will likely impair the Fund's ability to achieve its investment objective. The counterparty risk associated with the Fund's investments will be greater if the Fund uses only a limited number of counterparties. If there are only a few potential counterparties, the Fund, subject to applicable law, may enter into transactions with as few as one counterparty at any time.

**Interest Rate Risk (IVOL).** The Fund's exposure to derivatives tied to interest rates subjects the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities, such as stocks and bonds. **Investing in derivatives tied to interest rates, including through interest rate-linked derivative instruments, such as rate-linked swaps and options, can be extremely volatile.** The value of such investments may fluctuate rapidly based on a variety of factors, including overall market movements; economic events and policies; changes in interest rates or inflation rates; changes in monetary and exchange control programs; war; acts of terrorism; natural disasters; and technological developments. These factors may affect the value of the Fund in varying ways, and different factors may cause the value and the volatility of the Fund to move in inconsistent directions at inconsistent rates.

As interest rates rise, the value of a fixed-income security held directly or indirectly by the Fund, such as TIPS, is likely to decrease. Securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes, usually making their prices more volatile than those of securities with shorter durations. To the extent the Fund invests a substantial portion of its assets directly or indirectly in fixed-income securities with longer-term maturities, rising interest rates may cause the value of the Fund's investments to decline significantly, which may adversely affect the value of the Fund. To the extent such rises are linked to the steepening of the U.S. interest rate curve, the options used by the Fund are designed to offset such decreases in value. However, even if the hedging strategy of the Fund performs as intended, an increase in interest rates may lead to heightened volatility in the fixed-income markets and adversely affect the liquidity of certain fixed-income investments. In addition, decreases in fixed-income dealer market making capacity may also potentially lead to heightened volatility and reduced liquidity in the fixed-income markets. The Fund seeks to mitigate the risk of rising interest rates, to the extent that increases are tied to curve steepening, by using options; such positions should increase in value in steepening curve environments and should decrease in value in flattening or inverted curve environments, thereby mitigating potential gains and losses in the government bond positions of the Fund arising from changing in the level of the interest rate curve. The Fund does not attempt to mitigate credit risk, interest rate risk generally, or other factors, which may have a greater influence on government bonds' returns than curve risk. Because the Fund's hedge is rolled on a periodic basis, the risk can develop intra-period. Furthermore, while the Fund is designed to hedge the curve level risk exposure of the long government bond positions, it is possible that a degree of exposure may remain even at the time of rebalance.

**Interest Rate Risk (BNDD).** The Fund's exposure to derivatives tied to interest rates subjects the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities, such as stocks and bonds. **Investing in derivatives tied to interest rates, including through interest rate-linked derivative instruments, such as rate-linked swaps and options, can be extremely volatile.** The value of such investments may fluctuate rapidly based on a variety of factors, including overall market movements; economic events and policies; changes in interest rates or inflation rates; changes in monetary and exchange control programs; war; acts of terrorism; natural disasters; and technological developments. These factors may affect the value of the Fund in varying ways, and different factors may cause the value and the volatility of the Fund to move in inconsistent directions at inconsistent rates.

As interest rates rise, the value of a fixed-income security held directly or indirectly by the Fund, such as Treasuries, is likely to decrease. Securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes, usually making their prices more volatile than those of securities with shorter durations. To the extent the Fund invests a substantial portion of its assets directly or indirectly in fixed-income securities with long-term maturities, rising interest rates may cause the value of the Fund's investments to decline significantly, which may adversely affect the value of the Fund. To the extent such rising rates are linked to the flattening of the U.S. interest rate curve, the options used by the Fund are designed to offset such decreases in value. However, even if the hedging strategy of the Fund performs as intended, an increase in interest rates may lead to heightened volatility in the fixed-income markets and adversely affect the liquidity of certain fixed-income investments. In addition, decreases in fixed-income dealer market making capacity may also potentially lead to heightened volatility and reduced liquidity in the fixed-income markets. The Fund seeks to mitigate the risk of rising interest rates, to the extent that increases are tied to curve flattening or inverting, by using options; such positions should increase in value in flattening or inverted curve environments and should decrease in value in steepening curve environments, thereby mitigating potential gains and losses in the government bond positions of the Fund arising from changes in the level of the interest rate curve. The Fund does not attempt to mitigate credit risk, interest rate risk generally, or other factors, which may have a greater influence on government bonds' returns than curve risk. Because the Fund's hedge is rolled on a periodic basis, the risk can develop intra-period. Furthermore, while the Fund is designed to hedge the curve level risk exposure of the long government bond positions, it is possible that a degree of exposure may remain even at the time of rebalance.

**Leveraging Risk.** The Fund's investment in derivative instruments provide leveraged exposure. The Fund's investment in these instruments generally requires a small investment relative to the amount of investment exposure assumed. As a result, such investments may give rise to losses that exceed the amount invested in those instruments. The use of derivatives may expose the Fund to potentially dramatic losses (or gains) in the value of a derivative or other financial instrument and, thus, in the value the Fund's portfolio.

**Options Risk.** If the Fund buys an option, it buys a legal contract giving it the right to buy or sell a specific amount of the underlying instrument or swap on the underlying instrument at an agreed-upon price typically in exchange for a premium paid by the Fund. In general, most options on interest rate swaps are "European" exercise, which means that they can only be exercised at the end of the option term. A decision as to whether, when and how to use options involves the exercise of skill and judgment and even a well-conceived option transaction may be unsuccessful because of market behavior or unexpected events. The prices of options can be highly volatile and the use of options can lower total returns.

OTC options generally have more flexible terms negotiated between the buyer and the seller, and the counterparties may be required to post "variation margin" daily to reflect any gains or losses in such options contracts. If such variation margin is not required to be posted, such instruments would generally be subject to greater credit risk and counterparty risk. OTC instruments also may be subject to greater liquidity risk.

**Options Strategies Risk.** The options strategies used by the Fund may involve writing covered options and are structured as long call spreads, long put spreads or long butterflies. If there is a broad market move, the strategies may not have the same return as a strategy composed of only long options. The Fund will pay a premium for its options strategies and they are structured to limit the potential loss to the Fund to the market value of the options strategy; however, there is no guarantee that this will occur. If an option that the Fund has purchased is never exercised or closed out, the Fund will lose the amount of the premium it paid and the use of those funds.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to net asset value ("NAV") and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"), such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** The NAV of the Fund's shares will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund's securities holdings. The market prices of Fund shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in the Fund's NAV and supply and demand of shares on the secondary market. It cannot be predicted whether Fund shares will trade below (at a discount), at or above (at a premium) their NAV. As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop-loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at market prices that are significantly below NAV. Price differences may be due, in part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for shares may be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the securities of the Fund trading individually. The market prices of Fund shares may deviate significantly from the NAV of the shares during periods of market volatility or if the Fund's holdings are or become more illiquid. Disruptions to creations and redemptions may result in trading prices that differ significantly from the Fund's NAV. In addition, market prices of Fund shares may deviate significantly from the NAV if the number of Fund shares outstanding is smaller or if there is less active trading in Fund shares. Investors purchasing and selling Fund shares in the secondary market may not experience investment results consistent with those experienced by those creating and redeeming directly with the Fund.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. In addition, secondary market investors will incur the cost of the difference between the price that an investor is willing to pay for shares (the bid price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell shares (the ask price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the "spread" or "bid/ask spread." The bid/ask spread, which increases the cost of purchasing and selling Fund shares, varies over time for shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally lower if the Fund's shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if the Fund's shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Increased market volatility may cause increased bid/ask spreads.

Although Fund shares are listed for trading on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed. Trading in Fund 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 is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to Exchange "circuit breaker" rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of any Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged or that the shares will trade with any volume, or at all.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to Authorized Participants. Unlike most other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities.

Other ETFs generally are able to make in-kind redemptions and avoid realizing gains in connection with redemption requests. Effecting redemptions for cash may cause the Fund to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. Such dispositions may occur at an inopportune time, resulting in potential losses to the Fund or difficulties in meeting shareholder redemptions, and involve transaction costs. If the Fund recognizes gain on these sales, this generally will cause the Fund to recognize gain it might not otherwise have recognized if it were to distribute portfolio securities in-kind or to recognize such gain sooner than would otherwise have been required. The Fund generally intends to distribute these gains to shareholders to avoid being taxed on this gain at the Fund level and otherwise comply with the special tax rules that apply to it. This strategy may cause shareholders to be subject to tax on gains they would not otherwise be subject to, or at an earlier date than, if they had made an investment in another ETF.

In addition, cash transactions may have to be carried out over several days if the securities market in which the Fund is trading is less liquid and may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes. These brokerage fees and taxes, which will be higher than if the Fund sold and redeemed its shares principally in-kind, may be passed on to purchasers and redeemers of Creation Units in the form of creation and redemption transaction fees. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted. The Fund has capped the total fees that may be charged in connection with the redemption of Creation Units at 2% of the value of the Creation Units redeemed. To the extent transaction and other costs associated with a redemption exceed that cap, those transaction costs will be borne by the Fund's remaining shareholders. These factors may result in wider spreads between the bid and the offered prices of the Fund's shares than for other ETFs.

**Fixed Income Securities Risk.** The value of the Fund's investments in fixed income securities will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities owned indirectly by the Fund. On the other hand, if rates fall, the value of the fixed income securities generally increases. Below are several specific risks associated with investments in fixed income securities.

**Credit Risk.** Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a security will not be able to make payments of interest and principal when due. Changes in an issuer's credit rating or the market's perception of an issuer's creditworthiness may also affect the value of an investment in that issuer. The degree of credit risk depends on both the financial condition of the issuer and the terms of the obligation.

**Event Risk.** Event risk is the risk that an unexpected event could interfere with an issuer's ability to make timely interest or principal payments or that causes market speculation about the issuer's ability to make such payments. As a result, the credit quality and market value of an issuer's bonds and/or other debt securities may decline significantly.

**Interest Rate Risk.** Generally, the value of fixed income securities will change inversely with changes in interest rates. As interest rates rise, the market value of fixed income securities tends to decrease. Conversely, as interest rates fall, the market value of fixed income securities tends to increase. This risk will be greater for long-term securities than for short-term securities. The Fund may take steps to attempt to reduce the exposure of its portfolio to interest rate changes; however, there can be no guarantee that the Fund will take such actions or that the Fund will be successful in reducing the impact of interest rate changes on the portfolio. Changes in government intervention may have adverse effects on investments, volatility, and illiquidity in debt markets.

**Maturity Risk.** The value of the Fund's fixed income investments is also dependent on their maturity. Generally, the longer the maturity of a fixed income security, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates.

**Hedging Risk (IVOL).** When a derivative is used as a hedge against a position that the Fund holds, any loss generated by the derivative generally could be offset by gains on the hedged investment, and vice versa. While hedging can reduce or eliminate losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains. Hedges are sometimes subject to mismatch between the derivative and the underlying security, and there can be no assurance that the Fund's hedging transactions, which entail additional transaction costs, will be effective. The Fund seeks to mitigate (or hedge) the risk associated with the potential impact of a steepening U.S. interest rate curve ("curve risk"), an increase in inflation and inflation expectations, and an increase in interest rate volatility on the performance of U.S. government bonds. The Fund does not seek to mitigate credit risk, non-curve interest rate risk, or other factors influencing the price of U.S. government bonds, which factors may have a greater impact on the bonds' returns than the U.S. interest rate curve or inflation. Further, there is no guarantee that the Fund's investments will eliminate or mitigate curve risk, inflation risk or the potential impact of interest rate volatility on long positions in U.S. government bonds. **If interest rates rise in parallel within the U.S. interest rate curve, the Fund will not be hedged.** In addition, when the U.S. interest rate curve flattens or inverts, the Fund's investments in options may lose value or end up worthless. Under such circumstances, the Fund will generally underperform a portfolio comprised solely of U.S. government bonds (without the options owned by the Fund). **In a flattening or inverted curve environment, the Fund's hedging strategy could result in disproportionately larger losses in the Fund's options as compared to gains or losses in its U.S. government bond positions attributable to interest rate changes.** There is no guarantee that the Fund will have positive returns, even in environments of sharply rising inflation rates in which the Fund's options might be expected to mitigate the effects of such rises. The Fund will incur expenses when entering into positions in rate-linked options. Moreover, to the extent that curve risk has been priced into the U.S. government bonds owned by the Fund, the Fund will underperform other investments even during periods of curve steepening.

**Hedging Risk (BNDD).** When a derivative is used as a hedge against a position that the Fund holds, any loss generated by the derivative generally could be offset by gains on the hedged investment, and vice versa. While hedging can reduce or eliminate losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains. Hedges are sometimes subject to mismatch between the derivative and the underlying security, and there can be no assurance that the Fund's hedging transactions, which entail additional transaction costs, will be effective. The Fund seeks to mitigate (or hedge) the risk associated with the potential impact of a flattening or inverting U.S. interest rate curve ("curve risk"), decline in inflation and inflation expectations, on the performance of U.S. government bonds. The Fund does not seek to mitigate credit risk, non-curve interest rate risk, or other factors influencing the price of U.S. government bonds, which factors may have a greater impact on the bonds' returns than the U.S. interest rate curve or inflation. Further, there is no guarantee that the Fund's investments will eliminate or mitigate curve risk, inflation risk on long positions in U.S. government bonds. **If interest rates increase in parallel within the U.S. interest rate curve, the Fund will not be hedged.** In addition, when the U.S. interest rate curve steepens, the Fund's investments in options may lose value or end up worthless. Under such circumstances, the Fund will generally underperform a portfolio comprised solely of U.S. government bonds (without the options owned by the Fund). **In a steepening curve environment, the Fund's hedging strategy could result in disproportionately larger losses in the Fund's options as compared to gains or losses in its U.S. government bond positions attributable to interest rate changes.** There is no guarantee that the Fund will have positive returns, even in environments of sharply declining inflation rates. The Fund will incur expenses when entering into positions in rate-linked options. Moreover, to the extent that curve risk has been priced into the U.S. government bonds owned by the Fund, the Fund will underperform other investments even during periods of curve flattening.

**High Portfolio Turnover Risk.** The Fund may incur high portfolio turnover rates. This may increase the Fund's brokerage commission costs. The performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by the increased brokerage commission costs incurred by the Fund. Rapid portfolio turnover also exposes shareholders to a higher current realization of net short-term capital gains, distributions of which would generally be taxed to you as ordinary income and thus cause you to pay higher taxes.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may purchase shares of investment companies, such as ETFs, including those that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane, a sub-adviser (as applicable), or their affiliates, to gain exposure to particular investments or when such investments present a more cost efficient alternative to investing directly in securities. When the Fund invests in an investment company, in addition to directly bearing the expenses associated with its own operations, it will bear a pro rata portion of the underlying investment company's expenses. An investor in the Fund may receive taxable gains as a result of an underlying fund's portfolio transactions in addition to the taxable gains attributable to the Fund's transactions in shares of the underlying fund. Further, in part because of these additional expenses, the performance of an investment company may differ from the performance the Fund would achieve if it invested directly in the underlying investments of the investment company. In addition, while the risks of owning shares of an investment company generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying investments of the investment company, the Fund may be subject to additional or different risks than if the Fund had invested directly in the underlying investments. For example, shares of an ETF are traded at market prices, which may vary from the NAV of its underlying investments. Also, the lack of liquidity in an ETF can contribute to the increased volatility of its value in comparison to the value of the underlying portfolio securities. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, it will not enjoy the protections of the 1940 Act. In addition, to the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies, including ETFs, sponsored, advised or otherwise serviced by Krane, a sub-adviser (as applicable), or their affiliates, they may be subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets, particularly if they are paid an advisory fee both by the Fund and the fund in which the Fund invests.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences for remaining shareholders.

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult to purchase or sell at a reasonable time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may reduce the potential returns of the Fund because it may be unable to sell the illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. This is especially true given the limited number of market participants in certain markets in which the Fund may invest. Market developments may cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements, and may also cause the Fund to encounter difficulties in timely honoring redemptions, especially if market events cause an increased incidence of shareholder redemptions. If a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading or become illiquid, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt. To the extent that an investment is deemed to be an illiquid investment or a less liquid investment, the Fund can expect to be exposed to greater liquidity risk.

**Management Risk.** The Fund is actively-managed and may not meet its investment objective based on the Sub-Adviser's success or failure to implement investment strategies for the Fund. The Sub-Adviser's evaluations and assumptions regarding investments, interest rates, inflation, and other factors may not successfully achieve the Fund's investment objective given actual market conditions.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. Market fluctuations could be caused by such factors as economic and political developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities prices. Recent developments in relations between the United States and its trading partners have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the U.S. and other countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on the world's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on financial markets. Different types of securities tend to go through cycles of outperformance and under-performance in comparison to the general securities markets. In addition, securities may decline in value due to factors affecting a specific issuer, market or securities markets generally. Therefore, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain holdings may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price.

Turbulence in the financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and fixed-income markets may negatively affect issuers worldwide, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund. The Federal Reserve and other domestic and foreign government agencies may attempt to stabilize the global economy. These actions may expose markets to heightened volatility and may reduce liquidity for certain Fund investments, causing the value of the Fund's investments and share price to decline. To the extent that the Fund experiences high redemptions because of these actions, the Fund may experience increased portfolio turnover, which will increase the costs that the Fund incurs and will lower the Fund's performance.

Geopolitical risks, including terrorism, tensions or open conflict between nations, or political or economic dysfunction within some nations that are major players on the world stage or major producers of oil, may lead to overall instability in world economies and markets generally and have led, and may in the future lead, to increased market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects. Similarly, environmental and public health risks, such as natural disasters or pandemics/epidemics, or widespread fear that such events may occur, may impact markets adversely and cause market volatility in both the short- and long-term.

Advancements in technology, including advanced development and increased regulation of artificial intelligence, may adversely impact market movements and liquidity and the profitability and growth of certain issuers and industries may be negatively impacted in ways that cannot be foreseen and could adversely impact performance.

Certain illnesses spread rapidly and have the potential to significantly and adversely affect the global economy. Epidemics and/or pandemics have and may further result in, among other things, closing borders, enhanced health screenings, healthcare service preparation and delivery, quarantines, cancellations, disruptions to supply chains and customer activity, as well as general concern and uncertainty. The impact of such epidemics and/or pandemics that may arise in the future, have the potential to affect the economies of many nations, individual companies and the global securities and commodities markets, including liquidity, in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time. The impact of infectious diseases in developing or emerging market countries may be greater due to less established health care systems. Health crises caused by the recent coronavirus outbreak may exacerbate other preexisting political, social and economic risks in certain countries. The impact of the outbreak may be short term or may last for an extended period of time and may have material adverse impacts on the Fund.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

**Rate-Linked Derivatives Investment Risk.** Rate-linked derivatives may lose money if short-term or long-term interest rates rise sharply or otherwise change in a manner not anticipated by the Sub-Adviser. The returns of curve-linked instruments that may be used by the Fund to hedge inflation or deflation and curve risk reflect a specified set of swap terms. There can be no assurance that such terms will accurately measure either the rate of inflation or deflation experienced in the United States or the steepness or flatness of the curve reflected in the prices and yields of bonds held by the Fund. As a result, the Fund's hedging strategy may not perform as expected. The options used by the Fund may be riskier than other types of investments because they may be more sensitive to changes in economic or market conditions. Options create leverage because they are options, which may cause the Fund's net asset value and returns to be more volatile than they would be if the Fund was not using options. OTC options also expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty will not fulfill its contractual obligations. The Fund's hedging strategy is not customized to particular bonds or investment instruments. As a result, there may be a mismatch between the option and the bonds held by the Fund that are being hedged. If this were the case, the Fund could lose money on both the options and the bonds, and the present value of the Fund's portfolio investments could decrease.

**Return of Capital Risk.** The Fund expects to make monthly dividend distributions. The tax character of the Fund's distributions during a taxable year is not finally determined until the Fund's income and gains are determined at the end of the year. Gains or losses realized with respect to the Fund's options trading over the course of the year will affect the tax character of distributions made during the year, including the extent to which such distributions consist of dividends, capital gains and/or return of capital.

A portion of the Fund's distributions may be treated as a return of capital for tax purposes. Return of capital distributions are not taxable income to you but reduce your tax basis in your shares of the Fund. Such a reduction in tax basis will result in larger taxable gains and/or lower tax losses on a subsequent sale of shares of the Fund. In the event that total distributions in return of capital exceed your tax basis in your shares of the Fund, such excess will be treated as capital gain.

Shareholders who periodically receive the payment of dividends or other distributions consisting of a return of capital may be under the impression that they are receiving net income from the Fund when, in fact, they are not. Shareholders should not assume that the source of the distributions is from the net income of the Fund.

**Tax Risk.** To qualify for the favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment accorded to a RIC under the Code, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. Among other requirements, the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from certain qualifying sources of income and the Fund's assets must be diversified so that at least 50% of the value of the Fund's total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities, subject to certain other limitations (See the "Taxes" section in the SAI for additional information). The Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") has issued two private letter rulings to other unrelated funds, upon which the Fund cannot rely, which indicate that income from a fund's investment in certain rate-linked derivatives, such as interest rate swaps, constitutes qualifying income. However, in September 2016 the IRS announced that it will no longer issue private letter rulings on questions relating to satisfaction of the qualifying income test for qualification as a RIC that require a determination of whether a financial instrument or position is a security under section 2(a)(36) of the 1940 Act. A financial instrument or position that constitutes a security under section 2(a)(36) of the 1940 Act generates qualifying income for purposes of qualifying as a RIC. If the Fund were to fail to meet the qualifying income test or asset diversification test and fail to qualify as a RIC, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, and distributions to its shareholders would not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income, which would adversely affect the Fund's performance. The failure by the Fund to qualify as a RIC would have significant negative tax consequences to Fund shareholders and would significantly and adversely affect a shareholder's return on its investment in the Fund. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may be able to cure a failure to meet the qualifying income test or asset diversification test if such failure was due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, but to do so the Fund may incur significant fund-level taxes, which would effectively reduce (and could eliminate) the Fund's returns. In this event, the Fund's board of trustees may authorize a change in investment strategy or Fund liquidation and in lieu of potential disqualification, the Fund is permitted to pay the tax to cure certain failures to satisfy the income requirement or asset diversification requirement. The Fund also may incur transaction and other costs to comply with any new or additional guidance from the IRS.

**TIPS Risk.** U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities ("TIPS") are debt instruments issued by the by the United States Department of the Treasury. The principal of TIPS increases with inflation and decreases with deflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index ("CPI"). When TIPS mature, investors are paid the adjusted principal or original principal, whichever is greater. Inflation-indexed bonds, such as TIPS, generally pay a lower nominal interest rate than a comparable non-inflation-indexed bond. Interest payments on TIPS are unpredictable and will fluctuate as the principal and corresponding interest payments are adjusted for inflation. There can be no assurance that the CPI will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services. Any increases in the principal amount of TIPS will be considered taxable ordinary income, even though the Fund or applicable underlying ETF, will not receive the principal until maturity. As a result, the Fund may make income distributions to shareholders that exceed the cash it receives. In addition, TIPS are subject to credit risk, interest rate risk, and maturity risk.

**U.S. Government Obligations Risk.** The total public debt of the United States as a percentage of gross domestic product has grown rapidly since the beginning of the 2008–2009 financial downturn. Although high debt levels do not necessarily indicate or cause economic problems, they may create certain systemic risks if sound debt management practices are not implemented. A high national debt can raise concerns that the U.S. government will not be able to make principal or interest payments when they are due. This increase has also necessitated the need for the U.S. Congress to negotiate adjustments to the statutory debt limit to increase the cap on the amount the U.S. government is permitted to borrow to meet its existing obligations and finance current budget deficits. Certain credit ratings agencies have downgraded the sovereign credit rating on U.S. government securities. These downgrades may cause market uncertainty and the market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government may be adversely affected.

**Valuation Risk.** Financial information about the Fund's portfolio holdings may not always be reliable, which may make it difficult to obtain a current price for the investments held by the Fund. Independent market quotations for such investments may not be readily available, such as on days during which a security does not trade, and securities may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations are subjective and different funds may assign different fair values to the same investment. Such valuations also may be different from what would be produced if the security had been valued using market quotations. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. Additionally, Fund securities that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including "fair valued" securities, may be subject to greater fluctuations in their value from one day to the next. Because securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days when the Fund does not price its shares, the value of the securities in the Fund's portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund's shares.

**<u>Management</u>**

**Investment Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser"), which is a UN PRI signatory<sup>1</sup>, is a registered investment adviser located at 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10017 and serves as investment adviser of each Fund. Krane has served as the investment adviser of each Fund since its inception.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and Krane, Krane is responsible for reviewing, supervising and administering each Fund's investment program and the general management and administration of the Trust. In this regard, among other things, Krane arranges for transfer agency, custody, fund administration and accounting, and other non-distribution related services necessary for each Fund to operate. Krane may engage a sub-adviser to assist it in managing a Fund's investments, but will be responsible for overseeing any sub-advisers. Krane manages each Fund's business affairs, provides office facilities and equipment and certain clerical, bookkeeping and administrative services, and permits its officers and employees to serve as officers or Trustees of the Trust. Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, Krane bears all of its own costs associated with providing advisory services to the Funds. In addition, Krane has contractually agreed to pay all operating expenses of each Fund, except (i) interest and taxes (including, but not limited to, income, excise, transaction, transfer and withholding taxes); (ii) expenses of the Fund incurred with respect to the acquisition and disposition of portfolio securities and the execution of portfolio transactions, including brokerage commissions and short sale dividend or interest expense; (iii) expenses incurred in connection with any distribution plan adopted by the Trust in compliance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, including distribution fees; (iv) Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses; (v) litigation expenses; (vi) the compensation payable to the Adviser under the Investment Advisory Agreement; (vii) compensation and expenses of the Independent Trustees (including any Trustees' counsel fees); and (viii) any expenses determined to be extraordinary expenses by the Board. Nevertheless, there exists a risk that a Trust service provider will seek recourse against the Trust if is not timely paid by Krane for the fees and expenses for which it is responsible, which could materially adversely affect a Fund.

<sup>1</sup> UN PRI is an abbreviation for 'United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment,' a UN-supported network of investors that works to promote sustainable investment through the incorporation of environmental, social and governance factors into investment decision-making. PRI signatories publicly commit to adopt and implement the network's six ESG principles, which are voluntary and aspirational, where consistent with their fiduciary duties.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, each Fund pays Krane the fee shown in the table below, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate based on a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund.

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF | 0.99% |
| Quadratic Deflation ETF | 0.99% |

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For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, the Adviser received the fees as a percentage of average daily net assets of each operational Fund, as set forth below, which is net of any fees waived or expenses reimbursed:

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF | 0.99% |
| Quadratic Deflation ETF | 0.99% |

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The Investment Advisory Agreement has been approved by the Board of Trustees and shareholders of each Fund (in this regard, Krane as the sole initial shareholder of the applicable Funds approved various matters and agreements, including the Investment Advisory Agreement for each Fund prior to its public offering). A discussion regarding the basis for the Board's approval of the Funds' investment advisory agreement with Krane is available in the Funds' Form N-CSR for the period ending September 30, 2024.

China International Capital Corporation (USA) Holdings Inc., a wholly-owned, indirect subsidiary of China International Capital Corporation Limited owns a majority stake in Krane. As of March 31, 2025, Central Huijin Investment Limited, a mainland Chinese-domiciled entity, and HKSCC Nominees Limited, held approximately 40.11% and 39.42%, respectively, of the shares of China International Capital Corporation Limited. Central Huijin Investment Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Investment Corporation, which is a mainland Chinese sovereign wealth fund. KFA One Holdings, LLC, located at 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017, holds the remaining equity interests in Krane and Jonathan Krane, through his equity interests in KFA One Holdings, LLC, beneficially owns more than 10% of the equity interests in Krane.

**Sub-Adviser**

The Adviser has retained Quadratic Capital Management LLC ("Quadratic" or "Sub-Adviser") to serve as sub-adviser to the Fund. Quadratic is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Quadratic, a registered investment adviser, is controlled by its Managing Partner and CIO, Nancy Davis and is a registered Small/Minority Business Enterprise and a majority woman-owned firm. Quadratic's principal office is located at 39 Lewis Street, 4th Floor, Greenwich, Connecticut 06830. Quadratic was formed in 2013 and provides discretionary investment management services to separately managed accounts, in addition to the Funds, and, has previously provided such services to limited partnerships, offshore investment companies, and other collective investment vehicles that were offered to investors on a private placement basis. The Sub-Adviser is responsible for trading portfolio instruments for the Fund, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board's approval of the investment sub-advisory agreement with Quadratic is available in the Funds' Form N-CSR for the period ending September 30, 2024.

From time to time, a manager, analyst, or other employee of Quadratic or its affiliates may express views regarding a particular asset class, company, security, industry, or market sector. The views expressed by any such person are the views of only that individual as of the time expressed and do not necessarily represent the views of Quadratic or any other person within the Quadratic organization. Any such views are subject to change at any time based upon market or other conditions and Quadratic disclaims any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied on as investment advice and, because investment decisions for the Fund are based on numerous factors, may not be relied on as an indication of trading intent on behalf of the Fund.

**Portfolio Manager**

Nancy Davis is the Managing Partner and CIO of Quadratic, which she founded in 2013. Ms. Davis began her career at Goldman Sachs where she spent nearly ten years, the last seven with the proprietary trading group where she rose to become the Head of Credit, Derivatives and OTC Trading. Prior to starting Quadratic, she served as a portfolio manager at Highbridge Capital Management. She later served in a senior executive role at AllianceBernstein.

Ms. Davis has been the recipient of numerous industry recognitions. She was named by *Barron's* as one of the "100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance" on their inaugural list. *Institutional Investor* called her a "Rising Star of Hedge Funds." She has also been published in *Institutional Investor*, *Absolute Return* and *Financial News*. Ms. Davis has been profiled by *Forbes*, and interviewed by *The Economist*, *The Wall Street Journal*, and *The Financial Times* among others and is a frequent guest on financial television and a sought-after speaker for industry events.

Additional information about the Portfolio Manager's compensation, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Manager and the Portfolio Manager's ownership of Fund shares is available in the SAI.

**Other Service Providers**

SEI Investments Global Funds Services ("Administrator") serves as administrator for the Funds. The Administrator provides necessary administrative and accounting services for the maintenance and operations of the Trust and the Funds, and makes available the office space, equipment, personnel and facilities required to provide such services.

SEI Investments Distribution Co. ("Distributor"), an affiliate of the Administrator, serves as the Funds' distributor. Shares in less than Creation Units are not distributed by the Distributor, and the Distributor does not maintain a secondary market in the shares of the Funds.

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. ("BBH") serves as custodian and transfer agent for the Funds. BBH maintains in separate accounts cash, securities and other assets of the Funds, keeps all necessary accounts and records, and provides other services.

**<u>Shareholder Information</u>**

**Calculating NAV**

Each Fund calculates its NAV by:

● Taking the current market value of its total assets

● Subtracting any liabilities and withholdings (if any)

● Dividing that amount by the total number of shares owned by the shareholders

Each Fund normally calculates NAV as of the regularly scheduled close of normal trading on each day that the NYSE is scheduled to be open for business (a "Business Day") (normally, 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time). Any assets or liabilities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted into U.S. dollars at the current market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more sources.

Securities listed on a securities exchange (i.e. exchange-traded equity securities), market or automated quotation system for which quotations are readily available (except for securities traded on NASDAQ), including securities traded over the counter, are valued by independent pricing agents at the last reported sale price on the primary exchange or market (foreign or domestic) on which they are traded (or at the time as of which the Fund's NAV is calculated if a security's exchange is normally open at that time). If there is no such reported sale, such securities are valued at the most recently reported bid price. For securities traded on NASDAQ, the NASDAQ Official Closing Price will be used. If a security price cannot be obtained from an independent, third-party pricing agent, the Fund seeks to obtain bid and ask prices from two broker-dealers who make a market in the portfolio instrument and determines the average of the two.

If available, debt securities are priced based upon valuations provided by independent third-party pricing agents. Such values generally reflect the last reported sales price if the security is actively traded. The third-party pricing agents may also value debt securities at an evaluated bid price by employing methodologies that utilize actual market transactions, broker-supplied valuations, or other methodologies designed to identify the market value for such securities. Debt obligations with remaining maturities of sixty days or less may be valued at their amortized cost, which approximates market value.

The prices for foreign securities are reported in local currency and converted to U.S. dollars using currency exchange rates. The exchange rates used for valuation are captured as of the close of the London Stock Exchange each day normally at 4:00 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time.

The value of a swap contract is equal to the obligation (or rights) under the swap contract, which will generally be equal to the net amounts to be paid or received under the contract based upon the relative values of the positions held by each party to the contract as determined by the applicable independent, third party pricing agent.

Swaps cleared through a central clearing house ("centrally cleared swaps") are valued at the settlement price established each day by the board of the exchange on which they are listed. The daily settlement prices for centrally cleared swaps are provided by an independent pricing agent. Swaps which are not centrally cleared are priced based on valuations provided by an independent pricing agent.

Exchange-traded options, except as discussed below for FLEX options, are valued at the mean of their most recent bid and asked price, if available, and otherwise, long positions will be valued at the most-recent bid price, and short positions will be valued at the most-recent ask price. Over-the-counter ("OTC") options are valued based upon prices determined by the applicable independent, third party pricing agent. FLEX (short for flexible) options are normally valued using a model-based price provided by a third-party pricing vendor. On days when a trade in a FLEX option occurs, the trade price will be used to value such FLEX options in lieu of the model price.

Futures are valued at the settlement price established by the board of trade on which they are traded. Foreign currency forward contracts are valued at the current day's interpolated foreign exchange rate, as calculated using the current day's spot rate and the 30-, 60-, 90- and 180-day forward rates provided by an independent pricing agent.

Investments in open-end investment companies that do not trade on an exchange are valued at the end of day NAV per share. Investments in open-end investment companies that trade on an exchange are valued in the same manner as other exchange-traded equity securities (described above).

Investments for which market prices are not "readily available," or are not deemed to reflect current market values, or are debt securities where no evaluated price is available from third-party pricing agents pursuant to established methodologies, are fair valued in accordance with the Adviser's valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. Some of the more common reasons that may necessitate that a security be valued using "fair value" pricing may include, but are not limited to: the security's trading has been halted or suspended; the security's primary trading market is temporarily closed; or the security has not been traded for an extended period of time.

In addition, a Fund may fair value its securities if an event that may materially affect the value of a Fund's securities that trade outside of the United States (a "Significant Event") has occurred between the time of the security's last close and the time that a Fund calculates its NAV. A Significant Event may relate to a single issuer or to an entire market sector, country or region. Events that may be Significant Events may include: government actions, natural disasters, armed conflict, acts of terrorism and significant market fluctuations. If Krane becomes aware of a Significant Event that has occurred with respect to a portfolio instrument or group of portfolio instruments after the closing of the exchange or market on which the portfolio instrument or portfolio instruments principally trade, but before the time at which a Fund calculates its NAV, it will notify the Administrator and may request that an ad hoc meeting of the Fair Value Pricing Committee be called.

With respect to trade-halted securities, the Adviser typically will fair value a trade-halted security by adjusting the security's last market close price by the security's sector performance, as measured by a predetermined index, unless Krane's Fair Value Pricing Committee determines to make additional adjustments.

Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that a fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value that could actually be realized upon the sale of the security or that another fund that uses market quotations or its own fair value procedures to price the same securities.

Trading in securities on many foreign exchanges is normally completed before the close of business on each Business Day. In addition, securities trading in a particular country or countries may not take place on each Business Day or may take place on days that are not Business Days. Changes in valuations on certain securities may occur at times or on days on which a Fund's NAV is not calculated and on which Fund shares do not trade and sales and redemptions of shares do not occur. As a result, the value of a Fund's portfolio securities and the net asset value of its shares may change on days when share purchases or sales cannot occur.

**Buying and Selling Fund Shares**

Shares of a Fund may be purchased or redeemed directly from the Fund only in Creation Units or multiples thereof. Only a broker-dealer ("Authorized Participant") that enters into an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Fund's distributor, SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the "Distributor"), may engage in creation and redemption transactions directly with a Fund. Purchases and redemptions directly with the Fund must follow the Fund's procedures, and are subject to transaction fees, which are described in the SAI. Orders for such transactions may be rejected or delayed if they are not submitted in good order and subject to the other conditions set forth in this prospectus and the SAI. Please see the SAI for more information about purchases and redemptions of Creation Units.

Once purchased (i.e., created) by an Authorized Participant, shares are listed on the Exchange and trade in the secondary market. When you buy or sell a Fund's shares in the secondary market, you will pay or receive the market price. The price at which you buy or sell Shares (i.e., the market price) may be more or less than the NAV of the Shares. Unless imposed by your broker, there is no minimum dollar amount you must invest in the Fund and no minimum number of Shares you must buy. Shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities. Most investors will buy and sell shares through a broker and, thus, will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares. **Except when aggregated in Creation Units, Shares are not redeemable by a Fund.**

The secondary markets are closed on weekends and also are generally closed on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day (observed), Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans' Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

For more information on how to buy and sell shares of the Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF, call 1-833-IVOL ETF or visit <u>www.ivoletf.com</u>.

For more information on how to buy and sell shares of the Quadratic Deflation ETF, call 1-888-BNDD-007 or visit <u>www.bnddetf.com</u>.

**Premium/Discount Information**

Information showing the number of days the market price of each Fund's shares was greater than the Fund's NAV per share (*i.e.*, at a premium) and the number of days it was less than the Fund's NAV per share (*i.e.*, at a discount) for various time periods is available by visiting the Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF's website at <u>www.ivoletf.com</u> and Quadratic Deflation ETF's website at <u>www.bnddetf.com</u>. The premium and discount information contained on the website represents past performance and cannot be used to predict future results.

**Portfolio Holdings Information**

Each day the Fund is open for business, the Trust publicly disseminates the Fund's full portfolio holdings as of the close of the previous day through the website. A description of the Funds' policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio holdings is available in the Funds' Statement of Additional Information ("SAI"). The holdings of the Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF can be found on the Fund's website at <u>www.ivoletf.com</u> and the holdings of the Quadratic Deflation ETF can be found on the Fund's website <u>www.bnddetf.com</u>.

**Active Investors and Market Timing**

The Trust's Board of Trustees has determined not to adopt policies and procedures designed to prevent or monitor for frequent purchases and redemptions of each Fund's shares because each Fund sells and redeems its shares at NAV only in Creation Units pursuant to the terms of an Authorized Participant Agreement between the Authorized Participant and the Distributor, and such direct trading between the Fund and Authorized Participants is critical to ensuring that the Fund's shares trade at or close to NAV. Further, the vast majority of trading in Fund shares occurs on the secondary market, which does not involve a Fund directly and therefore does not cause the Fund to experience many of the harmful effects of market timing, such as dilution and disruption of portfolio management. In addition, each Fund imposes a transaction fee on Creation Unit transactions, which is designed to offset transfer and other transaction costs incurred by the Fund in connection with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units and may employ fair valuation pricing to minimize potential dilution from market timing. Each Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order at any time and reserves the right to impose restrictions on disruptive, excessive, or short-term trading.

**Investments by Registered Investment Companies**

Each Fund is not eligible for investment by other investment companies pursuant to the exemptive relief provided by the SEC in Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act. This policy is subject to change.

**Continuous Offering**

The method by which Creation Units of Fund shares are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units of shares are issued and sold by each Fund on an ongoing basis, a "distribution," as such term is used in the Securities Act, may occur at any point. 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 requirement 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 constituent shares and sells the 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 a characterization 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(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of 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 engaging in ordinary secondary market transactions) and thus dealing with the shares that are part of an overallotment within the meaning of Section 4(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the Securities Act. For delivery of prospectuses to exchange members, the prospectus delivery mechanism of Rule 153 under the Securities Act is only available with respect to transactions on a national exchange.

**Dealers effecting transactions in a Fund's shares, whether or not participating in this distribution, are generally required to deliver a Prospectus. This is in addition to any obligation of dealers to deliver a Prospectus when acting as underwriters.**

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

If you purchase shares of a Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), Krane, Quadratic or an affiliate of either may pay the intermediary for marketing activities or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

**Distribution Plan**

Each Fund has adopted a Distribution Plan (the "Plan") that allows the Fund to pay distribution fees to the Distributor and other firms that provide distribution services ("Service Providers"). Under the Plan, if a Service Provider provides distribution services, a Fund would pay distribution fees to the Distributor at an annual rate not to exceed 0.25% of average daily net assets, pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. The Distributor would, in turn, pay the Service Provider out of its fees. The Board of Trustees currently has determined not to implement any 12b-1 fees pursuant to the Plan. 12b-1 fees may only be imposed after approval by the Board of Trustees. Because any distribution fees would be paid out of a Fund's assets on an on-going basis, if payments are made in the future, the distribution fees would increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.

**Householding Policy**

To reduce expenses, we mail only one copy of the prospectus or summary prospectus, each annual and semi-annual report, and any proxy statements to each address shared by two or more accounts with the same last name or that the Trust reasonably believes are members of the same family. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, please call the Trust at 1.855.857.2638 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time on days the Fund is open for business or contact your financial institution. We will begin sending you individual copies thirty days after receiving your request. **Investors who hold their shares through an intermediary are subject to the intermediary's policies. Contact your financial intermediary for any questions you may have.**

**Dividends and Distributions**

Each Fund has a practice of seeking to pay monthly distributions at a level rate. To help maintain more stable monthly distributions, the distribution paid by a Fund for any particular monthly period may be more or less than the amount of net income actually earned by the Fund during such period. The practice of seeking to pay distributions at a level rate may result in a return of capital to shareholders, which is not taxable but reduces a shareholder's basis in his or her shares, if the Fund's income and gains are not sufficient to support the level rate distribution.

Each Fund pays out to its shareholders any net investment income and net realized capital gains. Ordinarily, each Fund typically distributes any net investment income monthly and makes any capital gain distributions once a year (usually in December). Each Fund may make distributions on a more frequent basis. Each Fund reserves the right to declare special distributions, including if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the status of the Fund as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.

**<u>Additional Tax Information</u>**

The following is a summary of some important tax issues that affect each Fund and its shareholders. The summary is based on current tax laws, which may be changed by legislative, judicial or administrative action. You should not consider this summary to be a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of a Fund, or the tax consequences of an investment in the Funds. **More information about taxes is located in the SAI. You are urged to consult your tax adviser regarding specific questions as to federal, state and local income taxes.**

**Tax Status of each Fund**

Each Fund is treated as a separate entity for federal tax purposes, and intends to qualify for the special tax treatment afforded to regulated investment companies. As long as a Fund qualifies for treatment as a regulated investment company, it pays no federal income tax on the earnings it distributes to shareholders.

**Tax Status of Distributions**

Each Fund will, at least annually, distribute substantially all of its net investment taxable income and net capital gains.

The income dividends you receive from a Fund (which include the Fund's short-term capital gains) will be taxed as either ordinary income or qualified dividend income. For non-corporate shareholders, dividends that are reported as qualified dividend income are generally taxable at reduced maximum tax rates to the extent that the Fund receives qualified dividend income and subject to certain limitations and holding period requirements. The Funds do not expect to pay significant dividends reportable as qualified dividend income. Each Fund expects that most of its income will be ordinary income because the assets underlying the rate-linked derivative instruments in which it invests are not capital assets. Additionally, each Fund expects that its losses with respect to its investment in rate-linked derivative instruments will be ordinary losses, which can only be used to offset ordinary income earned by the Fund in the same taxable year in which the losses occur, subject to an exception for late-year losses.

Distributions of a Fund's short-term capital gains are generally taxable as ordinary income. Any distributions of net capital gain (the excess of a Fund's net long-term capital gains over its net short-term capital losses) are taxable as long-term capital gains regardless of how long you have owned your shares. Long-term capital gains are taxable at reduced maximum tax rates.

Each Fund may make distributions to shareholders in excess of the Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits in some taxable years. In such event, the excess distribution received by a shareholder will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of the shareholder's tax basis in its shares, and thereafter as capital gain. A return of capital is not taxable, but reduces a shareholder's tax basis in its shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of its shares.

The tax character of a Fund's distributions during a taxable year is not finally determined until the Fund's income and gains are determined at the end of the year. Gains or losses realized with respect to a Fund's options trading over the course of the year will affect the tax character of distributions made during the year, including the extent to which such distributions consist of dividends and/or return of capital.

Each Fund may invest in complex securities. These investments may be subject to numerous special and complex rules. These rules could affect whether gains and losses recognized by a Fund are treated as ordinary income or capital gain, accelerate the recognition of income to a Fund and/or defer the Fund's ability to recognize losses. In turn, these rules may affect the amount, timing or character of distributions you receive from a Fund.

Dividends and distributions are generally taxable to you whether you receive them in cash or in additional shares. Corporate shareholders may be entitled to a dividends-received deduction for the portion of dividends they receive that is attributable to dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations, subject to certain limitations. The Funds do not expect to pay significant dividends eligible for the dividends-received deduction.

Distributions paid in January but declared by a Fund in October, November or December of the previous year may be taxable to you in the previous year. Your broker will inform you of the amount of your ordinary income dividends, qualified dividend income, and capital gains distributions shortly after the close of each calendar year.

If you lend your Fund shares pursuant to securities lending arrangements, you may lose the ability to treat the Fund's dividends (paid while the shares are held by the borrower) as qualified dividend income. Consult your financial intermediary or tax adviser.

Some foreign governments levy withholding taxes against dividend and interest income. Although in some countries a portion of these withholding taxes is recoverable, the non-recovered portion will reduce the income received from the securities in a Fund.

If you hold your shares in a tax-qualified retirement account, you generally will not be subject to federal taxation on income received with respect to the shares (including Fund dividends and distributions, and any gain on the sale of shares), until you begin receiving payments from your retirement account. You should consult your tax adviser regarding the tax rules that apply to your retirement account.

**Tax Status of Share Transactions**

Any capital gain or loss upon a sale of a Fund's shares is generally treated as a long-term gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term gain or loss if held for one year or less. Any capital loss on the sale of a Fund's shares held for six months or less is treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent that any capital gain distributions were paid with respect to such shares.

**Medicare Contribution Tax**

U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly) are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on all or a portion of their "net investment income," including interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (including capital gains realized on the sale or exchange of shares of a 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.

**Back-Up Withholding**

A Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold at applicable withholding rates (currently 24%) and remit to the U.S. Treasury the amount withheld on amounts payable to any shareholder who (1) has provided the Fund either an incorrect tax identification number or no number at all, (2) is subject to back-up withholding by the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") for failure to properly report payments of interest or dividends, (3) has failed to certify to the Fund that such shareholder is not subject to back-up withholding, or (4) has not certified that such shareholder is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien).

**Non-U.S. Investors**

If you are not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States or if you are a non-U.S. entity, a Fund's ordinary income dividends (which include distributions of net short-term capital gains, unless the Fund designates such distributions as short-term capital gain dividends) will generally be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax, unless a lower treaty rate applies, provided that withholding tax will generally not apply to any gain or income realized by a non-U.S. shareholder in respect of any distributions of long-term capital gains or upon the sale or other disposition of shares of the Fund (or dividends designated as interest-related dividends or short-term capital gain dividends). You also may potentially be subject to U.S. federal estate taxes.

A 30% withholding tax will generally be imposed on dividends paid by a Fund to (i) foreign financial institutions including non-U.S. investment funds unless they agree to collect and disclose to the IRS, or the tax authorities in their home jurisdictions, information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. account holders and (ii) certain other foreign entities, unless they certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners. A non-U.S. shareholder may be exempt from the withholding described in this paragraph under an intergovernmental agreement between the United States and a foreign government, provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement. Proposed regulations (which are effective while pending) eliminate the application of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act ("FATCA") withholding tax to capital gain dividends and redemption proceeds that was scheduled to take effect in 2019.

**State Tax Considerations**

In addition to federal taxes, distributions by a Fund and ownership of a Fund's shares may be subject to state and local taxes. You should consult your tax adviser regarding how state and local tax laws affect your investment in a Fund's shares.

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

A person who purchases a Creation Unit by exchanging securities in-kind generally will recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the sum of the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and any net amount of cash received by the Authorized Participant in the exchange and (ii) the sum of the purchaser's aggregate basis in the securities surrendered and any net amount of cash paid for the Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units and receives securities in-kind from a Fund will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the redeemer's basis in the Creation Units, and the aggregate market value of the securities received and any net cash received. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an in-kind exchange of securities for Creation Units or an exchange of Creation Units for securities cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing "wash sales," or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. Persons effecting in-kind creations or redemptions should consult their own tax adviser with respect to these matters.

Each Fund has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the shares 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 deposit securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. Each Fund also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of the 80% determinations.

**<u>Disclaimers</u>**

**Krane, Quadratic and Trust Disclaimer**

*Krane, Quadratic and the Fund make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of shares of the Fund or any members of the public or as to the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Fund particularly. Krane and Quadratic expressly disclaim all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to the Fund. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall Krane or Quadratic have any liability for any special, punitive, direct, indirect or consequential damages (including lost profits), even if notified of the possibility of such damages.*

**NYSE Arca, Inc. Disclaimer**

*Shares of the Fund are not sponsored, endorsed or promoted by NYSE Arca, Inc. ("NYSE Arca"). NYSE Arca makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the shares of the Fund or any member of the public regarding the ability of the Fund to meet its investment objective. NYSE Arca is not responsible for, nor has it participated in the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of shares of the Fund to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the shares are redeemable. NYSE Arca has no obligation or liability to owners of the shares of the Fund in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the shares of the Fund.*

*NYSE Arca makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by the Trust on behalf of the Fund as licensee, licensee's customers and counterparties, owners of the shares of the Fund, or any other person or entity from the use of the subject index or any data included therein in connection with the rights licensed as described herein or for any other use. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall NYSE Arca have any liability for any direct, indirect, special, punitive, consequential or any other damages (including lost profits) even if notified of the possibility of such damages.*

**<u>Financial Highlights</u>**

The table that follows presents the financial highlights for each Fund that was operational as of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025 for the fiscal periods indicated. The table is intended to help you understand each Fund's financial performance. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The information has been derived from financial statements audited by KPMG LLP, the Trust's independent registered public accounting firm. Their report, along with the financial highlights and financial statements, is included in the Funds' most recent Form N-CSR (see back cover for information on how to obtain each Fund's financial statements).

**Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF - IVOL**

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios**

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF** | **2025** | **2024** | **2023** | **2022** | **2021** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period ($) | 18.96 | 22.67 | 25.53 | 28.47 | 25.97 |
| Net Investment Income (Loss) ($)\* | 0.35 | 0.36 | 1.15 | 0.93 | (0.02) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments ($) | 0.02 | (3.32) | (3.16) | (2.84) | 3.51 |
| Total from Operations ($) | 0.37 | (2.96) | (2.01) | (1.91) | 3.49 |
| Distribution from Net Investment Income ($) |  |  |  | (0.82) | (0.90) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution from Capital Gains ($) |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Return of Capital ($) | (0.67) | (0.75) | (0.85) | (0.21) | (0.09 |
| Total from Distributions ($) | (0.67) | (0.75) | (0.85) | (1.03) | (0.99 |
| Net Asset Value, End of Period ($) | 18.66 | 18.96 | 22.67 | 25.53 | 28.47 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | 2.03 | (13.30) | (7.95) | (6.88) | 13.65 |
| Net Assets End of Period ($) (000) | 477783 | 790499 | 786055 | 1737542 | 2629858 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%)~ | 1.00‡ | 1.00‡ | 1.00‡ | 0.98‡ | 0.94 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, if applicable) (%)~ | 1.00‡ | 1.00‡ | 1.00‡ | 0.99‡ | 0.99 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (%) | 1.89‡ | 1.71‡ | 4.82‡ | 3.38‡ | (0.06) |
| Portfolio Turnover (%) |  |  |  |  |  |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| ~ | During the periods, certain fees were waived. |
| ‡ | The ratios of expenses and net investment income/(loss) to Average Net Assets reflect the expenses and net investment income/(loss), respectively, for the period as reported in the Statements of Operations and do not reflect the Fund's proportionate share of the income and expenses from investments in other investment companies. |

---

Amounts designated as "—" are $0 or have been rounded to $0.

**Quadratic Deflation ETF - BNDD**

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios**

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

---

| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Quadratic Deflation ETF** | **2025** | **2024** | **2023** | **2022<sup>(1)</sup>** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period ($) | 15.01 | 15.83 | 25.74 | 25.00 |
| Net Investment Income (Loss) ($)\* | 0.43 | 0.37 | 0.29 | 0.03 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments ($) | (1.56) | (0.55) | (3.79) | 1.21 |
| Total from Operations ($) | (1.13) | (0.18) | (3.50) | 1.24 |
| Distribution from Net Investment Income ($) |  | (0.57) | (6.41) | (0.50) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution from Capital Gains ($) |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Return of Capital ($) | (0.51) | (0.07) |  |  |
| Total from Distributions ($) | (0.51) | (0.64) | (6.41) | (0.50 |
| Net Asset Value, End of Period ($) | 13.37 | 15.01 | 15.83 | 25.74 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | (7.66) | (1.08) | (12.08) | 4.97 |
| Net Assets End of Period ($) (000) | 10363 | 30016 | 88638 | 138994 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%)~ | 1.00‡ | 0.98‡ | 0.95‡ | 0.94 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, if Applicable) (%)~ | 1.00‡ | 1.00‡ | 1.00‡ | 0.99 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (%) | 2.98‡ | 2.48‡ | 1.37‡ | 0.24 |
| Portfolio Turnover (%) |  |  |  |  |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| ~ | During the periods, certain fees were waived. |
| † | Annualized. |
| †† | Portfolio turnover rate is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. Excludes effect of in-kind transfers. |
| ‡ | The ratios of expenses and net investment income/(loss) to Average Net Assets reflect the expenses and net investment income/(loss), respectively, for the period as reported in the Statements of Operations and do not reflect the Fund's proportionate share of the income and expenses from investments in other investment companies. |
| (1) | The Fund's inception date was on September 20, 2021. |
| (2) | Realized and unrealized gains and losses per share are balancing amounts necessary to reconcile the change in net asset value per share for the period, and may not reconcile with the aggregate gains and losses in the Fund's Statement of Operations due to share transactions for the period. |

---

Amounts designated as "—" are $0 or have been rounded to $0.

**Additional Information**

*Additional and more detailed information about the Funds are included in the SAI dated August 1, 2025. The SAI has been filed with the SEC and is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus and, therefore, legally forms a part of this Prospectus. The SEC maintains the EDGAR database on its website ("http://www.sec.gov") that contains the SAI, material incorporated by reference, and other information regarding registrants that file electronically with the SEC and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.*

*You may obtain a copy of the SAI, the Annual or Semi-Annual Reports to shareholders, and other information such as Fund financial statements, or make inquiries, without charge, by calling 1.855.857.2638, visiting <u>www.ivoletf.com</u> or <u>www.bnddetf.com</u>, or writing the Trust at 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10017. Additional information about the Funds' investments will be available in the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports and in Form N-CSR. Also, in the Funds' Annual Report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected a Fund's performance during its last fiscal year. In Form N-CSR, you will find the Funds' annual and semi-annual financial statements. Each Fund's fiscal year end is March 31.*

*No one has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations not contained in this Prospectus or in the Funds' SAI in connection with the offering of Fund shares. Do not rely on any such information or representations as having been authorized by a Fund, Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable. This Prospectus does not constitute an offering by a Fund in any jurisdiction where such an offering is not lawful.*

*The Trust enters into contractual arrangements with various parties, including among others, the Funds' investment adviser, sub-adviser(s) (if applicable), distributor, custodian, and transfer agent who provide services to the Funds. Shareholders are not parties to any such contractual arrangements or intended beneficiaries of those contractual arrangements, and those contractual arrangements are not intended to create in any shareholder any right to enforce them against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the Trust.*

*This prospectus provides information concerning the Funds that you should consider in determining whether to purchase Fund shares. Neither this prospectus nor the SAI is intended, or should be read, to be or give rise to an agreement or contract between the Trust, the Trustees, or the Fund and any investor, or to give rise to any rights in any shareholder or other person other than any rights under federal or state law that may not be waived.*

The Trust's Investment Company Act file number is 811-22698.

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**KraneShares Trust**

Prospectus

August 1, 2025

**KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF** - (KBAB)<br> **KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF -** (KPDD)<br>

Fund shares are not individually redeemable. Fund shares are listed on Nasdaq Stock Market LLC ("Exchange").

These securities have not been approved or disapproved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") or the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC"), nor have the SEC or CFTC passed upon the adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

**The Funds seek daily leveraged investment results and are intended to be used as short-term trading vehicles. Each Fund attempts to provide daily investment results that correspond to the respective long leveraged multiple of the performance of an underlying stock (each a "Leveraged Long Fund").**

**The Funds are not intended to be used by, and are not appropriate for, investors who do not intend to actively monitor and manage their portfolios. The Funds are very different from most mutual funds and exchange-traded funds. Investors should note that:**

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**(1)** **The Leveraged Long Funds pursue daily leveraged investment objectives, which means that the Funds are riskier than alternatives that do not use leverage because the Funds magnify the performance of their underlying stock.** 

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**(2)** **Seeking to replicate daily performances of an underlying stock means that the return of a Fund for a period longer than a full trading day will be the product of a series of daily returns for each trading day during the relevant period.** 

**As a consequence, especially in periods of market volatility, the volatility of the underlying stock may affect a Fund's return as much as, or more than, the return of the underlying stock. Further, the return for investors that invest for periods less than a full trading day is likely to be different from an underlying stock's performance for the full trading day. During periods of high volatility, the Funds may not perform as expected and the Funds may have losses when an investor may have expected gains if the Funds are held for a period that is different than one trading day.**

**The Funds are not suitable for all investors. The Funds are designed to be utilized only by sophisticated investors, such as traders and active investors employing dynamic strategies. Investors in the Funds should:**

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**(a)** **understand the risks associated with the use of leverage;** 

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**(b)** **understand the consequences of seeking daily leveraged investment results; and** 

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**(c)** **intend to actively monitor and manage their investments.** 

**Investors who do not understand the Funds, or do not intend to actively manage their funds and monitor their investments, should not buy the Funds.**

**There is no assurance that any Fund will achieve its investment objective and an investment in a Fund could lose money. No single Fund is a complete investment program.**

**For the Leveraged Long Funds with a 2-time leverage exposure, if the underlying stock referenced by a Fund's underlying stock drops by more than 50% on a given trading day, the Fund's investors could lose all of their money.**

**KraneShares Trust**

**Table of Contents**

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Fund Summary** |  |
| [KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF](#pro-kbab_002) | 1 |
| [KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF](#pro-kbab_003) | 12 |
| **[Additional Information About the Funds](#pro-kbab_007)** | 23 |
| [Additional Information about the Funds' Principal Investment Strategies](#pro-kbab_008) | 24 |
| [Principal Investment Risks](#pro-kbab_009) | 30 |
| **[Management](#pro-kbab_010)** | 43 |
| [Investment Adviser](#pro-kbab_011) | 43 |
| [Portfolio Managers](#pro-kbab_012) | 45 |
| [Other Service Providers](#pro-kbab_013) | 45 |
| **[Shareholder Information](#pro-kbab_014)** | 45 |
| [Calculating NAV](#pro-kbab_015) | 45 |
| [Buying and Selling Fund Shares](#pro-kbab_016) | 47 |
| [Premium/Discount Information](#pro-kbab_017) | 48 |
| [Portfolio Holdings Information](#pro-kbab_018) | 48 |
| [Active Investors and Market Timing](#pro-kbab_019) | 48 |
| [Investments by Registered Investment Companies](#pro-kbab_020) | 48 |
| [Continuous Offering](#pro-kbab_021) | 48 |
| [Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries](#pro-kbab_022) | 49 |
| [Distribution Plan](#pro-kbab_023) | 49 |
| [Householding Policy](#pro-kbab_024) | 49 |
| [Dividends and Distributions](#pro-kbab_025) | 49 |
| **[Additional Tax Information](#pro-kbab_026)** | 50 |
| **[Financial Highlights](#pro-kbab_029)** | 53 |
| **[Additional Information](#pro-kbab_030)** | 56 |

---

i

**KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF**

The KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF (the "Fund") seeks daily investment results of 2 times (200%) the daily percentage change of the ADR of Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE: BABA) (the "Underlying Stock"). Because the Fund seeks daily leveraged investment results, it is very different from most other exchange-traded funds. It is also riskier than alternatives that do not use leverage. The return for investors that invest for periods longer or shorter than a trading day should not be expected to be 200% the performance of the Underlying Stock for the period. The return of the Fund for a period longer than a trading day will be the result of each trading day's compounded return over the period, which will very likely differ from 200% the return of the Underlying Stock for that period. Longer holding periods, higher volatility of the Underlying Stock and leverage increase the impact of compounding on an investor's returns. During periods of higher underlying stock volatility, the volatility of the Underlying Stock may affect the Fund's return as much as, or more than, the return of the Underlying Stock.

**The Fund is not suitable for all investors. The Fund is designed to be utilized only by knowledgeable investors who understand the potential consequences of seeking daily leveraged (2X) investment results, understand the risks associated with the use of leverage and are willing to monitor their portfolios frequently. The Fund is not intended to be used by, and is not appropriate for, investors who do not intend to actively monitor and manage their portfolios. For periods longer than a single day, the Fund will lose money if the Underlying Stock's performance is flat, and it is possible that the Fund will lose money even if the Underlying Stock's performance increases over a period longer than a single day. An investor could lose the full principal value of his/her investment within a single day.**

**Investment Objective**

The Fund seeks daily investment results, before fees and expenses, of 2 times (200%) the daily percentage change of the ADR of Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE: BABA).

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees** (fees paid directly from your investment)

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 1.25% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees\* | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses\*\* | 0.02% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses**\*\*\* | 1.27% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Fee Waiver\*\*\*\* | 0.27% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver** | 1.00% |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan. |
| \*\* | Based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year. |
| \*\*\* | The cost of investing in swaps, including the embedded cost of the swap and the operating expenses of the referenced assets, is an indirect expense that is not included in the above fee table and is not reflected in the expense example. The total indirect cost of investing in swaps, including the embedded cost of the swap and the operating expenses of the referenced assets, is estimated to be 0.98% for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026. |
| \*\*\*\* | The Fund's investment adviser, Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser"), has contractually agreed to waive its management fee by 0.27% of the Fund's average daily net assets ("Fee Waiver"). The Fee Waiver will continue until August 1, 2026, and may only be terminated prior thereto by the Board. |

---

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same, except that it reflects the Fee Waiver for the period described above. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** |
| $102 | $376 |

---

**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. For the period March 11, 2025 to March 31, 2025, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 0% of the average value of its portfolio.

**Principal Investment Strategies**

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in the Underlying Stock and financial instruments, such as swap agreements and options, that, in combination, provide investment exposure to 2 times (200%) the performance of the Underlying Stock.

Generally, the Fund will invest in the Underlying Stock and enter into swap agreements on the Underlying Stock as it attempts to replicate 2 times (200%) the daily percentage change of the Underlying Stock. The Fund aims to generate 2 times the daily performance of the Underlying Stock for a single day. A "single day" is defined as being calculated "from the close of regular trading on one trading day to the close on the next trading day."

The Fund will enter into one or more swap agreements with major financial institutions for a specified period ranging from a day to more than one year whereby the Fund and the financial institution will agree to exchange the return (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on the Underlying Stock. The gross return to be exchanged or "swapped" between the parties is calculated with respect to a "notional amount," e.g., the return on or change in value of a particular dollar amount representing the Underlying Stock.

The Fund will attempt to achieve its investment objective without regard to overall market movement or the increase or decrease of the value of the Underlying Stock. Generally, the Fund pursues its investment objective regardless of market conditions and does not generally take defensive positions. If the Fund needs to take a temporary defensive position, it may result in the Fund not achieving its investment objective.

The impact of the Underlying Stock's price movements during the day will affect whether the Fund's portfolio needs to be rebalanced. For example, if the price of the Underlying Stock has risen on a given day, net assets of the Fund should rise, meaning that the Fund's exposure will need to be increased. Conversely, if the price of the Underlying Stock has fallen on a given day, net assets of the Fund should fall, meaning the Fund's exposure will need to be reduced. This daily rebalancing typically results in high portfolio turnover.

The Fund may invest in: (1) government securities, such as bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury; (2) cash and cash equivalents, including money market funds and repurchase agreements; (3) short-term bond funds and exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"), which can include affiliated ETFs; and/or (4) corporate or other non-government fixed-income securities, such as commercial paper and other short-term unsecured promissory notes. These may serve as collateral for the Fund's investments in financial instruments, such as swap agreements and options.

The Fund is non-diversified. Due to the Fund's investment strategies, the Fund will concentrate its investment in the particular industry to which its Underlying Stock is assigned (*i.e.*, hold 25% of more its total assets in investments that provide exposure to which the Underlying Stock is assigned). As of May 31, 2025, the Underlying Stock is assigned to the consumer discretionary sector and the consumer discretionary distribution and retail industry.

**Because of daily rebalancing and the compounding of each day's return over time, the return of the Fund for periods longer than a single day will be the result of each day's returns compounded over the period, which will very likely differ from 200% of the return of the Underlying Stock over the same period. The Fund will lose money if the Underlying Stock's performance is flat over time. It is even possible, due to the result of daily rebalancing, the Underlying Stock's volatility and the effects of compounding, that the Fund will lose money over time while the Underlying Stock's performance increases over a period longer than a single day.**

**THE FUND, KRANESHARES TRUST, AND KRANE FUNDS ADVISORS, LLC ("KRANE" OR "ADVISER") ARE NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE UNDERLYING STOCK.**

**Alibaba Group Holding Limited is a Chinese multinational technology company that specializes in e-commerce, retail, internet, and technology services. BABA is registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). Information provided to or filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Alibaba Group Holding Limited pursuant to the Exchange Act can be located by reference to the Securities and Exchange Commission file number 001-36614 through the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov. In addition, information regarding Alibaba Group Holding Limited may be obtained from other sources including, but not limited to, press releases, newspaper articles and other publicly disseminated documents.**

**The Fund has derived all disclosures contained in this document regarding Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) from the publicly available documents described above. Neither the Fund, the Trust, the Adviser nor any affiliate has participated in the preparation of such documents. Neither the Fund, the Trust, the Adviser nor any affiliate makes any representation that such publicly available documents or any other publicly available information regarding Alibaba Group Holding Limited is accurate or complete. Furthermore, the Fund cannot give any assurance that all events occurring prior to the date of the prospectus (including events that would affect the accuracy or completeness of the publicly available documents described above) that would affect the trading price of BABA have been publicly disclosed. Subsequent disclosure of any such events or the disclosure of, or failure to disclose, material future events concerning Alibaba Group Holding Limited could affect the value of the Fund's investments with respect to BABA and therefore the value of the Fund.**

**Principal Risks**

As with all ETFs, a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**Underlying Stock Risk.** The Underlying Stock is subject to many risks that can negatively impact its revenue and viability including, but are not limited to price volatility risk, management risk, inflation risk, global economic risk, growth risk, supply and demand risk, operations risk, regulatory risk, environmental risk, terrorism risk and the risk of natural disasters. The Underlying Stock performance may be affected by trends in commerce, and cloud computing, changes in the economic conditions in China and globally, international trade policies, the company's investment transactions and changes in governmental regulations. The Fund's daily returns may be affected by many factors but will depend on the performance and volatility of the Underlying Stock.

**Alibaba Group Holding Limited Investing Risk.** Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment held by the Fund to be more volatile than the market generally. The value of an individual security or particular type of security may be more volatile than the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. As of the date of this prospectus, in addition to the risks associated with companies in the technology sector, BABA faces risks associated with: the highly competitive nature of the e-commerce industry; economic and market uncertainty; reductions in demand for its products; potential concentration of revenues in a few large clients; geopolitical events and pandemics; adequate protection of technology or other intellectual property; exchange rates; reliance on third parties to manufacture products; possible shortages of equipment or materials needed to manufacture products; cybersecurity attacks and data breaches; system failures or outages; potential incompatibility of product with some or all industry standard software and hardware; increases in costs; adverse government regulations; regulatory compliance costs; litigation; taxes; indebtedness; and the ability to attract and retain high quality talent.

**Indirect Investment Risk.** The Underlying Stock is not affiliated with the Trust, the Adviser or any affiliates thereof and is not involved with this offering in any way, and has no obligation to consider the Fund in taking any corporate actions that might affect the value of the Fund. The Trust, the Fund and any affiliate are not responsible for the performance of the Underlying Stock and make no representation as to the performance of the Underlying Stock. Investing in the Fund is not equivalent to investing in the Underlying Stock. Fund shareholders will not have voting rights or rights to receive dividends or other distributions or any other rights with respect to the Underlying Stock.

**Effects of Compounding and Market Volatility Risk.** The Fund seeks daily investment results, before fees and expenses, of 2 times (200%) the daily percentage change of the Underlying Stock and the Fund's performance for periods greater than a trading day will be the result of each day's returns compounded over the period, which is very likely to differ from the Underlying Stock's performance, before fees and expenses. Compounding affects all investments but has a more significant impact on funds that aims to replicate leverage daily returns. For a fund aiming to replicate 2 times the daily performance of an Underlying Stock, if adverse daily performance of the Underlying Stock reduces the amount of a shareholder's investment, any further adverse daily performance will lead to a smaller dollar loss because the shareholder's investment had already been reduced by the prior adverse performance. Equally, however, if the favorable daily performance of the Underlying Stock increases the amount of a shareholder's investment, the dollar amount lost due to future adverse performance will increase because the shareholder's investment has increased.

The effect of compounding becomes pronounced as the Underlying Stock volatility and the holding period increase. The impact of compounding will impact each shareholder differently depending on the period of time an investment in the Fund is held and the volatility of the Underlying Stock during the shareholder's holding period of an investment in the Fund.

The chart below provides examples of how Underlying Stock volatility could affect the Fund's performance. Fund performance for periods greater than one single day can be estimated given any set of assumptions for the following factors: a) Underlying Stock volatility; b) Underlying Stock's performance; c) period of time; d) financing rates associated with leveraged exposure; e) other Fund expenses; and f) the Underlying Stock's dividends. The chart below illustrates the impact of two principal factors – Underlying Stock volatility and performance – on Fund performance. The chart shows estimated Fund returns for a number of combinations of Underlying Stock volatility and performance over a one-year period. Performance shown in the chart assumes that (i) there were no Fund expenses; and (ii) borrowing rates (needed to obtain a leveraged long exposure) of 0%. If Fund expenses and/or actual borrowing/lending rates were reflected, the estimated returns would be lower than those shown. Particularly during periods of higher Underlying Stock volatility, compounding will cause results for periods longer than a trading day to vary from the performance of the Underlying Stock.

As shown in the chart below, the Fund would be expected to lose 6.0% if the Underlying Stock provided no return over a one-year period during which the Underlying Stock experienced annualized volatility of 25%. At higher ranges of volatility, there is a chance of a significant loss of value in the Fund, even if the Underlying Stock return is flat.

For instance, if the Underlying Stock annualized volatility is 100%, the Fund would be expected to lose 63.3% of its value, even if the cumulative Underlying Stock return for the year was 0%. Areas shaded red (or dark gray) represent those scenarios where the Fund can be expected to return less than 200% of the performance of the Underlying Stock and those shaded green (or light gray) represent those scenarios where the Fund can be expected to return more than 200% of the performance of the Underlying Stock. The Fund's actual returns may be significantly better or worse than the returns shown below as a result of any of the factors discussed above or in "Tracking Error Risk" below.

---

| | | | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **One Year<br> Performance of the<br> Underlying Stock** | **200% of One Year**<br> **Performance of the<br> Underlying Stock** | **Volatility of the Underlying Stock (annualized)** | **Volatility of the Underlying Stock (annualized)** | **Volatility of the Underlying Stock (annualized)** | **Volatility of the Underlying Stock (annualized)** | **Volatility of the Underlying Stock (annualized)** | **Volatility of the Underlying Stock (annualized)** | **Volatility of the Underlying Stock (annualized)** |
| **One Year<br> Performance of the<br> Underlying Stock** | **200% of One Year**<br> **Performance of the<br> Underlying Stock** | **10%** | **25%** | **50%** | **75%** | **100%** | **125%** | **150%** |
| -95% | -190% | -99.8% | -99.8% | -99.8% | -99.9% | -99.9% | -100.0% | -100.0% |
| -90% | -180% | -99.0% | -99.1% | -99.2% | -99.4% | -99.6% | -99.8% | -99.9% |
| -80% | -160% | -96.1% | -96.3% | -96.9% | -97.8% | -98.6% | -99.2% | -99.6% |
| -70% | -140% | -91.1% | -91.6% | -93.0% | -94.9% | -96.7% | -98.2% | -99.1% |
| -60% | -120% | -84.2% | -85.0% | -87.6% | -91.0% | -94.2% | -96.7% | -98.4% |
| -50% | -100% | -75.3% | -76.6% | -80.6% | -85.8% | -90.9% | -94.8% | -97.4% |
| -40% | -80% | -64.4% | -66.2% | -72.0% | -79.6% | -86.9% | -92.5% | -96.3% |
| -30% | -60% | -51.5% | -54.0% | -61.9% | -72.2% | -82.1% | -89.8% | -94.9% |
| -20% | -40% | -36.7% | -39.9% | -50.2% | -63.6% | -76.5% | -86.7% | -93.4% |
| -10% | -20% | -19.8% | -23.9% | -36.9% | -53.9% | -70.3% | -83.1% | -91.6% |
| 0% | 0% | -1.0% | -6.1% | -22.1% | -43.1% | -63.3% | -79.1% | -89.6% |
| 10% | 20% | 19.8% | 13.7% | -5.8% | -31.1% | -55.5% | -74.7% | -87.4% |
| 20% | 40% | 42.6% | 35.3% | 12.2% | -17.9% | -47.1% | -69.9% | -84.9% |
| 30% | 60% | 67.3% | 58.7% | 31.6% | -3.7% | -37.8% | -64.6% | -82.3% |
| 40% | 80% | 94.0% | 84.1% | 52.7% | 11.7% | -27.9% | -59.0% | -79.4% |
| 50% | 100% | 122.6% | 111.3% | 75.2% | 28.3% | -17.2% | -52.9% | -76.4% |
| 60% | 120% | 153.2% | 140.3% | 99.4% | 46.0% | -5.7% | -46.3% | -73.1% |
| 70% | 140% | 185.8% | 171.3% | 125.0% | 64.8% | 6.4% | -39.4% | -69.6% |
| 80% | 160% | 220.4% | 204.0% | 152.2% | 84.7% | 19.3% | -32.0% | -65.9% |
| 90% | 180% | 256.8% | 238.7% | 181.0% | 105.8% | 33.0% | -24.2% | -62.0% |
| 95% | 190% | 275.8% | 256.7% | 196.0% | 116.8% | 40.1% | -20.2% | -59.9% |
| 100% | 200% | 295.3% | 275.2% | 211.3% | 128.0% | 47.4% | -16.0% | -57.8% |

---

The Underlying Stock's annualized historical volatility rate for the five-year period ended May 31, 2025, was 51%. During this five-year period, the Underlying Stock's highest volatility rate over a 12-month period was 76% and volatility for a shorter period of time may have been substantially higher. The Underlying Stock's annualized performance for the five-year period ended May 31, 2025, was -11%. Historical volatility and performance are not indications of what the Underlying Stock volatility and performance will be in the future. The volatility of instruments that reflect the value of the Underlying Stock, such as swaps, may differ from the volatility of the Underlying Stock.

**Correlation Risk.** A number of factors may affect the Fund's ability to achieve a high degree of correlation with Underlying Stock, and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation. Failure to achieve a high degree of correlation may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective, and the percentage change of the Fund's NAV each day may differ, perhaps significantly in amount, and possibly even direction, from 200% of the percentage change of Underlying Stock on such day.

In order to achieve a high degree of correlation with Underlying Stock, the Fund seeks to rebalance its portfolio daily to keep exposure consistent with its investment objective. Being materially under- or overexposed to Underlying Stock may prevent the Fund from achieving a high degree of correlation with Underlying Stock and may expose the Fund to greater leverage risk. Market disruptions or closure, regulatory restrictions, market volatility, illiquidity in the markets for the financial instruments in which the Fund invests, and other factors will adversely affect the Fund's ability to adjust exposure to requisite levels. The target amount of portfolio exposure is impacted dynamically by Underlying Stock's movements, including intraday movements. Because of this, it is unlikely that the Fund will have perfect 200% exposure during the day or at the end of each day and the likelihood of being materially under- or overexposed is higher on days when Underlying Stock is volatile, particularly when Underlying Stock is volatile at or near the close of the trading day.

A number of other factors may also adversely affect the Fund's correlation with Underlying Stock, including fees, expenses, transaction costs, financing costs associated with the use of derivatives, income items, valuation methodology, accounting standards and disruptions or illiquidity in the markets for the securities or financial instruments in which the Fund invests. The Fund may take or refrain from taking positions in order to improve tax efficiency, comply with regulatory restrictions, or for other reasons, each of which may negatively affect the Fund's correlation with Underlying Stock. The Fund may also be subject to large movements of assets into and out of the Fund, potentially resulting in the Fund being under- or overexposed to Underlying Stock. Additionally, the Fund's underlying investments and/or reference assets may trade on markets that may not be open on the same day as the Fund, which may cause a difference between the changes in the daily performance of the Fund and changes in the performance of Underlying Stock. Any of these factors could decrease correlation between the performance of the Fund and Underlying Stock and may hinder the Fund's ability to meet its daily investment objective on or around that day.

**Leverage Risk.** The Fund obtains investment exposure in excess of its net assets by utilizing leverage and may lose more money in market conditions that are adverse to its investment objective than a fund that does not utilize leverage. An investment in the Fund is exposed to the risk that a decline in the daily performance of the Underlying Stock will be magnified. This means that an investment in the Fund will be reduced by an amount equal to 2% for every 1% daily decline in the Underlying Stock, not including the costs of financing leverage and other operating expenses, which would further reduce its value. The Fund could theoretically lose an amount greater than its net assets in the event the Underlying Stock declines more than 50%. Leverage will also have the effect of magnifying any differences in the Fund performance's correlation with the Underlying Stock.

Due to the limited availability of necessary investments or financial instruments, the Fund could, among other things, as a defensive measure, limit or suspend creations or redemptions of Creation Units until the adviser determines that the requisite exposure to the Underlying Stock is obtainable. During the period that creation or redemptions are affected, the Fund's shares could trade at a significant premium or discount to their net asset value or the bid-ask spread of the Fund's shares could widen significantly. In the case of a period during which creations are suspended, the Fund could experience significant redemptions, which may cause the Fund to sell portfolio securities at unfavorable prices and increased transaction and other costs and make greater taxable distributions to shareholders of the Fund.

**On-Line Business Services and Retail Company Risks.** The performance of the Underlying Stock, and consequently the Fund's performance, is subject to the risks of the online retail company sector. Companies that operate in the online marketplace and retail segments are subject to fluctuating consumer demand. Unlike traditional brick and mortar retailers, online marketplaces and retailers must assume shipping costs or pass such costs to consumers. Consumer access to price information for the same or similar products may cause companies that operate in the online marketplace and retail segments to reduce profit margins in order to compete. Due to the nature of their business models, companies that operate in the online marketplace and retail segments may also be subject to heightened cyber security risk, including the risk of theft or damage to vital hardware, software and information systems. The loss or public dissemination of sensitive customer information or other proprietary data may negatively affect the financial performance of such companies to a greater extent than traditional brick and mortar retailers. As a result of such companies being web-based and the fact that they process, store, and transmit large amounts of data, including personal information, for their customers, failure to prevent or mitigate data loss or other security breaches, including breaches of vendors' technology and systems, could expose companies that operate in the online marketplace and retail segments or their customers to a risk of loss or misuse of such information, adversely affect their operating results, result in litigation or potential liability, and otherwise harm their businesses.

**Concentration Risk.** The Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in the particular industry to which its Underlying Stock is assigned. The securities of companies in an industry or group of industries could react similarly to market developments. Thus, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that affect one industry or group of industries or sector. While the Fund's sector and industry exposure may vary over time based on the particular industry to which its Underlying Stock is assigned, the Fund is currently subject to the principal risks described below.

**Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk.** The success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied closely to the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence. Success depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes can also affect the demand for, and success of, consumer products in the marketplace.

**Consumer Discretionary Distribution and Retail Industry Risk.** Retail and related industries can be significantly affected by the performance of the domestic and international economy, consumer confidence and spending, intense competition, changes in demographics, and changing consumer tastes and preferences. In addition, the retail industry is highly competitive and a company's success can be tied to its ability to anticipate changing consumer tastes.

**China Risk.** The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions in the People's Republic of China ("China" or the "PRC") and surrounding Asian countries and may demonstrate significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. Investments in Chinese securities, including those that are Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, subject the Fund to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. Over the last few decades, the Chinese government has undertaken reform of economic and market practices and has expanded the sphere of private ownership of property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. Chinese companies are also subject to the risk that Chinese authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. In addition, the Chinese economy is export-driven and highly reliant on trading with key partners. A downturn in the economies of China's primary trading partners could slow or eliminate the growth of the Chinese economy and adversely impact the Fund's investments. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. The RMB is not freely convertible, but rather is subject to approval of PRC authorities. Although Chinese authorities have indicated an intent to move to a freely convertible RMB, there is no assurance that repatriation restrictions will not continue. The Chinese government may introduce new laws and regulations that could have an adverse effect on the Fund. Although China has begun the process of privatizing certain sectors of its economy, privatized entities may lose money and/or be re-nationalized.

Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Incidents involving China's or the region's security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments.

In the Chinese securities markets, a small number of issuers may represent a large portion of the entire market. The Chinese securities markets are subject to more frequent trading halts, low trading volume and price volatility. Recent developments in relations between the United States and China have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the two countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on China's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on the Fund. In addition, worsening trade relations between the two countries could adversely impact the Fund, particularly to the extent that the Chinese government restricts foreign investments in on-shore Chinese companies or the U.S. government restricts investments by U.S. investors in China. This may also result in market volatility and volatility in the price of Fund shares.

In recent years, Chinese entities have incurred significant levels of debt and Chinese financial institutions currently hold relatively large amounts of non-performing debt. Thus, there exists a possibility that widespread defaults could occur, which could trigger a financial crisis, freeze Chinese debt and finance markets and make Chinese securities illiquid.

Disclosure and regulatory standards in emerging market countries, such as China, are in many respects less stringent than U.S. standards. There is substantially less publicly available information about Chinese issuers than there is about U.S. issuers. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements or due to worsening relations between the U.S. and China, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities.

The tax laws and regulations in China are somewhat unclear and are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. The interpretation, application and enforcement of such laws and regulations by the applicable authorities may vary over time and from region to region, and could have an adverse effect on the Fund and its shareholders, particularly in relation to tax imposed upon foreign investors' capital gains. Uncertainties in Chinese tax rules could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund.

**Counterparty Risk.** A counterparty (the other party to a transaction or an agreement or the party with whom the Fund executes transactions) to a transaction with the Fund may be unable or unwilling to make timely principal, interest or settlement payments, or otherwise honor its obligations. If this occurs, it could result in a reduction in the NAV of the Fund and could impair the Fund's ability to achieve its investment objective. The counterparty risk associated with the Fund's investments will be greater if the Fund uses only a limited number of counterparties. If there are only a couple of potential counterparties, the Fund, subject to applicable law, may enter into transactions with as few as one counterparty at any time.

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

**Swap Risk.** Swaps are subject to tracking risk because they may not be perfect substitutes for the instruments they are intended to hedge or replace. Over the counter swaps are subject to counterparty default. Leverage inherent in derivatives will tend to magnify the Fund's losses.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to "Authorized Participants." Unlike many other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Thus, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in other ETFs as the Fund may recognize a capital gain that it could have avoided by making redemptions in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. Further, paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds at an inopportune time. Cash transactions may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes, including brokerage fees, that might not have occurred if the Fund utilized in-kind transactions. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**New Fund Risk.** If the Fund does not grow in size, it will be at greater risk than larger funds of wider bid-ask spreads for its shares, trading at a greater premium or discount to NAV, liquidation and/or a stop to trading.

**Fixed Income Securities Risk.** Fixed income securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a security will not make timely interest payments or repay the principal of the debt issued (i.e., default on its obligations). A downgrade or default on securities held by the Fund could adversely affect the Fund's performance. Generally, the longer the maturity and the lower the credit quality of a security, the more sensitive it is to credit risk. Interest rate risk refers to fluctuations in the value of a debt resulting from changes in the level of interest rates. When interest rates go up, the prices of most debt instruments generally go down; and when interest rates go down, the prices of most debt instruments generally go up. Debt instruments with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes, typically making them more volatile. Interest rates have recently increased and may continue increasing, thereby heightening the risks associated with rising interest rates.

**High Portfolio Turnover Risk.** Daily rebalancing of the Fund's holdings pursuant to its daily investment objective causes a much greater number of portfolio transactions when compared to most ETFs. Additionally, active secondary market trading of the Fund's shares could cause more frequent creation and redemption activities, which would increase the number of portfolio transactions. High levels of portfolio transactions may cause higher transaction costs because of increased broker commissions resulting from such transactions and increased taxable capital gains. The Fund calculates portfolio turnover without including the short-term cash instruments or derivative transactions that comprise most of the Fund's trading. As such, if the Fund's extensive use of derivative instruments were reflected, the calculated portfolio turnover rate would be significantly higher.

**Management Risk.** The Fund is actively-managed and may not meet its investment objective based on Krane's success or failure to implement investment strategies for the Fund. Krane's evaluations and assumptions regarding investments, markets, trends, and other factors may not successfully achieve the Fund's investment objective given actual market conditions.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**Rebalancing Risk.** If for any reason the Fund is unable to rebalance all or a portion of its portfolio, or if all or a portion of the portfolio is rebalanced incorrectly, the Fund's investment exposure may not be consistent with the Fund's investment objective. In these instances, the Fund may have investment exposure to the Underlying Stock that is significantly greater or less than its stated multiple. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to leverage risk than if it had been properly rebalanced and may not achieve its investment objective.

**Trading Halt Risk.** Although the Underlying Stock's shares are listed for trading on an exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will be available at all times and the exchange may halt trading of such shares in certain circumstances. A halt in trading in the Underlying Stock's shares is expected, in turn, to result in a halt in the trading in the Fund's shares. Trading in the Underlying Stock's and/or Fund's shares on the exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the exchange, make trading in the Underling Stock's and/or Fund's shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Underlying Stock's and/or Fund's shares on an exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to exchange "circuit breaker" rules. In the event of a trading halt for an extended period of time, the Fund may be unable to execute arrangements with swap counterparties that are necessary to implement the Fund's investment strategy.

**Tracking Error Risk**. Tracking error is the divergence of the Fund's performance from that of its investment objective which aims to replicate 2 times the daily percentage change of the Underlying Stock. The performance of the Fund may diverge from that of its investment objective for a number of reasons. Tracking error may occur because of transaction costs, the Fund's holding of cash, differences in accrual of dividends, being under- or overexposed to the Underlying Stock or the need to meet new or existing regulatory requirements. Tracking error risk may be heightened during times of market volatility or other unusual market conditions. The Fund may be required to deviate from its investment objective as a result of market restrictions or other legal reasons, including regulatory limits or other restrictions on securities that may be purchased by the Adviser and its affiliates.

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. The Fund's pursuit of its investment strategy will potentially be limited by the Fund's intention to qualify for such treatment and could adversely affect the Fund's ability to so qualify. The Fund may make certain investments, the treatment of which for these purposes is unclear. The Fund's investments in issuers whose control persons are not certain creates a risk that tax authorities may retrospectively deem the Fund to have failed the asset diversification requirements. If the Fund were to fail the favorable tax treatment requirements, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, which would adversely affect its performance.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

**Performance Information**

Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included in this Prospectus that will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the variability of the Fund's return based on net assets and comparing the variability of the Fund's return to a broad measure of market performance.Once available, the Fund's current performance information is available at <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>. Past performance does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.

**Management**

**Investment Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Managers**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, supports Mr. Maund and Krane's investment team for the Fund and has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>.

**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 IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

**KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF**

The KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF (the "Fund") seeks daily investment results of 2 times (200%) the daily percentage change of the ADR of PDD Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: PDD) (the "Underlying Stock"). Because the Fund seeks daily leveraged investment results, it is very different from most other exchange-traded funds. It is also riskier than alternatives that do not use leverage. The return for investors that invest for periods longer or shorter than a trading day should not be expected to be 200% the performance of the Underlying Stock for the period. The return of the Fund for a period longer than a trading day will be the result of each trading day's compounded return over the period, which will very likely differ from 200% the return of the Underlying Stock for that period. Longer holding periods, higher volatility of the Underlying Stock and leverage increase the impact of compounding on an investor's returns. During periods of higher underlying stock volatility, the volatility of the Underlying Stock may affect the Fund's return as much as, or more than, the return of the Underlying Stock.

**The Fund is not suitable for all investors. The Fund is designed to be utilized only by knowledgeable investors who understand the potential consequences of seeking daily leveraged (2X) investment results, understand the risks associated with the use of leverage and are willing to monitor their portfolios frequently. The Fund is not intended to be used by, and is not appropriate for, investors who do not intend to actively monitor and manage their portfolios. For periods longer than a single day, the Fund will lose money if the Underlying Stock's performance is flat, and it is possible that the Fund will lose money even if the Underlying Stock's performance increases over a period longer than a single day. An investor could lose the full principal value of his/her investment within a single day.**

**Investment Objective**

The Fund seeks daily investment results, before fees and expenses, of 2 times (200%) the daily percentage change of the ADR of PDD Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: PDD).

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund**

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

**Shareholder Fees** (fees paid directly from your investment)

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses** <br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 1.25% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees\* | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses\*\* | 0.02% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses**\*\*\* | 1.27% |

---

\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

\*\* Based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

\*\*\* The cost of investing in swaps, including the embedded cost of the swap and the operating expenses of the referenced assets, is an indirect expense that is not included in the above fee table and is not reflected in the expense example. The total indirect cost of investing in swaps, including the embedded cost of the swap and the operating expenses of the referenced assets, is estimated to be 0.93% for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026.

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** |
| $129 | $403 |

---

**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. For the period March 11, 2025 to March 31, 2025, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 0% of the average value of its portfolio.

**Principal Investment Strategies**

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in the Underlying Stock and financial instruments, such as swap agreements and options, that, in combination, provide investment exposure to 2 times (200%) the performance of the Underlying Stock.

Generally, the Fund will invest in the Underlying Stock and enter into swap agreements on the Underlying Stock as it attempts to replicate 2 times (200%) the daily percentage change of the Underlying Stock. The Fund aims to generate 2 times the daily performance of the Underlying Stock for a single day. A "single day" is defined as being calculated "from the close of regular trading on one trading day to the close on the next trading day."

The Fund will enter into one or more swap agreements with major financial institutions for a specified period ranging from a day to more than one year whereby the Fund and the financial institution will agree to exchange the return (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on the Underlying Stock. The gross return to be exchanged or "swapped" between the parties is calculated with respect to a "notional amount," e.g., the return on or change in value of a particular dollar amount representing the Underlying Stock.

The Fund will attempt to achieve its investment objective without regard to overall market movement or the increase or decrease of the value of the Underlying Stock. Generally, the Fund pursues its investment objective regardless of market conditions and does not generally take defensive positions. If the Fund needs to take a temporary defensive position, it may result in the Fund not achieving its investment objective.

The impact of the Underlying Stock's price movements during the day will affect whether the Fund's portfolio needs to be rebalanced. For example, if the price of the Underlying Stock has risen on a given day, net assets of the Fund should rise, meaning that the Fund's exposure will need to be increased. Conversely, if the price of the Underlying Stock has fallen on a given day, net assets of the Fund should fall, meaning the Fund's exposure will need to be reduced. This daily rebalancing typically results in high portfolio turnover.

The Fund may invest in: (1) government securities, such as bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury; (2) cash and cash equivalents, including money market funds and repurchase agreements; (3) short-term bond funds and exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"), which can include affiliated ETFs; and/or (4) corporate or other non-government fixed-income securities, such as commercial paper and other short-term unsecured promissory notes. These may serve as collateral for the Fund's investments in financial instruments, such as swap agreements and options.

The Fund is non-diversified. Due to the Fund's investment strategies, the Fund will concentrate its investment in the particular industry to which its Underlying Stock is assigned (*i.e.*, hold 25% of more its total assets in investments that provide exposure to which the Underlying Stock is assigned). As of May 31, 2025, the Underlying Stock is assigned to the consumer discretionary sector and the consumer discretionary distribution and retail industry.

**Because of daily rebalancing and the compounding of each day's return over time, the return of the Fund for periods longer than a single day will be the result of each day's returns compounded over the period, which will very likely differ from 200% of the return of the Underlying Stock over the same period. The Fund will lose money if the Underlying Stock's performance is flat over time. It is even possible, due to the result of daily rebalancing, the Underlying Stock's volatility and the effects of compounding, that the Fund will lose money over time while the Underlying Stock's performance increases over a period longer than a single day.**

**THE FUND, KRANESHARES TRUST, AND KRANE FUNDS ADVISORS, LLC ("KRANE" OR "ADVISER") ARE NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE UNDERLYING STOCK.**

**PDD Holdings Inc. is a multinational commerce group that owns and operates a diverse portfolio of businesses. The company provides an e-commerce platform, which offers a wide selection of merchandise and promotes an interactive shopping experience through its team purchase model. PDD is registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). Information provided to or filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by PDD Holdings Inc. pursuant to the Exchange Act can be located by reference to the Securities and Exchange Commission file number 001-38591 through the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov. In addition, information regarding PDD Holdings Inc. may be obtained from other sources including, but not limited to, press releases, newspaper articles and other publicly disseminated documents.**

**The Fund has derived all disclosures contained in this document regarding PDD Holdings Inc. (PDD) from the publicly available documents described above. Neither the Fund, the Trust, the Adviser nor any affiliate has participated in the preparation of such documents. Neither the Fund, the Trust, the Adviser nor any affiliate makes any representation that such publicly available documents or any other publicly available information regarding PDD Holdings Inc. is accurate or complete. Furthermore, the Fund cannot give any assurance that all events occurring prior to the date of the prospectus (including events that would affect the accuracy or completeness of the publicly available documents described above) that would affect the trading price of PDD have been publicly disclosed. Subsequent disclosure of any such events or the disclosure of, or failure to disclose, material future events concerning PDD Holdings Inc. could affect the value of the Fund's investments with respect to PDD and therefore the value of the Fund.**

**Principal Risks**

As with all ETFs, a shareholder of the Fund is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including:

**Underlying Stock Risk.** The Underlying Stock is subject to many risks that can negatively impact its revenue and viability including, but are not limited to price volatility risk, management risk, inflation risk, global economic risk, growth risk, supply and demand risk, operations risk, regulatory risk, environmental risk, terrorism risk and the risk of natural disasters. The Underlying Stock is subject to intense competition from other major e-ecommerce operators, traditional and brick-and-mortar retailers, and major internet companies that are in the process of initiating their e-commerce businesses. The Underlying Stock performance may be affected by trends in e-commerce and changes in the economic conditions in China and globally, international trade policies, the company's investment transactions and changes in governmental regulations. The Fund's daily returns may be affected by many factors but will depend on the performance and volatility of the Underlying Stock.

**PDD Holdings Inc. Investing Risk.** Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment held by the Fund to be more volatile than the market generally. The value of an individual security or particular type of security may be more volatile than the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. As of the date of this prospectus, in addition to the risks associated with companies in the consumer discretionary sector, PDD faces risks associated with: the highly competitive nature of the e-commerce industry; economic and market uncertainty; reductions in demand for its products; potential concentration of revenues in a few large clients; geopolitical events and pandemics; adequate protection of technology or other intellectual property; exchange rates; reliance on third parties to manufacture products; possible shortages of equipment or materials needed to manufacture products; cybersecurity attacks and data breaches; system failures or outages; potential incompatibility of product with some or all industry standard software and hardware; increases in costs; adverse government regulations; regulatory compliance costs; litigation; taxes; indebtedness; and the ability to attract and retain high quality talent.

**Indirect Investment Risk.** The Underlying Stock is not affiliated with the Trust, the Adviser or any affiliates thereof and is not involved with this offering in any way, and has no obligation to consider the Fund in taking any corporate actions that might affect the value of the Fund. The Trust, the Fund and any affiliate are not responsible for the performance of the Underlying Stock and make no representation as to the performance of the Underlying Stock. Investing in the Fund is not equivalent to investing in the Underlying Stock. Fund shareholders will not have voting rights or rights to receive dividends or other distributions or any other rights with respect to the Underlying Stock.

**Effects of Compounding and Market Volatility Risk.** The Fund seeks daily investment results, before fees and expenses, of 2 times (200%) the daily percentage change of the Underlying Stock and the Fund's performance for periods greater than a trading day will be the result of each day's returns compounded over the period, which is very likely to differ from the Underlying Stock's performance, before fees and expenses. Compounding affects all investments but has a more significant impact on funds that aims to replicate leverage daily returns. For a fund aiming to replicate 2 times the daily performance of an Underlying Stock, if adverse daily performance of the Underlying Stock reduces the amount of a shareholder's investment, any further adverse daily performance will lead to a smaller dollar loss because the shareholder's investment had already been reduced by the prior adverse performance. Equally, however, if the favorable daily performance of the Underlying Stock increases the amount of a shareholder's investment, the dollar amount lost due to future adverse performance will increase because the shareholder's investment has increased.

The effect of compounding becomes pronounced as the Underlying Stock volatility and the holding period increase. The impact of compounding will impact each shareholder differently depending on the period of time an investment in the Fund is held and the volatility of the Underlying Stock during the shareholder's holding period of an investment in the Fund.

The chart below provides examples of how Underlying Stock volatility could affect the Fund's performance. Fund performance for periods greater than one single day can be estimated given any set of assumptions for the following factors: a) Underlying Stock volatility; b) Underlying Stock's performance; c) period of time; d) financing rates associated with leveraged exposure; e) other Fund expenses; and f) the Underlying Stock's dividends. The chart below illustrates the impact of two principal factors – Underlying Stock volatility and performance – on Fund performance. The chart shows estimated Fund returns for a number of combinations of Underlying Stock volatility and performance over a one-year period. Performance shown in the chart assumes that (i) there were no Fund expenses; and (ii) borrowing rates (needed to obtain a leveraged long exposure) of 0%. If Fund expenses and/or actual borrowing/lending rates were reflected, the estimated returns would be lower than those shown. Particularly during periods of higher Underlying Stock volatility, compounding will cause results for periods longer than a trading day to vary from the performance of the Underlying Stock.

As shown in the chart below, the Fund would be expected to lose 6.0% if the Underlying Stock provided no return over a one-year period during which the Underlying Stock experienced annualized volatility of 25%. At higher ranges of volatility, there is a chance of a significant loss of value in the Fund, even if the Underlying Stock return is flat.

For instance, if the Underlying Stock annualized volatility is 100%, the Fund would be expected to lose 63.3% of its value, even if the cumulative Underlying Stock return for the year was 0%. Areas shaded red (or dark gray) represent those scenarios where the Fund can be expected to return less than 200% of the performance of the Underlying Stock and those shaded green (or light gray) represent those scenarios where the Fund can be expected to return more than 200% of the performance of the Underlying Stock. The Fund's actual returns may be significantly better or worse than the returns shown below as a result of any of the factors discussed above or in "Tracking Error Risk" below.

---

| | | | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **One Year<br> Performance of the<br> Underlying Stock** | **200% of One Year**<br> **Performance of the<br> Underlying Stock** | **Volatility of the Underlying Stock (annualized)** | **Volatility of the Underlying Stock (annualized)** | **Volatility of the Underlying Stock (annualized)** | **Volatility of the Underlying Stock (annualized)** | **Volatility of the Underlying Stock (annualized)** | **Volatility of the Underlying Stock (annualized)** | **Volatility of the Underlying Stock (annualized)** |
| **One Year<br> Performance of the<br> Underlying Stock** | **200% of One Year**<br> **Performance of the<br> Underlying Stock** | **10%** | **25%** | **50%** | **75%** | **100%** | **125%** | **150%** |
| -95% | -190% | -99.8% | -99.8% | -99.8% | -99.9% | -99.9% | -100.0% | -100.0% |
| -90% | -180% | -99.0% | -99.1% | -99.2% | -99.4% | -99.6% | -99.8% | -99.9% |
| -80% | -160% | -96.1% | -96.3% | -96.9% | -97.8% | -98.6% | -99.2% | -99.6% |
| -70% | -140% | -91.1% | -91.6% | -93.0% | -94.9% | -96.7% | -98.2% | -99.1% |
| -60% | -120% | -84.2% | -85.0% | -87.6% | -91.0% | -94.2% | -96.7% | -98.4% |
| -50% | -100% | -75.3% | -76.6% | -80.6% | -85.8% | -90.9% | -94.8% | -97.4% |
| -40% | -80% | -64.4% | -66.2% | -72.0% | -79.6% | -86.9% | -92.5% | -96.3% |
| -30% | -60% | -51.5% | -54.0% | -61.9% | -72.2% | -82.1% | -89.8% | -94.9% |
| -20% | -40% | -36.7% | -39.9% | -50.2% | -63.6% | -76.5% | -86.7% | -93.4% |
| -10% | -20% | -19.8% | -23.9% | -36.9% | -53.9% | -70.3% | -83.1% | -91.6% |
| 0% | 0% | -1.0% | -6.1% | -22.1% | -43.1% | -63.3% | -79.1% | -89.6% |
| 10% | 20% | 19.8% | 13.7% | -5.8% | -31.1% | -55.5% | -74.7% | -87.4% |
| 20% | 40% | 42.6% | 35.3% | 12.2% | -17.9% | -47.1% | -69.9% | -84.9% |
| 30% | 60% | 67.3% | 58.7% | 31.6% | -3.7% | -37.8% | -64.6% | -82.3% |
| 40% | 80% | 94.0% | 84.1% | 52.7% | 11.7% | -27.9% | -59.0% | -79.4% |
| 50% | 100% | 122.6% | 111.3% | 75.2% | 28.3% | -17.2% | -52.9% | -76.4% |
| 60% | 120% | 153.2% | 140.3% | 99.4% | 46.0% | -5.7% | -46.3% | -73.1% |
| 70% | 140% | 185.8% | 171.3% | 125.0% | 64.8% | 6.4% | -39.4% | -69.6% |
| 80% | 160% | 220.4% | 204.0% | 152.2% | 84.7% | 19.3% | -32.0% | -65.9% |
| 90% | 180% | 256.8% | 238.7% | 181.0% | 105.8% | 33.0% | -24.2% | -62.0% |
| 95% | 190% | 275.8% | 256.7% | 196.0% | 116.8% | 40.1% | -20.2% | -59.9% |
| 100% | 200% | 295.3% | 275.2% | 211.3% | 128.0% | 47.4% | -16.0% | -57.8% |

---

The Underlying Stock's annualized historical volatility rate for the five-year period ended May 31, 2025, was 73%. During this five-year period, the Underlying Stock's highest volatility rate over a 12-month period was 111% and volatility for a shorter period of time may have been substantially higher. The Underlying Stock's annualized performance for the five-year period ended May 31, 2025, was 8%. Historical volatility and performance are not indications of what the Underlying Stock volatility and performance will be in the future. The volatility of instruments that reflect the value of the Underlying Stock, such as swaps, may differ from the volatility of the Underlying Stock.

**Correlation Risk.** A number of factors may affect the Fund's ability to achieve a high degree of correlation with Underlying Stock, and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation. Failure to achieve a high degree of correlation may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective, and the percentage change of the Fund's NAV each day may differ, perhaps significantly in amount, and possibly even direction, from 200% of the percentage change of Underlying Stock on such day.

In order to achieve a high degree of correlation with Underlying Stock, the Fund seeks to rebalance its portfolio daily to keep exposure consistent with its investment objective. Being materially under- or overexposed to Underlying Stock may prevent the Fund from achieving a high degree of correlation with Underlying Stock and may expose the Fund to greater leverage risk. Market disruptions or closure, regulatory restrictions, market volatility, illiquidity in the markets for the financial instruments in which the Fund invests, and other factors will adversely affect the Fund's ability to adjust exposure to requisite levels. The target amount of portfolio exposure is impacted dynamically by Underlying Stock's movements, including intraday movements. Because of this, it is unlikely that the Fund will have perfect 200% exposure during the day or at the end of each day and the likelihood of being materially under- or overexposed is higher on days when Underlying Stock is volatile, particularly when Underlying Stock is volatile at or near the close of the trading day.

A number of other factors may also adversely affect the Fund's correlation with Underlying Stock, including fees, expenses, transaction costs, financing costs associated with the use of derivatives, income items, valuation methodology, accounting standards and disruptions or illiquidity in the markets for the securities or financial instruments in which the Fund invests. The Fund may take or refrain from taking positions in order to improve tax efficiency, comply with regulatory restrictions, or for other reasons, each of which may negatively affect the Fund's correlation with Underlying Stock. The Fund may also be subject to large movements of assets into and out of the Fund, potentially resulting in the Fund being under- or overexposed to Underlying Stock. Additionally, the Fund's underlying investments and/or reference assets may trade on markets that may not be open on the same day as the Fund, which may cause a difference between the changes in the daily performance of the Fund and changes in the performance of Underlying Stock. Any of these factors could decrease correlation between the performance of the Fund and Underlying Stock and may hinder the Fund's ability to meet its daily investment objective on or around that day.

**Leverage Risk.** The Fund obtains investment exposure in excess of its net assets by utilizing leverage and may lose more money in market conditions that are adverse to its investment objective than a fund that does not utilize leverage. An investment in the Fund is exposed to the risk that a decline in the daily performance of the Underlying Stock will be magnified. This means that an investment in the Fund will be reduced by an amount equal to 2% for every 1% daily decline in the Underlying Stock, not including the costs of financing leverage and other operating expenses, which would further reduce its value. The Fund could theoretically lose an amount greater than its net assets in the event the Underlying Stock declines more than 50%. Leverage will also have the effect of magnifying any differences in the Fund performance's correlation with the Underlying Stock.

Due to the limited availability of necessary investments or financial instruments, the Fund could, among other things, as a defensive measure, limit or suspend creations or redemptions of Creation Units until the adviser determines that the requisite exposure to the Underlying Stock is obtainable. During the period that creation or redemptions are affected, the Fund's shares could trade at a significant premium or discount to their net asset value or the bid-ask spread of the Fund's shares could widen significantly. In the case of a period during which creations are suspended, the Fund could experience significant redemptions, which may cause the Fund to sell portfolio securities at unfavorable prices and increased transaction and other costs and make greater taxable distributions to shareholders of the Fund.

**E-Commerce Risk.** The performance of the Underlying Stock, and consequently the Fund's performance, is subject to e-commerce risk. E-commerce companies are subject to various risks that may cause significant losses, including risks related to warehousing and logistics capacity and deficiency issues, online security, system reliability, privacy failures, customer disputes, payment fraud, and website traffic decreases. Laws generally vary by country, including the application of taxes, which may create challenges for some e-commerce companies seeking to achieve scale. Companies in the e-commerce sector are especially subject to the adverse effects of economic recession and competition from new entrants in their fields of business.

**Concentration Risk.** The Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in the particular industry to which its Underlying Stock is assigned. The securities of companies in an industry or group of industries could react similarly to market developments. Thus, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that affect one industry or group of industries or sector. While the Fund's sector and industry exposure may vary over time based on the particular industry to which its Underlying Stock is assigned, the Fund is currently subject to the principal risks described below.

**Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk.** The success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied closely to the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence. Success depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes can also affect the demand for, and success of, consumer products in the marketplace.

**Consumer Discretionary Distribution and Retail Industry Risk.** Retail and related industries can be significantly affected by the performance of the domestic and international economy, consumer confidence and spending, intense competition, changes in demographics, and changing consumer tastes and preferences. In addition, the retail industry is highly competitive and a company's success can be tied to its ability to anticipate changing consumer tastes.

**China Risk.** The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions in the People's Republic of China ("China" or the "PRC") and surrounding Asian countries and may demonstrate significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. Investments in Chinese securities, including those that are Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, subject the Fund to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. Over the last few decades, the Chinese government has undertaken reform of economic and market practices and has expanded the sphere of private ownership of property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. Chinese companies are also subject to the risk that Chinese authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. In addition, the Chinese economy is export-driven and highly reliant on trading with key partners. A downturn in the economies of China's primary trading partners could slow or eliminate the growth of the Chinese economy and adversely impact the Fund's investments. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. The RMB is not freely convertible, but rather is subject to approval of PRC authorities. Although Chinese authorities have indicated an intent to move to a freely convertible RMB, there is no assurance that repatriation restrictions will not continue. The Chinese government may introduce new laws and regulations that could have an adverse effect on the Fund. Although China has begun the process of privatizing certain sectors of its economy, privatized entities may lose money and/or be re-nationalized.

Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Incidents involving China's or the region's security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments.

In the Chinese securities markets, a small number of issuers may represent a large portion of the entire market. The Chinese securities markets are subject to more frequent trading halts, low trading volume and price volatility. Recent developments in relations between the United States and China have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the two countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on China's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on the Fund. In addition, worsening trade relations between the two countries could adversely impact the Fund, particularly to the extent that the Chinese government restricts foreign investments in on-shore Chinese companies or the U.S. government restricts investments by U.S. investors in China. This may also result in market volatility and volatility in the price of Fund shares.

In recent years, Chinese entities have incurred significant levels of debt and Chinese financial institutions currently hold relatively large amounts of non-performing debt. Thus, there exists a possibility that widespread defaults could occur, which could trigger a financial crisis, freeze Chinese debt and finance markets and make Chinese securities illiquid.

Disclosure and regulatory standards in emerging market countries, such as China, are in many respects less stringent than U.S. standards. There is substantially less publicly available information about Chinese issuers than there is about U.S. issuers. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements or due to worsening relations between the U.S. and China, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities.

The tax laws and regulations in China are somewhat unclear and are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. The interpretation, application and enforcement of such laws and regulations by the applicable authorities may vary over time and from region to region, and could have an adverse effect on the Fund and its shareholders, particularly in relation to tax imposed upon foreign investors' capital gains. Uncertainties in Chinese tax rules could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund.

**Counterparty Risk.** A counterparty (the other party to a transaction or an agreement or the party with whom the Fund executes transactions) to a transaction with the Fund may be unable or unwilling to make timely principal, interest or settlement payments, or otherwise honor its obligations. If this occurs, it could result in a reduction in the NAV of the Fund and could impair the Fund's ability to achieve its investment objective. The counterparty risk associated with the Fund's investments will be greater if the Fund uses only a limited number of counterparties. If there are only a couple of potential counterparties, the Fund, subject to applicable law, may enter into transactions with as few as one counterparty at any time.

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

**Swap Risk.** Swaps are subject to tracking risk because they may not be perfect substitutes for the instruments they are intended to hedge or replace. Over the counter swaps are subject to counterparty default. Leverage inherent in derivatives will tend to magnify the Fund's losses.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to "Authorized Participants." Unlike many other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Thus, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in other ETFs as the Fund may recognize a capital gain that it could have avoided by making redemptions in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. Further, paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds at an inopportune time. Cash transactions may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes, including brokerage fees, that might not have occurred if the Fund utilized in-kind transactions. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**New Fund Risk.** If the Fund does not grow in size, it will be at greater risk than larger funds of wider bid-ask spreads for its shares, trading at a greater premium or discount to NAV, liquidation and/or a stop to trading.

**Fixed Income Securities Risk.** Fixed income securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a security will not make timely interest payments or repay the principal of the debt issued (i.e., default on its obligations). A downgrade or default on securities held by the Fund could adversely affect the Fund's performance. Generally, the longer the maturity and the lower the credit quality of a security, the more sensitive it is to credit risk. Interest rate risk refers to fluctuations in the value of a debt resulting from changes in the level of interest rates. When interest rates go up, the prices of most debt instruments generally go down; and when interest rates go down, the prices of most debt instruments generally go up. Debt instruments with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes, typically making them more volatile. Interest rates have recently increased and may continue increasing, thereby heightening the risks associated with rising interest rates.

**High Portfolio Turnover Risk.** Daily rebalancing of the Fund's holdings pursuant to its daily investment objective causes a much greater number of portfolio transactions when compared to most ETFs. Additionally, active secondary market trading of the Fund's shares could cause more frequent creation and redemption activities, which would increase the number of portfolio transactions. High levels of portfolio transactions may cause higher transaction costs because of increased broker commissions resulting from such transactions and increased taxable capital gains. The Fund calculates portfolio turnover without including the short-term cash instruments or derivative transactions that comprise most of the Fund's trading. As such, if the Fund's extensive use of derivative instruments were reflected, the calculated portfolio turnover rate would be significantly higher.

**Management Risk.** The Fund is actively-managed and may not meet its investment objective based on Krane's success or failure to implement investment strategies for the Fund. Krane's evaluations and assumptions regarding investments, markets, trends, and other factors may not successfully achieve the Fund's investment objective given actual market conditions.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**Rebalancing Risk.** If for any reason the Fund is unable to rebalance all or a portion of its portfolio, or if all or a portion of the portfolio is rebalanced incorrectly, the Fund's investment exposure may not be consistent with the Fund's investment objective. In these instances, the Fund may have investment exposure to the Underlying Stock that is significantly greater or less than its stated multiple. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to leverage risk than if it had been properly rebalanced and may not achieve its investment objective.

**Trading Halt Risk.** Although the Underlying Stock's shares are listed for trading on an exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will be available at all times and the exchange may halt trading of such shares in certain circumstances. A halt in trading in the Underlying Stock's shares is expected, in turn, to result in a halt in the trading in the Fund's shares. Trading in the Underlying Stock's and/or Fund's shares on the exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the exchange, make trading in the Underling Stock's and/or Fund's shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Underlying Stock's and/or Fund's shares on an exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to exchange "circuit breaker" rules. In the event of a trading halt for an extended period of time, the Fund may be unable to execute arrangements with swap counterparties that are necessary to implement the Fund's investment strategy.

**Tracking Error Risk**. Tracking error is the divergence of the Fund's performance from that of its investment objective which aims to replicate 2 times the daily percentage change of the Underlying Stock. The performance of the Fund may diverge from that of its investment objective for a number of reasons. Tracking error may occur because of transaction costs, the Fund's holding of cash, differences in accrual of dividends, being under- or overexposed to the Underlying Stock or the need to meet new or existing regulatory requirements. Tracking error risk may be heightened during times of market volatility or other unusual market conditions. The Fund may be required to deviate from its investment objective as a result of market restrictions or other legal reasons, including regulatory limits or other restrictions on securities that may be purchased by the Adviser and its affiliates.

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, asset diversification and distribution requirements each year. The Fund's pursuit of its investment strategy will potentially be limited by the Fund's intention to qualify for such treatment and could adversely affect the Fund's ability to so qualify. The Fund may make certain investments, the treatment of which for these purposes is unclear. The Fund's investments in issuers whose control persons are not certain creates a risk that tax authorities may retrospectively deem the Fund to have failed the asset diversification requirements. If the Fund were to fail the favorable tax treatment requirements, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, which would adversely affect its performance.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

**Performance Information**

Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included in this Prospectus that will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the variability of the Fund's return based on net assets and comparing the variability of the Fund's return to a broad measure of market performance.Once available, the Fund's current performance information is available at <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>. Past performance does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.

**Management**

**Investment Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Managers**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, supports Mr. Maund and Krane's investment team for the Fund and has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>.

**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 IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

**<u>Additional Information About the Funds</u>**

As shown in the table below, each Leveraged Long Fund seeks daily leveraged long investment results, before fees and expenses, of the performance of its Underlying Stock.

The Funds seek investment results on a daily basis — from the close of regular trading on one trading day to the close on the next trading day — which should not be equated with seeking a leveraged investment objective for any other period.

**Each Fund seeks to provide a return of the daily performance of its Underlying Stock. No Fund attempts to, and no Fund should be expected to, provide returns of the Underlying Stock for periods other than a single day. Each Fund rebalances its implied exposure on a daily basis, increasing exposure in the Underlying Stock in response to that day's gains or reducing exposure in the Underlying Stock in response to that day's losses.**

**Also, the exposure to the Underlying Stock received by an investor who purchases a Fund intra-day will differ from the Fund's stated daily leveraged investment objective by an amount determined by the movement of the Underlying Stock from its value at the end of the prior day. If the Underlying Stock moves in a direction favorable to the Fund between the close of the market on one trading day through the time on the next trading day when the investor purchases Fund shares, the investor will receive less exposure to the Underlying Stock than the stated Fund Daily Leverage Factor. Conversely, if the Underlying Stock moves in a direction adverse to the Fund, the investor will receive more exposure to the Underlying Stock than the stated Fund Daily Leverage Factor.**

**The Funds are designed as short-term trading vehicles. The Funds are intended to be used by investors who intend to actively monitor and manage their portfolios.**

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **FUND** | **INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE** | **UNDERLYING STOCK** | **DAILY LEVERAGE FACTOR** |
| KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF | The Fund seeks daily investment results, before fees and expenses, of 2 times (200%) the daily percentage change of the ADR of Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE: BABA) | Alibaba Group Holding Limited ADR listed on NYSE-ARCA (ticker: BABA) | 200% |
| KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF | The Fund seeks daily investment results, before fees and expenses, of 2 times (200%) the daily percentage change of the ADR of PDD Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: PDD) | PDD Holdings, Inc. ADR listed on Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (ticker: PDD) | 200% |

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**Each Fund is not suitable for all investors. Each Fund is designed to be utilized only by sophisticated investors, such as traders and active investors employing dynamic strategies. Such investors are expected to monitor and manage their portfolios frequently. Investors in each Fund should: (a) understand the risks associated with the use of leverage; (b) understand the consequences of seeking daily leveraged investment results; and (c) intend to actively monitor and manage their investments. Investors who do not understand the Fund or do not intend to actively manage their funds and monitor their investments should not buy a Fund.**

**There is no assurance that a Fund will achieve their investment objective and an investment in a Fund could lose money.**

**Additional Information Regarding Investment Techniques and Policies**

**The Effects of Fees and Expenses on the Return of a Leveraged Long Fund for a Single Trading Day.** To create the necessary exposure, each Fund will enter into one or more swap agreements with major financial institutions, which incur borrowing costs. In light of these charges and each Fund's operating expenses, the expected return of a Fund over one trading day is equal to the gross expected return, which is the daily underlying stock return, minus (i) financing charges incurred by the Fund in addition to the financing cost embedded in the underlying stock and (ii) daily operating expenses. For instance, if an underlying stock returns 2% on a given day, the gross expected return of the Fund would be 2% multiplied by the Fund Daily Leverage Factor, but the net expected return, which factors in the cost of financing the portfolio and the impact of operating expenses, would be lower.

A Fund may have difficulty in achieving its investment objective due to fees, expenses, transaction costs, income items, accounting standards, significant purchase, regulatory constraints and redemption activity by Fund shareholders and/or disruptions or a temporary lack of liquidity in the markets for the assets held by a Fund.

A Fund will be subject to regulatory constraints relating to the level of value at risk that a Fund may incur through its derivative portfolio. To the extent a Fund exceeds these regulatory thresholds over an extended period, a Fund may determine that it is necessary to make adjustments to a Fund's investment strategy.

An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may result in a Fund being unable to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments. In such circumstances, a Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its investments and/or may incur substantial trading losses.

If a Fund is unable to obtain sufficient exposure to its underlying stock due to the limited availability of necessary investments or financial instruments, a Fund could, among other things, fail to meet its investment objective, increase transaction fees, or limit or suspend creation units until the Adviser determines that the requisite exposure to its underlying stock is obtainable. Under such circumstances, a Fund could trade at significant bid-ask spreads, premiums or discounts to its NAV and could experience substantial redemptions.

**A Cautionary Note to Investors Regarding Dramatic Underlying Stock Movement.** The Adviser will not attempt to position each Leveraged Long Fund's portfolio to ensure that a Fund does not gain or lose more than maximum percentage of its NAV on a given day. A Leveraged Fund could lose an amount greater than its net assets in the event of a movement of an underlying stock in excess of 50% for the 2x Leveraged Long Funds. **As a result, the risk of total loss exists.**

If an Underlying Stock has a dramatic adverse move that causes a material decline in a Fund's net assets, the terms of the Fund's swap agreements may permit the counterparty to immediately close out the swap transaction. In that event, a Fund may be unable to enter into another swap agreement or invest in other derivatives to achieve exposure consistent with a Fund's investment objective. This may prevent a Fund from achieving its investment objective, even if the Underlying Stock later reverses all or a portion of the move, and result in significant losses.

**Examples of the Impact of Daily Leverage and Compounding.** The pursuit of an exposure to the Underlying Stock's daily return will result in daily compounding for the Funds. This means that the return of an Underlying Stock over a period of time greater than one day multiplied by a Fund's Daily Leverage Factor generally will not equal a Fund's performance over that same period. As a consequence, investors should not plan to hold the Funds unmonitored for periods longer than a single trading day. This deviation increases with higher volatility in its Underlying Stock and longer holding periods. Further, the return for investors that invest for periods less than a full trading day or for a period different than a trading day will not be the product of the return of a Fund's stated daily leveraged long exposure and the performance of the Underlying Stock for the full trading day. The actual exposure will largely be a function of the performance of the Underlying Stock from the end of the prior trading day.

**Consider the following examples of a hypothetical fund that seeks 200% of the daily performance of a hypothetical underlying stock:**

Investor 1 is considering investments in two Funds, Funds A and B. Fund A is an ETF which seeks (before fees and expenses) to match the performance of the hypothetical underlying stock. Fund B is a leveraged ETF and seeks daily leveraged investment results (before fees and expenses) that correspond to 200% of the daily performance of the hypothetical underlying stock.

On Day 1, the hypothetical underlying stock increases in value from $100 to $105, a gain of 5%. On Day 2, the hypothetical underlying stock declines from $105 back to $100, a loss of 4.76%. In the aggregate, the hypothetical underlying stock has not moved.

An investment in Fund A would be expected to gain 5% on Day 1 and lose 4.76% on Day 2, returning the investment to its original value. The following example assumes a $100 investment in Fund A when the hypothetical underlying stock is also valued at $100:

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Day** | **Underlying<br> Stock Value** | **Underlying<br> Stock Performance** | **Value of Fund A<br> Investment** |
|  | $100.00 |  | $100.00 |
| 1 | $105.00 | +5.00% | $105.00 |
| 2 | $100.00 | -4.76% | $100.00 |

---

The same $100 investment in Fund B would be expected to gain 10% on Day 1 (200% of 5%) but decline 9.52% on Day 2.

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Day** | **Underlying<br> Stock Performance** | **200% Underlying<br> Stock Performance** | **Value of Fund B<br> Investment** |
|  |  |  | $100.00 |
| 1 | +5.00% | +10.00% | $110.00 |
| 2 | -4.76% | -9.52% | $99.52 |

---

Although the percentage decline in Fund B is smaller on Day 2 than the percentage gain on Day 1, the loss is applied to a higher principal amount, so the investment in Fund B experiences a loss even when the aggregate underlying stock value for the two-day period has not declined (these calculations do not include the charges for fund fees and expenses).

An investment in Fund B has additional risks due to the effects of leverage and compounding.

An investor who purchases shares of a Fund intra-day will generally receive more, or less, than 200% exposure to the hypothetical underlying stock from that point until the end of the trading day. The actual exposure will be largely a function of the performance of the underlying stock from the end of the prior trading day. If a Fund's shares are held for a period longer than a single trading day, the Fund's performance is likely to deviate from 200% of the return of the underlying stock's performance for the longer period. This deviation will increase with higher underlying stock volatility and longer holding periods.

**<u>Example 1 – Underlying Stock Experiences Low Volatility</u>**

Investor 1 invests $10.00 in a hypothetical 2x Leveraged Long Fund at the close of trading on Day 1. During Day 2, the hypothetical underlying stock rises from $100 to $106, a 6% gain. Investor 1's investment rises 12% to $11.20. Investor 1 holds the investment through the close of trading on Day 3, during which the hypothetical underlying stock rises from $106 to $110, a gain of 3.77%. Investor 1's investment rises to $12.05, a gain during Day 3 of 7.55%. For the two-day period since Investor 1 invested in the hypothetical 2x Leveraged Long Fund, the hypothetical underlying stock gained 10% although Investor 1's investment increased by 20.5%. Because the hypothetical underlying stock continued to trend upwards with low volatility, Investor 1's return closely correlates to the 200% return of the return of the hypothetical underlying stock for the period.

**<u>Example 2 – Underlying Stock Experiences High Volatility</u>**

Investor 1 invests $10.00 in a hypothetical 2x Leveraged Long Fund after the close of trading on Day 1. During Day 2, the hypothetical underlying stock rises from $100 to $106, a 6.0% gain, and Investor 1's investment rises 12% to $11.20. Investor 1 continues to hold the investment through the end of Day 3, during which the hypothetical underlying stock declines from $106 to $98, a loss of 7.55%. Investor 1's investment declines by 15.09%, from $11.20 to $9.51. For the two-day period since Investor 1 invested in the hypothetical 2x Leverage Long Fund, the hypothetical underlying stock lost 2% while Investor 1's investment decreased from $10.00 to $9.51, a 4.9% loss. The volatility of the hypothetical underlying stock affected the correlation between the hypothetical underlying stock's return for the two-day period and Investor 1's return. In this situation, Investor 1lost more than two times the return of the hypothetical underlying stock.

**<u>Example 3 – Intra-day Investment with Volatility</u>**

The examples above assumed that Investor 1 purchased the hypothetical Leveraged Funds at the close of trading on Day 1 and sold the investment at the close of trading on a subsequent day. However, if Investor 1 made an investment intra-day, the investor would have received a beta determined by the performance of the hypothetical underlying stock from the end of the prior trading day until the time of purchase on the next trading day. Consider the following example.

Investor 1 invests $10.00 in a hypothetical 2x Leverage Long Fund at 11 a.m. on Day 2. From the close of trading on Day 1 until 11 a.m. on Day 2, the hypothetical underlying stock moved from $100 to $102, a 2% gain. In light of that gain, the hypothetical 2x Leveraged Long Fund beta at the point at which Investor 1 invests is 196%. During the remainder of Day 2, the hypothetical underlying stock rises from $102 to $110, a gain of 7.84%, and Investor 1's investment rises 15.38% (which is the hypothetical underlying stock gain of 7.84% multiplied by the 196% beta that Investor 1 received) to $11.54. Investor 1 continues to hold the investment through the close of trading on Day 3, during which the hypothetical underlying stock declines from $110 to $90, a loss of 18.18%. Investor 1's investment declines by 36.4%, from $11.54 to $7.34. For the period of Investor 1's investment, the hypothetical underlying stock declined from $102 to $90, a loss of 11.76%, while Investor 1's investment decreased from $10.00 to $7.34, a 26.6% loss. The volatility of the hypothetical underlying stock affected the correlation between the hypothetical underlying stock's return for period and Investor 1's return. In this situation, Investor 1 lost more than two times the return of the hypothetical underlying stock. Investor 1 was also hurt because she missed the first 2% move of the hypothetical underlying stock and had a beta of 196% for the remainder of Day 2.

**Market Volatility.** Each Fund seeks to provide a return which is a multiple of the daily performance of an underlying stock. The Funds do not attempt to, and should not be expected to, provide returns which are a multiple of the return of an underlying stock for periods other than a single day. Each Fund rebalances its portfolio on a daily basis, increasing exposure in response to that day's gains or reducing exposure in response to that day's losses.

Daily rebalancing will impair a Fund's performance if its underlying stock experiences volatility. For instance, a 2x Leveraged Long Fund would be expected to lose 6% (as shown in Table 1 below) if its underlying stock provided no return over a one-year period and experienced annualized volatility of 25%. If an underlying stock provided no return over a one-year period and experienced annualized volatility of 50%, the hypothetical loss for a one-year period for a 2x Leveraged Fund rises to 22.1% (as shown in Table 1 below).

**Table 1**

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Underlying**<br> **Stock Volatility Range** | **Leveraged<br> Long Fund** |
| 10% | -1.0% |
| 25% | -6.0% |
| 50% | -22.1% |
| 75% | -43.3% |
| 100% | -63.8% |
| 125% | -79.2% |

---

Note that at higher volatility levels, there is a chance of a complete loss of Fund assets even if the performance of the Underlying Stock is flat. For instance, if the annualized volatility of an Underlying Stock were 150%, a 2x Leveraged Long Fund would be expected to lose 90%, even if the Underlying Stock returned 0% for the year.

Table 2 shows for each Fund the annualized historical volatility rate for its Underlying Stock over the five-year period ended May 31, 2025. If the data related to an Underlying Stock are available for less than 5 years, its starting date is noted next to its name in Table 2. The Underlying Stocks have annualized historical volatility rates over that period ranging from 32% to 111%. Since the Underlying Stock's volatility has negative implications for funds with a daily rebalancing, investors should be sure to monitor and manage their investments in the Funds particularly in volatile markets. The negative implications of volatility in Table 1 can be combined with the recent volatility ranges of various Underlying Stocks in Table 2 to give investors some sense of the risks of holding the Funds for longer periods over the past five years. Historical Underlying Stock volatility and performance are not likely indicative of future volatility and performance.

**Table 2 – Historic Volatility of each Fund's Underlying Stock**

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Underlying Stock** | **5-year Historical<br> Volatility of the<br> Underlying Stock <sup>(1)</sup><br> (unless otherwise indicated)** |
| Alibaba Group Holding Limited ADR listed on NYSE-ARCA (ticker: BABA) | 51% |
| PDD Holdings Inc. ADR listed on Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (ticker: PDD) | 73% |

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<sup>(1)</sup> Five-year period ended May 31, 2025

**The Projected Returns of Funds for Intra-Day Purchases.** Because the Funds rebalance their portfolio once daily, an investor who purchases shares during a day will likely have more, or less, than the respective long leveraged investment exposure to an underlying stock. The exposure to an underlying stock received by an investor who purchases a Fund intra-day will differ from the Fund's stated daily investment objective by an amount determined by the movement of the underlying stock from its value at the end of the prior day. If the underlying stock moves in a direction favorable to the Fund between the close of the market on one trading day through the time on the next trading day when the investor purchases the Fund shares, the investor will receive less exposure to the underlying stock than the stated Fund daily investment objective. Conversely, if the underlying stock moves in a direction adverse to the Fund, the investor will receive more exposure to the underlying stock than the stated Fund daily investment objective.

Table 3 below indicates the exposure to an underlying stock that an intra-day purchase of a Leveraged Long Fund would be expected to provide based upon the movement in the value of the underlying stock from the close of the market on the prior trading day. Such exposure holds until a subsequent sale on that same trading day or until the close of the market on that trading day. For instance, if an underlying stock has moved 5% in a direction favorable to a 2x Long Leveraged Fund, the investor would receive exposure to the performance of the underlying stock from that point until the investor sells later that day or the end of the day equal to approximately 191% of the investor's investment.

Conversely, if the underlying stock has moved 5% in a direction unfavorable to a 2x Leveraged Long Fund, an investor at that point would receive exposure to the performance of the underlying stock from that point until the investor sells later that day or the end of the day equal to approximately 211% of the investor's investment.

The table includes a range of underlying stock moves from 20% to -20% for a Leveraged Long Fund. Movement of an underlying stock beyond the range noted below will result in exposure further from a Leveraged Long Fund's daily leveraged investment objective.

**Table 3**

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Underlying<br> Stock Intraday Move** | **2x Leveraged<br> Long Fund** |
| -20% | 267% |
| -15% | 243% |
| -10% | 225% |
| -5% | 211% |
| 0% | 200% |
| 5% | 191% |
| 10% | 183% |
| 15% | 177% |
| 20% | 171% |

---

The Projected Returns of the Funds for Periods Other Than a Single Trading Day. The Funds seek long leveraged investment results on a daily basis — from the close of regular trading on one trading day to the close on the next trading day — which should not be equated with seeking a long leveraged investment objective for any other period. For instance, if an underlying stock gains 10% for a week, a 2x Leveraged Long Fund should not be expected to provide a return of 20% for the week even if it meets its daily leveraged investment objective throughout the week. This is true because of the financing charges noted above but also because the pursuit of daily goals may result in daily leveraged compounding, which means that the return of an underlying stock over a period of time greater than one day multiplied by a Fund's daily leveraged investment objective will not generally equal a Fund's performance over that same period. In addition, the effects of compounding become greater the longer Shares are held beyond a single trading day.

The following tables set out a range of hypothetical daily performances during a given 10 trading days of an underlying stock and demonstrate how changes in an underlying stock impact the Funds' hypothetical performance for a trading day and cumulatively up to, and including, the entire 10 trading day period. The tables are based on a hypothetical $100 investment in the Funds over a 10-trading day period and do not reflect fees or expenses of any kind.

**Table 4 – Underlying Stock Lacks a Clear Trend**

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| | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Underlying Stock** | **Underlying Stock** | **Underlying Stock** | **2x Leverage Long Fund<br> (Daily Leverage Factor = +200%)** | **2x Leverage Long Fund<br> (Daily Leverage Factor = +200%)** | **2x Leverage Long Fund<br> (Daily Leverage Factor = +200%)** |
|  | **Value** | **Daily <br>Performance** | **Cumulative <br>Performance** | **NAV** | **Daily<br> Performance** | **Cumulative <br>Performance** |
|  | 100.00 |  |  | 100.00 |  |  |
| Day 1 | 102.00 | 5.00% | 5.00% | 110.00 | 10.00% | 10.00% |
| Day 2 | 104.00 | 4.76% | 10.00% | 120.48 | 9.52% | 20.48% |
| Day 3 | 106.00 | -9.09% | 0.00% | 98.57 | -18.18% | -1.43% |
| Day 4 | 108.00 | -10.00% | -10.00% | 78.86 | -20.00% | -21.14% |
| Day 5 | 110.00 | -5.56% | -15.00% | 70.10 | -11.11% | -29.90% |
| Day 6 | 112.00 | 17.65% | 0.00% | 94.83 | 35.29% | -5.17% |
| Day 7 | 114.00 | -5.00% | -5.00% | 85.35 | -10.00% | -14.65% |
| Day 8 | 116.00 | 5.26% | 0.00% | 94.34 | 10.53% | -5.66% |
| Day 9 | 118.00 | 5.00% | 5.00% | 103.77 | 10.00% | 3.77% |
| Day 10 | 120.00 | -4.76% | 0.00% | 93.89 | -9.52% | -6.11% |

---

The cumulative performance of the underlying stock in Table 4 is 0% for 10 trading days. The hypothetical return for the 10-trading day period is -6.11% for a 2x Leveraged Long Fund. The volatility of the underlying stock's performance and lack of a clear trend results in performance for each Fund for the period which bears little relationship to the performance of the underlying stock for the 10-trading day period.

**Table 5 – Underlying Stock Rises in a Clear Trend**

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| | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Underlying Stock** | **Underlying Stock** | **Underlying Stock** | **2x Leverage Long Fund<br> (Daily Leverage Factor = +200%)** | **2x Leverage Long Fund<br> (Daily Leverage Factor = +200%)** | **2x Leverage Long Fund<br> (Daily Leverage Factor = +200%)** |
|  | **Value** | **Daily <br>Performance** | **Cumulative <br>Performance** | **NAV** | **Daily <br>Performance** | **Cumulative <br>Performance** |
|  | 100.00 |  |  | 100.00 |  |  |
| Day 1 | 102.00 | 2.00% | 2.00% | 104.00 | 4.00% | 4.00% |
| Day 2 | 104.00 | 1.96% | 4.00% | 108.08 | 3.92% | 8.08% |
| Day 3 | 106.00 | 1.92% | 6.00% | 112.24 | 3.85% | 12.24% |
| Day 4 | 108.00 | 1.89% | 8.00% | 116.47 | 3.77% | 16.47% |
| Day 5 | 110.00 | 1.85% | 10.00% | 120.78 | 3.70% | 20.78% |
| Day 6 | 112.00 | 1.82% | 12.00% | 125.18 | 3.64% | 25.18% |
| Day 7 | 114.00 | 1.79% | 14.00% | 129.65 | 3.57% | 29.65% |
| Day 8 | 116.00 | 1.75% | 16.00% | 134.20 | 3.51% | 34.20% |
| Day 9 | 118.00 | 1.72% | 18.00% | 138.82 | 3.45% | 38.82% |
| Day 10 | 120.00 | 1.69% | 20.00% | 143.53 | 3.39% | 43.53% |

---

The cumulative performance of the underlying stock in Table 5 is 20% for 10 trading days. The hypothetical return for the 10-trading day period is 43.53% for a 2x Leveraged Long Fund. In this case, because of the positive hypothetical underlying stock trend, each Leveraged Long Fund's hypothetical gain is greater than the applicable multiple of the hypothetical underlying stock gain for the 10-trading day period.

**Table 6 – Underlying Stock Declines in a Clear Trend**

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| | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Underlying Stock** | **Underlying Stock** | **Underlying Stock** | **2x Leverage Long Fund<br> (Daily Leverage Factor = +200%)** | **2x Leverage Long Fund<br> (Daily Leverage Factor = +200%)** | **2x Leverage Long Fund<br> (Daily Leverage Factor = +200%)** |
|  | **Value** | **Daily <br>Performance** | **Cumulative <br>Performance** | **NAV** | **Daily <br>Performance** | **Cumulative <br>Performance** |
|  | 100.00 |  |  | 100.00 |  |  |
| Day 1 | 98.00 | -2.00% | -2.00% | 96.00 | -4.00% | -4.00% |
| Day 2 | 96.00 | -2.04% | -4.00% | 92.08 | -4.08% | -7.92% |
| Day 3 | 94.00 | -2.08% | -6.00% | 88.24 | -4.17% | -11.76% |
| Day 4 | 92.00 | -2.13% | -8.00% | 84.49 | -4.26% | -15.51% |
| Day 5 | 90.00 | -2.17% | -10.00% | 80.82 | -4.35% | -19.18% |
| Day 6 | 88.00 | -2.22% | -12.00% | 77.22 | -4.44% | -22.78% |
| Day 7 | 86.00 | -2.27% | -14.00% | 73.71 | -4.55% | -26.29% |
| Day 8 | 84.00 | -2.33% | -16.00% | 70.29 | -4.65% | -29.71% |
| Day 9 | 82.00 | -2.38% | -18.00% | 66.94 | -4.76% | -33.06% |
| Day 10 | 80.00 | -2.44% | -20.00% | 63.67 | -4.88% | -36.33% |

---

The cumulative performance of the underlying stock in Table 6 is -20% for 10 trading days. The hypothetical return for the 10-trading day period is -36.33% for a 2x Leveraged Long Fund. In this case, because of the negative hypothetical underlying stock trend, each Leveraged Long Fund's hypothetical decline is less than the applicable multiple of the hypothetical underlying stock decline for the 10-trading day period.

**Principal Investment Risks**

The following section provides additional information regarding certain of the principal risks of investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves a risk of a total loss. There is no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective.

**Alibaba Group Holding Limited Investing Risk.** Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment held by the Fund to be more volatile than the market generally. The value of an individual security or particular type of security may be more volatile than the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. As of the date of this prospectus, in addition to the risks associated with companies in the technology sector, BABA faces risks associated with: the highly competitive nature of the e-commerce industry; economic and market uncertainty; reductions in demand for its products; potential concentration of revenues in a few large clients; geopolitical events and pandemics; adequate protection of technology or other intellectual property; exchange rates; reliance on third parties to manufacture products; possible shortages of equipment or materials needed to manufacture products; cybersecurity attacks and data breaches; system failures or outages; potential incompatibility of product with some or all industry standard software and hardware; increases in costs; adverse government regulations; regulatory compliance costs; litigation; taxes; indebtedness; and the ability to attract and retain high quality talent.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. Holding cash or cash equivalents, even strategically, may lead to missed investment opportunities. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**China Risk – General.** The economy of China differs, sometimes unfavorably, from the U.S. economy in such respects as structure, general development, government involvement, wealth distribution, rate of inflation, growth rate, allocation of resources and capital reinvestment, among others. Under China's political and economic system, the central government has historically exercised substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through administrative regulation and/or state ownership. For example, the Chinese government has from time to time taken actions that influence the prices at which certain goods may be sold, encourage companies to invest or concentrate in particular industries, induce mergers between companies in certain industries and induce private companies to publicly offer their securities to increase or continue the rate of economic growth, control the rate of inflation or otherwise regulate economic expansion. It may do so in the future as well. Such actions and a variety of other centrally planned or determined activities by the Chinese government could have a significant adverse effect on economic conditions in China, the economic prospects for, and the market prices and liquidity of, the securities of Chinese companies and the payments of dividends and interest by Chinese companies.

During the last 30 years, the Chinese government has reformed its economic policies, which has resulted in less direct central and local government control over the business and production activities of Chinese enterprises and companies. Notwithstanding the economic reforms instituted by the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party, actions of the Chinese central and local government authorities continue to have a substantial effect on economic conditions in China, which could affect the public and private sector companies in which the Fund invests. The Chinese government may also change course and exercise greater central and local government control over Chinese firms.

In certain cases where China has begun a process of privatization of certain entities and industries, investors in newly privatized entities have suffered losses due to the inability of the newly privatized entities to adjust quickly to a competition environment or changing regulatory and legal standards, or in some cases, due to re-nationalization of such privatized entities. There is no assurance that such losses will not recur.

Export growth continues to be a major driver of China's rapid economic growth. Reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, supply chain diversification, institution of tariffs, sanctions or other trade barriers, or a downturn in any of the economies of China's key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy. The Chinese economy is particularly dependent upon trading with key partners, such as the United States, Japan, South Korea and countries in the European Union. Recent developments in relations between the United States and China have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the two countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on China's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on the Fund. In addition, worsening trade relations between the two countries could adversely impact the Fund, particularly to the extent that the Chinese government restricts foreign investments in on-shore Chinese companies or the U.S. government restricts investments by U.S. investors in China including by limiting the ability of Chinese issuers to list on the U.S. exchanges. Worsening trade relations may also result in market volatility and volatility in the price of Fund shares. In addition, the U.S. government has imposed restrictions on the ability of U.S. investors to hold and/or acquire securities of certain Chinese companies, which may adversely impact the Fund or could increase tracking error for the Fund.

In recent years, Chinese entities have incurred significant levels of debt and Chinese financial institutions currently hold relatively large amounts of non-performing debt. Thus, there exists a possibility that widespread defaults could occur, which could trigger a financial crisis, freeze Chinese debt and finance markets and make Chinese securities illiquid.

Disclosure and regulatory standards in emerging market countries, such as China, are in many respects less stringent than U.S. standards. There is substantially less publicly available information about Chinese issuers than there is about U.S. issuers. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements or due to worsening relations between the U.S. and China, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities.

**Inflation Risk.** Economic growth in China has historically been accompanied by periods of inflation. Beginning in 2004, the Chinese government commenced the implementation of various measures to control inflation, which included the tightening of the money supply, the raising of interest rates and more stringent control over certain industries. If inflation were to increase, the performance of the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments could be negatively impacted.

**Nationalization and Expropriation Risk.** Expropriation, including nationalization, confiscatory taxation, political, economic or social instability or other developments could adversely affect and significantly diminish the values of the Chinese companies in which the Fund invests. There can be no assurance that the Chinese government will not nationalize or expropriate assets in its territory or over which it otherwise has control. An investment in the Fund involves a risk of a total loss.

Moreover, the Chinese government limits foreign investment in the securities of Chinese issuers entirely. These restrictions or limitations may have adverse effects on the liquidity and performance of the Fund holdings. This may increase the risk of tracking error and the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective.

**Currency Risk.** The government of China has historically maintained strict currency controls in order to achieve economic, trade and political objectives and regularly intervened in the currency market. In this regard, the Chinese government has placed strict regulation on the yuan and Hong Kong dollar and manages the yuan and Hong Kong dollar so that they have historically traded in a tight range relative to the U.S. dollar. The Chinese government has been under pressure to manage the currency in a less restrictive fashion so that it is less correlated to the U.S. dollar.

Since 2005, the exchange rate of the RMB is no longer strictly pegged to the U.S. dollar. The RMB has now moved to a managed floating exchange rate based on market supply and demand with reference to a basket of foreign currencies. The daily trading price of the RMB against other major currencies in the inter-bank foreign exchange market is allowed to float within a narrow band around the central parity published by the People's Bank of China. As the exchange rates may be based on market forces, the exchange rates for RMB against other currencies, including the U.S. dollar, are susceptible to movements based on external factors. Of course, there can be no guarantee that this will continue, or that the yuan or the Hong Kong dollar will move in relation to the U.S. dollar as expected. There can be no assurance that the RMB will not be subject to devaluation. Any devaluation of the RMB is expected to adversely affect the value of the Fund's investments.

**Available Disclosure About Chinese Issuers Risk.** Disclosure and regulatory standards in emerging market countries, such as China, are in many respects less stringent than U.S. standards. There is substantially less publicly available information about Chinese issuers than there is about U.S. issuers. Therefore, disclosure of certain material information may not be made, and less information may be available to the Fund and other investors than would be the case if the Fund's investments were restricted to securities of U.S. issuers. Chinese issuers are subject to accounting, auditing and financial standards and requirements that differ, in some cases significantly, from those applicable to U.S. issuers. In particular, the assets and profits appearing on the financial statements of a Chinese issuer may not reflect its financial position or results of operations in the way they would be reflected had such financial statements been prepared in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.

There has been increased attention from the SEC and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board ("PCAOB") with regard to international auditing standards of U.S.-listed companies with significant operations in China as well as PCAOB-registered auditing firms in China. Currently, the SEC and PCAOB are only able to get limited information about these auditing firms and are restricted from inspecting the audit work and practices of registered accountants in China. These restrictions may result in the unavailability of material information about issuers in China or an issuer's operations in China.

**Chinese Corporate and Securities Law Risk.** The Fund's rights with respect to its investments in China, if any, generally will not be governed by U.S. law, but rather by Chinese law. China operates under a civil law system. It is based on statutes enacted by various state bodies with authority over economic matters such as foreign investment, company organization and governance, taxation and trade. These laws are relatively recent with published court opinions based on them being limited. Further, court precedent is not binding. Thus, there is uncertainty regarding the implementation of existing law. In addition, laws pertaining to bankruptcy proceedings are generally less developed and may be different than such laws in the United States and lead to unpredictable results.

Legal principles relating to corporate affairs and the validity of corporate procedures, directors' fiduciary duties and liabilities and stockholders' rights often differ from those that may apply in the United States and other countries. In particular, Chinese laws providing protection to investors, such as laws regarding the fiduciary duties of officers and directors, are undeveloped and will not provide investors, such as the Fund, with protection in all situations where protection would be provided by comparable law in the United States. It may therefore be difficult for the Fund to enforce its rights as an investor under Chinese corporate and securities laws, and it may be difficult or impossible for the Fund to obtain a judgment in court. Moreover, as Chinese corporate and securities laws continue to develop, these developments may adversely affect foreign investors, such as the Fund.

**Chinese Securities Markets Risk.** China's securities markets, including the debt markets, have a limited operating history and are not as developed as those in the United States. These markets, historically, have had greater volatility than markets in the United States and some other countries, and experienced inefficiency and pricing anomalies. There is relatively less regulation and monitoring of Chinese securities markets and of the activities of investors, brokers and other participants than in the United States, including with respect to insider trading, tender offers, stockholder proxies and disclosure of information. Stock markets in China are in the process of change and further development. This may lead to additional volatility, difficulty in the settlement and recording of transactions and difficulty in interpreting and applying the relevant regulations.

**Political and Economic Risk.** The Chinese government continues to be an active participant in many economic sectors through ownership positions and regulation. The majority of productive assets in China are still owned by the PRC government at various levels. The allocation of resources in China is subject to a high level of government control. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. Through its policies, the government may provide preferential treatment to particular industries or companies. The policies set by the government could have a substantial effect on the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments.

For more than 30 years, the PRC government has carried out economic reforms to achieve decentralization and utilization of market forces to develop the economy of the PRC. These reforms have resulted in significant economic growth and social progress, but growth has been uneven both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. Economic growth has also been accompanied by periods of inflation. The PRC government has implemented various measures from time to time to control inflation and restrain the rate of economic growth.

Although reforms over the last 30 years have generally been regarded as successful, there can be no assurance that the PRC government will continue to pursue such economic policies or, if it does, that those policies will continue to be successful or will not otherwise have a negative effect on the Fund. Any such adjustment and modification of those economic policies may have an adverse impact on the securities market of Chinese issuers. Further, the PRC government may from time to time adopt corrective measures to control the growth of the PRC economy which may also have an adverse impact on the capital growth and performance of the Fund.

Political changes, social instability and adverse diplomatic developments in the PRC could result in the imposition of additional government restrictions including expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxes or nationalization of some or all of the property held by Chinese issuers. Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Additionally, China is alleged to have participated in state-sponsored cyberattacks against foreign companies and foreign governments. Actual and threatened responses to such activity and strained international relations, including purchasing restrictions, sanctions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Chinese government or Chinese companies, may impact China's economy and Chinese issuers of securities in which the Fund invests. Incidents involving China's or the region's security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments. China has experienced major health crises and such health crises could exacerbate any of the risks applicable to China.

**Special Risk Considerations of Investing in China.** For purposes of raising capital offshore on exchanges outside of China, including on U.S. exchanges, many Chinese-based operating companies are structured as Variable Interest Entities ("VIEs"). In this structure, the Chinese-based operating company is the VIE and establishes an entity, which is typically offshore in a foreign jurisdiction, such as the Cayman Islands. The offshore entity lists on a foreign exchange and enters into contractual arrangements with the VIE. This structure allows Chinese companies in which the government restricts foreign ownership to raise capital from foreign investors. While the offshore entity has no equity ownership of the VIE, these contractual arrangements permit the offshore entity to consolidate the VIE's financial statements with its own for accounting purposes and provide for economic exposure to the performance of the underlying Chinese operating company. Therefore, an investor in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, will have exposure to the Chinese-based operating company only through contractual arrangements and has no ownership in the Chinese-based operating company. Furthermore, because the offshore entity only has specific rights provided for in these service agreements with the VIE, its abilities to control the activities at the Chinese-based operating company are limited and the operating company may engage in activities that negatively impact investment value.

While the VIE structure has been widely adopted, it is not formally recognized under Chinese law and therefore there is a risk that the Chinese government could prohibit the existence of such structures or negatively impact the VIE's contractual arrangements with the listed offshore entity by making them invalid. If these contracts were found to be unenforceable under Chinese law, investors in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, may suffer significant losses with little or no recourse available. If the Chinese government determines that the agreements establishing the VIE structures do not comply with Chinese law and regulations, including those related to restrictions on foreign ownership, it could subject a Chinese-based issuer to penalties, revocation of business and operating licenses, or forfeiture of ownership interest. In addition, the listed offshore entity's control over a VIE may also be jeopardized if a natural person who holds the equity interest in the VIE breaches the terms of the agreement, is subject to legal proceedings or if any physical instruments for authenticating documentation, such as chops and seals, are used without the Chinese-based issuer's authorization to enter into contractual arrangements in China. Chops and seals, which are carved stamps used to sign documents, represent a legally binding commitment by the company. Moreover, any future regulatory action may prohibit the ability of the offshore entity to receive the economic benefits of the Chinese-based operating company, which may cause the value of the Fund's investment in the listed offshore entity to suffer a significant loss. For example, in 2021, the Chinese government prohibited use of the VIE structure for investment in after-school tutoring companies. There is no guarantee that the government will not place similar restrictions on other industries.

**Compounding Risk.** The Funds have a single day investment objective, and the Funds' performance for any other period is the result of its return for each day compounded over the period. The performance of the Funds for periods longer than a single day will very likely differ in amount, and possibly even direction, from their stated multiple of the daily return of the underlying stock for the same period, before accounting for fees and expenses. Compounding affects all investments, but has a more significant impact on a leveraged fund that rebalances daily. This effect becomes more pronounced as underlying stock volatility and holding periods increase. The Funds' performance for a period longer than a single day can be estimated given any set of assumptions for the following factors: (a) underlying stock volatility; (b) underlying stock performance; (c) period of time; (d) financing rates associated with leveraged exposure; and (e) other Fund expenses. The charts below illustrate the impact of two principal factors — underlying stock volatility and stock security performance — on Fund performance. The charts show estimated returns for each Fund for a number of combinations of underlying stock volatility and underlying stock performance over a one-year period. Actual volatility, underlying stock and Fund performance may differ significantly from the charts below. Performance shown in the charts assumes: (a) no Fund expenses; and (b) borrowing/lending rates (to obtain leveraged exposure) of zero percent. If Fund expenses and/or actual borrowing/ lending rates were reflected, the Funds' performance would be lower than shown.

In the graph below, areas shaded red (or dark gray) represent those scenarios where a 2x Leveraged Long Fund can be expected to return less than 200% of the performance of the underlying stock and those shaded green (or light gray) represent those scenarios where a 2x Leveraged Long Fund can be expected to return more than 200% of the performance of the underlying stock. A 2x Leveraged Long Fund's actual returns may be significantly better or worse than the returns shown below as a result of any of the factors discussed above or in "Correlation Risk" below.

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| | | | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **One Year<br> Performance of the<br> Underlying Stock** | **200% of One Year**<br> **Performance of the Underlying Stock** | **Volatility of the Underlying Stock (annualized)** | **Volatility of the Underlying Stock (annualized)** | **Volatility of the Underlying Stock (annualized)** | **Volatility of the Underlying Stock (annualized)** | **Volatility of the Underlying Stock (annualized)** | **Volatility of the Underlying Stock (annualized)** | **Volatility of the Underlying Stock (annualized)** |
| **One Year<br> Performance of the<br> Underlying Stock** | **200% of One Year**<br> **Performance of the Underlying Stock** | **10%** | **25%** | **50%** | **75%** | **100%** | **125%** | **150%** |
| -95% | -190% | -99.8% | -99.8% | -99.8% | -99.9% | -99.9% | -100.0% | -100.0% |
| -90% | -180% | -99.0% | -99.1% | -99.2% | -99.4% | -99.6% | -99.8% | -99.9% |
| -80% | -160% | -96.1% | -96.3% | -96.9% | -97.8% | -98.6% | -99.2% | -99.6% |
| -70% | -140% | -91.1% | -91.6% | -93.0% | -94.9% | -96.7% | -98.2% | -99.1% |
| -60% | -120% | -84.2% | -85.0% | -87.6% | -91.0% | -94.2% | -96.7% | -98.4% |
| -50% | -100% | -75.3% | -76.6% | -80.6% | -85.8% | -90.9% | -94.8% | -97.4% |
| -40% | -80% | -64.4% | -66.2% | -72.0% | -79.6% | -86.9% | -92.5% | -96.3% |
| -30% | -60% | -51.5% | -54.0% | -61.9% | -72.2% | -82.1% | -89.8% | -94.9% |
| -20% | -40% | -36.7% | -39.9% | -50.2% | -63.6% | -76.5% | -86.7% | -93.4% |
| -10% | -20% | -19.8% | -23.9% | -36.9% | -53.9% | -70.3% | -83.1% | -91.6% |
| 0% | 0% | -1.0% | -6.1% | -22.1% | -43.1% | -63.3% | -79.1% | -89.6% |
| 10% | 20% | 19.8% | 13.7% | -5.8% | -31.1% | -55.5% | -74.7% | -87.4% |
| 20% | 40% | 42.6% | 35.3% | 12.2% | -17.9% | -47.1% | -69.9% | -84.9% |
| 30% | 60% | 67.3% | 58.7% | 31.6% | -3.7% | -37.8% | -64.6% | -82.3% |
| 40% | 80% | 94.0% | 84.1% | 52.7% | 11.7% | -27.9% | -59.0% | -79.4% |
| 50% | 100% | 122.6% | 111.3% | 75.2% | 28.3% | -17.2% | -52.9% | -76.4% |
| 60% | 120% | 153.2% | 140.3% | 99.4% | 46.0% | -5.7% | -46.3% | -73.1% |
| 70% | 140% | 185.8% | 171.3% | 125.0% | 64.8% | 6.4% | -39.4% | -69.6% |
| 80% | 160% | 220.4% | 204.0% | 152.2% | 84.7% | 19.3% | -32.0% | -65.9% |
| 90% | 180% | 256.8% | 238.7% | 181.0% | 105.8% | 33.0% | -24.2% | -62.0% |
| 95% | 190% | 275.8% | 256.7% | 196.0% | 116.8% | 40.1% | -20.2% | -59.9% |
| 100% | 200% | 295.3% | 275.2% | 211.3% | 128.0% | 47.4% | -16.0% | -57.8% |

---

The foregoing table is intended to isolate the effect of underlying stock volatility and underlying stock performance on the return of a 2x Leverage Long Fund and is not a representation of actual returns. For example, a 2x Leveraged Long Fund may incorrectly be expected to achieve a 40% return on a yearly basis if the underlying stock return were 20%, absent the effects of compounding. As the table shows, with underlying stock volatility of 50%, a 2x Leveraged Long Fund could be expected to return +12.1% under such a scenario. A 2x Leveraged Long Fund's actual returns may be significantly better or worse than the returns shown above as a result of any of the factors discussed above or in "Principal Risks — Correlation Risk" below.

**Concentration Risk.** Because the Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in the particular industry to which its Underlying Stock is assigned, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that may affect that industry or group of industries. Market conditions, interest rates, and economic, regulatory, or financial developments could significantly affect a single industry or a group of related industries, and the securities of companies in that industry or group of industries could react similarly to these or other developments.

**Consumer Discretionary Distribution and Retail Industry Risk.** The risks of investments in the industry include: the fact that securities prices and profitability may be tied closely to the performance of the domestic and international economy, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence; heavy dependence on disposable household income and consumer spending; severe competition; and changes in demographics and consumer tastes, which can affect the success of consumer products.

**Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk.** Consumer discretionary products and services are non-essential products and services whose demand tends to increase as consumers' disposable income increases. This sector can be significantly affected by the performance of the overall economy, interest rates, competition, and consumer confidence. Success can depend heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes can also affect the demand for, and success of, consumer discretionary products. The prices of raw materials fluctuate in response to a number of factors, including changes in government agricultural support programs, exchange rates, import and export controls, changes in international agricultural and trading policies and seasonal and weather conditions. Companies in the consumer discretionary sector may be subject to severe competition, which may also have an adverse impact on their profitability.

**Correlation Risk.** A number of factors may affect a Fund's ability to achieve a high degree of correlation with its underlying stock, and there is no guarantee that the Funds will achieve a high degree of correlation. Failure to achieve a high degree of correlation may prevent the Funds from achieving their investment objectives, and the percentage change of a Fund's NAV each day may differ, perhaps significantly in amount, and possibly even direction, from their stated multiple of the percentage change of the underlying stock on such day.

In order to achieve a high degree of correlation with its underlying stock, each Fund seeks to rebalance its portfolio daily to keep exposure consistent with its investment objective. Being materially under- or overexposed to its underlying stock may prevent a Fund from achieving a high degree of correlation with its underlying stock and may expose the Fund to greater leverage risk. Market disruptions or closure, regulatory restrictions, market volatility, illiquidity in the markets for the financial instruments in which a Fund invests, and other factors will adversely affect a Fund's ability to adjust exposure to requisite levels. The target amount of portfolio exposure is impacted dynamically by an underlying stock's movements, including intraday movements. Because of this, it is unlikely that a Fund will have perfect exposure during the day or at the end of each day and the likelihood of being materially under- or overexposed is higher on days when the underlying stock is volatile, particularly when the underlying stock is volatile at or near the close of the trading day.

A number of other factors may also adversely affect a Fund's correlation with its underlying stock, including fees, expenses, transaction costs, financing costs associated with the use of derivatives, income items, valuation methodology, accounting standards and disruptions or illiquidity in the markets for the securities or financial instruments in which a Fund invests. The Funds may take or refrain from taking positions in order to improve tax efficiency, comply with regulatory restrictions, or for other reasons, each of which may negatively affect the Funds' correlation with the underlying stocks. The Funds may also be subject to large movements of assets into and out of the Funds, potentially resulting in the Funds being under- or overexposed to the underlying stocks. Additionally, the Funds' underlying investments and/or reference assets may trade on markets that may not be open on the same day as the Funds, which may cause a difference between the changes in the daily performance of the Funds and changes in the level of the underlying stocks. Any of these factors could decrease correlation between the performance of the Funds and the underlying stocks and may hinder a Fund's ability to meet its daily investment objective on or around that day.

**Derivatives Risk.** Derivatives are financial instruments, such as swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options, whose values are based on the value of one or more reference assets, such as a security, asset, currency, interest rate or index. Derivatives involve risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other more traditional investments. For example, derivatives involve the risk of mispricing or improper valuation and the risk that changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the reference asset(s). Derivative transactions can create investment leverage, may be highly volatile and the Fund could lose more than the amount it invests.

Many derivative transactions are entered into "over-the-counter" (not on an exchange or contract market); as a result, the value of such a derivative transaction will depend on the ability and the willingness of the Fund's counterparty to perform its obligations under the transaction. If a counterparty were to default on its obligations, the Fund's contractual remedies against such counterparty may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could affect the Fund's rights as a creditor (e.g., the Fund may not receive the net amount of payments that it is contractually entitled to receive). A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund's derivative positions at any time. If a derivative transaction is centrally cleared, it will be subject to the rules of the clearing exchange and subject to risks associated with the exchange.

Derivatives can be illiquid and imperfectly correlate with the reference asset(s), resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Some derivatives can have the potential for unlimited loss. It is possible that developments in the derivatives market, including ongoing or potential government regulation, could adversely affect the Fund's ability to enter into new derivatives agreements, terminate existing derivative agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such instruments.

**Counterparty Risk.** Because many derivatives are an obligation of the counterparty rather than a direct investment in the reference asset, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations under the derivative agreement as a result of bankruptcy or otherwise. Any loss would result in a reduction in the NAV of the Fund and will likely impair the Fund's ability to achieve its investment objective. The counterparty risk associated with the Fund's investments will be greater if the Fund uses only a limited number of counterparties. If there are only a couple of potential counterparties, the Fund, subject to applicable law, may enter into transactions with as few as one counterparty at any time.

**Swaps Risk.** Swap transactions generally do not involve delivery of reference instruments or payment of the notional amount of the contract. Accordingly, the risk of loss with respect to swaps generally is limited to the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make or, in the case of the other party to a swap defaulting, the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually entitled to receive. Swaps are of limited duration and there is no guarantee that swaps entered into with a counterparty will continue indefinitely. Accordingly, the duration of a swap depends on, among other things, the ability of the Fund to renew the expiration period of the relevant swap at agreed upon terms.

To the extent the Fund invests in swaps, it will be subject to the risk that the number of counterparties able to enter into swaps to provide exposure to a desired reference asset, such as onshore Chinese securities, may be limited. Swaps are of limited duration and there is no guarantee that swaps entered into with a counterparty will continue indefinitely. Accordingly, the duration of a swap depends on, among other things, the ability of the Fund to renew the expiration period of the relevant swap at agreed upon terms.

The risks of investing in swaps on onshore Chinese securities are compounded by the fact that at present there are only a limited number of potential counterparties willing and able to enter into swap transactions linked to the performance of onshore Chinese securities. To the extent a potential swap counterparty's access to onshore Chinese securities is reduced or eliminated due to actions by the Chinese government or as a result of transactions entered into by the counterparty with other investors, the counterparty's ability to continue to enter into swaps or other derivative transactions with the Fund may be reduced or eliminated, which could have a material adverse effect on the Fund.

**Leverage Risk.** Each Fund obtains investment exposure in excess of its net assets by utilizing leverage and may lose more money in market conditions that are adverse to its investment objective than a fund that does not utilize leverage. An investment in a Fund is exposed to the risk that a decline in the daily performance of the Underlying Stock will be magnified. Because each Leveraged Long Fund includes a multiplier of its underlying stock, a single day movement in an underlying stock approaching 50% for the 2x Leveraged Long Funds at any point in the day could result in the total loss of an investor's investment if that movement is contrary to the investment objective of a Leveraged Long Fund, even if the underlying stock subsequently moves in an opposite direction, eliminating all or a portion of the earlier movement. Leverage will also have the effect of magnifying any differences in the Fund performance's correlation with the Underlying Stock.

**E-Commerce Risk.** E-commerce companies are subject to various risks that may cause significant losses, including risks related to warehousing and logistics capacity and deficiency issues, online security, system reliability, privacy failures, customer disputes, payment fraud, and website traffic decreases. Laws generally vary by country, including the application of taxes, which may create challenges for some e-commerce companies seeking to achieve scale. Companies in the e-commerce sector are especially subject to the adverse effects of economic recession and competition from new entrants in their fields of business.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to Authorized Participants. Unlike most other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities.

Other ETFs generally are able to make in-kind redemptions and avoid realizing gains in connection with redemption requests. Effecting redemptions for cash may cause the Fund to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. Such dispositions may occur at an inopportune time, resulting in potential losses to the Fund or difficulties in meeting shareholder redemptions, and involve transaction costs. If the Fund recognizes gain on these sales, this generally will cause the Fund to recognize gain it might not otherwise have recognized if it were to distribute portfolio securities in-kind or to recognize such gain sooner than would otherwise have been required. The Fund generally intends to distribute these gains to shareholders to avoid being taxed on this gain at the Fund level and otherwise comply with the special tax rules that apply to it. This strategy may cause shareholders to be subject to tax on gains they would not otherwise be subject to, or at an earlier date than, if they had made an investment in another ETF.

In addition, cash transactions may have to be carried out over several days if the securities market in which the Fund is trading is less liquid and may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes. These brokerage fees and taxes, which will be higher than if the Fund sold and redeemed its shares principally in-kind, may be passed on to purchasers and redeemers of Creation Units in the form of creation and redemption transaction fees. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted. The Fund has capped the total fees that may be charged in connection with the redemption of Creation Units at 2% of the value of the Creation Units redeemed. To the extent transaction and other costs associated with a redemption exceed that cap, those transaction costs will be borne by the Fund's remaining shareholders. These factors may result in wider spreads between the bid and the offered prices of the Fund's shares than for other ETFs.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** The NAV of the Fund's shares will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund's securities holdings. The market prices of Fund shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in the Fund's NAV and supply and demand of shares on the secondary market. It cannot be predicted whether Fund shares will trade below (at a discount), at or above (at a premium) their NAV. As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop-loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at market prices that are significantly below NAV. Price differences may be due, in part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for shares may be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the securities of the Fund trading individually. The market prices of Fund shares may deviate significantly from the NAV of the shares during periods of market volatility or if the Fund's holdings are or become more illiquid. Disruptions to creations and redemptions may result in trading prices that differ significantly from the Fund's NAV. In addition, market prices of Fund shares may deviate significantly from the NAV if the number of Fund shares outstanding is smaller or if there is less active trading in Fund shares. Investors purchasing and selling Fund shares in the secondary market may not experience investment results consistent with those experienced by those creating and redeeming directly with the Fund.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. In addition, secondary market investors will incur the cost of the difference between the price that an investor is willing to pay for shares (the bid price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell shares (the ask price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the "spread" or "bid-ask spread." The bid-ask spread, which increases the cost of purchasing and selling Fund shares, varies over time for shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally lower if the Fund's shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if the Fund's shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Increased market volatility may cause increased bid-ask spreads.

Although Fund shares are listed for trading on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed. Trading in Fund 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 is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to Exchange "circuit breaker" rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of any Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged or that the shares will trade with any volume, or at all.

**New Fund Risk.** If the Fund does not grow in size, it will be at greater risk than larger funds of wider bid-ask spreads for its shares, trading at a greater premium or discount to NAV, liquidation and/or a trading halt.

**Fixed Income Securities Risk.** Investing in fixed income securities subjects the Fund to the following risks:

**Call Risk.** If interest rates fall, it is possible that issuers of callable securities with high interest coupons will "call" (or prepay) their bonds before their maturity date. If an issuer exercised such a call during a period of declining interest rates, the Fund may have to replace such called security with a lower yielding security. If that were to happen, the Fund's net investment income could fall.

**Credit Risk.** Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a security will not be able to make payments of interest and principal when due. Changes in an issuer's credit rating or the market's perception of an issuer's creditworthiness may also affect the value of an investment in that issuer. The degree of credit risk depends on both the financial condition of the issuer and the terms of the obligation.

**Event Risk.** Event risk is the risk that an unexpected event could interfere with an issuer's ability to make timely interest or principal payments or that causes market speculation about the issuer's ability to make such payments. As a result, the credit quality and market value of an issuer's bonds and/or other debt securities may decline significantly.

**Income Risk.** The Fund's income may decline due to falling interest rates. During a period of falling interest rates, income risk is generally higher for short term bond funds, moderate for intermediate term bond funds and low for long term bond funds. Therefore, investors should expect a Fund's income to fluctuate accordingly.

**Interest Rate Risk.** Interest rate risk is the risk that the securities in the Fund's portfolio will decline in value because of increases in market interest rates. Fixed income securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, usually making them more volatile than debt securities with shorter durations. Duration is a measure of a fixed income security's sensitivity to changes in interest rates. For every 1% change in interest rates, a bond's price generally changes approximately 1% in the opposite direction for every year of duration. For example, if a portfolio of fixed income securities has an average weighted duration of three years, its value can be expected to fall about 3% if interest rates rise by 1%. Conversely, the portfolio's value can be expected to rise approximately 3% if interest rates fall by 1%. Unlike maturity, which considers only the date on which the final repayment of principal will be made, duration takes account of interim payments made during the life of the security. Duration is typically not equal to maturity. Interest rates have recently been historically low but have recently increased and may continue to increase, potentially quickly and significantly, thereby heightening the Fund's exposure to the risks associated with rising rates.

**Issuer Risk.** There may be economic or political changes that impact the ability of issuers to repay principal and to make interest payments on securities. Changes to the financial condition or credit rating of issuers may also adversely affect the value of the Fund's securities.

**Maturity Risk.** The value of the Fund's fixed income investments is also dependent on their maturity. Generally, the longer the maturity of a fixed income security, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates.

**Reinvestment Risk.** The Fund's performance may be adversely impacted when interest rates fall because the Fund must invest in lower-yielding bonds as bonds in its portfolio mature.

**High Portfolio Turnover Risk.** Daily rebalancing of the Fund's holdings pursuant to its daily investment objective causes a much greater number of portfolio transactions when compared to most ETFs. Additionally, active market trading of the Fund's shares on such exchanges as Nasdaq, could cause more frequent creation and redemption activities, which could increase the number of portfolio transactions. Frequent and active trading may lead to higher transaction costs because of increased broker commissions resulting from such transactions. In addition, there is the possibility of significantly increased short-term capital gains (which will be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income when distributed to them). The Fund calculates portfolio turnover without including the short-term cash instruments or derivative transactions that comprise the majority of the Fund's trading. As such, if the Fund's extensive use of derivative instruments were reflected, the calculated portfolio turnover rate would be significantly higher.

**Indirect Investment Risk.** Each underlying stock is not affiliated with the Trust, the Adviser, or any affiliates thereof and is not involved with this offering in any way, and has no obligation to consider a Fund in taking any corporate actions that might affect the value of the Fund. Investing in a Fund is not equivalent to investing in a Fund's underlying stock. Fund shareholders will not have voting rights or rights to receive dividends or other distributions or any other rights with respect to a Fund's underlying stock.

**Management Risk.** The Fund is actively-managed and may not meet its investment objective based on Krane's success or failure to implement investment strategies for the Fund. Krane's evaluations and assumptions regarding investments, markets, trends, and other factors may not successfully achieve the Fund's investment objective given actual market conditions.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. Market fluctuations could be caused by such factors as economic and political developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities prices. Recent developments in relations between the United States and its trading partners have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the U.S. and other countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on the world's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on financial markets. Different types of securities tend to go through cycles of outperformance and under-performance in comparison to the general securities markets. In addition, securities may decline in value due to factors affecting a specific issuer, market or securities markets generally. Therefore, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain holdings may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price.

Turbulence in the financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and fixed-income markets may negatively affect issuers worldwide, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund. The Federal Reserve and other domestic and foreign government agencies may attempt to stabilize the global economy. These actions may expose markets to heightened volatility and may reduce liquidity for certain Fund investments, causing the value of the Fund's investments and share price to decline. To the extent that the Fund experiences high redemptions because of these actions, the Fund may experience increased portfolio turnover, which will increase the costs that the Fund incurs and will lower the Fund's performance.

Geopolitical risks, including terrorism, tensions or open conflict between nations, or political or economic dysfunction within some nations that are major players on the world stage or major producers of oil, may lead to overall instability in world economies and markets generally and have led, and may in the future lead, to increased market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects. Similarly, environmental and public health risks, such as natural disasters or pandemics/epidemics, or widespread fear that such events may occur, may impact markets adversely and cause market volatility in both the short- and long-term.

Advancements in technology, including advanced development and increased regulation of artificial intelligence, may adversely impact market movements and liquidity and the profitability and growth of certain issuers and industries may be negatively impacted in ways that cannot be foreseen and could adversely impact performance.

Certain illnesses spread rapidly and have the potential to significantly and adversely affect the global economy. Epidemics and/or pandemics have and may further result in, among other things, closing borders, enhanced health screenings, healthcare service preparation and delivery, quarantines, cancellations, disruptions to supply chains and customer activity, as well as general concern and uncertainty. The impact of such epidemics and/or pandemics that may arise in the future, have the potential to affect the economies of many nations, individual companies and the global securities and commodities markets, including liquidity, in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time. The impact of infectious diseases in developing or emerging market countries may be greater due to less established health care systems. Health crises caused by the recent coronavirus outbreak may exacerbate other preexisting political, social and economic risks in certain countries. The impact of the outbreak may be short term or may last for an extended period of time and may have material adverse impacts on the Fund.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**On-Line Business Services and Retail Company Risks.** The performance of the Underlying Stock, and consequently the Fund's performance, is subject to the risks of the online retail company sector. Companies that operate in the online marketplace and retail segments are subject to fluctuating consumer demand. Unlike traditional brick and mortar retailers, online marketplaces and retailers must assume shipping costs or pass such costs to consumers. Consumer access to price information for the same or similar products may cause companies that operate in the online marketplace and retail segments to reduce profit margins in order to compete. Due to the nature of their business models, companies that operate in the online marketplace and retail segments may also be subject to heightened cyber security risk, including the risk of theft or damage to vital hardware, software and information systems. The loss or public dissemination of sensitive customer information or other proprietary data may negatively affect the financial performance of such companies to a greater extent than traditional brick and mortar retailers. As a result of such companies being web-based and the fact that they process, store, and transmit large amounts of data, including personal information, for their customers, failure to prevent or mitigate data loss or other security breaches, including breaches of vendors' technology and systems, could expose companies that operate in the online marketplace and retail segments or their customers to a risk of loss or misuse of such information, adversely affect their operating results, result in litigation or potential liability, and otherwise harm their businesses.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

**PDD Holdings Inc. Investing Risk.** Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment held by the Fund to be more volatile than the market generally. The value of an individual security or particular type of security may be more volatile than the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. As of the date of this prospectus, in addition to the risks associated with companies in the consumer discretionary sector, PDD faces risks associated with: the highly competitive nature of the e-commerce industry; economic and market uncertainty; reductions in demand for its products; potential concentration of revenues in a few large clients; geopolitical events and pandemics; adequate protection of technology or other intellectual property; exchange rates; reliance on third parties to manufacture products; possible shortages of equipment or materials needed to manufacture products; cybersecurity attacks and data breaches; system failures or outages; potential incompatibility of product with some or all industry standard software and hardware; increases in costs; adverse government regulations; regulatory compliance costs; litigation; taxes; indebtedness; and the ability to attract and retain high quality talent.

**Rebalancing Risk.** If for any reason a Fund is unable to rebalance all or a portion of its portfolio, or if all or a portion of the portfolio is rebalanced incorrectly, a Fund's investment exposure may not be consistent with the Fund's investment objective. In these instances, a Fund may have investment exposure to its underlying stock that is significantly greater or less than its stated multiple. As a result, a Fund may be more exposed to leverage risk than if they had been properly rebalanced and may not achieve its investment objective.

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, distribution and asset diversification requirements. With respect to the latter, the Fund generally may not acquire a security if, as a result of the acquisition, more than 50% of the value of the Fund's assets would be invested in (a) issuers in which the Fund has, in each case, invested more than 5% of the Fund's assets and (b) issuers more than 10% of whose outstanding voting securities are owned by the Fund. The Fund's pursuit of its investment strategy will potentially be limited by the Fund's intention to qualify for such treatment and could adversely affect the Fund's ability to so qualify. The Fund may make certain investments, the treatment of which for these purposes is unclear. If the Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, and distributions to its shareholders would not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income, which would adversely affect its performance. Because there is limited transparency into state ownership of Chinese issuers, there is a risk of such issuers being deemed to be a single issuer, which could result in the Fund falling out of compliance with the asset diversification requirements.

In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to regulated investment companies and avoid Fund-level taxes, the Fund must also satisfy certain distribution requirements. Capital controls and currency controls may affect the Fund's ability to meet the applicable distribution requirements. If the Fund fails to satisfy the distribution requirement necessary to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company for any taxable year, the Fund would be treated as a corporation subject to U.S. federal income tax, thereby subjecting any income earned by the Fund to tax at the corporate level. If the Fund fails to satisfy a separate distribution requirement, it will be subject to a Fund-level excise tax. These Fund-level taxes will apply in addition to taxes payable at the shareholder level on distributions.

To the extent the Fund does not distribute to shareholders all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain in a given year, it will be required to pay U.S. federal income tax on the retained income and gains, thereby reducing the Fund's return. The Fund may elect to treat its net capital gain as having been distributed to shareholders. In that case, shareholders of record on the last day of the Fund's taxable year will be required to include their attributable share of the retained gain in income for the year as a long-term capital gain despite not actually receiving the dividend, and will be entitled to a tax credit or refund for the tax deemed paid on their behalf by the Fund as well as an increase in the basis of their shares to reflect the difference between their attributable share of the gain and the related credit or refund.

Investments in swaps and other derivatives may be subject to special U.S. federal income tax rules that could adversely affect the character, timing and amount of income earned by the Fund (e.g., by causing amounts that would be capital gain to be taxed as ordinary income or to be taken into income earlier than would otherwise be necessary). Also, the Fund may be required to periodically adjust its positions in its swaps and derivatives to comply with certain regulatory requirements which may further cause these investments to be less efficient than a direct investment in the securities themselves. For example, swaps in which the Fund may invest may need to be reset on a regular basis in order to maintain compliance with the 1940 Act, which may increase the likelihood that the Fund will generate short-term capital gains. In addition, because the application of these special rules may be uncertain, it is possible that the manner in which they are applied by the Fund may be determined to be incorrect. In that event, the Fund may be found to have failed to maintain its qualification as a RIC or to be subject to additional U.S. tax liability. Moreover, the Fund may make investments, both directly and through swaps or other derivative positions, in companies classified as passive foreign investment companies for U.S. federal income tax purposes ("PFICs"). Investments in PFICs are subject to special tax rules which may result in adverse tax consequences to the Fund and its shareholders.

**Tracking Error Risk.** Tracking error is the divergence of a Fund's performance from that of the underlying stock. The performance of a Fund may diverge from that of the underlying stock for a number of reasons. Tracking error may occur because of transaction costs, the Fund's holding of cash, differences in accrual of dividends, changes to the underlying stock or the need to meet new or existing regulatory requirements. Tracking error risk may be heightened during times of market volatility or other unusual market conditions. Each Fund may be required to deviate its investments as a result of market restrictions or other legal reasons, including regulatory limits or other restrictions on securities that may be purchased by the Adviser and its affiliates.

**Trading Halt Risk.** Although an underlying issuer's shares are listed for trading on an exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will be available at all times and the exchange may halt trading of such shares in certain circumstances. A halt in trading in the underlying issuer's shares may, in turn, result in a halt in the trading in the Fund's shares. Trading in the underlying issuer's and/or Fund's shares on the exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the exchange, make trading in the underlying issuer's and/or Fund's shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in the underlying issuer's and/or Fund's shares on an exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to exchange "circuit breaker" rules. In the event of a trading halt for an extended period of time, the Fund may be unable to execute arrangements with swap counterparties that are necessary to implement the Fund's investment strategy.

Due to the limited availability of necessary investments or financial instruments, the Fund could, among other things, as a defensive measure, limit or suspend creations or redemptions of Creation Units until the adviser determines that the requisite exposure to the underlying stock is obtainable. During the period that creation or redemptions are affected, the Fund's shares could trade at a significant premium or discount to their net asset value or the bid-ask spread of a Fund's shares could widen significantly. In the case of a period during which creations are suspended, a Fund could experience significant redemptions, which may cause the Fund to sell portfolio securities at unfavorable prices and increased transaction and other costs and make greater taxable distributions to shareholders of a Fund.

**Underlying Stock Risk.** Each Underlying Stock is subject to many risks that can negatively impact its revenue and viability including, but are not limited to price volatility risk, management risk, inflation risk, global economic risk, growth risk, supply and demand risk, operations risk, regulatory risk, environmental risk, terrorism risk and the risk of natural disasters. Each Fund's daily returns may be affected by many factors but will depend on the performance and volatility of the Underlying Stock.

**<u>Management</u>**

**Investment Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser"), which is a UN PRI signatory<sup>1</sup>, is a registered investment adviser located at 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10017 and serves as investment adviser of each Fund. Krane has served as the investment adviser of each Fund since its inception.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and Krane, Krane is responsible for reviewing, supervising and administering each Fund's investment program and the general management and administration of the Trust. In this regard, among other things, Krane arranges for transfer agency, custody, fund administration and accounting, and other non-distribution related services necessary for each Fund to operate. Krane may engage a sub-adviser to assist it in managing each Fund's investments, but will be responsible for overseeing any sub-advisers. Krane manages each Fund's business affairs, provides office facilities and equipment and certain clerical, bookkeeping and administrative services, and permits its officers and employees to serve as officers or Trustees of the Trust. Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, Krane bears all of its own costs associated with providing advisory services to each Fund. In addition, Krane has contractually agreed to pay all operating expenses of each Fund, except (i) interest and taxes (including, but not limited to, income, excise, transaction, transfer and withholding taxes); (ii) expenses of the Fund incurred with respect to the acquisition and disposition of portfolio securities and the execution of portfolio transactions, including brokerage commissions and short sale dividend or interest expense; (iii) expenses incurred in connection with any distribution plan adopted by the Trust in compliance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, including distribution fees; (iv) Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses; (v) litigation expenses; (vi) the compensation payable to the Adviser under the Investment Advisory Agreement; (vii) compensation and expenses of the Independent Trustees (including any Trustees' counsel fees); and (viii) any expenses determined to be extraordinary expenses by the Board. Nevertheless, there exists a risk that a Trust service provider will seek recourse against the Trust if is not timely paid by Krane for the fees and expenses for which it is responsible, which could materially adversely affect a Fund.

<sup>1</sup> UN PRI is an abbreviation for 'United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment,' a UN-supported network of investors that works to promote sustainable investment through the incorporation of environmental, social and governance factors into investment decision-making. PRI signatories publicly commit to adopt and implement the network's six ESG principles, which are voluntary and aspirational, where consistent with their fiduciary duties. Although the Adviser is a UN PRI signatory, each Fund is not an ESG fund.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, each Fund pays Krane the fee shown in the table below (in addition to the securities lending compensation Krane receives under the agreement discussed below), which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate based on a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund.

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF\* | 1.25% |
| KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF | 1.25% |

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\* Krane has contractually agreed to waive its management fee by 0.27% of the Fund's average daily net assets. This contractual fee waiver will continue until August 1, 2026, and may only be terminated prior thereto by the Board.

The Investment Advisory Agreement has been approved by the Board and shareholders of each Fund (in this regard, Krane as the sole initial shareholder of each Fund will approve various matters and agreements, including the Investment Advisory Agreement for each Fund prior to its public offering). A discussion regarding the basis for the Board's approval of the Funds' investment advisory agreement with Krane is available in the Funds' Form N-CSR for the period ending March 31, 2025.

In addition to the above-described services, to the extent a Fund engages in securities lending, Krane will: (i) determine which securities are available for loan and notify the securities lending agent for a Fund (the "Agent"), (ii) monitor the Agent's activities to ensure that securities loans are effected in accordance with Krane's instructions and in accordance with applicable procedures and guidelines adopted by the Board, (iii) make recommendations to the Board regarding a Fund's participation in securities lending, (iv) prepare appropriate periodic reports for, and seek appropriate periodic approvals from, the Board with respect to securities lending activities, (v) respond to Agent inquiries concerning Agent's activities, and (vi) such other related duties as Krane deems necessary or appropriate.

For the fiscal period ended March 31, 2025, the Adviser received the fees, as a percentage of average daily net assets of each Fund, as set forth below (in addition to the securities lending compensation Krane receives under the agreement discussed below), which is net of any fees waived or expenses reimbursed:

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF | 0.98% |
| KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF | 1.25% |

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Under the agreement, while the fees and expenses related to the Fund's securities lending-related activities reduce the revenues and income of the Fund from such activities, they are not fees and expenses for which Krane is responsible. Further, as compensation for the services provided by Krane in connection with any securities lending-related activities, the Fund pays Krane 10% of the monthly investment income received from the investment of cash collateral and loan fees received from borrowers in respect of securities loans (net of any amounts paid to the custodian and/or securities lending agent or rebated to borrowers). For the fiscal period ended March 31, 2025, Krane did not receive any revenue from the Funds related to securities lending activities.

China International Capital Corporation (USA) Holdings Inc., a wholly-owned, indirect subsidiary of China International Capital Corporation Limited owns a majority stake in Krane. As of March 31, 2025, Central Huijin Investment Limited, a mainland Chinese-domiciled entity, and HKSCC Nominees Limited, held approximately 40.11% and 39.42%, respectively, of the shares of China International Capital Corporation Limited. Central Huijin Investment Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Investment Corporation, which is a mainland Chinese sovereign wealth fund. KFA One Holdings, LLC, located at 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017, holds the remaining equity interests in Krane and Jonathan Krane, through his equity interests in KFA One Holdings, LLC, beneficially owns more than 10% of the equity interests in Krane.

Krane has received "manager of managers" exemptive relief from the SEC that permits Krane, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees, to appoint a "wholly-owned" or unaffiliated sub-adviser, as defined in the exemptive relief, or to change the terms of a sub-advisory agreement with a "wholly-owned" or unaffiliated sub-adviser without first obtaining shareholder approval. The exemptive order further permits Krane to add or to change a "wholly-owned" or unaffiliated sub-adviser or to change the fees paid to such parties from time to time without the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approval of the change and to disclose sub-advisers' fees only in the aggregate in its registration statement. Any increase in the aggregate advisory fee paid by any Fund remains subject to shareholder approval. Krane continues to have ultimate responsibility (subject to oversight by the Board of Trustees) to oversee the sub-advisers and recommend their hiring, termination, and replacement. Each Fund will notify shareholders of any change of a Fund's sub-adviser.

**Portfolio Managers**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of each Fund since its inception. He joined the Adviser in 2020 and has over 20 years of experience in the investment management industry. Previously, he was a Vice President in the Institutional ETF Group and a member of the ETF Capital Markets Group at State Street Global Advisors (2010-2019); and an ETF trader at Goldman Sachs & Co (2005-2009). Mr. Maund graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics from Wesleyan University.

Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, also serves as a portfolio manager of each Fund and supports Mr. Maund and Krane's investment team with respect to each Fund. Mr. Shelon has been a portfolio manager of each Fund since each Fund's inception. Mr. Shelon joined Krane in 2015. Mr. Shelon has spent the majority of his career managing investment portfolios and diverse teams at leading asset management organizations. Prior to joining Krane, he was the Chief Investment Officer of a 40-person global Specialized Strategies Team at J.P. Morgan with $40 billion AUM. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, Mr. Shelon spent ten years as a portfolio manager at Fidelity Investments where he was responsible for the investment performance, process and evolution of their target-date strategies for retirement savings, college savings and income generation.

Additional information about the Portfolio Managers' compensation, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers and the Portfolio Managers' ownership of Fund shares is available in the SAI.

**Other Service Providers**

SEI Investments Global Funds Services ("Administrator") serves as administrator for the Funds. The Administrator provides necessary administrative and accounting services for the maintenance and operations of the Trust and the Funds, and makes available the office space, equipment, personnel and facilities required to provide such services.

SEI Investments Distribution Co. ("Distributor"), an affiliate of the Administrator, serves as the Funds' distributor. Shares in less than Creation Units are not distributed by the Distributor, and the Distributor does not maintain a secondary market in the shares of a Fund.

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. ("BBH") serves as custodian and transfer agent for the Funds. BBH maintains in separate accounts cash, securities and other assets of a Fund, keeps all necessary accounts and records, and provides other services.

**<u>Shareholder Information</u>**

**Calculating NAV**

Each Fund calculates its NAV by:

● Taking the current market value of its total assets

● Subtracting any liabilities and withholdings (if any)

● Dividing that amount by the total number of shares owned by the shareholders

Each Fund normally calculates NAV as of the regularly scheduled close of normal trading on each day that the NYSE is scheduled to be open for business (a "Business Day") (normally, 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time). Any assets or liabilities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted into U.S. dollars at the current market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more sources.

Securities listed on a securities exchange (i.e., exchange-traded equity securities), market or automated quotation system for which quotations are readily available (except for securities traded on NASDAQ), including securities traded over the counter, are valued by independent pricing agents at the last reported sale price on the primary exchange or market (foreign or domestic) on which they are traded (or at the time as of which the Fund's NAV is calculated if a security's exchange is normally open at that time). If there is no such reported sale, such securities are valued at the most recently reported bid price. For securities traded on NASDAQ, the NASDAQ Official Closing Price will be used. If a security price cannot be obtained from an independent, third-party pricing agent, the Fund seeks to obtain bid and ask prices from two broker-dealers who make a market in the portfolio instrument and determines the average of the two.

If available, debt securities are priced based upon valuations provided by independent, third-party pricing agents. Such values generally reflect the last reported sales price if the security is actively traded. The third-party pricing agents may also value debt securities at an evaluated bid price by employing methodologies that utilize actual market transactions, broker-supplied valuations, or other methodologies designed to identify the market value for such securities. Debt obligations with remaining maturities of sixty days or less may be valued at their amortized cost, which approximates market value.

The prices for foreign securities are reported in local currency and converted to U.S. dollars using currency exchange rates. The exchange rates used for valuation are captured as of the close of the London Stock Exchange each day normally at 4:00 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time.

The value of a swap contract is equal to the obligation (or rights) under the swap contract, which will generally be equal to the net amounts to be paid or received under the contract based upon the relative values of the positions held by each party to the contract as determined by the applicable independent, third party pricing agent.

Swaps cleared through a central clearing house ("centrally cleared swaps") are valued at the settlement price established each day by the board of the exchange on which they are listed. The daily settlement prices for centrally cleared swaps are provided by an independent pricing agent. Swaps which are not centrally cleared are priced based on valuations provided by an independent pricing agent.

In a typical equity swap, one party agrees to pay another party the return on a stock, stock index, or basket of stocks (the "equity leg" of the swap) in return for interest payment(s) calculated based on the notional amount of the swap (the "financing leg" of the swap). Each leg of the swap is valued separately, and the net amount of the two legs is included in the Fund's net asset value. The value of the equity leg of the swap is provided by an independent pricing agent based on the value of the financial instrument underlying the swap. The value of the financing leg of the swap is systematically calculated by the Fund's accounting agent based on the details of the swap.

Exchange-traded options, except as discussed below for FLEX options, are valued at the mean of their most recent bid and asked price, if available, and otherwise, long positions will be valued at the most-recent bid price, and short positions will be valued at the most-recent ask price. Over-the-counter ("OTC") options are valued based upon prices determined by the applicable independent, third party pricing agent. FLEX (short for flexible) options are normally valued using a model-based price provided by a third-party pricing vendor. On days when a trade in a FLEX option occurs, the trade price will be used to value such FLEX options in lieu of the model price.

Futures are valued at the settlement price established by the board of trade on which they are traded. Foreign currency forward contracts are valued at the current day's interpolated foreign exchange rate, as calculated using the current day's spot rate and the 30-, 60-, 90- and 180-day forward rates provided by an independent pricing agent.

On certain days, the settlement price for futures may not be available at the time the Fund calculates its NAV. On such days, the best available price (which is typically the last trade price) may be used to value futures.

Securities issued by a wholly owned subsidiary of a Fund will be valued at the subsidiary's net asset value, which will be determined using the same pricing policies and procedures applicable to the Fund.

Investments in open-end investment companies that do not trade on an exchange are valued at the end of day NAV per share. Investments in open-end investment companies that trade on an exchange are valued in the same manner as other exchange-traded equity securities (described above).

Investments for which market prices are not "readily available," or are not deemed to reflect current market values, or are debt securities where no evaluated price is available from third-party pricing agents pursuant to established methodologies, are fair valued in accordance with the Adviser's valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. Some of the more common reasons that may necessitate that a security be valued using "fair value" pricing may include, but are not limited to: the security's trading has been halted or suspended; the security's primary trading market is temporarily closed; or the security has not been traded for an extended period of time.

In addition, a Fund may fair value its securities if an event that may materially affect the value of a Fund's securities that trade outside of the United States (a "Significant Event") has occurred between the time of the security's last close and the time that a Fund calculates its NAV. A Significant Event may relate to a single issuer or to an entire market sector, country or region. Events that may be Significant Events may include: government actions, natural disasters, armed conflict, acts of terrorism and significant market fluctuations. If Krane becomes aware of a Significant Event that has occurred with respect to a portfolio instrument or group of portfolio instruments after the closing of the exchange or market on which the portfolio instrument or portfolio instruments principally trade, but before the time at which a Fund calculates its NAV, it will notify the Administrator and may request that an ad hoc meeting of the Fair Value Pricing Committee be called.

With respect to trade-halted securities, the Adviser typically will fair value a trade-halted security by adjusting the security's last market close price by the security's sector performance, as measured by a predetermined index, unless Krane's Fair Value Pricing Committee determines to make additional adjustments. Certain foreign securities exchanges have mechanisms in place that confine one day's price movement in an individual security to a pre-determined price range based on that day's opening price ("Collared Securities"). Fair value determinations for Collared Securities will generally be capped based on any applicable pre-determined "limit down" or "limit up" prices established by the relevant foreign securities exchange. As an example, China A-Shares can only be plus or minus ten percent in one day of trading in the relevant mainland China equity market. As a result, the fair value price determination on a given day will generally be capped plus or minus ten percent.

Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that a fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value that could actually be realized upon the sale of the security or that another fund that uses market quotations or its own fair value procedures to price the same securities.

Trading in securities on many foreign exchanges is normally completed before the close of business on each Business Day. In addition, securities trading in a particular country or countries may not take place on each Business Day or may take place on days that are not Business Days. Changes in valuations on certain securities may occur at times or on days on which a Fund's NAV is not calculated and on which Fund shares do not trade and sales and redemptions of shares do not occur. As a result, the value of a Fund's portfolio securities and the net asset value of its shares may change on days when share purchases or sales cannot occur.

With respect to the securities of private companies, the Administrator will obtain the price of private company securities from the Valuation Designee, who will determine their fair value using various inputs, including observable data such as cost basis, primary financing rounds, tender offers, and secondary market activity. The Valuation Designee will also consider pricing from independent pricing experts<sup>2</sup>, comparables of public and private companies, and relevant market news. While primary financing rounds, tender offers, and cost basis are expected to be the main drivers of fair value, all factors will be considered. A daily dashboard will be stored to record data being considered. In addition to conducting a pricing and trend analysis on the data received from the independent pricing experts, the Valuation Designee will take business cycle, market depth, transaction size and other relevant factors into consideration when reviewing observable data and will periodically assess the pricing methodology used by the independent pricing experts.

**Buying and Selling Fund Shares**

Shares of a Fund may be purchased or redeemed directly from a Fund only in Creation Units or multiples thereof. Only a broker-dealer ("Authorized Participant") that enters into an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Funds' distributor, SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the "Distributor"), may engage in creation and redemption transactions directly with a Fund. Purchases and redemptions directly with a Fund must follow the Fund's procedures, and are subject to transaction fees, which are described in the SAI. Orders for such transactions may be rejected or delayed if they are not submitted in good order and subject to the other conditions set forth in this prospectus and the SAI. Please see the SAI for more information about purchases and redemptions of Creation Units.

<sup>2</sup> It is currently expected that the Valuation Designee will get pricing from two independent pricing agents.

Once purchased (i.e., created) by an Authorized Participant, shares are listed on the Exchange and trade in the secondary market. When you buy or sell a Fund's shares in the secondary market, you will pay or receive the market price. The price at which you buy or sell Shares (i.e., the market price) may be more or less than the NAV of the Shares. Unless imposed by your broker, there is no minimum dollar amount you must invest in a Fund and no minimum number of Shares you must buy. Shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities. Most investors will buy and sell shares through a broker and, thus, will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares. **Except when aggregated in Creation Units, Shares are not redeemable by a Fund.**

The secondary markets are closed on weekends and also are generally closed on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day (observed), Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans' Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

For more information on how to buy and sell shares of the Funds, call 1.855.857.2638 or visit <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>.

**Premium/Discount Information**

Information showing the number of days the market price of a Fund's shares was greater than the Fund's NAV per share (*i.e.*, at a premium) and the number of days it was less than the Fund's NAV per share (*i.e.*, at a discount) for various time periods is available by visiting a Fund's website at <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>. The premium and discount information contained on the website represents past performance and cannot be used to predict future results.

**Portfolio Holdings Information**

Each day a Fund is open for business, the Trust publicly disseminates a Fund's full portfolio holdings as of the close of the previous day through the website. A description of a Fund's policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio holdings is available in the Funds' Statement of Additional Information ("SAI"). The holdings of a Fund can be found on each Fund's website at <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>.

**Active Investors and Market Timing**

The Trust's Board of Trustees has determined not to adopt policies and procedures designed to prevent or monitor for frequent purchases and redemptions of a Fund's shares because the Fund sells and redeems its shares at NAV only in Creation Units pursuant to the terms of an Authorized Participant Agreement between the Authorized Participant and the Distributor, and such direct trading between a Fund and Authorized Participants is critical to ensuring that the Fund's shares trade at or close to NAV. Further, the vast majority of trading in Fund shares occurs on the secondary market, which does not involve the Fund directly and therefore does not cause the Fund to experience many of the harmful effects of market timing, such as dilution and disruption of portfolio management. In addition, a Fund imposes a transaction fee on Creation Unit transactions, which is designed to offset transfer and other transaction costs incurred by the Fund in connection with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units and may employ fair valuation pricing to minimize potential dilution from market timing. Each Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order at any time and reserves the right to impose restrictions on disruptive, excessive, or short-term trading.

**Investments by Registered Investment Companies**

Each Fund is eligible for investment by other investment companies pursuant to the exemptive relief provided by the SEC in Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act. This policy is subject to change.

**Continuous Offering**

The method by which Creation Units of Fund shares are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units of shares are issued and sold by the Fund on an ongoing basis, a "distribution," as such term is used in the Securities Act, may occur at any point. 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 requirement 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 constituent shares and sells the 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 a characterization 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(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of 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 engaging in ordinary secondary market transactions) and thus dealing with the shares that are part of an overallotment within the meaning of Section 4(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the Securities Act. For delivery of prospectuses to exchange members, the prospectus delivery mechanism of Rule 153 under the Securities Act is only available with respect to transactions on a national exchange.

**Dealers effecting transactions in a Fund's shares, whether or not participating in this distribution, are generally required to deliver a Prospectus. This is in addition to any obligation of dealers to deliver a Prospectus when acting as underwriters.**

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

If you purchase shares of a Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), Krane, any Fund sub-adviser or an affiliate of either may pay the intermediary for marketing activities or other services related to the sale or promotion of a Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other financial intermediary and your sales person to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your sales person or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

**Distribution Plan**

Each Fund has adopted a Distribution Plan (the "Plan") that allows the Fund to pay distribution fees to the Distributor and other firms that provide distribution services ("Service Providers"). Under the Plan, if a Service Provider provides distribution services, a Fund would pay distribution fees to the Distributor at an annual rate not to exceed 0.25% of average daily net assets, pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. The Distributor would, in turn, pay the Service Provider out of its fees. The Board of Trustees currently has determined not to implement any 12b-1 fees pursuant to the Plan. 12b-1 fees may only be imposed after approval by the Board of Trustees. Because any distribution fees would be paid out of a Fund's assets on an on-going basis, if payments are made in the future, the distribution fees would increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.

**Householding Policy**

To reduce expenses, we mail only one copy of the prospectus or summary prospectus, each annual and semi-annual report, and any proxy statements to each address shared by two or more accounts with the same last name or that the Trust reasonably believes are members of the same family. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, please call the Trust at 1.855.857.2638 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time on days a Fund is open for business or contact your financial institution. We will begin sending you individual copies thirty days after receiving your request. **Investors who hold their shares through an intermediary are subject to the intermediary's policies. Contact your financial intermediary for any questions you may have.**

**Dividends and Distributions**

Each Fund plans to pays out dividends to shareholders annually. Each Fund distributes its net capital gains, if any, to shareholders annually. Each Fund may make distributions on a more or less frequent basis. Each Fund reserves the right to declare special distributions, including if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the status of a Fund as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code, to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.

Each Fund may have extremely high portfolio turnover, which may cause it to generate significant amounts of taxable income. Each Fund will generally need to distribute net short-term capital gain to satisfy certain tax requirements. As a result of each Fund's high portfolio turnover, it could need to make larger and/or more frequent distributions than traditional ETFs.

**<u>Additional Tax Information</u>**

The following is a summary of some important tax issues that affect each Fund and its shareholders. The summary is based on current tax laws, which may be changed by legislative, judicial or administrative action. You should not consider this summary to be a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of a Fund, or the tax consequences of an investment in a Fund. **More information about taxes is located in the SAI. You are urged to consult your tax adviser regarding specific questions as to federal, state and local income taxes.**

**Tax Status of each Fund**

Each Fund is treated as a separate entity for federal tax purposes, and intends to qualify for the special tax treatment afforded to regulated investment companies. As long as a Fund qualifies for treatment as a regulated investment company, it pays no federal income tax on the earnings it distributes to shareholders.

**Tax Status of Distributions**

Each Fund will, at least annually, distribute substantially all of its net investment taxable income and net capital gains.

The income dividends you receive from a Fund (which include the Fund's short-term capital gains) will be taxed as either ordinary income or qualified dividend income. For non-corporate shareholders, dividends that are reported as qualified dividend income are generally taxable at reduced maximum tax rates to the extent that the Fund receives qualified dividend income and subject to certain limitations and holding period requirements.

Distributions of a Fund's short-term capital gains are generally taxable as ordinary income. Any distributions of net capital gain (the excess of a Fund's net long-term capital gains over its net short-term capital losses) are taxable as long-term capital gains regardless of how long you have owned your shares. Long-term capital gains are taxable at reduced maximum tax rates.

If a Fund makes distributions to a shareholder in excess of the Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits in any taxable year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of the shareholder's tax basis in its shares, and thereafter as capital gain. A return of capital is not taxable, but reduces a shareholder's tax basis in its shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of its shares.

Each Fund may invest in complex securities. These investments may be subject to numerous special and complex rules. These rules could affect whether gains and losses recognized by a Fund are treated as ordinary income or capital gain, accelerate the recognition of income to the Fund and/or defer the Fund's ability to recognize losses. In turn, these rules may affect the amount, timing or character of distributions you receive from a Fund.

Dividends and distributions are generally taxable to you whether you receive them in cash or in additional shares. Corporate shareholders may be entitled to a dividends-received deduction for the portion of dividends they receive that is attributable to dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations, subject to certain limitations.

Distributions paid in January but declared by a Fund in October, November or December of the previous year may be taxable to you in the previous year. Your broker will inform you of the amount of your ordinary income dividends, qualified dividend income, and capital gains distributions shortly after the close of each calendar year.

Because of the possibility of high portfolio turnover, each Fund may generate significant amounts of taxable income. Accordingly, each Fund may need to make larger and/or more frequent distributions than traditional unleveraged ETFs. A substantial portion of that income typically will be short-term capital gain, which will generally be treated as ordinary income when distributed to shareholders.

If you lend your Fund shares pursuant to securities lending arrangements, you may lose the ability to treat the Fund's dividends (paid while the shares are held by the borrower) as qualified dividend income. Consult your financial intermediary or tax adviser.

Some foreign governments levy withholding taxes against dividend and interest income. Although in some countries a portion of these withholding taxes is recoverable, the non-recovered portion will reduce the income received from the securities in a Fund. If more than 50% of the total assets of a Fund at the close of a year consist of non-U.S. stocks or securities, then the Fund may elect, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, to treat certain non-U.S. income taxes (including withholding taxes) paid by the Fund as paid by its shareholders. The Fund will provide you with the information necessary to reflect foreign taxes paid on your income tax return if it makes this election.

If you hold your shares in a tax-qualified retirement account, you generally will not be subject to federal taxation on income received with respect to the shares (including Fund dividends and distributions, and any gain on the sale of shares), until you begin receiving payments from your retirement account. You should consult your tax adviser regarding the tax rules that apply to your retirement account.

**Tax Status of Share Transactions**

Any capital gain or loss upon a sale of a Fund's shares is generally treated as a long-term gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term gain or loss if held for one year or less. Any capital loss on the sale of a Fund's shares held for six months or less is treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent that any capital gain distributions were paid with respect to such shares.

**Medicare Contribution Tax**

U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly) are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on all or a portion of their "net investment income," including interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (including capital gains realized on the sale or exchange of shares of a 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.

**Back-Up Withholding**

A Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold at applicable withholding rates (currently 24%) and remit to the U.S. Treasury the amount withheld on amounts payable to any shareholder who (1) has provided the Fund either an incorrect tax identification number or no number at all, (2) is subject to back-up withholding by the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") for failure to properly report payments of interest or dividends, (3) has failed to certify to the Fund that such shareholder is not subject to back-up withholding, or (4) has not certified that such shareholder is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien).

**Non-U.S. Investors**

If you are not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States or if you are a non-U.S. entity, a Fund's ordinary income dividends (which include distributions of net short-term capital gains, unless the Fund designates such distributions as short-term capital gain dividends) will generally be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax, unless a lower treaty rate applies, provided that withholding tax will generally not apply to any gain or income realized by a non-U.S. shareholder in respect of any distributions of long-term capital gains or upon the sale or other disposition of shares of the Fund (or dividends designated as interest-related dividends or short-term capital gain dividends). You also may potentially be subject to U.S. federal estate taxes.

A 30% withholding tax will generally be imposed on dividends paid by a Fund to (i) foreign financial institutions including non-U.S. investment funds unless they agree to collect and disclose to the IRS, or the tax authorities in their home jurisdictions, information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. account holders and (ii) certain other foreign entities, unless they certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners. A non-U.S. shareholder may be exempt from the withholding described in this paragraph under an intergovernmental agreement between the United States and a foreign government, provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement. Proposed regulations (which are effective while pending) eliminate the application of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act ("FATCA") withholding tax to capital gain dividends and redemption proceeds that was scheduled to take effect in 2019.

**State Tax Considerations**

In addition to federal taxes, distributions by a Fund and ownership of a Fund's shares may be subject to state and local taxes. You should consult your tax adviser regarding how state and local tax laws affect your investment in a Fund's shares.

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

A person who purchases a Creation Unit by exchanging securities in-kind generally will recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the sum of the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and any net amount of cash received by the Authorized Participant in the exchange and (ii) the sum of the purchaser's aggregate basis in the securities surrendered and any net amount of cash paid for the Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units and receives securities in-kind from a Fund will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the redeemer's basis in the Creation Units, and the aggregate market value of the securities received and any net cash received. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an in-kind exchange of securities for Creation Units or an exchange of Creation Units for securities cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing "wash sales," or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. Persons effecting in-kind creations or redemptions should consult their own tax adviser with respect to these matters.

Each Fund has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the shares 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 deposit securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. Each Fund also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of the 80% determinations.

**<u>Financial Highlights</u>**

The table that follows presents the financial highlights for each Fund for the fiscal period indicated. The table is intended to help you understand each Fund's financial performance. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The information has been derived from financial statements audited by KPMG LLP, the Trust's independent registered public accounting firm. Their report, along with the financial highlights and financial statements, is included in the Funds' most recent Form N-CSR (see back cover for information on how to obtain each Fund's financial statements).

**KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF (KBAB)**

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios** 

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF** | **2025<sup>(1)</sup>** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period ($) | 25.00 |
| Net Investment Loss ($)\* | (0.01) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Loss on Investments ($) | (2.66) |
| Total from Operations ($) | (2.67) |
| Return of Capital ($) |  |
| Net Asset Value, End of Period ($) | 22.33 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | (10.68 |
| Net Assets End of Period ($) (000) | 2233 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%)~ | 1.00 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, as applicable) (%)~ | 1.27 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Loss to Average Net Assets (%) | (1.00) |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate (%) |  |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| † | Annualized. |
| †† | Portfolio turnover rate is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. Excludes effect of in-kind transfers. |
| ~ | During the periods, certain fees were waived. |

---

(1) The Fund's inception date was on March 11, 2025.

Amounts designated as "—" are $0 or have been rounded to $0.

**KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF (KPDD)**

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios** 

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF** | **2025<sup>(1)</sup>** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period ($) | 25.00 |
| Net Investment Income (Loss) ($)\* | (0.02) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments ($) | (0.26) |
| Total from Operations ($) | (0.28) |
| Return of Capital ($) |  |
| Net Asset Value, End of Period ($) | 24.72 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | (1.12 |
| Net Assets End of Period ($) (000) | 2472 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%) | 1.27 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, as applicable) (%)~ | 1.27 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (%)~ | (1.27) |
| Portfolio Turnover Rate (%) |  |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| † | Annualized. |
| †† | Portfolio turnover rate is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. Excludes effect of in-kind transfers. |
| ~ | During the periods, certain fees were waived. |

---

(1) The Fund's inception date was on March 11, 2025.

Amounts designated as "—" are $0 or have been rounded to $0.

**Additional Information**

*Additional and more detailed information about the Funds are included in the SAI dated August 1, 2025. The SAI has been filed with the SEC and is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus and, therefore, legally forms a part of this Prospectus. The SEC maintains the EDGAR database on its website ("http://www.sec.gov") that contains the SAI, material incorporated by reference, and other information regarding registrants that file electronically with the SEC and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.*

*You may obtain a copy of the SAI, the Annual or Semi-Annual Reports to shareholders, and other information such as Fund financial statements, or make inquiries, without charge, by calling 1.855.857.2638, visiting www.kraneshares.com, or writing the Trust at 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10017. Additional information about the Funds' investments will be available in the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports and in Form N-CSR. Also, in the Funds' Annual Report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Funds' performance during its last fiscal year. In Form N-CSR, you will find the Funds' annual and semi-annual financial statements. Each Fund's fiscal year end is March 31.*

*No one has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations not contained in this Prospectus or in the Funds' SAI in connection with the offering of Fund shares. Do not rely on any such information or representations as having been authorized by a Fund, Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable. This Prospectus does not constitute an offering by a Fund in any jurisdiction where such an offering is not lawful.*

*The Trust enters into contractual arrangements with various parties, including among others, the Funds' investment adviser, sub-adviser(s) (if applicable), distributor, custodian, and transfer agent who provide services to the Funds. Shareholders are not parties to any such contractual arrangements or intended beneficiaries of those contractual arrangements, and those contractual arrangements are not intended to create in any shareholder any right to enforce them against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the Trust.*

*This prospectus provides information concerning the Funds that you should consider in determining whether to purchase Fund shares. Neither this prospectus nor the SAI is intended, or should be read, to be or give rise to an agreement or contract between the Trust, the Trustees, or the Fund and any investor, or to give rise to any rights in any shareholder or other person other than any rights under federal or state law that may not be waived.*

The Trust's Investment Company Act file number is 811-22698.

**KraneShares Trust**

Prospectus

August 1, 2025

KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF - (KPRO)

Fund shares are not individually redeemable. Fund shares are listed on NYSE Arca, Inc. ("Exchange").

These securities have not been approved or disapproved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") or the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC"), nor have the SEC or CFTC passed upon the adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

●  ***<u>Defined Outcome Strategy</u>*** . The Fund uses options, including FLEX options, to employ a "defined outcome strategy." Defined outcome strategies seek to produce pre-determined investment outcomes based upon the performance of an underlying security or index. The pre-determined outcomes sought by the Fund, which include the " <u>Buffer</u> " and " <u>Cap</u> " discussed below (" <u>Outcomes</u> "), are based upon the " <u>total return</u> " of the Underlying ETF (i.e., the performance of the secondary market share price including any distributions) over the period of January 27, 2025 through January 15, 2027. This period is referred to as the " <u>Outcome Period</u>." Since the Fund's strategy is designed to produce the Outcomes based upon the total return of the Underlying ETF, which would include any distributions paid by the Underlying ETF, Fund shareholders that purchase shares after the Fund has made any distributions could be adversely impacted and may not achieve the Outcomes.  **<u>There is no guarantee that the Outcomes for any Outcome Period will be realized</u>.** 

●  ***<u>Options, including FLEX Options</u>*** . The Fund will pursue its defined outcome strategy by investing at least 80% of its net assets in the KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF (the " <u>Underlying ETF</u> ") and options, including FLexible EXchange® Options (" <u>FLEX options</u> "), on the Underlying ETF. FLEX options are customizable exchange-traded option contracts guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation ("OCC"). The Underlying ETF is an exchange-traded fund advised by Krane Funds Advisors, LLC (" <u>Krane</u> " or the " <u>Adviser</u> ") that seeks to track the CSI Overseas China Internet Index (the " <u>Index</u> "). The Index is designed to measure the equity market performance of investable publicly traded "China-based companies" whose primary business or businesses are in the Internet and Internet-related sectors, and are listed outside of mainland China.

●  ***<u>The Buffer</u>*** . The Fund seeks to protect shareholders that hold shares for the entire Outcome Period from declines in the Fund's total return by providing a Buffer (the " <u>Buffer</u> ") against 100% of decreases in the total return of the Underlying ETF, as measured from the first day of the Outcome Period through the last day of the Outcome Period prior to taking into account any fees or expenses charged to the Fund. When the Fund's annual management fee of 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets is taken into account, the Buffer is approximately 99.41%. The Buffer will be further reduced by any other expenses charged to the Fund and any shareholder transaction fees. **There is no guarantee the Fund will be successful in providing the sought-after protection. <u>An investor purchasing Fund shares at a market price that reflects increases in the total return of the Underlying ETF since the start of the Outcome Period will not receive the entire protection that the Fund seeks to provide since the Buffer only seeks to protect against declines in the total return of the Underlying ETF from the beginning of the Outcome Period</u>. An investment in the Fund is only appropriate for shareholders who are able to bear those losses and understand the operation of the Buffer. The Buffer is provided prior to taking into account any fees or expenses charged to the Fund. Any fees or expenses will have the effect of reducing the Buffer amount for Fund shareholders for an Outcome Period. You may lose some or all of your money by investing in the Fund.** 

●  ***<u>The Cap</u>*** . The Fund seeks to participate in the upside total returns of the Underlying ETF, however Fund shareholders are subject to an upside total return cap (the "Cap") that represents the maximum total return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund over the duration of the Outcome Period, as measured from the first day of the Outcome Period through the last day of the Outcome Period prior to taking into account any fees or expenses charged to the Fund. The Cap is set on the first day of the Outcome Period and is 20.01% prior to taking into account any fees or expenses. When the Fund's annual management fee of 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets is taken into account, the Cap is approximately 19.42%. The Cap will be further reduced by any other expenses charged to the Fund and any shareholder transaction fees. The Cap is likely to rise or fall from one Outcome Period to the next.  **<u>If the Outcome Period has begun and the Fund's total return has increased to a level near the Cap, an investor purchasing shares at that price has little to no ability to achieve gains but remains vulnerable to downside risks</u>.** 

●  ***<u>Impact of Distributions on Buffer and Cap</u>.*** Since the Fund invests in the Underlying ETF, the Fund will receive distributions made by the Underlying ETF. Significant distributions paid by the Underlying ETF may cause the OCC to make adjustments to the strike price of the Fund's options,  **<u>which can cause changes to the Fund's Buffer and Cap and adversely affect the Outcomes. As a result, the Fund may not perform as expected and Fund shareholders could be adversely impacted, especially Fund shareholders that purchase shares after the start of the Outcome Period and Fund shareholders who do not hold shares for the entire Outcome Period. The Fund is not an appropriate investment for income-seeking investors</u>.** 

●  ***<u>The Outcome Period</u>*** . The Fund's strategy has been specifically designed to produce the Outcomes based upon the total return of the Underlying ETF from the first day of the Outcome Period to the last day of the Outcome Period.  **<u>The Outcomes may only be realized by investors who hold shares of the Fund from the commencement of the Outcome Period and continue to hold them until the conclusion of the Outcome Period. Investors that purchase shares after the Outcome Period has begun or sell shares prior to the Outcome Period's conclusion may experience investment returns very different from those that the Fund seeks to provide</u>.** 

**The Fund's strategy is designed to produce the Outcomes upon the expiration of its options investments on the last day of the Outcome Period. <u>It should not be expected that the Outcomes will be provided at any point prior to the last day of the Outcome Period</u>.** The Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in the Underlying ETF and options, including FLEX options, on the Underlying ETF, the value of which is derived from the value of the Underlying ETF. A component of an option contract's value is the remaining time until its expiration. Accordingly, the Fund's net asset value ("NAV") will not directly correlate on a day-to-day basis with the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF. The Fund's investment adviser anticipates that the Fund's NAV will move in the same direction as the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF, though not at the same rate as the Underlying ETF. **Since the options do not expire until approximately two years after the commencement of the Outcome Period, the degree of correlation between the value of the options and the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF may be lower than if the options had a shorter term. <u>Investors considering purchasing shares after the Outcome Period has begun or selling shares prior to the end of the Outcome Period should visit the Fund's website to fully understand potential investment outcomes</u>.** 

●  **<u>The Fund's website, www.kraneshares.com/kpro, provides important Fund information (including, among other items, Outcome Period start and end dates and information relating to the Cap and Buffer), as well information relating to the potential outcomes of an investment in the Fund on a daily basis. If you are contemplating purchasing shares of the Fund, please visit the website</u>.** 

●  ***<u>Subsequent Outcome Periods</u>*** . Following the Outcome Period, a subsequent Outcome Period will commence (the " <u>next Outcome Period</u> "). The Fund is not expected to terminate after the conclusion of any Outcome Period. Each subsequent Outcome Period will be a two-year period. After the end of each Outcome Period, the Fund will change its name to reflect the new Outcome Period. The Fund's initial Outcome Period was reset and extended by a year due to market conditions in the first year of the Fund's initial Outcome Period. While the Fund does not expect to change the current Outcome Period for the Fund, the Fund reserves the right to do so depending on market conditions during the current Outcome Period. Any such change would be approved by the Board of Trustees of the Fund and investors would be provided advance notice of such change.

**Although the Fund seeks to achieve the Outcomes consistent with its investment objective, there is no guarantee that it will do so. The returns that the Fund seeks to provide do not include the costs associated with purchasing shares and certain expenses incurred by the Fund. The Fund has characteristics unlike many other traditional investment products and may not be suitable for all investors. You may lose money by investing in the Fund.** 

**KraneShares Trust**

**Table of Contents**

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Fund Summary** |  |
| [KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF](#pro-kpro_001) | 1 |
| **[Additional Information About the Fund](#pro-kpro_002)** | **22** |
| [Additional Information about the Fund's Principal Investment Strategies](#pro-kpro_003) | 22 |
| [Principal Investment Risks](#pro-kpro_004) | 22 |
| [**Management**](#pro-kpro_005) | 44 |
| [Investment Adviser](#pro-kpro_006) | 44 |
| [Portfolio Managers](#pro-kpro_007) | 46 |
| [Other Service Providers](#pro-kpro_008) | 46 |
| [**Shareholder Information**](#pro-kpro_009) | 46 |
| [Calculating NAV](#pro-kpro_010) | 46 |
| [Buying and Selling Fund Shares](#pro-kpro_011) | 48 |
| [Premium/Discount Information](#pro-kpro_012) | 49 |
| [Portfolio Holdings Information](#pro-kpro_013) | 49 |
| [Active Investors and Market Timing](#pro-kpro_014) | 49 |
| [Investments by Registered Investment Companies](#pro-kpro_015) | 49 |
| [Continuous Offering](#pro-kpro_016) | 49 |
| [Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries](#pro-kpro_017) | 50 |
| [Distribution Plan](#pro-kpro_018) | 50 |
| [Householding Policy](#pro-kpro_019) | 50 |
| [Dividends and Distributions](#pro-kpro_020) | 50 |
| **[Additional Tax Information](#pro-kpro_021)** | **51** |
| **[Index Provider Disclaimers](#pro-kpro_022)** | **53** |
| **[Additional Disclaimers](#pro-kpro_023)** | **54** |
| **[Financial Highlights](#pro-kpro_024)** | **55** |
| **[Additional Information](#pro-kpro_025)** | **57** |

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i

**KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF**

**Investment Objective** 

The Fund seeks to provide investors with returns that match the total return of the KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF ("Underlying ETF") of increases of up to 20.01% of the Underlying ETF (prior to taking into account any fees or expenses) ("Cap") while providing a Buffer against 100% of decreases in the total return of the Underlying ETF (prior to taking into account any fees or expenses) ("Buffer"), over the period from January 27, 2025 to January 15, 2027 (the " Outcome Period").

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund** 

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

**Shareholder Fees** (fees paid directly from your investment)

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|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.25% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees<sup>\*</sup> | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses | 0.01% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses<sup>\*\*</sup> | 0.78% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 1.04% |

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\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

\*\* "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" are expenses incurred indirectly by the Fund through its ownership of shares of other investment companies (such as exchange-traded funds). They are not direct operating expenses paid by Fund shareholders and are not used to calculate the Fund's net asset value ("NAV"). In addition, "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" will not be reflected in the Fund's Financial Statements in its shareholder report. Therefore, the amounts listed in "Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses" will differ from those presented in the Fund's Financial Highlights.

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

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|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| $106 | $331 | $574 | $1271 |

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**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 4% of the average value of its portfolio.

**Principal Investment Strategies**

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| The Fund's strategy is designed to provide investors with the opportunity over a limited period of time (the "Outcome Period") to benefit up to a certain extent (the "Cap") from increases in the total return of the Underlying ETF with only a portion of the risk (the "Buffer") otherwise attendant to investing in the asset class represented by the Underlying ETF, which is China Internet Companies.<br>The Cap seeks to provide shareholders with up to 20.01% (prior to taking into account any fees and expenses) of increases in the total return of the Underlying ETF (i.e., the performance of the secondary market share price including any distributions) (its "total return") during the Outcome Period. When the Fund's annual management fee of 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets is taken into account, the Cap is approximately 19.42%. The Cap will be further reduced by any other expenses charged to the Fund and any shareholder transaction fees. The Cap represents the maximum total return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund over the duration of the Outcome Period. **The Fund's total return will not appreciate beyond the Cap and Fund shareholders may underperform the Underlying ETF.**<br>The Buffer seeks to protect shareholders that hold shares for the entire Outcome Period from declines in the Fund's total return by providing a buffer against approximately 100% of decreases in the total return of the Underlying ETF. When the Fund's annual management fee of 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets is taken into account, the Buffer is approximately 99.41%. The Buffer will be further reduced by any other expenses charged to the Fund and any shareholder transaction fees. **There is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in providing the Buffer.**<br>Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in the KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF (the "Underlying ETF") and options, including FLexible EXchange® Options ("FLEX options"), that reference the Underlying ETF. The Underlying ETF is an exchange-traded fund advised by Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or the "Adviser") that seeks to track the CSI Overseas China Internet Index (the "Index"). The Index is designed to measure the equity market performance of China Internet Companies listed outside of mainland China, as determined by China Securities Index Co., Ltd. ("Index Provider"). The reference asset for all of the Fund's options is the Underlying ETF. More information about the Underlying ETF and its Index is included at the end of this section.<br>There is no guarantee that investors in the Fund will experience the sought-after outcomes based on the Cap and Buffer ("Outcomes") over the Outcome Period: | ***China Internet Companies:*** <br> *Investable publicly traded "China-based companies" whose primary business or businesses are in the Internet and Internet-related sectors ("China Internet Companies"), and are listed outside of mainland China, as determined by China Securities Index Co., Ltd.*<br>***Outcome Period:*** <br> *The period of January 27, 2025 through January 15, 2027 is referred to as the Outcome Period. The Buffer and the Cap are based on the total return of the Underlying ETF and are set on the first day of the Outcome Period.* <br>***Options Contract:***<br> *An agreement between a buyer and seller that gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy or sell a particular asset at a specified future date at an agreed upon price. FLEX options are customizable exchange-traded option contracts guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation ("OCC").* |

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●  **<u>The Fund's strategy is designed to produce the Outcomes based upon the total return of the Underlying ETF from the first day of the Outcome Period to the last day of the Outcome Period</u>.** The Outcomes may only be realized by investors who continuously hold shares from the beginning of the Outcome Period until the end of the Outcome Period.  **<u>Investors that purchase shares after the Outcome Period has begun or sell shares prior to the Outcome Period ends may experience investment returns very different from those that the Fund seeks to provide</u>.** 

● When establishing an Outcome Period, the Fund cannot anticipate any corporate actions that may affect the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF, such as significant distributions by the Underlying ETF, and that may cause the strike price of the options held by the Fund to be adjusted by the OCC. **An adjustment of the strike price of the options held by the Fund by the OCC may adversely impact the Outcomes.** 

Although the Fund's investment adviser, Krane, generally anticipates that the Fund's net asset value ("NAV") will increase on days when the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF increases and will decrease on days when the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF decreases, the rate of such increase or decrease is expected to be less than that experienced by the Underlying ETF. This is because the Fund's NAV is based upon the value of its portfolio, which is composed principally of the Underlying ETF and options; and while the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF is a significant component of the value of the Fund's options, the time remaining until those options expire also affects their value. As a result, the Fund's NAV is not expected to increase or decrease at the same rate as the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF.

Further, as the Fund gets closer to the end of the Outcome Period, the value of the Underlying ETF, the put options and the calls options may differ from the values at the beginning of the Outcome Period. Such shift in the value of the Fund's holdings over time may increase risks to one type of exposure in the Fund compared to the other.

The two hypothetical graphical illustrations provided below are designed to illustrate the Outcomes, before any fees and expenses, that the Fund seeks to provide for investors who hold shares for the entirety of the Outcome Period. **There is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its attempt to provide the Outcomes for an Outcome Period.**

![](pro-kpro_001.jpg)

![](pro-kpro_002.jpg)

**\*** **Please note: this graph is provided merely to illustrate the Outcomes that the Fund seeks to provide based upon the performance of the KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF. There is no guarantee that these outcomes will be achieved over the Outcome Period.**

The following table is designed to illustrate the Outcomes the Fund seeks to provide over an Outcome Period, assuming the hypothetical performance of the Underlying ETF (from -100% to 100%) shown in the first line of the table. The table is provided for illustrative purposes only and does not provide every possible performance scenario for shares over the course of an Outcome Period. The table is not intended to predict or project the performance of the Fund or the Underlying ETF. Fund shareholders should not take this information as an assurance of the expected performance of the Underlying ETF or return on the Fund's shares. **There is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its attempt to provide the Outcomes for an Outcome Period.**

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|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Hypothetical Underlying ETF Performance** | **(100)%** | **(50)%** | **(20)%** | **(5)%** | **0%** | **5%** | **10%** | **15%** | **25%** | **50%** | **100%** |
| **Fund Performance** | **0%\*\*** | **0%\*\*** | **0%\*\*** | **0%\*\*** | **0%** | **5%** | **10%** | **15%** | **20.01%\*** | **20.01%\*** | **20.01%\*** |

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\* When the Fund's annual management fee of 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets is taken into account, the Cap is approximately 19.42%. The Cap will be further reduced by any other expenses charged to the Fund and any shareholder transaction fees.

\*\* When the Fund's annual management fee of 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets is taken into account, the Buffer is approximately 99.41%. The Buffer will be further reduced by any other expenses charged to the Fund and any shareholder transaction fees.

Since the Fund invests in the Underlying ETF, the Fund will receive distributions made by the Underlying ETF. These distributions paid by the Underlying ETF may cause the OCC to make adjustments to the strike price of the Fund's options. If this occurs, then such an adjustment can cause changes to the Fund's Buffer and Cap and may adversely affect the Outcomes. As a result, the Fund may not perform as expected and Fund shareholders could be adversely impacted, especially Fund shareholders that purchase shares after the start of the Outcome Period and Fund shareholders who do not hold shares for the entire Outcome Period.

The following hypothetical tables are designed to illustrate the impact of strike price adjustments on the Fund's Buffer and Cap due to distributions by the Underlying ETF. These tables are provided for illustrative purposes only and does not provide every possible scenario over the course of an Outcome Period. These tables are not intended to predict or project any distributions by the Fund or the Underlying ETF or the performance of the Fund or the Underlying ETF. Fund shareholders should not take this information as an assurance of the expected distributions or performance of the Underlying ETF or the Fund. The tables assume the Underlying ETF's market price is $30 for each period shown and the Underlying ETF distributes $3 in capital gains to the Fund, which distributes the same amount to Fund shareholders. The tables assume the OCC adjusts the strike price of the Fund's options as shown due to such distributions. The tables also assumes a shareholder purchases Fund shares on the first day of the Outcome Period and continuously holds Fund shares until the end of the Outcome Period. While these tables assume that the Fund distributes the same amount of distribution received from the Underlying ETF, the Fund may not always distribute the entire amount of the distribution received from the Underlying ETF.

**<u>Impact on Buffer With Strike Price Adjustment Due to Distributions</u>**

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|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Period** | **Distribution** | **Adjustment to Strike Price** | **Distribution as a % of Strike Price** | **Buffer\*** | **Buffer\* with Distribution Included** |
| First Day | - | - | - | 100% | - |
| End of First Year | $3 | Strike Price Reduced by $3 | 10% | 90% | 100% |
| End of Second Year | $3 | Strike Price Reduced by $3 | 10% | 80% | 100% |

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\* When the Fund's annual management fee of 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets is taken into account, the Buffer is approximately 99.41%. The Buffer will be further reduced by any other expenses charged to the Fund and any shareholder transaction fees.

As shown in the table, while the amount of the "Buffer" is expected to decrease due to such strike price adjustments, the "Buffer with the Distribution Included" is expected to approximate the Buffer on the first day if a shareholder includes the distribution they were paid by the Fund in the Buffer amount.

**<u>Impact on Cap With Strike Price Adjustment Due to Distribution</u>**

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|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Period** | **Distribution** | **Adjustment to Strike Price** | **Distribution as a % of Strike Price** | **Cap\*** | **Cap\* with Distribution Included** |
| First Day | - | - | - | 20.01% | - |
| End of First Year | $3 | Strike Price Reduced by $3 | 10% | 10.01% | 20.01% |
| End of Second Year | $3 | Strike Price Reduced by $3 | 10% | 0.01% | 20.01% |

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\* When the Fund's annual management fee of 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets is taken into account, the Cap is approximately 19.42%. The Cap will be further reduced by any other expenses charged to the Fund and any shareholder transaction fees.

As shown in the table, while the amount of the "Cap" is expected to decrease due to such strike price adjustments, the "Cap with the Distribution Included" is expected to approximate the Cap on the first day if a shareholder includes the distribution they were paid by the Fund in the Cap amount.

If the Underlying ETF makes distributions and the OCC does not make adjustments to the strike price of the Fund's options, a shareholder will need to include the amount of the distributions to achieve the sought after Outcomes. As a result, Fund shareholders that purchase shares after the start of the Outcome Period could be adversely impacted, especially those Fund shareholders that purchase shares after the Fund has made any distributions.

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| ***Use of Options, including FLEX Options.*** The Adviser will construct a portfolio principally composed of the Underlying ETF and options, including FLEX options, that reference the Underlying ETF and are set to expire on the last day of the Outcome Period. Each of the options purchased and sold throughout the Outcome Period are expected to have the same or similar terms (i.e., strike price and expiration) as the options purchased and sold on the first day of the Outcome Period.<br>At the commencement of the Outcome Period, the Adviser selects the strike price for each option such that when the options are exercised on the final day of the Outcome Period, the Outcomes may be obtained. The customizable nature of FLEX options allows the Adviser to make the FLEX options exercisable only on the expiration date of the option contract (i.e., European style option contracts). The Fund will only write (sell) FLEX options that are European style option contracts. The Fund may purchase options that are European style option contracts and options that are exercisable at any time (i.e., American style option contracts).<br>To achieve the Outcomes, the Fund may purchase and sell a combination of call option contracts and put option contracts. | ***Strike Price:***<br> *Generally, the price at which an option holder may exercise the right to purchase or sell the reference asset of an option contract upon expiration of the contract. For the Fund, the strike price will be the total return of the Underlying ETF at which the Fund may exercise an option at the end of the Outcome Period.* <br>***Call Option Contract:***<br> *A call option contract gives the buyer of the call option contract the right (but not the obligation) to buy, and the seller of the call option contract (i.e., the "writer") the obligation to sell, a specified amount of an underlying security at a pre-determined price.* <br>***Put Option Contract:***<br> *A put option contract gives the buyer of the put option contract the right (but not the obligation) to sell, and the writer of the put option contract the obligation to buy, a specified amount of an underlying security at a pre-determined price.* |

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***The Outcome Period.*** The Outcomes sought by the Fund are based upon the total return of the Underlying ETF at the start of the Outcome Period. **The next Outcome Period begins on January 27, 2025 and ends on January 15, 2027.** As the terms of the options do not change during each Outcome Period, the Cap and Buffer both will be measured to the total return of the Underlying ETF on the first day of the Outcome Period. **A shareholder that purchases shares after the commencement of the Outcome Period will likely have purchased shares at a different NAV than the NAV on the first day of the Outcome Period and therefore may experience investment outcomes that are very different from those sought by the Fund. Since the Fund will only exercise options on the final day of the Outcome Period, a shareholder that sells shares prior to the end of the Outcome Period may also experience investment outcomes very different from those sought by the Fund. <u>To achieve the Outcomes sought by the Fund for the Outcome Period, an investor must hold shares continuously throughout the Outcome Period.</u> There is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its attempt to provide the Outcomes.**

The Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in the Underlying ETF and options, including FLEX options, on the Underlying ETF. However, because a component of an option's value is the number of days remaining until its expiration, during the Outcome Period, the Fund's NAV will not directly correlate on a day-to-day basis with the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF. The Adviser generally anticipates that the Fund's NAV will increase on days when the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF increases and will decrease on days when the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF decreases, but that the rate of such increase or decrease will be less than that experienced by the Underlying ETF. For the same reasons, the impact of the Buffer on the Fund, may not be in full effect prior to the end of the Outcome Period. **Since the options do not expire until approximately two years after the commencement of the Outcome Period, the degree of correlation between the value of the options and the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF may be lower than if the options had a shorter term. The Fund seeks to provide the Outcomes only for the entirety of the Outcome Period and investors should not expect the sought-after Outcomes at any point prior to the end of the Outcome Period.**

***The Buffer on Losses.*** The Buffer seeks to protect shareholders that hold shares for the entire Outcome Period from declines in the Fund's total return by providing a buffer against 100% of decreases in the total return of the Underlying ETF, not including any other expenses charged to the Fund and any shareholder transaction fees. **There is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its attempt to provide buffered returns.** The Fund seeks to produce the Outcomes for the Outcome Period upon the expiration of its options investments on the last day of the Outcome Period. Therefore, it should not be expected that the Buffer, including the net effect of the Fund's annual management fee, will be provided at any point prior to the last day of the Outcome Period. **<u>If an investor purchases shares at a time during an Outcome Period when the total return of the Underlying ETF has already increased, then the investor will incur losses notwithstanding the Buffer since the Buffer only seeks to protect against declines in the total return of the Underlying ETF from the beginning of the Outcome Period</u>.** Similarly, if an investor sells shares prior to the end of the Outcome Period, the Buffer that the Fund seeks to provide may not protect against losses. When the Fund's annual management fee of 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets is taken into account, the Buffer is approximately 99.41%. The Buffer will be further reduced by any other expenses charged to the Fund and any shareholder transaction fees. In addition, any changes in the Fund's options due to material corporate actions, including material distributions, could reduce the Buffer during an Outcome Period.

***The Cap on Upside Returns.*** Unlike other investment products, the potential upside total return an investor can receive from an investment in the Fund over the Outcome Period is limited by the Cap. **<u>The Cap represents the maximum total return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund over the duration of the Outcome Period.</u> Therefore, even though the Fund's total returns are expected to approximate the total return of the Underlying ETF, in the event that the total return of the Underlying ETF exceeds the Cap for the Outcome Period, the Fund will not appreciate beyond the Cap.** The Cap is determined on the first day of the Outcome Period and is 20.01% prior to taking into account any fees or expenses. When the Fund's annual management fee of 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets is taken into account, the Cap is approximately 19.42%. The Cap will be further reduced by any other expenses charged to the Fund, including any extraordinary expenses, and any shareholder transaction fees. For the purpose of this prospectus, "extraordinary expenses" are non-recurring expenses that may be incurred by the Fund outside of the ordinary course of its business, including, without limitation, costs incurred in connection with any claim, litigation, arbitration, mediation, government investigation or similar proceedings, indemnification expenses and expenses in connection with holding and/or soliciting proxies for a meeting of Fund shareholders. In addition, any changes in the Fund's options due to material corporate actions, including material distributions, could have the effect of reducing the Cap for an Outcome Period.

The Cap is a result of the design of the Fund's principal investment strategy. In order to provide the sought-after Buffer, the Fund purchases a series of options. As the purchaser of these options, the Fund is obligated to pay a premium to the seller of those options. However, the strategy is designed so that any premiums that the Fund is obligated to pay are offset by premiums it receives in connection with selling options that established the Cap. These transactions occur on the first day of the Outcome Period: the Adviser calculates the amount of premium that the Fund owes in order to buy options to provide the Buffer, and then sells options with terms that entitle the Fund to receive that same amount as a premium to determine the Cap. The Cap is the strike price of the written options, which is determined based upon prevailing market conditions at the time, most notably current interest rate levels, volatility in the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF, time remaining until the options expire, and the relationship of put and call options on the Underlying ETF.

The Cap will change from one Outcome Period to the next based upon prevailing market conditions at the beginning of the Outcome Period. The Cap, and the Fund's position relative to it, should be considered before investing in the Fund.

***Subsequent Outcome Periods.*** The Fund is designed to be a continuous investment vehicle. It is not expected to terminate and distribute its assets at the conclusion of an Outcome Period. Rather, at the end of each Outcome Period, a subsequent Outcome Period is expected to begin.

At the end of each Outcome Period, the Fund will receive the cash value of all the options it held for the prior Outcome Period. It will then invest in a new series of options with an expiration date of approximately two years in the future, and a new Outcome Period will begin. Since the Cap for any Outcome Period is based upon prevailing market conditions at the beginning of an Outcome Period, the Cap will rise or fall from one Outcome Period to the next.

Investors who hold shares of the Fund at the end of an Outcome Period will receive two notices of the commencement of the subsequent Outcome Period. Approximately one week prior to the end of an Outcome Period, the Fund will file a prospectus supplement alerting existing shareholders that an Outcome Period is ending. The supplement will disclose the new name of the Fund, which will be revised to reflect the dates of the next Outcome Period, and the anticipated ranges for the Cap for the next Outcome Period. After the close of business on the last day of the Outcome Period, the Fund will file another prospectus supplement that discloses the Fund's final Cap (both gross and net of the management fee) for the next Outcome Period and the change in the Fund's name to reflect the new Outcome Period.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in instruments that are not included in the 80% test noted above. These investments include equity securities, depositary receipts, derivative instruments, other investment companies (including exchange traded funds or "ETFs") and cash or cash equivalents (including money market funds).

The Fund is non-diversified.

***Additional Information About the Underlying ETF.*** The Underlying ETF seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Index, which is designed to measure the equity market performance of China Internet Companies.

● The Index Provider defines China-based companies as those that: (i) are incorporated in mainland China; (ii) have their headquarters in mainland China; or (iii) derive at least 50% of its revenue from goods produced or sold, or services performed, in mainland China.

● China Internet Companies include, but are not limited to, companies that develop and market Internet software and/or provide Internet services; manufacture home entertainment software and educational software for home use; provide retail or commercial services primarily through the Internet; and develop and market mobile Internet software and/or provide mobile Internet services.

The Index excludes securities that during the past year had a daily average trading value of less than $3 million or a daily average market cap of less than $2 billion. Constituents of the Index are ranked by free-float market capitalization in U.S. Dollars and then weighted so that no constituent exceeds 10% at each rebalance with the top five constituents capped at 40%.

The following China-related securities may be included in the Index:

● China A-Shares, which are shares of companies incorporated in mainland China that are traded on the Chinese exchanges and denominated in domestic renminbi. China A-Shares are primarily purchased and sold in the domestic Chinese market. To the extent the Fund invests in China A-Shares, it expects to do so through the trading and clearing facilities of a participating exchange located outside of mainland China ("Stock Connect Programs"). A Qualified Foreign Investor ("QFI") license may also be acquired to invest directly in China A-Shares.

● China B-Shares, which are shares of companies listed on the Shanghai or Shenzhen Stock Exchange but quoted and traded in foreign currencies (such as Hong Kong Dollars or U.S. Dollars), which were primarily created for trading by foreign investors.

● China H-Shares, which are shares of companies incorporated in mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange ("H-Shares"), where they are traded in Hong Kong dollars and may be traded by foreign investors.

● China N-Shares, which are shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on an American stock exchange, such as NYSE or NASDAQ ("N-Shares").

● P-Chips, which are shares of private sector companies with a majority of their business operations in mainland China and controlling private Chinese shareholders, which are incorporated outside of mainland China and traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong dollars.

● Red Chips, which are shares of companies with a majority of their business operations in mainland China and controlled by the central, provincial or municipal governments of the People's Republic of China ("PRC"), whose shares are traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong dollars.

● S-Chips, which are shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on the Singapore Exchange. S-Chip shares are issued by companies incorporated anywhere, but many are registered in Singapore, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, or Bermuda.

As of May 31, 2025, the Index included 29 securities of companies with a market capitalization range of approximately $2 million to $598 billion and an average market capitalization of approximately $54 billion. The Index is rebalanced and reconstituted semi-annually.

The Underlying ETF is non-diversified. To the extent the Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Underlying ETF is expected to be concentrated in that industry. As of May 31, 2025, issuers in the Communication Services sector (43.2%) and Consumer Discretionary sector (38.8%) represented significant portions of the Index.

Although the Underlying ETF expects to replicate (or hold all constituents of) the Index, the Underlying ETF reserves the right to use representative sampling to track the Index. "Representative sampling" is a strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have an investment profile similar to the Index. In addition, the Underlying ETF may invest up to 20% of its assets in instruments that are not included in the Index, but that Krane believes will help the Underlying ETF track the Index. The Underlying ETF's prospectus and other reports are available on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov. The Underlying ETF is traded on the NYSE Arca, Inc. under the ticker symbol KWEB.

**Principal Risks** 

The Fund has characteristics unlike traditional investment products and may not be suitable for all investors. Although the Fund seeks to achieve the Outcomes consistent with its investment objective, there is no guarantee that it will do so. An investment in the Fund may not be appropriate for investors who do not intend to hold Fund shares for the entire Outcome Period. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund (either directly or through its exposure to the Underlying ETF) is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including (for purposes of these risks references to the Fund include, as appropriate, references to the Underlying ETF):

**Buffered Loss Risk.** There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to provide protection against 100% of decreases in the total return of the Underlying ETF over the duration of the Outcome Period. If an investor purchases shares after the beginning of the Outcome Period or sells shares prior to the end of the Outcome Period, the Buffer that the Fund seeks to provide may not be effective. If when an investor purchases shares at a time during an Outcome Period when the total return of the Underlying ETF has already increased, then the investor will incur losses notwithstanding the Buffer since the Buffer only seeks to protect against declines in the total return of the Underlying ETF from the beginning of the Outcome Period. If the options (and therefore the Buffer) do not perform as expected, an investor may experience significant losses, including the investor's entire investment.

**Capped Upside Return Risk.** Even if the total return of the Underlying ETF exceeds the Cap for the Outcome Period, the Fund will not appreciate beyond the Cap. Due to the Cap, the Fund may significantly underperform the Underlying ETF over the course of the Outcome Period. If an investor purchases shares of the Fund after the beginning of the Outcome Period and Fund shares have appreciated close to the Cap, there may be little or no ability for that investor to experience an investment gain on their shares yet such investor is exposed to potential losses between the appreciated share price and the Fund's NAV at the commencement of the Outcome Period. Further, because the options are expected to produce returns that match the total return of the Underlying ETF (subject to the Cap) on the last day of the Outcome Period, if an investor sells shares prior to that day, such investor may sell at a price that does not reflect the total return of the Underlying ETF and may sell at a price when the Fund has underperformed the Underlying ETF.

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter ("OTC") derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

**FLEX Options Risk.** The Fund will utilize FLEX options, which are issued and guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation ("OCC") as guarantor and central counterparty.

The Fund may experience substantial downside from specific FLEX option positions and certain FLEX option positions may expire worthless. FLEX options may be less liquid than standardized options. In less liquid markets for the FLEX options, the Fund may have difficulty closing out certain FLEX options positions at desired times and prices. In connection with the creation of shares, to the extent market participants are not willing or able to enter into FLEX option transactions with the Fund at prices that reflect the then-current total return of the Underlying ETF and the Cap and/or Buffer, could be negatively impacted.

**Options Risk.** The use of options involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying instrument, or in interest or currency exchange rates, including the anticipated volatility of the underlying instrument (known as implied volatility), which in turn are affected by the performance of the issuer of the underlying instrument, by the time remaining until the expiration of the option contract, by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political and economic events. As such, prior to the exercise or expiration of the option, the Fund is exposed to implied volatility risk, meaning the value, as based on implied volatility, of an option may increase due to market and economic conditions or views based on the sector or industry in which issuers of the underlying instrument participate, including company-specific factors.

An option is a contract that gives the purchaser (holder) of the option, in return for a premium, the right to buy from (call) or sell to (put) the seller (writer) of the option the security or currency underlying the option at a specified exercise price at any time during the term of the option (normally not exceeding nine months). The writer of an option has the obligation upon exercise of the option by its purchaser to deliver the underlying security or currency upon payment of the exercise price or to pay the exercise price upon delivery of the underlying security or currency. Options are derivatives, which, as described above, can be illiquid and can imperfectly correlate with the reference asset(s).

**OCC Resetting Strike Prices Risk.** Subject to determination by the Securities Committee of the OCC, adjustments may be made to the Fund's options for certain events (collectively, "Corporate Actions") specified in the OCC's bylaws and rules such as: certain stock dividends or distributions, stock splits, reverse stock splits, rights offerings, distributions, reorganizations, recapitalizations, or reclassifications with respect to an underlying security, or a merger, consolidation, dissolution or liquidation of the issuer of the underlying security. According to the OCC's by-laws, the nature and extent of any such adjustment is to be determined by the OCC's Securities Committee, in light of the circumstances known to it at the time such determination is made, based on its judgment as to what is appropriate for the protection of investors and the public interest, taking into account such factors as fairness to holders and writers (or purchasers and sellers) of the affected options, the maintenance of a fair and orderly market in the affected options, consistency of interpretation and practice, efficiency of exercise settlement procedures, and the coordination with other clearing agencies of the clearance and settlement of transactions in the underlying interest. If the OCC's Securities Committee determines that a Corporate Action warrants an adjustment to the strike price of the Fund's options, the Fund's Buffer and Cap will be adjusted accordingly and will differ from amount set at the beginning of the Outcome Period. There is no guarantee that the options will be adjusted.

**Clearing Member Default Risk.** Transactions in some types of derivatives, including options, are required to be centrally cleared ("cleared derivatives"). In a transaction involving cleared derivatives, the Fund's counterparty is a clearing house, such as the OCC, rather than a bank or broker. Since the Fund is not a member of clearing houses and only members of a clearing house ("clearing members") can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members. In cleared derivatives positions, the Fund will make payments (including margin payments) to, and receive payments from, a clearing house through their accounts at clearing members. Customer funds held at a clearing organization in connection with any option contracts are held in a commingled omnibus account and are not identified to the name of the clearing member's individual customers. As a result, assets deposited by the Fund with any clearing member as margin for its options may, in certain circumstances, be used to satisfy losses of other clients of the Fund's clearing member. In addition, although clearing members guarantee performance of their clients' obligations to the clearing house, there is a risk that the assets of the Fund might not be fully protected in the event of the clearing member's bankruptcy. The Fund is also subject to the risk that a limited number of clearing members are willing to transact on the Fund's behalf, which heightens the risks associated with a clearing member's default. If a clearing member defaults the Fund could lose some or all of the benefits of a transaction entered into by the Fund with the clearing member. The loss of a clearing member for the Fund to transact with could result in increased transaction costs and other operational issues that could impede the Fund's ability to implement its investment strategy. If the Fund cannot find a clearing member to transact with on the Fund's behalf, the Fund may be unable to effectively implement its investment strategy.

The OCC acts as guarantor and central counterparty with respect to the options. As a result, the ability of the Fund to meet its objective depends on the OCC being able to meet its obligations. In the event an OCC clearing member that is a counterparty of the Fund were to become insolvent, the Fund may have some or all of its options closed without its consent or may experience delays or other difficulties in attempting to close or exercise its affected options positions, both of which would impair the Fund's ability to execute its investment strategy. In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses.

**Outcome Period Risk.** The Fund seeks to deliver returns that match those of the Underlying ETF's total return if shares are held by an investor from the beginning of the Outcome Period. In the event an investor purchases shares after the beginning of the Outcome Period or sells shares prior to end of the Outcome Period, the returns realized by the investor should not be expected to match those that the Fund seeks to provide. Further, because the Fund utilizes an Outcome Period that is approximately two years long, the risk of experiencing non-correlated returns is exacerbated.

**Upside Participation Risk.** There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to provide shareholders with the total return of the Underlying ETF's shares over the Outcome Period prior to taking into account any fees or expenses, subject to the maximum total return imposed by the Cap. In the event an investor purchases shares after the beginning of the Outcome Period or does not stay invested in the Fund for the entirety of the Outcome Period, the returns realized by such investor may not match those that the Fund seeks to achieve. In order to finance the downside protection offered by the Buffer, the Fund enters into a sold call option contract which limits its upside potential. Since the Buffer seeks to provide protection against 100% of decreases in the total return of the Underlying ETF over the duration of the Outcome Period, the Cap may be lower than the caps imposed by other ETFs that utilize defined outcome investing strategies with different buffers, on a relative basis. Due to the Cap, the Fund may significantly underperform the Underlying ETF over the course of the Outcome Period. Finally, the Fund's Cap is dependent upon market conditions at the commencement of the new Outcome Period. In certain market conditions, the Fund's Cap may provide relatively low upside potential, which may cause the Fund to further underperform the Underlying ETF over the course of an Outcome Period.

**Cap Change Risk.** In addition, since the Fund invests in the Underlying ETF, the Fund will receive distributions made by the Underlying ETF. These distributions paid by the Underlying ETF may cause the OCC to make adjustments to the strike price of the Fund's options. If this occurs, then such an adjustment can cause changes to the Fund's Buffer and Cap and may adversely affect the Outcomes. As a result, the Fund may not perform as expected and Fund shareholders could be adversely impacted, especially Fund shareholders that purchase shares after the start of the Outcome Period and Fund shareholders who do not hold shares for the entire Outcome Period. A new Cap is established at the beginning of each Outcome Period and is dependent on prevailing market conditions at the time the Cap is established. As such, the Cap may rise or fall from one Outcome Period to the next and is unlikely to remain the same for consecutive Outcome Periods.

**Non-Correlation Risk.** The FLEX options written by the Fund will be exercisable at their strike price only on their expiration date. The options purchased by the Fund will be exercisable at their strike price either on their expiration date or at any time. Since the options held by the Fund do not expire until approximately two years after the commencement of the Outcome Period, the degree of non-correlation between the value of the options and the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF will be higher when compared to options with shorter terms. As an option approaches its expiration date, its value typically will increasingly correlate with the price of Underlying ETF shares. Farther in advance of the expiration date, the value of the options may vary because related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF influence the value. For example, the value of the options will be influenced by interest rate changes, the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF and implied volatility levels of the Underlying ETF, among other factors. For the same reasons, the value of the options held by the Fund is not expected to increase or decrease to the same degree as the Underlying ETF's secondary market share price on a day-to-day basis.

**China Risk.** The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions in the People's Republic of China ("China" or the "PRC") and surrounding Asian countries and may demonstrate significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. Investments in Chinese securities, including those that are Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, subject the Fund to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. Over the last few decades, the Chinese government has undertaken reform of economic and market practices and has expanded the sphere of private ownership of property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. Chinese companies are also subject to the risk that Chinese authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. In addition, the Chinese economy is export-driven and highly reliant on trading with key partners. A downturn in the economies of China's primary trading partners could slow or eliminate the growth of the Chinese economy and adversely impact the Fund's investments. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. The RMB is not freely convertible, but rather is subject to approval of PRC authorities. Although Chinese authorities have indicated an intent to move to a freely convertible RMB, there is no assurance that repatriation restrictions will not continue. The Chinese government may introduce new laws and regulations that could have an adverse effect on the Fund. Although China has begun the process of privatizing certain sectors of its economy, privatized entities may lose money and/or be re-nationalized.

Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Incidents involving China's or the region's security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments.

In the Chinese securities markets, a small number of issuers may represent a large portion of the entire market. The Chinese securities markets are subject to more frequent trading halts, low trading volume and price volatility. Recent developments in relations between the United States and China have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the two countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on China's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on the Fund. In addition, worsening trade relations between the two countries could adversely impact the Fund, particularly to the extent that the Chinese government restricts foreign investments in on-shore Chinese companies or the U.S. government restricts investments by U.S. investors in China. This may also result in market volatility and volatility in the price of Fund shares.

The underlying index may include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government. So long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments, the Fund is generally expected to invest in such companies, consistent with its objective to track the performance of the underlying index.

In recent years, Chinese entities have incurred significant levels of debt and Chinese financial institutions currently hold relatively large amounts of non-performing debt. Thus, there exists a possibility that widespread defaults could occur, which could trigger a financial crisis, freeze Chinese debt and finance markets and make Chinese securities illiquid.

Disclosure and regulatory standards in emerging market countries, such as China, are in many respects less stringent than U.S. standards. There is substantially less publicly available information about Chinese issuers than there is about U.S. issuers. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements or due to worsening relations between the U.S. and China, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities.

The tax laws and regulations in China are somewhat unclear and are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. The interpretation, application and enforcement of such laws and regulations by the applicable authorities may vary over time and from region to region, and could have an adverse effect on the Fund and its shareholders, particularly in relation to tax imposed upon foreign investors' capital gains. Uncertainties in Chinese tax rules could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund.

**A-Shares Risk.** A-Shares are issued by companies incorporated in mainland China and are traded on Chinese exchanges. Investments in A-Shares are made available to domestic Chinese investors and certain foreign investors, including those who have been approved as a QFI and through the Stock Connect Programs, which currently include the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shanghai-London Stock Connect, and China-Japan Stock Connect. Investments by foreign investors in A-Shares are subject to various restrictions, regulations and limits. Investments in A-Shares are heavily regulated and the recoupment and repatriation of assets invested in A-Shares is subject to restrictions by the Chinese government. A-Shares may be subject to frequent and widespread trading halts and may become illiquid. This could cause volatility in the Fund's share price and subject the Fund to a greater risk of trading halts.

**Custody Risk.** In accordance with Chinese regulations and the terms of a QFI license and insofar as Krane acquires a QFI, A-Shares will be held in the joint names of the Fund and Krane. Thus, the Fund's assets may not be as well protected as they would be if it were possible for them to be registered and held solely in the name of the Fund. There is a risk that creditors of Krane may assert that the securities are owned by Krane and that regulatory actions taken against Krane may affect the Fund.

**Hong Kong Risk.** The economy of Hong Kong has few natural resources and any fluctuation or shortage in the commodity markets could have a significant adverse effect on the Hong Kong economy. Hong Kong is also heavily dependent on international trade and finance. Additionally, the continuation and success of the current political, economic, legal and social policies of Hong Kong is dependent on and subject to the control of the Chinese government. China may change its policies regarding Hong Kong at any time. Any such change may adversely affect market conditions and the performance of Chinese and Hong Kong issuers and, thus, the value of securities in the Fund's portfolio.

**Stock Connect Program Risk.** The Stock Connect Programs are subject to daily quota limitations, and an investor cannot purchase and sell the same security on the same trading day, which may restrict the Fund's ability to invest in A-Shares through the Programs and to enter into or exit trades on a timely basis. The Shanghai and Shenzhen markets may be open at a time when the participating exchanges located outside of mainland China are not active, with the result that prices of A-Shares may fluctuate at times when the Fund is unable to add to or exit its positions. Only certain China A-Shares are eligible to be accessed through the Stock Connect Programs. Such securities may lose their eligibility at any time, in which case they could be sold but could no longer be purchased through the Stock Connect Programs. Because the Stock Connect Programs are still evolving, the actual effect on the market for trading A-Shares with the introduction of large numbers of foreign investors is still relatively unknown. Further, regulations or restrictions, such as limitations on redemptions or suspension of trading, may adversely impact the program. There is no guarantee that the participating exchanges will continue to support the Stock Connect Programs in the future.

Investments in China A-Shares may not be covered by the securities investor protection programs of either exchange and, without the protection of such programs, will be subject to the risk of default by the broker. Because of the way in which China A-Shares are held in the Stock Connect Programs, the Fund may not be able to exercise the rights of a direct shareholder and may be limited in its ability to pursue claims against the issuer of a security, and may suffer losses in the event the legal or "nominee holder" of the China A-Shares under the Stock Connect Programs becomes insolvent.

**Chinese Equity Markets.** The use of B-shares, H-shares, N-Shares, Red-Chips, P-Chips, S-Chips by Chinese companies to obtain listings are subject to the political and economic policies in China and the markets on which they are listed. Further, the markets on which these shares are listed may behave very differently from the mainland Chinese markets, and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the two.

**Special Risk Considerations of Investing in China.** For purposes of raising capital offshore on exchanges outside of China, including on U.S. exchanges, many Chinese-based operating companies are structured as Variable Interest Entities ("VIEs"). In this structure, the Chinese-based operating company is the VIE and establishes an entity, which is typically offshore in a foreign jurisdiction, such as the Cayman Islands. The offshore entity lists on a foreign exchange and enters into contractual arrangements with the VIE. This structure allows Chinese companies in which the government restricts foreign ownership to raise capital from foreign investors. While the offshore entity has no equity ownership of the VIE, these contractual arrangements permit the offshore entity to consolidate the VIE's financial statements with its own for accounting purposes and provide for economic exposure to the performance of the underlying Chinese operating company. Therefore, an investor in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, will have exposure to the Chinese-based operating company only through contractual arrangements and has no ownership in the Chinese-based operating company. Furthermore, because the offshore entity only has specific rights provided for in these service agreements with the VIE, its abilities to control the activities at the Chinese-based operating company are limited and the operating company may engage in activities that negatively impact investment value. While the VIE structure has been widely adopted, it is not formally recognized under Chinese law and therefore there is a risk that the Chinese government could prohibit the existence of such structures or negatively impact the VIE's contractual arrangements with the listed offshore entity by making them invalid. If these contracts were found to be unenforceable under Chinese law, investors in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, may suffer significant losses with little or no recourse available. If the Chinese government determines that the agreements establishing the VIE structures do not comply with Chinese law and regulations, including those related to restrictions on foreign ownership, it could subject a Chinese-based issuer to penalties, revocation of business and operating licenses, or forfeiture of ownership interest.

**Internet Companies Risk.** Investments in Internet companies may be volatile. Internet companies are subject to intense competition, the risk of product obsolescence, changes in consumer preferences and legal, regulatory and political changes. They are also especially at risk of hacking and other cybersecurity events. In addition, it can be difficult to determine what qualifies as an Internet company.

**Equity Securities Risk.** The values of equity securities are subject to factors such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes. In the event of liquidation, equity securities are generally subordinate in rank to debt and other securities of the same issuer.

**Emerging Markets Risk.** Securities issued by entities with substantial operations or holdings in emerging market countries may involve additional risks and are subject to greater risk of loss than investments in developed markets. This is due to, among other things, greater market volatility, greater risk of asset seizures and capital controls, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, greater risk of market shutdown, and more governmental limitations on foreign investments in emerging market countries than typically found in developed markets. The economies of emerging markets, and China in particular, may be heavily reliant upon international trade and may suffer disproportionately if international trading declines or is disrupted. Such conditions may lead to potential errors in index data, index computation and/or index construction and may limit the ability to oversee the Index Provider's due diligence process over index data, which may adversely impact the Underlying ETF's performance and its ability to track the performance of the underlying index.

**Foreign Securities Risk.** Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may be less liquid than investments in U.S. issuers, may have less governmental regulation and oversight, and are typically subject to different investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities entail the risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations, political or economic instability, less complete financial information about the issuers, the possible imposition of withholding or confiscatory taxes, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, and the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency. Foreign market trading hours, clearance and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund's ability to buy and sell securities. Additionally, foreign issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, recordkeeping, and financial reporting requirements. Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by governmental authorities. If the Fund holds positions in such suspended securities, the Fund may be adversely impacted. Certain countries in which the Fund may invest may be subject to extended settlement delays and/or foreign holidays, during which the Fund will unlikely be able to convert holdings to cash. All of these factors could result in a loss to the Fund.

**Geographic Focus Risk.** The Fund's investments are expected to be focused in a particular country, countries, or region to approximately the same degree as the Index and therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country, countries or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified fund.

**Currency Risk.** To the extent that the Fund is exposed directly or indirectly to foreign currencies, including through its investments, or invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies and vice versa. This may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**Concentration Risk.** The Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The securities of companies in an industry or group of industries could react similarly to market developments. Thus, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that affect one industry or group of industries or sector. While the Fund's sector and industry exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Index, the Fund is currently subject to the principal risks described below.

**Communication Services Sector Risk.** The communication services sector may be dominated by a small number of companies which may lead to additional volatility in the sector. Communication services companies are particularly vulnerable to the potential obsolescence of products and services due to technological advances and the innovation of competitors. Communication services companies may also be affected by other competitive pressures, such as pricing competition, as well as research and development costs, substantial capital requirements, and government regulation. Fluctuating domestic and international demand, shifting demographics, and often unpredictable changes in consumer demand can drastically affect a communication services company's profitability. Compliance with governmental regulations, delays or failure to receive regulatory approvals, or the enactment of new regulatory requirements may negatively affect the business of telecommunication services companies. Certain companies in the communication services sector may be particular targets of network security breaches, hacking and potential theft of proprietary or consumer information, or disruptions in services, which would have a material adverse effect on their businesses.

**Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk.** The success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied closely to the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence. Success depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes can also affect the demand for, and success of, consumer products in the marketplace.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to "Authorized Participants." Unlike many other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Thus, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in other ETFs as the Fund may recognize a capital gain that it could have avoided by making redemptions in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. Further, paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds at an inopportune time. Cash transactions may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes, including brokerage fees, that might not have occurred if the Fund utilized in-kind transactions. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted.

**International Closed Market Trading Risk.** To the extent the Fund's investments trade in markets that are closed when the Fund and Exchange are open, there are likely to be deviations between current pricing of an underlying security and the prices at which the underlying securities are valued for purposes of the Fund's NAV. As a result, shares may appear to trade at a significant discount or premium to NAV greater than those incurred by other ETFs. In addition, shareholders may not be able to purchase or redeem their shares of the Fund, or purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**New Fund Risk.** If the Fund does not grow in size, it will be at greater risk than larger funds of wider bid-ask spreads for its shares, trading at a greater premium or discount to NAV, liquidation and/or a stop to trading.

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, market turmoil, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants, or the lack of an active trading market. Markets for securities or financial instruments could be disrupted by a number of events, including, but not limited to, an economic crisis, natural disasters, new legislation or regulatory changes inside or outside the U.S. Liquid investments may become less liquid after being purchased by the Fund, particularly during periods of market stress. In addition, if a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt.

**Conflict of Interest Risk.** Because the Fund and the Underlying ETF are both managed by Krane, Krane is subject to conflicts of interest relating to the management of the Fund and Underlying ETF including the fair valuation of the Underlying ETF's securities. Any fair valuation decisions made by Krane regarding securities held by the Underlying ETF impact the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF and may impact the pricing of the options held by the Fund.

**Small- and Mid-Capitalization Company Risk.** Investing in the securities of small and medium capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization companies. Since small and medium-sized companies may have limited operating histories, product lines and financial resources, the securities of these companies may be less liquid and more volatile. They may also be sensitive to (expected) changes in interest rates and earnings.

**Large Capitalization Company Risk.** Large capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges and attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. As such, returns on investments in stocks of large capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small and mid-capitalization companies.

**Management Risk.** The Fund is actively-managed and may not meet its investment objective based on the Adviser's success or failure to implement investment strategies for the Fund. The Adviser's evaluations and assumptions regarding investments, interest rates, inflation, and other factors may not successfully achieve the Fund's investment objective given actual market conditions.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. In addition, the securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days that the Fund does not price its shares; as a result, the value of Fund shares may change on days when investors cannot purchase or sell their Fund holdings.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices and increased brokerage costs, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences to the Fund and for remaining shareholders. In some circumstances, the Fund may hold a relatively larger proportion of its assets in cash in anticipation of large shareholder transactions, which may adversely impact returns.

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, distribution and asset diversification requirements. With respect to the latter, the Fund generally may not acquire a security if, as a result of the acquisition, more than 50% of the value of the Fund's assets would be invested in (a) issuers in which the Fund has, in each case, invested more than 5% of the Fund's assets and (b) issuers more than 10% of whose outstanding voting securities are owned by the Fund. If the Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company ("RIC"), it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, and distributions to its shareholders would not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income, which would adversely affect its performance. Because there is limited transparency into state ownership of Chinese issuers, there is a risk of such issuers being deemed to be a single issuer, which could result in the Underlying ETF (and, therefore, the Fund) falling out of compliance with the asset diversification requirements.

The federal income tax treatment of certain aspects of the proposed operations of the Fund are not entirely clear, which could impact the Fund's ability to qualify as a RIC. This includes the tax aspects of the Fund's options strategy, its hedging strategy, the possible application of the "straddle" rules, and various loss limitation provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("Code"). The Fund's investments in offsetting positions with respect to the Underlying ETF may affect the character of gains or losses realized by the Fund under the Code's "straddle" rules and may increase any short-term capital gains realized by the Fund. The Fund intends to treat any income it may derive from the FLEX options as "qualifying income" under the provisions of the Code applicable to RICs. If the income is not qualifying income or the issuer of the FLEX options is not appropriately the referenced asset, the Fund could lose its own status as a RIC. With respect to the RIC diversification test, identifying the issuer can depend on the terms and conditions of a given investment. There is no published Internal Revenue Service guidance or case law on how to determine the "issuer" of certain derivatives that the Fund will enter into. Based upon language in the legislative history, the Fund intends to treat the issuer of the FLEX options as the referenced asset, which, assuming the referenced asset qualifies as a RIC, would allow the Fund to qualify for special rules in the RIC diversification requirements. The FLEX options included in the portfolio are exchange-traded options. Under Section 1256 of the Code, certain types of exchange-traded options are treated as if they were sold (i.e., "marked to market") at the end of each year. The Fund does not believe that the positions held by the Fund will be subject to Section 1256, which means that the positions will not be marked to market. In the event that a shareholder purchases shares of the Fund shortly before a distribution by the Fund, the entire distribution may be taxable to the shareholder even though a portion of the distribution effectively represents a return of the purchase price.

**Depositary Receipts Risk.** The Fund may hold the securities of foreign companies in the form of depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts. Investing in depositary receipts entails the risks associated with foreign investments, such as fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the securities of U.S. issuers. In addition, the value of the securities underlying the depositary receipts may change materially when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, which will affect the value of the depositary receipts.

**IPO Risk.** Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile. At any particular time or from time to time, the Fund may not be able to invest in securities issued in IPOs, or invest to the extent desired, because, for example, only a small portion (if any) of the securities being offered in an IPO may be available to the Fund. In addition, as the Fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the Fund's performance will generally decrease.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane is subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

**Performance Information**

Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included in this Prospectus that will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the variability of the Fund's return based on net assets and comparing the variability of the Fund's return to a broad measure of market performance. Once available, the Fund's current performance information will be available at www.kraneshares.com. Past performance does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.

**Management**

**Investment Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Managers**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, supports Mr. Maund and Krane's investment team for the Fund and has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.kraneshares.com.

**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 IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

**Investor Suitability Considerations**

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| | **You should only consider this investment if:** | | **You should <u>not</u> consider this investment if:** |
| ● | you fully understand the risks inherent in an investment in shares; | ● | you do not fully understand the risks inherent in an investment in shares; |
| ● | you desire to invest in a product with a return that depends upon the total return of the Underlying ETF over the Outcome Period; | ● | you do not desire to invest in a product with a return that depends upon the total return of the Underlying ETF over the Outcome Period; |
| ● | you are willing to hold shares for the duration of the Outcome Period in order to achieve the Outcomes that the Fund seeks to provide; | ● | you are unwilling to hold shares for the duration of the Outcome Period in order to achieve the Outcomes that the Fund seeks to provide; |
| ● | you seek an investment that seeks to provide protection relative to the Fund's market price on the first day of the Outcome Period against 100% of Underlying ETF losses for an investment held only for the duration of the entire Outcome Period; | ● | you do not seek an investment that seeks to provide protection relative to the Fund's market price on the first day of the Outcome Period against losses of the Underlying ETF only for an investment held for the duration of an Outcome Period; |
| ● | you understand that there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its attempt to provide protection through the Buffer; | ● | you do not understand that that there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its attempt to provide protection through the Buffer; |
| ● | you understand that the Buffer sought by the Fund is provided prior to taking into account any fees and expenses charged to the Fund, including any extraordinary expenses, and any shareholder transaction fees and that such fees and expenses will have the effect of lowering the Buffer; | ● | you seek the protection of a full Buffer, even after taking into account any fees and expenses charged to the Fund, including any extraordinary expenses, and any shareholder transaction fees; |
| ● | you fully understand that investments made when the Fund's total return has appreciated in value versus the value at the commencement of the Outcome Period have the potential for losses before the Buffer is in effect; | ● | you do not fully understand that investments made when the Fund's total return has appreciated in value versus the value at the commencement of the Outcome Period have the potential for losses before the Buffer is in effect; |
| ● | you fully understand that investments made when the Fund is at or near to the Cap may have limited to no upside; | ● | you do not fully understand that investments made when the Fund is at or near to the Cap may have limited to no upside; |
| ● | you are willing to forgo any gains in excess of the Cap; | ● | you are unwilling to forgo any gains in excess of the Cap; |
| ● | you understand that the Cap will be reduced by any fees and expenses charged to the Fund, including any extraordinary expenses, and any shareholder transaction fees; | ● | you do not understand that the Cap will be reduced by any fees and expenses charged to the Fund, including any extraordinary expenses, and any shareholder transaction fees; |
| ● | you understand that the Buffer and Cap may be reduced by any changes in the Fund's options due to corporate actions, such as special distributions; | ● | you do not understand that the Buffer and Cap may be reduced by any changes in the Fund's options due to corporate actions, such as special distributions; |
| ● | you fully understand that investments made after the Outcome Period has begun may not fully benefit from the Buffer sought by the Fund; and | ● | you do not fully understand that investments made after the Outcome Period has begun may not fully benefit from the Buffer sought by the Fund; and |
| ● | you have visited the Fund's website and understand the investment outcomes available to you based upon the time of your purchase. | ● | you have not visited the Fund's website and do not understand the investment outcomes available to you based upon the timing of your purchase. |

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**<u>Additional Information About the Fund</u>**

Each of the policies described in this Prospectus, including the Fund's investment objective, which are described in further detail in the Statement of Additional Information, is a non-fundamental policy that may be changed by the Board of Trustees of the Trust without shareholder approval. Certain fundamental policies of the Fund are set forth in the SAI.

**Additional Information about the Fund's Principal Investment Strategies**

As described on the cover of this prospectus, in "Principal Investment Strategies" and in "Principal Risks," there are risks associated with an investment in the Fund and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve the Outcomes it seeks to provide. The returns that the Fund seeks to provide do not include the costs associated with purchasing shares and certain expenses incurred by the Fund. The Fund's unique characteristics (i.e., the imperative of holding shares for the entire Outcome Period, the Cap and Buffer) distinguish it from other investment products and may make it an unsuitable investment for some investors. To help decide whether an investment in the Fund is appropriate based upon individual circumstances, please see "Investor Suitability Considerations." **The Fund has characteristics unlike many other traditional investment products and may not be suitable for all investors. You may lose money by investing in the Fund.**

**Principal Investment Risks**

The following section provides additional information regarding certain of the principal risks of investing in the Fund (either directly or through its exposure to the Underlying ETF). The Fund has characteristics unlike many other traditional investment products and may not be suitable for all investors. Although the Fund seeks to achieve the Outcomes consistent with its investment objective, there is no guarantee that it will do so. An investment in the Fund may not be appropriate for investors who do not intend to hold Fund shares for the entire Outcome Period. For purposes of these risks, references to the Fund include, as appropriate, references to the Underlying ETF. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves a risk of a total loss. There is no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective.

**Buffered Loss Risk.** There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to provide protection against 100% of decreases in the total return of the Underlying ETF over the duration of the Outcome Period. If an investor purchases shares after the beginning of the Outcome Period or sells shares prior to the end of the Outcome Period, the Buffer that the Fund seeks to provide may not be effective. If when an investor purchases shares at a time during an Outcome Period when the total return of the Underlying ETF has already increased, then the investor will incur losses notwithstanding the Buffer since the Buffer only seeks to protect against declines in the total return of the Underlying ETF from the beginning of the Outcome Period. If the options (and therefore the Buffer) do not perform as expected, an investor may experience significant losses, including the investor's entire investment.

**Cap Change Risk.** In addition, since the Fund invests in the Underlying ETF, the Fund will receive distributions made by the Underlying ETF. These distributions paid by the Underlying ETF may cause the OCC to make adjustments to the strike price of the Fund's options. If this occurs, then such an adjustment can cause changes to the Fund's Buffer and Cap and may adversely affect the Outcomes. As a result, the Fund may not perform as expected and Fund shareholders could be adversely impacted, especially Fund shareholders that purchase shares after the start of the Outcome Period and Fund shareholders who do not hold shares for the entire Outcome Period. A new Cap is established at the beginning of each Outcome Period and is dependent on prevailing market conditions at the time the Cap is established. As such, the Cap may rise or fall from one Outcome Period to the next and is unlikely to remain the same for consecutive Outcome Periods. Investors should monitor the changes in the Cap for each Outcome Period, information for which will be made available pursuant to the procedure outlined in the Fund's prospectus.

**Capped Upside Return Risk.** Even if the total return of the Underlying ETF exceeds the Cap for the Outcome Period, the Fund will not appreciate beyond the Cap. Due to the Cap, the Fund may significantly underperform the Underlying ETF over the course of the Outcome Period. If an investor purchases shares of the Fund after the beginning of the Outcome Period and Fund shares have appreciated close to the Cap, there may be little or no ability for that investor to experience an investment gain on their shares yet such investor is exposed to potential losses between the appreciated share price and the Fund's NAV at the commencement of the Outcome Period. Further, because the options are expected to produce returns that match the total return of the Underlying ETF (subject to the Cap) on the last day of the Outcome Period, if an investor sells shares prior to that day, such investor may sell at a price that does not reflect the total return of the Underlying ETF and may sell at a price when the Fund has underperformed the Underlying ETF.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. Holding cash or cash equivalents, even strategically, may lead to missed investment opportunities. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**China Risk – General.** The economy of the People's Republic of China ("China" or the "PRC") differs, sometimes unfavorably, from the U.S. economy in such respects as structure, general development, government involvement, wealth distribution, rate of inflation, growth rate, allocation of resources and capital reinvestment, among others. Under China's political and economic system, the central government has historically exercised substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through administrative regulation and/or state ownership. For example, the Chinese government has from time to time taken actions that influence the prices at which certain goods may be sold, encourage companies to invest or concentrate in particular industries, induce mergers between companies in certain industries and induce private companies to publicly offer their securities to increase or continue the rate of economic growth, control the rate of inflation or otherwise regulate economic expansion. It may do so in the future as well. Such actions and a variety of other centrally planned or determined activities by the Chinese government could have a significant adverse effect on economic conditions in China, the economic prospects for, and the market prices and liquidity of, the securities of Chinese companies and the payments of dividends and interest by Chinese companies.

During the last 30 years, the Chinese government has reformed its economic policies, which has resulted in less direct central and local government control over the business and production activities of Chinese enterprises and companies. Notwithstanding the economic reforms instituted by the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party, actions of the Chinese central and local government authorities continue to have a substantial effect on economic conditions in China, which could affect the public and private sector companies in which the Fund invests. The Chinese government may also change course and exercise greater central and local government control over Chinese firms.

In certain cases where China has begun a process of privatization of certain entities and industries, investors in newly privatized entities have suffered losses due to the inability of the newly privatized entities to adjust quickly to a competition environment or changing regulatory and legal standards, or in some cases, due to re-nationalization of such privatized entities. There is no assurance that such losses will not recur.

Export growth continues to be a major driver of China's rapid economic growth. Reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, supply chain diversification, institution of tariffs, sanctions or other trade barriers, or a downturn in any of the economies of China's key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy. The Chinese economy is particularly dependent upon trading with key partners, such as the United States, Japan, South Korea and countries in the European Union. Recent developments in relations between the United States and China have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the two countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on China's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on the Fund. In addition, worsening trade relations between the two countries could adversely impact the Fund, particularly to the extent that the Chinese government restricts foreign investments in on-shore Chinese companies or the U.S. government restricts investments by U.S. investors in China including by limiting the ability of Chinese issuers to list on the U.S. exchanges. Worsening trade relations may also result in market volatility and volatility in the price of Fund shares. In addition, the U.S. government has imposed restrictions on the ability of U.S. investors to hold and/or acquire securities of certain Chinese companies, which may adversely impact the Fund, may mean that the Fund's underlying index may need to adjust its methodology or could increase tracking error for the Fund.

The underlying index may include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government. So long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments, the Fund is generally expected to invest in such companies, consistent with its objective to track the performance of the underlying index.

In recent years, Chinese entities have incurred significant levels of debt and Chinese financial institutions currently hold relatively large amounts of non-performing debt. Thus, there exists a possibility that widespread defaults could occur, which could trigger a financial crisis, freeze Chinese debt and finance markets and make Chinese securities illiquid.

Disclosure and regulatory standards in emerging market countries, such as China, are in many respects less stringent than U.S. standards. There is substantially less publicly available information about Chinese issuers than there is about U.S. issuers. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements or due to worsening relations between the U.S. and China, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities.

**Inflation Risk.** Economic growth in China has historically been accompanied by periods of inflation. Beginning in 2004, the Chinese government commenced the implementation of various measures to control inflation, which included the tightening of the money supply, the raising of interest rates and more stringent control over certain industries. If inflation were to increase, the performance of the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments could be negatively impacted.

**Nationalization and Expropriation Risk.** Expropriation, including nationalization, confiscatory taxation, political, economic or social instability or other developments could adversely affect and significantly diminish the values of the Chinese companies in which the Fund invests. There can be no assurance that the Chinese government will not nationalize or expropriate assets in its territory or over which it otherwise has control. An investment in the Fund involves a risk of a total loss.

Moreover, the Chinese government limits foreign investment in the securities of Chinese issuers entirely. These restrictions or limitations may have adverse effects on the liquidity and performance of the Fund holdings as compared to the performance of the underlying index. This may increase the risk of tracking error and the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective.

**Currency Risk.** The government of China has historically maintained strict currency controls in order to achieve economic, trade and political objectives and regularly intervened in the currency market. In this regard, the Chinese government has placed strict regulation on the yuan and Hong Kong dollar and manages the yuan and Hong Kong dollar so that they have historically traded in a tight range relative to the U.S. dollar. The Chinese government has been under pressure to manage the currency in a less restrictive fashion so that it is less correlated to the U.S. dollar.

Since 2005, the exchange rate of the RMB is no longer strictly pegged to the U.S. dollar. The RMB has now moved to a managed floating exchange rate based on market supply and demand with reference to a basket of foreign currencies. The daily trading price of the RMB against other major currencies in the inter-bank foreign exchange market is allowed to float within a narrow band around the central parity published by the People's Bank of China. As the exchange rates may be based on market forces, the exchange rates for RMB against other currencies, including the U.S. dollar, are susceptible to movements based on external factors. Of course, there can be no guarantee that this will continue, or that the yuan or the Hong Kong dollar will move in relation to the U.S. dollar as expected. There can be no assurance that the RMB will not be subject to devaluation. Any devaluation of the RMB is expected to adversely affect the value of the Fund's investments.

**Available Disclosure About Chinese Issuers Risk.** Disclosure and regulatory standards in emerging market countries, such as China, are in many respects less stringent than U.S. standards. There is substantially less publicly available information about Chinese issuers than there is about U.S. issuers. Therefore, disclosure of certain material information may not be made, and less information may be available to the Fund and other investors than would be the case if the Fund's investments were restricted to securities of U.S. issuers. Chinese issuers are subject to accounting, auditing and financial standards and requirements that differ, in some cases significantly, from those applicable to U.S. issuers. In particular, the assets and profits appearing on the financial statements of a Chinese issuer may not reflect its financial position or results of operations in the way they would be reflected had such financial statements been prepared in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.

Such conditions may lead to potential errors in index data, index computation and/or index construction and may limit the ability to oversee the Index Provider's due diligence process over index data, which may adversely impact the Fund's performance and its ability to track the performance of the Index.

There has been increased attention from the SEC and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board ("PCAOB") with regard to international auditing standards of U.S.-listed companies with significant operations in China as well as PCAOB-registered auditing firms in China. Currently, the SEC and PCAOB are only able to get limited information about these auditing firms and are restricted from inspecting the audit work and practices of registered accountants in China. These restrictions may result in the unavailability of material information about issuers in China or an issuer's operations in China.

**Chinese Corporate and Securities Law Risk.** The Fund's rights with respect to its investments in China, if any, generally will not be governed by U.S. law, but rather by Chinese law. China operates under a civil law system. It is based on statutes enacted by various state bodies with authority over economic matters such as foreign investment, company organization and governance, taxation and trade. These laws are relatively recent with published court opinions based on them being limited. Further, court precedent is not binding. Thus, there is uncertainty regarding the implementation of existing law. In addition, laws pertaining to bankruptcy proceedings are generally less developed and may be different than such laws in the United States and lead to unpredictable results.

Legal principles relating to corporate affairs and the validity of corporate procedures, directors' fiduciary duties and liabilities and stockholders' rights often differ from those that may apply in the United States and other countries. In particular, Chinese laws providing protection to investors, such as laws regarding the fiduciary duties of officers and directors, are undeveloped and will not provide investors, such as the Fund, with protection in all situations where protection would be provided by comparable law in the United States. It may therefore be difficult for the Fund to enforce its rights as an investor under Chinese corporate and securities laws, and it may be difficult or impossible for the Fund to obtain a judgment in court. Moreover, as Chinese corporate and securities laws continue to develop, these developments may adversely affect foreign investors, such as the Fund.

**Chinese Securities Markets Risk.** China's securities markets, including the debt markets, have a limited operating history and are not as developed as those in the United States. These markets, historically, have had greater volatility than markets in the United States and some other countries, and experienced inefficiency and pricing anomalies. There is relatively less regulation and monitoring of Chinese securities markets and of the activities of investors, brokers and other participants than in the United States, including with respect to insider trading, tender offers, stockholder proxies and disclosure of information. Stock markets in China are in the process of change and further development. This may lead to additional volatility, difficulty in the settlement and recording of transactions and difficulty in interpreting and applying the relevant regulations.

**Political and Economic Risk.** The Chinese government continues to be an active participant in many economic sectors through ownership positions and regulation. The majority of productive assets in China are still owned by the PRC government at various levels. The allocation of resources in China is subject to a high level of government control. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. Through its policies, the government may provide preferential treatment to particular industries or companies. The policies set by the government could have a substantial effect on the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments.

For more than 30 years, the PRC government has carried out economic reforms to achieve decentralization and utilization of market forces to develop the economy of the PRC. These reforms have resulted in significant economic growth and social progress, but growth has been uneven both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. Economic growth has also been accompanied by periods of inflation. The PRC government has implemented various measures from time to time to control inflation and restrain the rate of economic growth.

Although reforms over the last 30 years have generally been regarded as successful, there can be no assurance that the PRC government will continue to pursue such economic policies or, if it does, that those policies will continue to be successful or will not otherwise have a negative effect on the Fund. Any such adjustment and modification of those economic policies may have an adverse impact on the securities market of Chinese issuers. Further, the PRC government may from time to time adopt corrective measures to control the growth of the PRC economy which may also have an adverse impact on the capital growth and performance of the Fund.

Political changes, social instability and adverse diplomatic developments in the PRC could result in the imposition of additional government restrictions including expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxes or nationalization of some or all of the property held by Chinese issuers. Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Additionally, China is alleged to have participated in state-sponsored cyberattacks against foreign companies and foreign governments. Actual and threatened responses to such activity and strained international relations, including purchasing restrictions, sanctions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Chinese government or Chinese companies, may impact China's economy and Chinese issuers of securities in which the Fund invests. Incidents involving China's or the region's security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments. China has experienced major health crises and such health crises could exacerbate any of the risks applicable to China.

**Special Risk Considerations of Investing in China.** For purposes of raising capital offshore on exchanges outside of China, including on U.S. exchanges, many Chinese-based operating companies are structured as Variable Interest Entities ("VIEs"). In this structure, the Chinese-based operating company is the VIE and establishes an entity, which is typically offshore in a foreign jurisdiction, such as the Cayman Islands. The offshore entity lists on a foreign exchange and enters into contractual arrangements with the VIE. This structure allows Chinese companies in which the government restricts foreign ownership to raise capital from foreign investors. While the offshore entity has no equity ownership of the VIE, these contractual arrangements permit the offshore entity to consolidate the VIE's financial statements with its own for accounting purposes and provide for economic exposure to the performance of the underlying Chinese operating company. Therefore, an investor in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, will have exposure to the Chinese-based operating company only through contractual arrangements and has no ownership in the Chinese-based operating company. Furthermore, because the offshore entity only has specific rights provided for in these service agreements with the VIE, its abilities to control the activities at the Chinese-based operating company are limited and the operating company may engage in activities that negatively impact investment value.

While the VIE structure has been widely adopted, it is not formally recognized under Chinese law and therefore there is a risk that the Chinese government could prohibit the existence of such structures or negatively impact the VIE's contractual arrangements with the listed offshore entity by making them invalid. If these contracts were found to be unenforceable under Chinese law, investors in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, may suffer significant losses with little or no recourse available. If the Chinese government determines that the agreements establishing the VIE structures do not comply with Chinese law and regulations, including those related to restrictions on foreign ownership, it could subject a Chinese-based issuer to penalties, revocation of business and operating licenses, or forfeiture of ownership interest. In addition, the listed offshore entity's control over a VIE may also be jeopardized if a natural person who holds the equity interest in the VIE breaches the terms of the agreement, is subject to legal proceedings or if any physical instruments for authenticating documentation, such as chops and seals, are used without the Chinese-based issuer's authorization to enter into contractual arrangements in China. Chops and seals, which are carved stamps used to sign documents, represent a legally binding commitment by the company. Moreover, any future regulatory action may prohibit the ability of the offshore entity to receive the economic benefits of the Chinese-based operating company, which may cause the value of the Fund's investment in the listed offshore entity to suffer a significant loss. For example, in 2021, the Chinese government prohibited use of the VIE structure for investment in after-school tutoring companies. There is no guarantee that the government will not place similar restrictions on other industries.

**China Risk – Onshore Investing Risks.** Because the Fund may invest in the local China markets directly (also referred to herein as domestic Chinese markets or securities or onshore Chinese markets or securities), it will be subject to the following special risks:

**Capital Controls Risk.** RMB can be categorized into "CNY" (onshore RMB) traded in the PRC and "CNH" (offshore RMB) traded outside the PRC. CNY and CNH are traded at different exchange rates and their exchange rates may not move in the same direction. Although there has been a growing amount of RMB held offshore, CNH cannot be freely remitted into the PRC and is subject to certain restrictions, and vice versa. The Fund may be adversely affected by the exchange rates between CNY and CNH.

CNY is currently not a freely convertible currency as it is subject to foreign exchange control, fiscal policies and repatriation restrictions imposed by the Chinese government. The PRC government imposes restrictions on the remittance of RMB out of and into China. In the event a remittance by the Fund is disrupted, the Fund could be adversely affected and, among other matters, may not be able to invest those funds, which may increase the tracking error of the Fund. In addition, any delay in repatriation of RMB out of China may result in delay in payment of redemption proceeds to redeeming investors. The Chinese government's policies on exchange control and repatriation restrictions are subject to change, and such control of currency conversions and movements in the RMB exchange rates may adversely affect the operations and financial results of PRC companies and the Fund. If such control policies change in the future, the Fund may be adversely affected.

Economic conditions, such as volatile currency exchange rates and interest rates, political events and other conditions may, without prior warning, lead to intervention by Chinese government authorities and the imposition of "capital controls." Capital controls include the prohibition of, or restrictions on, the ability to transfer currency, securities or other assets into, out of or into the country. Levies may be placed on profits repatriated by foreign entities (such as the Fund). Capital controls may impact the ability of the Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities or currency, adversely affect the trading market and price for shares of the Fund, and cause the Fund to decline in value.

The Chinese government also heavily regulates the domestic exchange of foreign currencies within China. Chinese law requires that all domestic transactions must be settled in RMB, places significant restrictions on the remittance of foreign currency and strictly regulates currency exchange from RMB. Under State Administration of Foreign Exchange ("SAFE") regulations, Chinese corporations may only purchase foreign currencies through government approved banks. In general, Chinese companies must receive approval from or register with the Chinese government before investing in certain capital account items, including direct investments and loans, and must thereafter maintain separate foreign exchange accounts for the capital items. Foreign investors may only exchange foreign currencies at specially authorized banks after complying with documentation requirements. These restrictions may adversely affect the Fund and its investments. The PRC government may impose additional or other currency capital controls that could significant harm the Fund.

**Custody Risk.** The Fund is required by Chinese regulation to have a local custodian in China ("PRC Custodian") for its investments in domestic, onshore Chinese securities, including A-Shares and mainland Chinese debt (also referred to herein as RMB Bonds). The PRC Custodian maintains the Fund's investments in China to ensure their compliance with the rules and regulations of the China Securities Regulatory Commission ("CSRC") and the People's Bank of China. Such investments, when purchased by Krane or the Fund's sub-adviser in its capacity as the Fund's QFI will normally be received in a securities account maintained by the PRC Custodian in the joint names of the Fund and Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable. The account may not be used for any other purpose than for maintaining the Fund's assets. However, given that the securities trading account will be maintained in the joint names of Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable, and the Fund, the Fund's assets may not be as well protected, as they would be if it were possible for them to be registered and held solely in the name of the Fund. In particular, there is a risk that creditors of Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable, may assert that the securities are owned by Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable, and not the Fund, and that a court would uphold such an assertion, in which case such creditors could seize assets. Because the Fund's PRC securities may be in the name of both Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable, and the Fund, there is also a risk that regulatory actions taken against Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable, by PRC government authorities may affect the Fund. This is particularly acute in the case of cash deposited with the PRC Custodian because it may not be segregated, and it may be treated as a debt owing from the PRC Custodian to the Fund as a depositor. Thus, in the event of a PRC Custodian bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar event, the Fund may face difficulties and/or encounter delays in recovering its cash.

**QFI.** A QFI license may be acquired to invest directly in domestic, onshore Chinese securities. To qualify for a QFI license, an applicant must meet certain requirements on asset management experience, assets under management, and firm capital. In 2020, the PRC government eliminated QFI quotas, meaning that entities registered with the appropriate Chinese regulator will no longer be subject to quotas when investing in PRC securities (but will remain subject to foreign shareholder limits) and simplified the cash repatriation process and QFI application process. However, there is no assurance that PRC rules and regulations will not change or that repatriation restrictions will not be imposed in the future. Changes to the PRC rules and regulations may be applied retroactively. Further, no single underlying foreign investor investing through a QFI may hold more than 10% of the total outstanding shares in one listed company and all foreign investors investing through QFIs may not hold, in aggregate, more than 30% of the total outstanding shares in one listed company. Such limits may not apply where foreign investors make strategic investment in listed companies in accordance with the Measures for the Administration of Strategic Investments in Listed Companies by Foreign Investors.

**China Risk – China Equity Investing Risks.**

**A-Shares Risk.** The ability of the Fund to invest in China A-Shares is dependent, in part, on the availability of A-Shares either through the trading and clearing facilities of a participating exchange located outside of mainland China ("Stock Connect Programs") which currently include the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shanghai-London Stock Connect, and China-Japan Stock Connect, and/or through a QFI license from the Chinese regulator. Thus, the Fund's investment in A-Shares will be limited by the amount of A-Shares available through the Stock Connect Programs. Investments in A-Shares are heavily regulated and the recoupment and repatriation of assets invested in A-Shares is subject to restrictions by the Chinese government.

Currently, there are two stock exchanges in mainland China, the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges. The Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges are supervised by the CSRC and are highly automated with trading and settlement executed electronically. The Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges are substantially smaller, less liquid and more volatile than the securities markets in the United States.

The Shanghai Stock Exchange commenced trading on December 19, 1990, and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange commenced trading on July 3, 1991. The Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges divide listed shares into two classes: A-Shares and B-shares. Companies whose shares are traded on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges that are incorporated in mainland China may issue both A-Shares and B-Shares. In China, the A-Shares and B-Shares of an issuer may only trade on one exchange. A-Shares and B-Shares may both be listed on either the Shanghai or Shenzhen Stock Exchanges. Both classes represent an ownership interest comparable to a share of common stock. A-Shares are traded on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges in RMB. A-Shares may be subject to more frequent and/or extended trading halts than other exchange-traded securities and may become illiquid. The A-Shares market may behave very differently from other Chinese equity markets, and there may be little to no correlation between them.

Restrictions continue to exist on investments in A-Shares and capital therefore cannot flow freely into the A-Share market, making it possible that, in the event of a market disruption, the liquidity of the A-Share market and trading prices of A-Shares could be more severely affected than the liquidity and trading prices of markets where securities are freely tradable and capital therefore flows more freely. The Fund cannot predict the nature or duration of such a market disruption or the impact that it may have on the A-Share market and the short-term and long-term prospects of its investments in the A-Share market.

The Chinese government has in the past taken actions that benefitted holders of A-Shares. As A-Shares become more available to foreign investors, such as the Fund, the Chinese government may be less likely to take action that would benefit holders of A-Shares.

Repatriations by QFIs for investors such as registered funds are permitted daily and are not subject to lockup periods. There is no assurance, however, that PRC rules and regulations will not change or that repatriation restrictions will not be imposed in the future. Any restrictions on repatriation of the Fund's assets may adversely affect the Fund's ability to meet redemption requests and/or may cause the Fund to borrow money in order to meet its obligations. These limitations may also prevent the Fund from making certain distributions to shareholders.

If the Fund is unable to obtain sufficient exposure to the components of its underlying index, the Fund could seek exposure to the component securities of the underlying index in other ways, such as by investing in depositary receipts of the component securities and Hong Kong listed versions of the component securities. The Fund may also invest in B-Shares issued by the same companies that issue A-Shares that are in the underlying index. The A-Shares market may behave very differently from the B-Shares market, and there may be little to no correlation between the performances of the two. The Fund may also use derivatives or invest in ETFs that can obtain comparable exposures. If necessary, the Fund may limit or suspend purchases of Creation Units of the Fund until the Fund determines that the requisite exposure to the underlying index is obtainable. During the period that creations are limited or suspended, the Fund could trade at a significant premium or discount to the NAV and could experience substantial redemptions. Alternatively, the Fund could change its investment objective by, for example, seeking to track an alternative index that does not include A-Shares as component securities, or decide to liquidate the Fund. In circumstances beyond the control of the Fund, the Fund may incur significant losses due to limited investment capabilities, including based on investment objectives or strategies, due to investment restrictions on QFIs licenses, illiquidity of the securities markets, or delay or disruption in execution or settlement of trades.

The Chinese government limits foreign investment in the securities of Chinese issuers entirely. China may also impose higher local tax rates on transactions involving certain companies. These restrictions or limitations may have adverse effects on the liquidity and performance of the Fund holdings as compared to the performance of the underlying index, if applicable. For an index ETF, this may increase the risk of tracking error and the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective.

Per a circular (Caishui [2014] 79), the Fund is temporarily exempt from the Chinese tax on capital gains ("CGT") on trading in A-Shares as a QFI on the Shanghai Stock Exchange through the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect as of November 17, 2014, and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange through the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect as of December 5, 2016. There is no indication as to how long the temporary exemption will remain in effect. Accordingly, the Fund may be subject to such taxes in the future. In addition, there is uncertainty as to the application and implementation of China's value added tax to the Fund's activities. As a result, investors may be advantaged or disadvantaged depending on the final rules of the relevant tax authorities.

Investors should note that such provision may be excessive or inadequate to meet actual CGT tax liabilities (which could include interest and penalties) on the Fund's investments. As a result, investors may be advantaged or disadvantaged depending on the final rules of the relevant tax authorities.

It is also unclear how China's value added tax may apply to the activities of a participant in the Stock Connect Programs or QFI licensee and how such application may be affected by tax treaty provisions. If such a tax is collected, the expense will be passed on and borne by the Fund. The imposition of such taxes, as well as future changes in applicable PRC tax law, may adversely affect the Fund.

The Fund reserves the right to establish a reserve for any taxes as to which it is uncertain whether they will assessed, although it has not currently done so. If the Fund establishes such a reserve but is not ultimately subject to the tax, shareholders who redeemed or sold their shares while the reserve was in place will effectively bear the tax and may not benefit from the later release, if any, of the reserve. Conversely, if the Fund does not establish such a reserve but ultimately is subject to the tax, shareholders who redeemed or sold their shares prior to the tax being withheld, reserved or paid will have effectively avoided the tax, even if they benefited from the trading that precipitated the Fund's payment of it. The Fund is responsible for any taxes on its operations or investments, including if they are applied retroactively.

**Disclosure of Interests and Short Swing Profit Rule.** The Fund may be subject to regulations promulgated by the CSRC, which currently require the Fund to make certain public disclosures when the Fund and parties acting in concert with the Fund acquire 5% or more of the issued securities of a listed company (which include A-Shares of the listed company). The relevant PRC regulations presumptively treat all affiliated investors and investors under common control as parties acting in concert. As such, the Fund may be deemed as a "concert party" of other funds managed by Krane, a sub-adviser, if applicable, or their affiliates and therefore may be subject to the risk that the Fund's holdings may be required to be reported in the aggregate with the holdings of such other funds should the aggregate holdings trigger the reporting threshold under the PRC law. If the 5% shareholding threshold is triggered, the Fund would be required to file its report within three days. During the time limit for filing the report, a trading freeze applies and the Fund would not be permitted to make subsequent trades in the invested company's securities. Any such trading freeze may impair the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective and undermine the Fund's performance.

Further, subject to the interpretation of PRC courts and PRC regulators, the operation of the PRC short swing profit rule may prevent the Fund from reducing its holdings in a PRC company within six months of the last purchase of shares of the company if the Fund's holding in that company exceeds the threshold prescribed by the relevant exchange on which the PRC company's shares are listed. The Fund could be subject to these restrictions even though an entity deemed to be an affiliate (and not the Fund) may have triggered the restrictions. Nonetheless, if the Fund violates the rule, it may be required by the listed company to return any profits realized from such trading to the company. In addition, the Fund could not repurchase securities of the listed company within six months of such sale. Finally, under PRC civil procedures, the Fund's assets may be frozen to the extent of the claims made by the company in question.

**PRC Broker Risk.** Currently, only a limited number of brokers are available to trade A-Shares with the Fund. As a result, Krane or a sub-adviser will have limited flexibility to choose among brokers on behalf of the Fund than is typically the case for investment advisers. If Krane or a sub-adviser is unable to use a particular broker in the PRC, the operation of the Fund may be adversely affected. Further, the operation of the Fund may be adversely affected in case of any acts or omissions of the PRC broker, which may result in higher tracking error or the Fund being traded at a significant premium or discount to its NAV. If a single PRC broker is appointed, the Fund may not necessarily pay the lowest commission available in the market. There is also a risk that the Fund may suffer losses from the default, bankruptcy or disqualification of the PRC broker. Krane or a sub-adviser, however, in its selection of PRC brokers will consider such factors as the competitiveness of PRC brokers' commission rates, size of the relevant orders, and execution standards.

**B-Shares Risk.** The B-Share market is generally smaller, less liquid and has a smaller issuer base than the A Share market. The issuers that compose the B-Share market include a broad range of companies, including companies with large, medium and small capitalizations. The B-Shares market may behave very differently from other portions of the Chinese equity markets, and there may be little to no correlation between their performance.

**H-Shares Risk.** The Fund may invest in shares of companies incorporated in mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange ("H-Shares"). H-Shares are traded in Hong Kong dollars on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and must meet Hong Kong's listing and disclosure requirements. H-Shares may be traded by foreigners and can be used to gain exposure to Chinese securities. Because they are traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, H-Shares involve a number of risks not typically associated with investing in countries with more democratic governments or more established economies or securities markets. Such risks may include the risk of nationalization or expropriation; greater social, economic and political uncertainty; increased competition from Asia's low-cost emerging economies; currency exchange rate fluctuations; higher rates of inflation; controls on foreign investment and limitations on repatriation of invested capital; and greater governmental involvement in and control over the economy. Fluctuations in the value of the Hong Kong dollar will affect the Fund's holdings of H-Shares. The Hong Kong stock market may behave very differently from the domestic Chinese stock market and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the Hong Kong stock market and the domestic Chinese stock market.

**N-Shares Risk.** The Fund may invest in shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on an American stock exchange, such as the NYSE or NASDAQ ("N-Shares"). N-Shares are traded in U.S. dollars. N-Shares are issued by companies incorporated anywhere, but many are registered in Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, or the United States. Because companies issuing N-Shares have business operations in China, they are subject to certain political and economic risks in China.

**P-Chip Risk.** The Fund may invest in shares of companies with controlling private Chinese shareholders that are incorporated outside mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange ("P-Chips"). These businesses are largely run by the private sector and have a majority of their business operations in mainland China. P-Chip shares are traded in Hong Kong dollars on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and may also be traded by foreigners. Because they are traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, P-Chips are also subject to risks similar to those associated with investments in H-Shares. They are also subject to risks affecting their jurisdiction of incorporation, including any legal or tax changes. Private Chinese companies may be more indebted, more susceptible to adverse changes in the economy, subject to asset seizures and nationalization, and negative political or legal developments.

**Red Chip Risk.** The Fund may invest in shares of companies with controlling Chinese government shareholders that are incorporated outside mainland China, have a majority of their business operations in mainland China, and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange ("Red Chips"). These businesses are controlled, either directly or indirectly, by the central, provincial or municipal governments of the PRC. Red Chip shares are traded in Hong Kong dollars on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, may also be traded by foreigners and are subject to risks similar to those of H-Shares. Because Red Chip companies are controlled by various PRC governmental authorities, investing in Red Chips involves risks that political changes, social instability, regulatory uncertainty, adverse diplomatic developments, asset expropriation or nationalization, or confiscatory taxation could adversely affect the performance of Red Chip companies. Red Chip companies may be less efficiently run and less profitable than other companies. They are also subject to risks affecting their jurisdiction of incorporation, including any legal or tax changes.

**S-Chip Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on the Singapore Exchange ("S-Chips"). S-Chip shares are issued by companies incorporated anywhere, but many are registered in Singapore, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, or Bermuda. They are subject to risks affecting their jurisdiction of incorporation, including any legal or tax changes. S-Chip companies may or may not be owned at least in part by a Chinese central, provincial or municipal government and be subject to the types of risks that come with such ownership described herein. There may be little or no correlation between the performance of the Singapore stock market and the mainland Chinese stock market.

**Stock Connect Program Risk.** The Stock Connect Programs are subject to daily quota limitations, and an investor cannot purchase and sell the same security on the same trading day, which may restrict the Fund's ability to invest in A-Shares through the Stock Connect Programs and to enter into or exit trades on a timely basis. The Shanghai and Shenzhen markets may be open at a time when the participating exchanges located outside of mainland China are not active, with the result that prices of A-Shares may fluctuate at times when the Fund is unable to add to or exit its position. Only certain A-Shares are eligible to be accessed through the Stock Connect Programs. Such securities may lose their eligibility at any time, in which case they may no longer be able to be purchased or sold through the Stock Connect Programs. Because the Stock Connect Programs are still evolving, the actual effect on the market for trading A-Shares with the introduction of large numbers of foreign investors is still relatively unknown. In addition, there is no assurance that the necessary systems required to operate the Stock Connect Programs will function properly or will continue to be adapted to changes and developments in both markets. In the event that the relevant systems do not function properly, trading through the Stock Connect Programs could be disrupted. The Stock Connect Programs are subject to regulations promulgated by regulatory authorities for both exchanges and further regulations or restrictions, such as limitations on redemptions or suspension of trading, may adversely impact the Stock Connect Programs, if the authorities believe it necessary to assure orderly markets or for other reasons. There is no guarantee that the participating exchanges will continue to support the Stock Connect Programs in the future. Each of the foregoing could restrict the Fund from selling its investments, adversely affect the value of its holdings and negatively affect the Fund's ability to meet shareholder redemptions.

Investments in China A-Shares may not be covered by the securities investor protection programs of the exchanges and, without the protection of such programs, will be subject to risk of default by the broker. Because of the way in which A-Shares are held in the Stock Connect Programs, the Fund may not be able to exercise the rights of a direct shareholder and may be limited in its ability to pursue claims against the issuer of a security, and may suffer losses in the event the legal or "nominee holder" of the China A-Shares under the Stock Connect Programs becomes insolvent. Given that all trades through the Stock Connect Programs must be settled in RMB, investors must have timely access to a reliable supply of offshore RMB, which cannot be guaranteed.

**Concentration Risk.** Because the Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries, to the extent that the Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that may affect that industry or group of industries. Market conditions, interest rates, and economic, regulatory, or financial developments could significantly affect a single industry or a group of related industries, and the securities of companies in that industry or group of industries could react similarly to these or other developments.

**Conflict of Interest Risk.** Because the Fund and the Underlying ETF are both managed by Krane, Krane is subject to conflicts of interest relating to the management of the Fund and Underlying ETF including the fair valuation of the Underlying ETF's securities. Any fair valuation decisions made by Krane regarding securities held by the Underlying ETF impact the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF and may impact the pricing of the options held by the Fund.

**Communication Services Sector Risk.** The communication services sector may be dominated by a small number of companies which may lead to additional volatility in the sector. Communication services companies are particularly vulnerable to the potential obsolescence of products and services due to technological advances and the innovation of competitors. Communication services companies may also be affected by other competitive pressures, such as pricing competition, as well as research and development costs, substantial capital requirements and government regulation. Fluctuating domestic and international demand, shifting demographics and often unpredictable changes in consumer demand can drastically affect a communication services company's profitability. Telecommunication service providers are often required to obtain licenses or franchises in order to provide services in a given location. Licensing or franchise rights are limited, which may result in an advantage to certain participants. Compliance with governmental regulations, delays or failure to receive regulatory approvals, or the enactment of new regulatory requirements may negatively affect the business of telecommunication services companies. Companies in media and entertainment industries can be significantly affected by competition, particularly in formulating new products and services using new technologies, and the cyclicality of revenues and earnings. Certain companies in the communication services sector may be particular targets of network security breaches, hacking and potential theft of proprietary or consumer information or disruptions in services, which would have a material adverse effect on their businesses.

**Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk.** Consumer discretionary products and services are non-essential products and services whose demand tends to increase as consumers' disposable income increases. This sector can be significantly affected by the performance of the overall economy, interest rates, competition, and consumer confidence. Success can depend heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes can also affect the demand for, and success of, consumer discretionary products. The prices of raw materials fluctuate in response to a number of factors, including changes in government agricultural support programs, exchange rates, import and export controls, changes in international agricultural and trading policies and seasonal and weather conditions. Companies in the consumer discretionary sector may be subject to severe competition, which may also have an adverse impact on their profitability.

**Currency Risk.** To the extent that the Fund is exposed directly or indirectly to foreign currencies, including through its investments, or invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Domestic issuers that hold substantial foreign assets may be similarly affected. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. To the extent the Fund invests or hedges based on the perceived relationship between two currencies, there is a risk that the correlation between those currencies may not behave as anticipated.

Any gain or loss attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the time the Fund accrues income or gain and the time the Fund converts such income or gain from a foreign currency to the dollar is generally treated as ordinary income or loss. Therefore, if the value of a foreign currency increases relative to the U.S. dollar between the accrual of income and the time at which the Fund converts the foreign currency to U.S. dollars, the Fund will recognize ordinary income upon conversion. In such circumstances, if the Fund has insufficient cash in U.S. dollars to meet distribution requirements under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), the Fund may be required to liquidate certain positions in order to make distributions. The liquidation of investments, if required, may also have an adverse impact on the Fund's performance. The Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between U.S. dollars and foreign currencies.

The use of foreign currency exchange transactions could result in the Fund's incurring losses as a result of the imposition of exchange controls, exchange rate regulation, suspension of settlements or the inability to deliver or receive a specified currency. Delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies for the purpose of purchasing foreign securities could leave the Fund with uninvested cash, may adversely affect the Fund's performance, since any delay could result in the Fund missing an investment opportunity and purchasing securities at a higher price than originally intended, and cause the Fund to incur cash drag. Delays in converting or transferring foreign currencies to U.S. dollars could also inhibit the Fund's ability to meet redemptions or make distributions.

**Depositary Receipts Risk.** The Fund may hold the securities of foreign companies in the form of depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") and Global Depositary Receipts. Investing in depositary receipts entails additional risks associated with foreign investments. The underlying securities of the depositary receipts in the Fund's portfolio are subject to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates that may affect the value of the Fund's portfolio. In addition, the value of the securities underlying the depositary receipts may change materially when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, which will affect the value of the depositary receipts. Like direct investments in foreign securities, investments in depositary receipts involve political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the securities of U.S. issuers.

ADRs are U.S. dollar-denominated receipts representing shares of foreign-based corporations. ADRs are issued by U.S. banks or trust companies, and entitle the holder to all dividends and capital gains that are paid out on the underlying foreign shares. Investment in ADRs may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market. "Sponsored" depositary receipts are established jointly by a depositary and the underlying issuer, whereas "unsponsored" depositary receipts may be established by a depositary without participation by the underlying issuer. Holders of an unsponsored depositary receipt generally bear all the costs associated with establishing the unsponsored depositary receipt. In addition, the issuers of the securities underlying unsponsored depositary receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States and, therefore, there may be less information available regarding such issuers and there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the depositary receipts.

Depositary receipts may also be unregistered and unlisted, and may be purchased in the public markets or restricted securities that can be offered and sold only to "qualified institutional buyers" under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). If a particular investment in such ADRs becomes illiquid, that investment will be included within the Fund's limitation on investment in illiquid securities. Moreover, if adverse market conditions were to develop during the period between the Fund's decision to sell these types of ADRs and the point at which the Fund is permitted or able to sell such security, the Fund might obtain a price less favorable than the price that prevailed when it decided to sell or may be unable to sell it at all.

**Derivatives Risk.** Derivatives are financial instruments, such as swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options, whose values are based on the value of one or more reference assets, such as a security, asset, currency, interest rate or index. Derivatives involve risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other more traditional investments. For example, derivatives involve the risk of mispricing or improper valuation and the risk that changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the reference asset(s). Derivative transactions can create investment leverage, may be highly volatile and the Fund could lose more than the amount it invests.

Many derivative transactions are entered into "over-the-counter" (not on an exchange or contract market); as a result, the value of such a derivative transaction will depend on the ability and the willingness of the Fund's counterparty to perform its obligations under the transaction. If a counterparty were to default on its obligations, the Fund's contractual remedies against such counterparty may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could affect the Fund's rights as a creditor (e.g., the Fund may not receive the net amount of payments that it is contractually entitled to receive). A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund's derivative positions at any time. If a derivative transaction is centrally cleared, it will be subject to the rules of the clearing exchange and subject to risks associated with the exchange.

Derivatives can be illiquid and imperfectly correlate with the reference asset(s), resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Some derivatives can have the potential for unlimited loss. It is possible that developments in the derivatives market, including ongoing or potential government regulation, could adversely affect the Fund's ability to enter into new derivatives agreements, terminate existing derivative agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such instruments.

**Clearing Member Default Risk.** Transactions in some types of derivatives, including options, are required to be centrally cleared ("cleared derivatives"). In a transaction involving cleared derivatives, the Fund's counterparty is a clearing house, such as the Options Clearing Corporation ("OCC"), rather than a bank or broker. Since the Fund is not a member of clearing houses and only members of a clearing house ("clearing members") can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members. In cleared derivatives positions, the Fund will make payments (including margin payments) to, and receive payments from, a clearing house through their accounts at clearing members. Customer funds held at a clearing organization in connection with any option contracts are held in a commingled omnibus account and are not identified to the name of the clearing member's individual customers. As a result, assets deposited by the Fund with any clearing member as margin for its options may, in certain circumstances, be used to satisfy losses of other clients of the Fund's clearing member. In addition, although clearing members guarantee performance of their clients' obligations to the clearing house, there is a risk that the assets of the Fund might not be fully protected in the event of the clearing member's bankruptcy. The Fund is also subject to the risk that a limited number of clearing members are willing to transact on the Fund's behalf, which heightens the risks associated with a clearing member's default. If a clearing member defaults the Fund could lose some or all of the benefits of a transaction entered into by the Fund with the clearing member. The loss of a clearing member for the Fund to transact with could result in increased transaction costs and other operational issues that could impede the Fund's ability to implement its investment strategy. If the Fund cannot find a clearing member to transact with on the Fund's behalf, the Fund may be unable to effectively implement its investment strategy.

The OCC acts as guarantor and central counterparty with respect to the options. As a result, the ability of the Fund to meet its objective depends on the OCC being able to meet its obligations. In the event an OCC clearing member that is a counterparty of the Fund were to become insolvent, the Fund may have some or all of its options closed without its consent or may experience delays or other difficulties in attempting to close or exercise its affected options positions, both of which would impair the Fund's ability to execute its investment strategy. The OCC's rules and procedures are designed to facilitate the prompt settlement of options transactions and exercises, including for clearing member insolvencies. However, there is the risk that the OCC and its backup system will fail if clearing member insolvencies are substantial or widespread. In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses.

**FLEX Options Risk.** The Fund will utilize FLEX options, which are issued and guaranteed for settlement by the OCC as guarantor and central counterparty.

The Fund may experience substantial downside from specific FLEX option positions and certain FLEX option positions may expire worthless. FLEX options may be less liquid than standardized options. In less liquid markets for the FLEX options, the Fund may have difficulty closing out certain FLEX options positions at desired times and prices. In connection with the creation of shares, to the extent market participants are not willing or able to enter into FLEX option transactions with the Fund at prices that reflect the then-current total return of the Underlying ETF and the Cap and/or Buffer, could be negatively impacted.

**Forward Currency Contracts Risk.** A forward foreign currency contract involves a negotiated obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date (with or without delivery required), which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. Forward foreign currency contracts are not traded on exchanges; rather, a bank or dealer will act as agent or as principal in order to make or take future delivery, exposing the Fund to counterparty risk.

**Futures Risk.** In addition to the above, risks associated with the use of futures contracts include the following: (i) an imperfect correlation between movements in prices of futures contracts and movements in the value of the reference asset(s) it is designed to simulate; and (ii) the possibility of an illiquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a position prior to its maturity date. When the Fund purchases or sells a futures contract, it is subject to daily variation margin calls that could be substantial. If the Fund has insufficient cash to meet daily variation margin requirements, it might need to sell securities at a time when such sales are disadvantageous.

**Leveraging Risk.** The Fund's investment in derivative instruments provide leveraged exposure. The Fund's investment in these instruments generally requires a small investment relative to the amount of investment exposure assumed. As a result, such investments may give rise to losses that exceed the amount invested in those instruments. The use of derivatives may expose the Fund to potentially dramatic losses (or gains) in the value of a derivative or other financial instrument and, thus, in the value the Fund's portfolio.

**OCC Resetting Strike Prices Risk.** Subject to determination by the Securities Committee of the OCC, adjustments may be made to the Fund's options for certain events (collectively, "Corporate Actions") specified in the OCC's bylaws and rules such as: certain stock dividends or distributions, stock splits, reverse stock splits, rights offerings, distributions, reorganizations, recapitalizations, or reclassifications with respect to an underlying security, or a merger, consolidation, dissolution or liquidation of the issuer of the underlying security. According to the OCC's by-laws, the nature and extent of any such adjustment is to be determined by the OCC's Securities Committee, in light of the circumstances known to it at the time such determination is made, based on its judgment as to what is appropriate for the protection of investors and the public interest, taking into account such factors as fairness to holders and writers (or purchasers and sellers) of the affected options, the maintenance of a fair and orderly market in the affected options, consistency of interpretation and practice, efficiency of exercise settlement procedures, and the coordination with other clearing agencies of the clearance and settlement of transactions in the underlying interest. If the OCC's Securities Committee determines that a Corporate Action warrants an adjustment to the strike price of the Fund's options, the Fund's Buffer and Cap will be adjusted accordingly and will differ from amount set at the beginning of the Outcome Period. There is no guarantee that the options will be adjusted.

**Options Risk.** The use of options involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying instrument, or in interest or currency exchange rates, including the anticipated volatility of the underlying instrument (known as implied volatility), which in turn are affected by the performance of the issuer of the underlying instrument, by the time remaining until the expiration of the option contract, by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political and economic events. As such, prior to the exercise or expiration of the option, the Fund is exposed to implied volatility risk, meaning the value, as based on implied volatility, of an option may increase due to market and economic conditions or views based on the sector or industry in which issuers of the underlying instrument participate, including company-specific factors.

An option is a contract that gives the purchaser (holder) of the option, in return for a premium, the right to buy from (call) or sell to (put) the seller (writer) of the option the security or currency underlying the option at a specified exercise price at any time during the term of the option (normally not exceeding nine months). The writer of an option has the obligation upon exercise of the option by its purchaser to deliver the underlying security or currency upon payment of the exercise price or to pay the exercise price upon delivery of the underlying security or currency. Options are derivatives, which, as described above, can be illiquid and can imperfectly correlate with the reference asset(s).

**Swaps Risk.** Swap transactions generally do not involve delivery of reference instruments or payment of the notional amount of the contract. Accordingly, the risk of loss with respect to swaps generally is limited to the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make or, in the case of the other party to a swap defaulting, the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually entitled to receive. Swaps are of limited duration and there is no guarantee that swaps entered into with a counterparty will continue indefinitely. Accordingly, the duration of a swap depends on, among other things, the ability of the Fund to renew the expiration period of the relevant swap at agreed upon terms.

**Emerging Markets Risk.** Securities issued by entities with substantial operations or holdings in developing or emerging market countries may involve additional risks relating to political, economic, or regulatory conditions not associated with investments in developed markets. For example, in comparison with developed markets, developing and emerging markets may be subject to greater market volatility; greater risk of asset seizures and capital controls; lower trading volume and liquidity; greater social, political and economic uncertainty; governmental controls on foreign investments and limitations on repatriation of invested capital; greater risk of market shutdown; lower disclosure, corporate governance, auditing and financial reporting standards; fewer protections of property rights; restrictions on the transfer of securities or currency; and settlement and trading practices that differ from U.S. or developed markets. Shareholder claims and legal remedies that are common in the United States may be difficult or impossible to pursue in many emerging market countries. In addition, due to jurisdictional limitations, matters of comity and various other factors, U.S. authorities may be limited in their ability to bring enforcement actions against non-U.S. companies and non-U.S. persons in certain emerging market countries. Most emerging market companies are not subject to the uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting requirements applicable to issuers in the United States, which may impact the availability and quality of information about emerging market issuers. Additionally, in times of market stress, regulatory authorities of different emerging market countries may apply varying techniques and degrees of intervention. Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange, or by governmental authorities. The likelihood of such suspensions may be higher for securities of issuers in emerging or less-developed market countries than in countries with more developed markets. Trading suspensions may be applied from time to time to the securities of individual issuers for reasons specific to that issuer, or may be applied broadly by exchanges or governmental authorities in response to market events. Suspensions may last for significant periods of time, during which trading in the securities and in instruments that reference the securities, such as derivative instruments, may be halted. Each of these factors may impact the ability of the Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities, adversely affect the trading market and price for Fund shares, and cause the Fund to decline in value.

The economies of emerging markets, and China in particular, may be heavily reliant upon international trade and may suffer disproportionately if international trading declines or is disrupted.

Such conditions may lead to potential errors in index data, index computation and/or index construction and may limit the ability to oversee the Index Provider's due diligence process over index data, which may adversely impact the Underlying ETF's performance and its ability to track the performance of the underlying index.

**Equity Securities Risk.** Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value that may be attributable to market perception of a particular issuer or to general stock market fluctuations that affect all issuers. Investments in equity securities are subject to volatile changes in market value and their values may be more volatile than investments in other asset classes. In the event of liquidation, equity securities are generally subordinate in rank to debt and other securities of the same issuer.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to Authorized Participants. Unlike most other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities.

Other ETFs generally are able to make in-kind redemptions and avoid realizing gains in connection with redemption requests. Effecting redemptions for cash may cause the Fund to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. Such dispositions may occur at an inopportune time, resulting in potential losses to the Fund or difficulties in meeting shareholder redemptions, and involve transaction costs. If the Fund recognizes gain on these sales, this generally will cause the Fund to recognize gain it might not otherwise have recognized if it were to distribute portfolio securities in-kind or to recognize such gain sooner than would otherwise have been required. The Fund generally intends to distribute these gains to shareholders to avoid being taxed on this gain at the Fund level and otherwise comply with the special tax rules that apply to it. This strategy may cause shareholders to be subject to tax on gains they would not otherwise be subject to, or at an earlier date than, if they had made an investment in another ETF.

In addition, cash transactions may have to be carried out over several days if the securities market in which the Fund is trading is less liquid and may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes. These brokerage fees and taxes, which will be higher than if the Fund sold and redeemed its shares principally in-kind, may be passed on to purchasers and redeemers of Creation Units in the form of creation and redemption transaction fees. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted. The Fund has capped the total fees that may be charged in connection with the redemption of Creation Units at 2% of the value of the Creation Units redeemed. To the extent transaction and other costs associated with a redemption exceed that cap, those transaction costs will be borne by the Fund's remaining shareholders. These factors may result in wider spreads between the bid and the offered prices of the Fund's shares than for other ETFs.

**International Closed Market Trading Risk.** To the extent the Fund's investments trade in markets that are closed when the Fund and Exchange are open, there are likely to be deviations between current pricing of an underlying security and the prices at which the underlying securities are valued for purposes of the Fund's NAV. As a result, shares may appear to trade at a significant discount or premium to NAV greater than those incurred by other ETFs. In addition, shareholders may not be able to purchase or redeem their shares of the Fund, or purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** The NAV of the Fund's shares will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund's securities holdings. The market prices of Fund shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in the Fund's NAV and supply and demand of shares on the secondary market. It cannot be predicted whether Fund shares will trade below (at a discount), at or above (at a premium) their NAV. As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop-loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at market prices that are significantly below NAV. Price differences may be due, in part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for shares may be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the securities of the Fund trading individually. The market prices of Fund shares may deviate significantly from the NAV of the shares during periods of market volatility or if the Fund's holdings are or become more illiquid. Disruptions to creations and redemptions may result in trading prices that differ significantly from the Fund's NAV. In addition, market prices of Fund shares may deviate significantly from the NAV if the number of Fund shares outstanding is smaller or if there is less active trading in Fund shares. Investors purchasing and selling Fund shares in the secondary market may not experience investment results consistent with those experienced by those creating and redeeming directly with the Fund.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. In addition, secondary market investors will incur the cost of the difference between the price that an investor is willing to pay for shares (the bid price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell shares (the ask price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the "spread" or "bid-ask spread." The bid-ask spread, which increases the cost of purchasing and selling Fund shares, varies over time for shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally lower if the Fund's shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if the Fund's shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Increased market volatility may cause increased bid-ask spreads.

Although Fund shares are listed for trading on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed. Trading in Fund 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 is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to Exchange "circuit breaker" rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of any Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged or that the shares will trade with any volume, or at all.

**New Fund Risk.** If the Fund does not grow in size, it will be at greater risk than larger funds of wider bid-ask spreads for its shares, trading at a greater premium or discount to NAV, liquidation and/or a trading halt.

**Foreign Securities Risk.** Investment in foreign securities may involve higher costs than investment in U.S. securities, including higher transaction and custody costs as well as the imposition of additional taxes by foreign governments. Foreign investments may also involve risks associated with currency exchange rates, less complete financial information about the issuers, less market liquidity, more market volatility and political and economic instability. Future political and economic developments, the difficulty of enforcing obligations in other countries, the possible imposition of withholding or confiscatory taxes, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency, or the adoption of other governmental restrictions might adversely affect an investment in foreign securities. Additionally, foreign issuers, especially issuers in emerging markets, may be subject to less stringent regulation, and to different accounting, auditing, recordkeeping, financial reporting, and investor protection requirements. Investments in foreign securities typically are less liquid than investments in U.S. securities. The value of foreign securities may change materially when the U.S. markets are not open for trading.

Income from securities of non-U.S. issuers, including gains on the sale of such securities, may be subject to foreign taxes, which would be the responsibility of the Fund. Even if the Fund qualifies to pass these taxes through to shareholders, the ability to claim a credit for such taxes may be limited, particularly in the case of taxes on capital gains.

Foreign markets may have clearance and settlement procedures that make it difficult for the Fund to buy and sell securities. This could result in a loss to the Fund by causing the Fund to be unable to dispose of an investment or to miss an attractive investment opportunity, or by causing the Fund's assets to be uninvested for some period of time, or cause the Fund to face delays or difficulties in meeting shareholder redemptions.

Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by governmental authorities. Trading suspensions may be applied from time to time to the securities of individual issuers for reasons specific to that issuer, or may be applied broadly by exchanges or governmental authorities in response to market events. Suspensions may last for significant periods of time, during which trading in the securities and in instruments that reference the securities, such as derivative instruments, may be halted. In the event that the Fund holds positions in such suspended securities, the Fund may be adversely impacted.

From time to time, certain of the issuers of securities purchased by the Fund may operate in, or have dealings with, countries that may become subject to sanctions or embargoes imposed by the U.S. Government and the United Nations and/or countries identified by the U.S. Government as state sponsors of terrorism. A company may suffer damage to its reputation and value if it is identified as such a company. Any Fund investment in such companies will be indirectly subject to those risks.

**Geographic Focus Risk.** The Fund's investments are expected to be focused in a particular country, countries, or region to approximately the same degree as the underlying index and therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified funds.

**Internet Companies Risk.** Investments in Internet companies may be volatile. Internet companies are subject to intense competition, the risk of product obsolescence, changes in consumer preferences and legal, regulatory and political changes. They are also especially at risk of hacking and other cybersecurity events. In addition, it can be difficult to determine what qualifies as an Internet company.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may purchase shares of investment companies, such as ETFs, unit investment trusts, closed-end investment companies and foreign investment companies, including those that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane, a sub-adviser (as applicable), or their affiliates, to gain exposure to particular investments or when such investments present a more cost efficient alternative to investing directly in securities. When the Fund invests in an investment company, in addition to directly bearing the expenses associated with its own operations, it will bear a pro rata portion of the underlying investment company's expenses. An investor in the Fund may receive taxable gains as a result of an underlying fund's portfolio transactions in addition to the taxable gains attributable to the Fund's transactions in shares of the underlying fund. Further, in part because of these additional expenses, the performance of an investment company may differ from the performance the Fund would achieve if it invested directly in the underlying investments of the investment company. In addition, while the risks of owning shares of an investment company generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying investments of the investment company, the Fund may be subject to additional or different risks than if the Fund had invested directly in the underlying investments. For example, shares of an ETF are traded at market prices, which may vary from the NAV of its underlying investments. Also, the lack of liquidity in an ETF can contribute to the increased volatility of its value in comparison to the value of the underlying portfolio securities. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, including foreign investment companies, it will not enjoy the protections of the 1940 Act. In addition, to the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies, including ETFs, sponsored, advised or otherwise serviced by Krane, a sub-adviser (as applicable), or their affiliates, they may be subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets, particularly if they are paid an advisory fee both by the Fund and the fund in which the Fund invests.

**IPO Risk.** Securities offered in initial public offerings ("IPOs") are subject to many of the same risks of investing in companies with smaller market capitalizations and often to a heightened degree. Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile. At any particular time or from time to time, the Fund may not be able to invest in securities issued in IPOs, or invest to the extent desired, because, for example, only a small portion (if any) of the securities being offered in an IPO may be made available to the Fund. In addition, under certain market conditions, a relatively small number of companies may issue securities in IPOs. The investment performance of the Fund during periods when it is unable to invest significantly or at all in IPOs may be lower than during periods when the Fund is able to do so. In addition, as the Fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the Fund's performance will generally decrease.

**Large Capitalization Company Risk.** Investments in large capitalization companies may go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions and may underperform other market segments. Some large capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges and attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. As such, returns on investments in stocks of large capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small and mid-capitalization companies.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices and increased brokerage costs, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences to the Fund and for remaining shareholders. In some circumstances, the Fund may hold a relatively larger proportion of its assets in cash in anticipation of large shareholder transactions, which may adversely impact returns.

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult to purchase or sell at a reasonable time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may reduce the potential returns of the Fund because it may be unable to sell the illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. This is especially true given the limited number of market participants in certain markets in which the Fund may invest. Certain countries in which the Fund may invest may be subject to extended settlement delays and/or foreign holidays, during which the Fund will unlikely be able to convert such holdings to cash and may make it additionally difficult for the Fund to meet redemptions in a timely fashion.

Market developments may cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements, and may also cause the Fund to encounter difficulties in timely honoring redemptions, especially if market events cause an increased incidence of shareholder redemptions. If a number of investments held by the Fund stop trading or become illiquid, such as due to an exchange's limit up, limit down rules, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt. To the extent that an investment is deemed to be an illiquid investment or a less liquid investment, the Fund can expect to be exposed to greater liquidity risk.

**Management Risk.** The Fund is actively-managed and may not meet its investment objective based on Krane's or the sub-adviser's, as applicable, success or failure to implement investment strategies for the Fund. Krane's or the sub-adviser's, as applicable, evaluations and assumptions regarding investments, interest rates, inflation, and other factors may not successfully achieve the Fund's investment objective given actual market conditions.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. Market fluctuations could be caused by such factors as economic and political developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities prices. Recent developments in relations between the United States and its trading partners have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the U.S. and other countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on the world's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on financial markets. Different types of securities tend to go through cycles of outperformance and under-performance in comparison to the general securities markets. In addition, securities may decline in value due to factors affecting a specific issuer, market or securities markets generally. Therefore, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain holdings may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price.

Turbulence in the financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and fixed-income markets may negatively affect issuers worldwide, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund. The Federal Reserve and other domestic and foreign government agencies may attempt to stabilize the global economy. These actions may expose markets to heightened volatility and may reduce liquidity for certain Fund investments, causing the value of the Fund's investments and share price to decline. To the extent that the Fund experiences high redemptions because of these actions, the Fund may experience increased portfolio turnover, which will increase the costs that the Fund incurs and will lower the Fund's performance.

Geopolitical risks, including terrorism, tensions or open conflict between nations, or political or economic dysfunction within some nations that are major players on the world stage or major producers of oil, may lead to overall instability in world economies and markets generally and have led, and may in the future lead, to increased market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects. Similarly, environmental and public health risks, such as natural disasters or pandemics/epidemics, or widespread fear that such events may occur, may impact markets adversely and cause market volatility in both the short- and long-term.

Advancements in technology, including advanced development and increased regulation of artificial intelligence, may adversely impact market movements and liquidity and the profitability and growth of certain issuers and industries may be negatively impacted in ways that cannot be foreseen and could adversely impact performance.

Certain illnesses spread rapidly and have the potential to significantly and adversely affect the global economy. Epidemics and/or pandemics have and may further result in, among other things, closing borders, enhanced health screenings, healthcare service preparation and delivery, quarantines, cancellations, disruptions to supply chains and customer activity, as well as general concern and uncertainty. The impact of such epidemics and/or pandemics that may arise in the future, have the potential to affect the economies of many nations, individual companies and the global securities and commodities markets, including liquidity, in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time. The impact of infectious diseases in developing or emerging market countries may be greater due to less established health care systems. Health crises caused by the recent coronavirus outbreak may exacerbate other preexisting political, social and economic risks in certain countries. The impact of the outbreak may be short term or may last for an extended period of time and may have material adverse impacts on the Fund.

**Non-Correlation Risk.** The FLEX options written by the Fund will be exercisable at their strike price only on their expiration date. The options purchased by the Fund will be exercisable at their strike price either on their expiration date or at any time. Since the options held by the Fund do not expire until approximately two years after the commencement of the Outcome Period, the degree of non-correlation between the value of the options and the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF will be higher when compared to options with shorter terms. As an option approaches its expiration date, its value typically will increasingly correlate with the price of Underlying ETF shares. Farther in advance of the expiration date, the value of the options may vary because related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF influence the value. For example, the value of the options will be influenced by interest rate changes, the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF and implied volatility levels of the Underlying ETF, among other factors. For the same reasons, the value of the options held by the Fund is not expected to increase or decrease to the same degree as the Underlying ETF's secondary market share price on a day-to-day basis.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

**Outcome Period Risk.** The Fund seeks to deliver returns that match those of the Underlying ETF's total return if shares are held by an investor from the beginning of the Outcome Period until the end of the Outcome Period. Because the Fund utilizes European style options contracts, the Outcomes are designed to be produced only on the expiration date of the options on the final day of the Outcome Period. In the event an investor purchases shares after the beginning of the Outcome Period or sells shares prior to end of the Outcome Period, the returns realized by the investor should not be expected to match those that the Fund seeks to provide. Further, because the Fund utilizes an Outcome Period that is approximately two years long, the risk of experiencing non-correlated returns is exacerbated.

**Small- and Mid-Capitalization Company Risk.** Investing in the securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization companies and more established companies. Since small- and medium-sized companies may have limited operating histories, product lines and financial resources, the securities of these companies may lack sufficient market liquidity and can be sensitive to expected changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings. These companies' securities may be more volatile and less liquid than those of more established companies, and they may be more sensitive to market conditions.

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, distribution and asset diversification requirements. With respect to the latter, the Fund generally may not acquire a security if, as a result of the acquisition, more than 50% of the value of the Fund's assets would be invested in (a) issuers in which the Fund has, in each case, invested more than 5% of the Fund's assets and (b) issuers more than 10% of whose outstanding voting securities are owned by the Fund. If the Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company ("RIC"), it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, and distributions to its shareholders would not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income, which would adversely affect its performance. Because there is limited transparency into state ownership of Chinese issuers, there is a risk of such issuers being deemed to be a single issuer, which could result in the Underlying ETF (and, therefore, the Fund) falling out of compliance with the asset diversification requirements.

The federal income tax treatment of certain aspects of the proposed operations of the Fund are not entirely clear, which could impact the Fund's ability to qualify as a RIC. This includes the tax aspects of the Fund's options strategy, its hedging strategy, the possible application of the "straddle" rules, and various loss limitation provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("Code"). The Fund's investments in offsetting positions with respect to the Underlying ETF may affect the character of gains or losses realized by the Fund under the Code's "straddle" rules and may increase any short-term capital gains realized by the Fund. The Fund intends to treat any income it may derive from the FLEX options as "qualifying income" under the provisions of the Code applicable to RICs. If the income is not qualifying income or the issuer of the FLEX options is not appropriately the referenced asset, the Fund could lose its own status as a RIC. With respect to the RIC diversification test, identifying the issuer can depend on the terms and conditions of a given investment. There is no published Internal Revenue Service guidance or case law on how to determine the "issuer" of certain derivatives that the Fund will enter into. Based upon language in the legislative history, the Fund intends to treat the issuer of the FLEX options as the referenced asset, which, assuming the referenced asset qualifies as a RIC, would allow the Fund to qualify for special rules in the RIC diversification requirements. The FLEX options included in the portfolio are exchange-traded options. Under Section 1256 of the Code, certain types of exchange-traded options are treated as if they were sold (i.e., "marked to market") at the end of each year. The Fund does not believe that the positions held by the Fund will be subject to Section 1256, which means that the positions will not be marked to market. In the event that a shareholder purchases shares of the Fund shortly before a distribution by the Fund, the entire distribution may be taxable to the shareholder even though a portion of the distribution effectively represents a return of the purchase price.

In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to regulated investment companies and avoid Fund-level taxes, the Fund must also satisfy certain distribution requirements. Capital controls and currency controls may affect the Fund's ability to meet the applicable distribution requirements. If the Fund fails to satisfy the distribution requirement necessary to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company for any taxable year, the Fund would be treated as a corporation subject to U.S. federal income tax, thereby subjecting any income earned by the Fund to tax at the corporate level. If the Fund fails to satisfy a separate distribution requirement, it will be subject to a Fund-level excise tax. These Fund-level taxes will apply in addition to taxes payable at the shareholder level on distributions.

To the extent the Fund does not distribute to shareholders all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain in a given year, it will be required to pay U.S. federal income tax on the retained income and gains, thereby reducing the Fund's return. The Fund may elect to treat its net capital gain as having been distributed to shareholders. In that case, shareholders of record on the last day of the Fund's taxable year will be required to include their attributable share of the retained gain in income for the year as a long-term capital gain despite not actually receiving the dividend, and will be entitled to a tax credit or refund for the tax deemed paid on their behalf by the Fund as well as an increase in the basis of their shares to reflect the difference between their attributable share of the gain and the related credit or refund.

Investments in swaps and other derivatives may be subject to special U.S. federal income tax rules that could adversely affect the character, timing and amount of income earned by the Fund (e.g., by causing amounts that would be capital gain to be taxed as ordinary income or to be taken into income earlier than would otherwise be necessary). Also, the Fund may be required to periodically adjust its positions in its swaps and derivatives to comply with certain regulatory requirements which may further cause these investments to be less efficient than a direct investment in the securities themselves. For example, swaps in which the Fund may invest may need to be reset on a regular basis in order to maintain compliance with the 1940 Act, which may increase the likelihood that the Fund will generate short-term capital gains. In addition, because the application of these special rules may be uncertain, it is possible that the manner in which they are applied by the Fund may be determined to be incorrect. In that event, the Fund may be found to have failed to maintain its qualification as a RIC or to be subject to additional U.S. tax liability. Moreover, the Fund may make investments, both directly and through swaps or other derivative positions, in companies classified as passive foreign investment companies for U.S. federal income tax purposes ("PFICs"). Investments in PFICs are subject to special tax rules which may result in adverse tax consequences to the Fund and its shareholders.

**Upside Participation Risk.** There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to provide shareholders with the total return of the Underlying ETF's shares over the Outcome Period prior to taking into account any fees or expenses, subject to a maximum total return imposed by the Cap. Because the value of the Fund's options does not increase or decrease at the same rate as the Underlying ETF's share price on a day-to-day basis (although they generally move in the same direction), the Fund may underperform the increases in the share price of the Underlying ETF until the end of the Outcome Period. To the extent the price of the Underlying ETF increases beyond the Fund's Cap, the Fund will not participate in such gains, and will underperform the Underlying ETF. In the event an investor purchases shares after the beginning of the Outcome Period or does not stay invested in the Fund for the entirety of the Outcome Period, the returns realized by such investor may not match those that the Fund seeks to achieve. In order to finance the downside protection offered by the Buffer, the Fund enters into a sold call option contract which limits its upside potential. Since the Buffer seeks to provide protection against 100% of decreases in the total return of the Underlying ETF over the duration of the Outcome Period, the Cap may be lower than the caps imposed by other ETFs that utilize defined outcome investing strategies with different buffers, on a relative basis. Due to the Cap, the Fund may significantly underperform the Underlying ETF over the course of the Outcome Period. Finally, the Fund's Cap is dependent upon market conditions at the commencement of the new Outcome Period. In certain market conditions, the Fund's Cap may provide relatively low upside potential, which may cause the Fund to further underperform the Underlying ETF over the course of an Outcome Period.

**Valuation Risk.** Financial information about the Fund's portfolio holdings may not always be reliable, which may make it difficult to obtain a current price for the investments held by the Fund. Independent market quotations for such investments may not be readily available, such as on days during which a security does not trade or a foreign holiday, and securities may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations are subjective and different funds may assign different fair values to the same investment. Such valuations also may be different from what would be produced if the security had been valued using market quotations. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. Additionally, Fund securities that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including "fair valued" securities, may be subject to greater fluctuations in their value from one day to the next. Because securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days when the Fund does not price its shares, the value of the securities in the Fund's portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund's shares.

**<u>Management</u>**

**Investment Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser"), which is a UN PRI signatory<sup>1</sup>, is a registered investment adviser located at 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10017 and serves as investment adviser of the Fund. Krane has served as the investment adviser of the Fund since its inception.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and Krane, Krane is responsible for reviewing, supervising and administering the Fund's investment program and the general management and administration of the Trust. In this regard, among other things, Krane arranges for transfer agency, custody, fund administration and accounting, and other non-distribution related services necessary for the Fund to operate. Krane may engage a subadviser to assist it in managing the Fund's investments, but will be responsible for overseeing any subadvisers. Krane manages the Fund's business affairs, provides office facilities and equipment and certain clerical, bookkeeping and administrative services, and permits its officers and employees to serve as officers or Trustees of the Trust. Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, Krane bears all of its own costs associated with providing advisory services to the Fund. In addition, Krane has contractually agreed to pay all operating expenses of the Fund, except (i) interest and taxes (including, but not limited to, income, excise, transaction, transfer and withholding taxes); (ii) expenses of the Fund incurred with respect to the acquisition and disposition of portfolio securities and the execution of portfolio transactions, including brokerage commissions and short sale dividend or interest expense; (iii) expenses incurred in connection with any distribution plan adopted by the Trust in compliance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, including distribution fees; (iv) Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses; (v) litigation expenses; (vi) the compensation payable to the Adviser under the investment advisory agreement; (vii) compensation and expenses of the Independent Trustees (including any Trustees' counsel fees); and (viii) any expenses determined to be extraordinary expenses by the Board. Nevertheless, there exists a risk that a Trust service provider will seek recourse against the Trust if is not timely paid by Krane for the fees and expenses for which it is responsible, which could materially adversely affect the Fund.

<sup>1</sup> UN PRI is an abbreviation for 'United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment,' a UN-supported network of investors that works to promote sustainable investment through the incorporation of environmental, social and governance factors into investment decision-making. PRI signatories publicly commit to adopt and implement the network's six ESG principles, which are voluntary and aspirational, where consistent with their fiduciary duties. Although the Adviser is a UN PRI signatory, the Fund is not an ESG fund.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Fund pays Krane the fee shown in the table below (in addition to the securities lending compensation Krane receives under the agreement discussed below), which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate based on a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund.

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | 0.25% |

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The Investment Advisory Agreement has been approved by the Board of Trustees and shareholders of the Fund (in this regard, Krane as the sole initial shareholder of the Fund will approve various matters and agreements, including the Investment Advisory Agreement for the Fund prior to its public offering). A discussion regarding the basis for the Board's approval of the Fund's investment advisory agreement with Krane is available in the Fund's Annual Report to Shareholders dated March 31, 2024.

In addition to the above-described services, to the extent the Fund engages in securities lending, Krane will: (i) determine which securities are available for loan and notify the securities lending agent for the Fund (the "Agent"), (ii) monitor the Agent's activities to ensure that securities loans are effected in accordance with Krane's instructions and in accordance with applicable procedures and guidelines adopted by the Board, (iii) make recommendations to the Board regarding the Fund's participation in securities lending, (iv) prepare appropriate periodic reports for, and seek appropriate periodic approvals from, the Board with respect to securities lending activities, (v) respond to Agent inquiries concerning Agent's activities, and (vi) such other related duties as Krane deems necessary or appropriate.

For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, the Adviser received the fees (in addition to the securities lending compensation Krane receives under the agreement discussed below), as a percentage of average daily net assets of the Fund, as set forth below, which is net of any fees waived or expenses reimbursed:

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | 0.25% |

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Under the agreement, while the fees and expenses related to the Fund's securities lending-related activities reduce the revenues and income of the Fund from such activities, they are not fees and expenses for which Krane is responsible. Further, as compensation for the services provided by Krane in connection with any securities lending-related activities, the Fund pays Krane 10% of the monthly investment income received from the investment of cash collateral and loan fees received from borrowers in respect of securities loans (net of any amounts paid to the custodian and/or securities lending agent or rebated to borrowers). For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, Krane did not receive any revenue from the Fund related to securities lending activities.

China International Capital Corporation (USA) Holdings Inc., a wholly-owned, indirect subsidiary of China International Capital Corporation Limited owns a majority stake in Krane. As of March 31, 2025, Central Huijin Investment Limited, a mainland Chinese-domiciled entity, and HKSCC Nominees Limited, held approximately 40.11% and 39.42%, respectively, of the shares of China International Capital Corporation Limited. Central Huijin Investment Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Investment Corporation, which is a mainland Chinese sovereign wealth fund. KFA One Holdings, LLC, located at 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017, holds the remaining equity interests in Krane and Jonathan Krane, through his equity interests in KFA One Holdings, LLC, beneficially owns more than 10% of the equity interests in Krane.

Krane has received "manager of managers" exemptive relief from the SEC that permits Krane, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees, to appoint a "wholly-owned" or unaffiliated sub-adviser, as defined in the exemptive relief, or to change the terms of a sub-advisory agreement with a "wholly-owned" or unaffiliated sub-adviser without first obtaining shareholder approval. The exemptive order further permits Krane to add or to change a "wholly-owned" or unaffiliated sub-adviser or to change the fees paid to such parties from time to time without the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approval of the change and to disclose sub-advisers' fees only in the aggregate in its registration statement. Any increase in the aggregate advisory fee paid by any Fund remains subject to shareholder approval. Krane continues to have ultimate responsibility (subject to oversight by the Board of Trustees) to oversee the sub-advisers and recommend their hiring, termination, and replacement. The Fund will notify shareholders of any change of the Fund's sub-adviser.

**Portfolio Managers**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception. He joined the Adviser in 2020 and has over 20 years of experience in the investment management industry. Previously, he was a Vice President in the Institutional ETF Group and a member of the ETF Capital Markets Group at State Street Global Advisors (2010-2019); and an ETF trader at Goldman Sachs & Co (2005-2009). Mr. Maund graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics from Wesleyan University.

Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, also serves as a portfolio manager of the Fund and supports Mr. Maund and Krane's investment team with respect to the Fund. Mr. Shelon has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Mr. Shelon joined Krane in 2015. Mr. Shelon has spent the majority of his career managing investment portfolios and diverse teams at leading asset management organizations. Prior to joining Krane, he was the Chief Investment Officer of a 40-person global Specialized Strategies Team at J.P. Morgan with $40 billion AUM. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, Mr. Shelon spent ten years as a portfolio manager at Fidelity Investments where he was responsible for the investment performance, process and evolution of their target-date strategies for retirement savings, college savings and income generation.

Additional information about the Portfolio Managers' compensation, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers and the Portfolio Managers' ownership of Fund shares is available in the SAI.

**Other Service Providers**

SEI Investments Global Funds Services ("Administrator") serves as administrator for the Fund. The Administrator provides necessary administrative and accounting services for the maintenance and operations of the Trust and the Fund, and makes available the office space, equipment, personnel and facilities required to provide such services.

SEI Investments Distribution Co. ("Distributor"), an affiliate of the Administrator, serves as the Fund's distributor. Shares in less than Creation Units are not distributed by the Distributor, and the Distributor does not maintain a secondary market in the shares of the Fund.

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. ("BBH") serves as custodian and transfer agent for the Fund. BBH maintains in separate accounts cash, securities and other assets of the Fund, keeps all necessary accounts and records, and provides other services.

**<u>Shareholder Information</u>**

**Calculating NAV**

The Fund calculates its NAV by:

● Taking the current market value of its total assets

● Subtracting any liabilities and withholdings (if any)

● Dividing that amount by the total number of shares owned by the shareholders

The Fund normally calculates NAV as of the regularly scheduled close of normal trading on each day that the NYSE is scheduled to be open for business (a "Business Day") (normally, 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time). Any assets or liabilities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted into U.S. dollars at the current market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more sources.

Securities listed on a securities exchange (i.e., exchange-traded equity securities), market or automated quotation system for which quotations are readily available (except for securities traded on NASDAQ), including securities traded over the counter, are valued by independent pricing agents at the last reported sale price on the primary exchange or market (foreign or domestic) on which they are traded (or at the time as of which the Fund's NAV is calculated if a security's exchange is normally open at that time). If there is no such reported sale, such securities are valued at the most recently reported bid price. For securities traded on NASDAQ, the NASDAQ Official Closing Price will be used. If a security price cannot be obtained from an independent, third-party pricing agent, the Fund seeks to obtain bid and ask prices from two broker-dealers who make a market in the portfolio instrument and determines the average of the two.

If available, debt securities are priced based upon valuations provided by independent, third-party pricing agents. Such values generally reflect the last reported sales price if the security is actively traded. The third-party pricing agents may also value debt securities at an evaluated bid price by employing methodologies that utilize actual market transactions, broker-supplied valuations, or other methodologies designed to identify the market value for such securities. Debt obligations with remaining maturities of sixty days or less may be valued at their amortized cost, which approximates market value.

The prices for foreign securities are reported in local currency and converted to U.S. dollars using currency exchange rates. The exchange rates used for valuation are captured as of the close of the London Stock Exchange each day normally at 4:00 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time.

The value of a swap contract is equal to the obligation (or rights) under the swap contract, which will generally be equal to the net amounts to be paid or received under the contract based upon the relative values of the positions held by each party to the contract as determined by the applicable independent, third party pricing agent.

Swaps cleared through a central clearing house ("centrally cleared swaps") are valued at the settlement price established each day by the board of the exchange on which they are listed. The daily settlement prices for centrally cleared swaps are provided by an independent pricing agent. Swaps which are not centrally cleared are priced based on valuations provided by an independent pricing agent.

In a typical equity swap, one party agrees to pay another party the return on a stock, stock index, or basket of stocks (the "equity leg" of the swap) in return for interest payment(s) calculated based on the notional amount of the swap (the "financing leg" of the swap). Each leg of the swap is valued separately, and the net amount of the two legs is included in the Fund's net asset value. The value of the equity leg of the swap is provided by an independent pricing agent based on the value of the financial instrument underlying the swap. The value of the financing leg of the swap is systematically calculated by the Fund's accounting agent based on the details of the swap.

Exchange-traded options, except as discussed below for FLEX options, are valued at the mean of their most recent bid and asked price, if available, and otherwise, long positions will be valued at the most-recent bid price, and short positions will be valued at the most-recent ask price. Over-the-counter ("OTC") options are valued based upon prices determined by the applicable independent, third party pricing agent. FLEX (short for flexible) options are normally valued using a model-based price provided by a third-party pricing vendor. On days when a trade in a FLEX option occurs, the trade price will be used to value such FLEX options in lieu of the model price.

Futures are valued at the settlement price established by the board of trade on which they are traded. Foreign currency forward contracts are valued at the current day's interpolated foreign exchange rate, as calculated using the current day's spot rate and the 30-, 60-, 90- and 180-day forward rates provided by an independent pricing agent.

On certain days, the settlement price for futures may not be available at the time the Fund calculates its NAV. On such days, the best available price (which is typically the last trade price) may be used to value futures.

Securities issued by a wholly owned subsidiary of the Fund will be valued at the subsidiary's net asset value, which will be determined using the same pricing policies and procedures applicable to the Fund.

Investments in open-end investment companies that do not trade on an exchange are valued at the end of day NAV per share. Investments in open-end investment companies that trade on an exchange are valued in the same manner as other exchange-traded equity securities (described above).

Investments for which market prices are not "readily available," or are not deemed to reflect current market values, or are debt securities where no evaluated price is available from third-party pricing agents pursuant to established methodologies, are fair valued in accordance with the Adviser's valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. Some of the more common reasons that may necessitate that a security be valued using "fair value" pricing may include, but are not limited to: the security's trading has been halted or suspended; the security's primary trading market is temporarily closed; or the security has not been traded for an extended period of time.

In addition, the Fund may fair value its securities if an event that may materially affect the value of the Fund's securities that trade outside of the United States (a "Significant Event") has occurred between the time of the security's last close and the time that the Fund calculates its NAV. A Significant Event may relate to a single issuer or to an entire market sector, country or region. Events that may be Significant Events may include: government actions, natural disasters, armed conflict, acts of terrorism and significant market fluctuations. If Krane becomes aware of a Significant Event that has occurred with respect to a portfolio instrument or group of portfolio instruments after the closing of the exchange or market on which the portfolio instrument or portfolio instruments principally trade, but before the time at which the Fund calculates its NAV, it will notify the Administrator and may request that an ad hoc meeting of the Fair Value Pricing Committee be called.

With respect to trade-halted securities, the Adviser typically will fair value a trade-halted security by adjusting the security's last market close price by the security's sector performance, as measured by a predetermined index, unless Krane's Fair Value Pricing Committee determines to make additional adjustments. Certain foreign securities exchanges have mechanisms in place that confine one day's price movement in an individual security to a pre-determined price range based on that day's opening price ("Collared Securities"). Fair value determinations for Collared Securities will generally be capped based on any applicable pre-determined "limit down" or "limit up" prices established by the relevant foreign securities exchange. As an example, China A-Shares can only be plus or minus ten percent in one day of trading in the relevant mainland China equity market. As a result, the fair value price determination on a given day will generally be capped plus or minus ten percent.

Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that a fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value that could actually be realized upon the sale of the security or that another fund that uses market quotations or its own fair value procedures to price the same securities.

Trading in securities on many foreign exchanges is normally completed before the close of business on each Business Day. In addition, securities trading in a particular country or countries may not take place on each Business Day or may take place on days that are not Business Days. Changes in valuations on certain securities may occur at times or on days on which the Fund's NAV is not calculated and on which Fund shares do not trade and sales and redemptions of shares do not occur. As a result, the value of the Fund's portfolio securities and the net asset value of its shares may change on days when share purchases or sales cannot occur.

With respect to the securities of private companies, the Administrator will obtain the price of private company securities from the Valuation Designee, who will determine their fair value using various inputs, including observable data such as cost basis, primary financing rounds, tender offers, and secondary market activity. The Valuation Designee will also consider pricing from independent pricing experts<sup>2</sup>, comparables of public and private companies, and relevant market news. While primary financing rounds, tender offers, and cost basis are expected to be the main drivers of fair value, all factors will be considered. A daily dashboard will be stored to record data being considered. In addition to conducting a pricing and trend analysis on the data received from the independent pricing experts, the Valuation Designee will take business cycle, market depth, transaction size and other relevant factors into consideration when reviewing observable data and will periodically assess the pricing methodology used by the independent pricing experts.

**Buying and Selling Fund Shares**

Shares of the Fund may be purchased or redeemed directly from the Fund only in Creation Units or multiples thereof. Only a broker-dealer ("Authorized Participant") that enters into an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Fund's distributor, SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the "Distributor"), may engage in creation and redemption transactions directly with the Fund. Purchases and redemptions directly with the Fund must follow the Fund's procedures, and are subject to transaction fees, which are described in the SAI. Orders for such transactions may be rejected or delayed if they are not submitted in good order and subject to the other conditions set forth in this prospectus and the SAI. Please see the SAI for more information about purchases and redemptions of Creation Units.

<sup>2</sup> It is currently expected that the Valuation Designee will get pricing from two independent pricing agents.

Once purchased (i.e., created) by an Authorized Participant, shares are listed on the Exchange and trade in the secondary market. When you buy or sell the Fund's shares in the secondary market, you will pay or receive the market price. The price at which you buy or sell Shares (i.e., the market price) may be more or less than the NAV of the Shares. Unless imposed by your broker, there is no minimum dollar amount you must invest in the Fund and no minimum number of Shares you must buy. Shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities. Most investors will buy and sell shares through a broker and, thus, will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares. **Except when aggregated in Creation Units, Shares are not redeemable by the Fund.**

The secondary markets are closed on weekends and also are generally closed on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day (observed), Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans' Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

For more information on how to buy and sell shares of the Fund, call 1.855.857.2638 or visit <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>.

**Premium/Discount Information**

Information showing the number of days the market price of the Fund's shares was greater than the Fund's NAV per share (*i.e.*, at a premium) and the number of days it was less than the Fund's NAV per share (*i.e.*, at a discount) for various time periods is available by visiting the Fund's website at <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>. The premium and discount information contained on the website represents past performance and cannot be used to predict future results.

**Portfolio Holdings Information**

Each day the Fund is open for business, the Trust publicly disseminates the Fund's full portfolio holdings as of the close of the previous day through the website. A description of the Fund's policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio holdings is available in the Fund's Statement of Additional Information ("SAI"). The holdings of the Fund can be found on the Fund's website at <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>.

**Active Investors and Market Timing**

The Trust's Board of Trustees has determined not to adopt policies and procedures designed to prevent or monitor for frequent purchases and redemptions of the Fund's shares because the Fund sells and redeems its shares at NAV only in Creation Units pursuant to the terms of an Authorized Participant Agreement between the Authorized Participant and the Distributor, and such direct trading between the Fund and Authorized Participants is critical to ensuring that the Fund's shares trade at or close to NAV. Further, the vast majority of trading in Fund shares occurs on the secondary market, which does not involve the Fund directly and therefore does not cause the Fund to experience many of the harmful effects of market timing, such as dilution and disruption of portfolio management. In addition, the Fund imposes a transaction fee on Creation Unit transactions, which is designed to offset transfer and other transaction costs incurred by the Fund in connection with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units and may employ fair valuation pricing to minimize potential dilution from market timing. The Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order at any time and reserves the right to impose restrictions on disruptive, excessive, or short-term trading.

**Investments by Registered Investment Companies**

The Fund is not eligible for investment by other investment companies pursuant to the exemptive relief provided by the SEC in Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act. This policy is subject to change.

**Continuous Offering**

The method by which Creation Units of Fund shares are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units of shares are issued and sold by the Fund on an ongoing basis, a "distribution," as such term is used in the Securities Act, may occur at any point. 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 requirement 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 constituent shares and sells the 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 a characterization 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(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of 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 engaging in ordinary secondary market transactions) and thus dealing with the shares that are part of an overallotment within the meaning of Section 4(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the Securities Act. For delivery of prospectuses to exchange members, the prospectus delivery mechanism of Rule 153 under the Securities Act is only available with respect to transactions on a national exchange.

**Dealers effecting transactions in the Fund's shares, whether or not participating in this distribution, are generally required to deliver a Prospectus. This is in addition to any obligation of dealers to deliver a Prospectus when acting as underwriters.**

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), Krane, any Fund sub-adviser or an affiliate of either may pay the intermediary for marketing activities or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other financial intermediary and your sales person to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your sales person or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

**Distribution Plan**

The Fund has adopted a Distribution Plan (the "Plan") that allows the Fund to pay distribution fees to the Distributor and other firms that provide distribution services ("Service Providers"). Under the Plan, if a Service Provider provides distribution services, the Fund would pay distribution fees to the Distributor at an annual rate not to exceed 0.25% of average daily net assets, pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. The Distributor would, in turn, pay the Service Provider out of its fees. The Board of Trustees currently has determined not to implement any 12b-1 fees pursuant to the Plan. 12b-1 fees may only be imposed after approval by the Board of Trustees. Because any distribution fees would be paid out of the Fund's assets on an on-going basis, if payments are made in the future, the distribution fees would increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.

**Householding Policy**

To reduce expenses, we mail only one copy of the prospectus or summary prospectus, each annual and semi-annual report, and any proxy statements to each address shared by two or more accounts with the same last name or that the Trust reasonably believes are members of the same family. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, please call the Trust at 1.855.857.2638 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time on days the Fund is open for business or contact your financial institution. We will begin sending you individual copies thirty days after receiving your request. **Investors who hold their shares through an intermediary are subject to the intermediary's policies. Contact your financial intermediary for any questions you may have.**

**Dividends and Distributions**

The Fund plans to pays out dividends to shareholders annually. The Fund distributes its net capital gains, if any, to shareholders annually. The Fund may make distributions on a more or less frequent basis. The Fund reserves the right to declare special distributions, including if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the status of the Fund as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code, to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.

**<u>Additional Tax Information</u>**

The following is a summary of some important tax issues that affect the Fund and its shareholders. The summary is based on current tax laws, which may be changed by legislative, judicial or administrative action. You should not consider this summary to be a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund, or the tax consequences of an investment in the Fund. **More information about taxes is located in the SAI. You are urged to consult your tax adviser regarding specific questions as to federal, state and local income taxes.**

**Tax Status of the Fund**

The Fund is treated as a separate entity for federal tax purposes, and intends to qualify for the special tax treatment afforded to regulated investment companies. As long as the Fund qualifies for treatment as a regulated investment company, it pays no federal income tax on the earnings it distributes to shareholders.

**Tax Status of Distributions**

The Fund will, at least annually, distribute substantially all of its net investment taxable income and net capital gains.

The income dividends you receive from the Fund (which include the Fund's short-term capital gains) will be taxed as either ordinary income or qualified dividend income. For non-corporate shareholders, dividends that are reported as qualified dividend income are generally taxable at reduced maximum tax rates to the extent that the Fund receives qualified dividend income and subject to certain limitations and holding period requirements.

Distributions of the Fund's short-term capital gains are generally taxable as ordinary income. Any distributions of net capital gain (the excess of the Fund's net long-term capital gains over its net short-term capital losses) are taxable as long-term capital gains regardless of how long you have owned your shares. Long-term capital gains are taxable at reduced maximum tax rates.

If the Fund makes distributions to a shareholder in excess of the Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits in any taxable year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of the shareholder's tax basis in its shares, and thereafter as capital gain. A return of capital is not taxable, but reduces a shareholder's tax basis in its shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of its shares.

The Fund may invest in complex securities. These investments may be subject to numerous special and complex rules. These rules could affect whether gains and losses recognized by the Fund are treated as ordinary income or capital gain, accelerate the recognition of income to the Fund and/or defer the Fund's ability to recognize losses. In turn, these rules may affect the amount, timing or character of distributions you receive from the Fund.

Dividends and distributions are generally taxable to you whether you receive them in cash or in additional shares. Corporate shareholders may be entitled to a dividends-received deduction for the portion of dividends they receive that is attributable to dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations, subject to certain limitations.

Distributions paid in January but declared by the Fund in October, November or December of the previous year may be taxable to you in the previous year. Your broker will inform you of the amount of your ordinary income dividends, qualified dividend income, and capital gains distributions shortly after the close of each calendar year.

If you lend your Fund shares pursuant to securities lending arrangements, you may lose the ability to treat the Fund's dividends (paid while the shares are held by the borrower) as qualified dividend income. Consult your financial intermediary or tax adviser.

Some foreign governments levy withholding taxes against dividend and interest income. Although in some countries a portion of these withholding taxes is recoverable, the non-recovered portion will reduce the income received from the securities in the Fund. If more than 50% of the total assets of the Fund at the close of a year consist of non-U.S. stocks or securities, then the Fund may elect, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, to treat certain non-U.S. income taxes (including withholding taxes) paid by the Fund as paid by its shareholders. The Fund will provide you with the information necessary to reflect foreign taxes paid on your income tax return if it makes this election.

If you hold your shares in a tax-qualified retirement account, you generally will not be subject to federal taxation on income received with respect to the shares (including Fund dividends and distributions, and any gain on the sale of shares), until you begin receiving payments from your retirement account. You should consult your tax adviser regarding the tax rules that apply to your retirement account.

**Tax Status of Share Transactions**

Any capital gain or loss upon a sale of the Fund's shares is generally treated as a long-term gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term gain or loss if held for one year or less. Any capital loss on the sale of the Fund's shares held for six months or less is treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent that any capital gain distributions were paid with respect to such shares.

**Medicare Contribution Tax**

U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly) are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on all or a portion of their "net investment income," including interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (including capital gains realized on the sale or exchange 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.

**Back-Up Withholding**

The Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold at applicable withholding rates (currently 24%) and remit to the U.S. Treasury the amount withheld on amounts payable to any shareholder who (1) has provided the Fund either an incorrect tax identification number or no number at all, (2) is subject to back-up withholding by the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") for failure to properly report payments of interest or dividends, (3) has failed to certify to the Fund that such shareholder is not subject to back-up withholding, or (4) has not certified that such shareholder is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien).

**Non-U.S. Investors**

If you are not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States or if you are a non-U.S. entity, the Fund's ordinary income dividends (which include distributions of net short-term capital gains) will generally be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax, unless a lower treaty rate applies, provided that withholding tax will generally not apply to any gain or income realized by a non-U.S. shareholder in respect of any distributions of long-term capital gains or upon the sale or other disposition of shares of the Fund. The withholding tax will also not apply to properly designated interest-related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends. You also may potentially be subject to U.S. federal estate taxes.

A 30% withholding tax will generally be imposed on dividends paid by the Fund to (i) foreign financial institutions including non-U.S. investment funds unless they agree to collect and disclose to the IRS, or the tax authorities in their home jurisdictions, information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. account holders and (ii) certain other foreign entities, unless they certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners. A non-U.S. shareholder may be exempt from the withholding described in this paragraph under an intergovernmental agreement between the United States and a foreign government, provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement. Proposed regulations (which are effective while pending) eliminate the application of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act ("FATCA") withholding tax to capital gain dividends and redemption proceeds that was scheduled to take effect in 2019.

**State Tax Considerations**

In addition to federal taxes, distributions by the Fund and ownership of the Fund's shares may be subject to state and local taxes. You should consult your tax adviser regarding how state and local tax laws affect your investment in the Fund's shares.

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

A person who purchases a Creation Unit by exchanging securities in-kind generally will recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the sum of the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and any net amount of cash received by the Authorized Participant in the exchange and (ii) the sum of the purchaser's aggregate basis in the securities surrendered and any net amount of cash paid for the Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units and receives securities in-kind from the Fund will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the redeemer's basis in the Creation Units, and the aggregate market value of the securities received and any net cash received. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an in-kind exchange of securities for Creation Units or an exchange of Creation Units for securities cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing "wash sales," or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. Persons effecting in-kind creations or redemptions should consult their own tax adviser with respect to these matters.

The Fund has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the shares 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 deposit securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Fund also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of the 80% determinations.

**<u>Index Provider Disclaimers</u>**

China Securities Index Co., Ltd. ("CSI"), a leading index provider in China, is a joint venture between the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange that specializes in the creation of indices and index-related services. CSI is not affiliated with the Trust, Krane, the Trust's administrator, custodian, transfer agent or Distributor, or any of their respective affiliates. Krane has entered into a license agreement with CSI to use the relevant Index and CSI marks, and sublicenses such rights to the Fund at no charge. Krane uses the marks for the purpose of promoting and marketing the Fund.

The Fund is neither sponsored nor promoted, distributed or in any other manner supported by CSI. The Index is compiled and calculated by CSI. CSI will apply all necessary means to ensure the accuracy of the Index. However, neither CSI nor the Shanghai Stock Exchange nor the Shenzhen Stock Exchange shall be liable (whether in negligence or otherwise) to any person for any error in the Index and neither CSI nor the Shanghai Stock Exchange nor the Shenzhen Stock Exchange shall be under any obligation to advise any person of any error therein. All copyrights in the Index values and constituent lists vest in CSI. Neither the publication of the Index by CSI nor the granting of a license of rights relating to the Index or to the Index Trademark for the utilization in connection with the Fund, represents a recommendation by CSI for a capital investment or contains in any manner a warranty or opinion by CSI with respect to the attractiveness of an investment in the Fund.

**<u>Additional Disclaimers</u>**

**Krane and Trust Disclaimer**

*Neither Krane nor the Trust guarantees the accuracy or the completeness of any Underlying Index or any data included therein and neither shall have any liability for any errors, omissions or interruptions therein. Krane and the Fund further make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of shares of the Fund or any members of the public as to results to be obtained by the Funds from the use of any Underlying Index, as to any data included therein, or as to the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Funds particularly. Krane expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to any Underlying Index or Fund. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall Krane have any liability for any special, punitive, direct, indirect or consequential damages (including lost profits), even if notified of the possibility of such damages.*

**NYSE Arca, Inc. Disclaimer**

*Shares of the Fund are not sponsored, endorsed or promoted by NYSE Arca, Inc. ("NYSE Arca"). NYSE Arca makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the shares of the Fund or any member of the public regarding the ability of the Fund to track the total return performance of the Underlying Index or the ability of the Underlying Index to track stock market performance. NYSE Arca is not responsible for, nor has it participated in, the determination of the compilation or the calculation of the Underlying Index, nor in the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of shares of the Funds to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the shares are redeemable. NYSE Arca has no obligation or liability to owners of the shares of the Fund in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the shares of the Fund.*

*NYSE Arca does not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the Underlying Index or any data included therein. NYSE Arca makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by the Trust on behalf of the Fund as licensee, licensee's customers and counterparties, owners of the shares of the Fund, or any other person or entity from the use of the subject index or any data included therein in connection with the rights licensed as described herein or for any other use. NYSE Arca makes no express or implied warranties and hereby expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to the Underlying Indexes or any data included therein. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall NYSE Arca have any liability for any direct, indirect, special, punitive, consequential or any other damages (including lost profits) even if notified of the possibility of such damages.*

**<u>Financial Highlights</u>**

The table that follows presents the financial highlights for the Fund for the fiscal periods indicated. The table is intended to help you understand the Fund's financial performance. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The information has been derived from financial statements audited by KPMG LLP, the Trust's independent registered public accounting firm. Their report, along with the financial highlights and financial statements, is included in the Fund's most recent Form N-CSR (see back cover for information on how to obtain the Fund's financial statements).

**KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF (KPRO)**

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios**

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF** | **2025** | **2024<sup>(1)</sup>** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period ($) | 25.21 | 25.00 |
| Net Investment Income (Loss) ($)\* | 0.98 | (0.01) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments ($) | 2.74 | 0.22 |
| Total from Operations ($) | 3.72 | 0.21 |
| Distribution from Net Investment Income ($) | (1.00) |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution from Capital Gains ($) |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Return of Capital ($) |  |  |
| Total from Distributions ($) | (1.00) |  |
| Net Asset Value, End of Period ($) | 27.93 | 25.21 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | 14.92 | 0.84 |
| Net Assets End of Period ($) (000) | 2793 | 2521 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%) | 0.26‡ | 0.26 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, as applicable) (%) | 0.26‡ | 0.26 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (%) | 3.66 | (0.23) |
| Portfolio Turnover (%) | 4 |  |

---

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| (1) | The Fund's inception date was on February 7, 2024. |
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| † | Annualized. |
| †† | Portfolio turnover rate is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. Excludes effect of in-kind transfers. |
| ‡ | In addition to the fees and expenses which the Fund bears directly, it also indirectly bears a pro-rata share of the fees and expenses of the underlying funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the above expense ratios. |

---

**Additional Information**

*Additional and more detailed information about the Fund is included in the SAI dated August 1, 2025. The SAI has been filed with the SEC and is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus and, therefore, legally forms a part of this Prospectus. The SEC maintains the EDGAR database on its website ("http://www.sec.gov") that contains the SAI, material incorporated by reference, and other information regarding registrants that file electronically with the SEC and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.*

*You may obtain a copy of the SAI, the Annual or Semi-Annual Reports to shareholders, and other information such as Fund financial statements, or make inquiries, without charge, by calling 1.855.857.2638, visiting www.kraneshares.com, or writing the Trust at 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10017. Additional information about the Fund's investments will be available in the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports and in Form N-CSR. Also, in the Fund's Annual Report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund's performance during its last fiscal year. In Form N-CSR, you will find the Fund's annual and semi-annual financial statements. The Fund's fiscal year end is March 31.*

*No one has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations not contained in this Prospectus or in the Fund's SAI in connection with the offering of Fund shares. Do not rely on any such information or representations as having been authorized by the Fund, Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable. This Prospectus does not constitute an offering by the Fund in any jurisdiction where such an offering is not lawful.*

*The Trust enters into contractual arrangements with various parties, including among others, the Fund's investment adviser, sub-adviser(s) (if applicable), distributor, custodian, and transfer agent who provide services to the Fund. Shareholders are not parties to any such contractual arrangements or intended beneficiaries of those contractual arrangements, and those contractual arrangements are not intended to create in any shareholder any right to enforce them against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the Trust.*

*This prospectus provides information concerning the Fund that you should consider in determining whether to purchase Fund shares. Neither this prospectus nor the SAI is intended, or should be read, to be or give rise to an agreement or contract between the Trust, the Trustees, or the Fund and any investor, or to give rise to any rights in any shareholder or other person other than any rights under federal or state law that may not be waived.*

The Trust's Investment Company Act file number is 811-22698.

**KraneShares Trust**

Prospectus

August 1, 2025

KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF - (KBUF)

Fund shares are not individually redeemable. Fund shares are listed on NYSE Arca, Inc. ("Exchange").

These securities have not been approved or disapproved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") or the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC"), nor have the SEC or CFTC passed upon the adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

● <u>***Defined Outcome Strategy***</u> . The Fund uses options, including FLEX options, to employ a "defined outcome strategy." Defined outcome strategies seek to produce pre-determined investment outcomes based upon the performance of an underlying security or index. The pre-determined outcomes sought by the Fund, which include the " <u>Buffer</u> " and " <u>Cap</u> " discussed below (" <u>Outcomes</u> "), are based upon the " <u>total return</u> " of the Underlying ETF (i.e., the performance of the secondary market share price including any distributions) over the period of January 27, 2025 through January 15, 2027. This period is referred to as the " <u>Outcome Period</u>." Since the Fund's strategy is designed to produce the Outcomes based upon the total return of the Underlying ETF, which would include any distributions paid by the Underlying ETF, Fund shareholders that purchase shares after the Fund has made any distributions could be adversely impacted and may not achieve the Outcomes. <u>**There is no guarantee that the Outcomes for any Outcome Period will be realized**</u> **.** 

●  ***<u>Options, including FLEX Options</u>*** . The Fund will pursue its defined outcome strategy by investing at least 80% of its net assets in the KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF (the " <u>Underlying ETF</u> ") and options, including FLexible EXchange<sup>®</sup>Options (" <u>FLEX options</u> "), on the Underlying ETF. FLEX options are customizable exchange-traded option contracts guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation ("OCC"). The Underlying ETF is an exchange-traded fund advised by Krane Funds Advisors, LLC (" <u>Krane</u> " or the " <u>Adviser</u> ") that seeks to track the CSI Overseas China Internet Index (the " <u>Index</u> "). The Index is designed to measure the equity market performance of investable publicly traded "China-based companies" whose primary business or businesses are in the Internet and Internet-related sectors, and are listed outside of mainland China.

●  ***<u>The Buffer</u>*** . The Fund seeks to protect shareholders that hold shares for the entire Outcome Period from declines in the Fund's total return by providing a Buffer (the " <u>Buffer</u> ") against 90% of decreases in the total return of the Underlying ETF, as measured from the first day of the Outcome Period through the last day of the Outcome Period prior to taking into account any fees or expenses charged to the Fund. Stated differently, if the total return of the Underlying ETF's shares decreased by more than 10% during the Outcome Period, the Buffer seeks to limit Fund NAV losses to 10%. When the Fund's annual management fee of 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets is taken into account, the Buffer is approximately 89.31%. The Buffer will be further reduced by any other expenses charged to the Fund and any shareholder transaction fees. **There is no guarantee the Fund will be successful in providing the sought-after protection. <u>An investor purchasing Fund shares at a market price that reflects increases in the total return of the Underlying ETF since the start of the Outcome Period will not receive the entire protection that the Fund seeks to provide since the Buffer only seeks to protect against declines in the total return of the Underlying ETF from the beginning of the Outcome Period.</u> An investment in the Fund is only appropriate for shareholders who are able to bear those losses and understand the operation of the Buffer. The Buffer is provided prior to taking into account any fees or expenses charged to the Fund. Any fees or expenses will have the effect of reducing the Buffer amount for Fund shareholders for an Outcome Period. You may lose some or all of your money by investing in the Fund.** 

●  ***<u>The Cap</u>*** . The Fund seeks to participate in the upside total returns of the Underlying ETF, however Fund shareholders are subject to an upside total return cap (the "Cap") that represents the maximum total return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund over the duration of the Outcome Period, as measured from the first day of the Outcome Period through the last day of the Outcome Period prior to taking into account any fees or expenses charged to the Fund. The Cap is set on the first day of the Outcome Period and is 40.01% prior to taking into account any fees or expenses. When the Fund's annual management fee of 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets is taken into account, the Cap is approximately 39.32%. The Cap will be further reduced by any other expenses charged to the Fund and any shareholder transaction fees. The Cap is likely to rise or fall from one Outcome Period to the next.  **<u>If the Outcome Period has begun and the Fund's total return has increased to a level near the Cap, an investor purchasing shares at that price has little to no ability to achieve gains but remains vulnerable to downside risks</u>.** 

●  ***<u>Impact of Distributions on Buffer and Cap</u>.*** Since the Fund invests in the Underlying ETF, the Fund will receive distributions made by the Underlying ETF. Significant distributions paid by the Underlying ETF may cause the OCC to make adjustments to the strike price of the Fund's options,  **<u>which can cause changes to the Fund's Buffer and Cap and adversely affect the Outcomes. As a result, the Fund may not perform as expected and Fund shareholders could be adversely impacted, especially Fund shareholders that purchase shares after the start of the Outcome Period and Fund shareholders who do not hold shares for the entire Outcome Period. The Fund is not an appropriate investment for income-seeking investors</u>.** 

●  ***<u>The Outcome Period</u>*** . The Fund's strategy has been specifically designed to produce the Outcomes based upon the total return of the Underlying ETF from the first day of the Outcome Period to the last day of the Outcome Period.  **<u>The Outcomes may only be realized by investors who hold shares of the Fund from the commencement of the Outcome Period and continue to hold them until the conclusion of the Outcome Period. Investors that purchase shares after the Outcome Period has begun or sell shares prior to the Outcome Period's conclusion may experience investment returns very different from those that the Fund seeks to provide</u>.** 

**The Fund's strategy is designed to produce the Outcomes upon the expiration of its options investments on the last day of the Outcome Period. <u>It should not be expected that the Outcomes will be provided at any point prior to the last day of the Outcome Period</u>.** The Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in the Underlying ETF and options, including FLEX options, on the Underlying ETF, the value of which is derived from the value of the Underlying ETF. A component of an option contract's value is the remaining time until its expiration. Accordingly, the Fund's net asset value ("<u>NAV</u>") will not directly correlate on a day-to-day basis with the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF. The Fund's investment adviser anticipates that the Fund's NAV will move in the same direction as the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF, though not at the same rate as the Underlying ETF. **Since the options do not expire until approximately two years after the commencement of the Outcome Period, the degree of correlation between the value of the options and the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF may be lower than if the options had a shorter term. <u>Investors considering purchasing shares after the Outcome Period has begun or selling shares prior to the end of the Outcome Period should visit the Fund's website to fully understand potential investment outcomes</u>.** 

●  **<u>The Fund's website, www.kraneshares.com/kbuf, provides important Fund information (including, among other items, Outcome Period start and end dates and information relating to the Cap and Buffer), as well information relating to the potential outcomes of an investment in the Fund on a daily basis. If you are contemplating purchasing shares of the Fund, please visit the website.</u>** 

● <u>***Subsequent Outcome Periods***</u> . Following the Outcome Period, a subsequent Outcome Period will commence (the " <u>next Outcome Period</u> "). The Fund is not expected to terminate after the conclusion of any Outcome Period. Each subsequent Outcome Period will be a two-year period. After the end of each Outcome Period, the Fund will change its name to reflect the new Outcome Period. The Fund's initial Outcome Period was reset and extended by a year due to market conditions in the first year of the Fund's initial Outcome Period. While the Fund does not expect to change the current Outcome Period for the Fund, the Fund reserves the right to do so depending on market conditions during the current Outcome Period. Any such change would be approved by the Board of Trustees of the Fund and investors would be provided advance notice of such change.

**Although the Fund seeks to achieve the Outcomes consistent with its investment objective, there is no guarantee that it will do so. The returns that the Fund seeks to provide do not include the costs associated with purchasing shares and certain expenses incurred by the Fund. The Fund has characteristics unlike many other traditional investment products and may not be suitable for all investors. You may lose money by investing in the Fund.** 

**KraneShares Trust**

**Table of Contents**

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Fund Summary** |  |
| [KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF](#pro-kbuf_001) | 1 |
| [**Additional Information About the Fund**](#pro-kbuf_002) | 22 |
| [Additional Information about the Fund's Principal Investment Strategies](#pro-kbuf_003) | 22 |
| [Principal Investment Risks](#pro-kbuf_004) | 22 |
| [**Management**](#pro-kbuf_005) | 44 |
| [Investment Adviser](#pro-kbuf_006) | 44 |
| [Portfolio Managers](#pro-kbuf_007) | 46 |
| [Other Service Providers](#pro-kbuf_008) | 46 |
| [**Shareholder Information**](#pro-kbuf_009) | 46 |
| [Calculating NAV](#pro-kbuf_010) | 46 |
| [Buying and Selling Fund Shares](#pro-kbuf_011) | 48 |
| [Premium/Discount Information](#pro-kbuf_012) | 49 |
| [Portfolio Holdings Information](#pro-kbuf_013) | 49 |
| [Active Investors and Market Timing](#pro-kbuf_014) | 49 |
| [Investments by Registered Investment Companies](#pro-kbuf_015) | 49 |
| [Continuous Offering](#pro-kbuf_016) | 49 |
| [Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries](#pro-kbuf_017) | 50 |
| [Distribution Plan](#pro-kbuf_018) | 50 |
| [Householding Policy](#pro-kbuf_019) | 50 |
| [Dividends and Distributions](#pro-kbuf_020) | 50 |
| [**Additional Tax Information**](#pro-kbuf_021) | 51 |
| [**Index Provider Disclaimers**](#pro-kbuf_022) | 53 |
| [**Additional Disclaimers**](#pro-kbuf_023) | 54 |
| [**Financial Highlights**](#pro-kbuf_024) | 55 |
| [**Additional Information**](#pro-kbuf_025) | 57 |

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i

**KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF**

**Investment Objective**

The Fund seeks to provide investors with returns that match the total return of the KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF ("Underlying ETF") of increases of up to 40.01% of the Underlying ETF (prior to taking into account any fees or expenses) ("Cap") while providing a Buffer against 90% of decreases in the total return of the Underlying ETF (prior to taking into account any fees or expenses) ("Buffer"), over the period from January 27, 2025 to January 15, 2027 (the "Outcome Period").

**Fees and Expenses of the Fund** 

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

**Shareholder Fees** (fees paid directly from your investment)

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Annual Fund Operating Expenses**<br> (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fees | 0.25% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees<sup>\*</sup> | 0.00% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses | 0.01% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses<sup>\*\*</sup> | 0.75% |
| **Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses** | 1.01% |

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\* Pursuant to a Distribution Plan, the Fund may bear a Rule 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per year of the Fund's average daily net assets. However, no such fee is currently paid by the Fund, and the Board of Trustees has not currently approved the commencement of any payments under the Distribution Plan.

\*\* "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" are expenses incurred indirectly by the Fund through its ownership of shares of other investment companies (such as exchange-traded funds). They are not direct operating expenses paid by Fund shareholders and are not used to calculate the Fund's net asset value ("NAV"). In addition, "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" will not be reflected in the Fund's Financial Statements in its shareholder report. Therefore, the amounts listed in "Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses" will differ from those presented in the Fund's Financial Highlights.

**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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you do or do not sell your shares, your costs would be:

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| $103 | $322 | $558 | $1236 |

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**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 the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 3% of the average value of its portfolio.

**Principal Investment Strategies**

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| The Fund's strategy is designed to provide investors with the opportunity over a limited period of time (the "Outcome Period") to benefit up to a certain extent (the "Cap") from increases in the total return of the Underlying ETF with only a portion of the risk (the "Buffer") otherwise attendant to investing in the asset class represented by the Underlying ETF, which is China Internet Companies.<br>The Cap seeks to provide shareholders with up to 40.01% (prior to taking into account any fees and expenses) of increases in the total return of the Underlying ETF (i.e., the performance of the secondary market share price including any distributions) (its "total return") during the Outcome Period. When the Fund's annual management fee of 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets is taken into account, the Cap is approximately 39.32%. The Cap will be further reduced by any other expenses charged to the Fund and any shareholder transaction fees. The Cap represents the maximum total return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund over the duration of the Outcome Period. **The Fund's total return will not appreciate beyond the Cap and Fund shareholders may underperform the Underlying ETF.**<br>The Buffer seeks to protect shareholders that hold shares for the entire Outcome Period from declines in the Fund's total return by providing a buffer against 90% of decreases in the total return of the Underlying ETF. Stated differently, if the total return of the Underlying ETF's shares decreased by more than 10% during the Outcome Period, the Buffer seeks to limit Fund NAV losses to 10%. When the Fund's annual management fee of 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets is taken into account, the Buffer is approximately 89.31%. The Buffer will be further reduced by any other expenses charged to the Fund and any shareholder transaction fees. **There is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in providing the Buffer.**<br>Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in the KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF (the "Underlying ETF") and options, including FLexible EXchange<sup>®</sup> Options ("FLEX options"), that reference the Underlying ETF. The Underlying ETF is an exchange-traded fund advised by Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or the "Adviser") that seeks to track the CSI Overseas China Internet Index (the "Index"). The Index is designed to measure the equity market performance of China Internet Companies listed outside of mainland China, as determined by China Securities Index Co., Ltd. ("Index Provider"). The reference asset for all of the Fund's options is the Underlying ETF. More information about the Underlying ETF and its Index is included at the end of this section.<br>There is no guarantee that investors in the Fund will experience the sought-after outcomes based on the Cap and Buffer ("Outcomes") over the Outcome Period: | ***China Internet Companies:***<br> *Investable publicly traded "China-based companies" whose primary business or businesses are in the Internet and Internet-related sectors ("China Internet Companies"), and are listed outside of mainland China, as determined by China Securities Index Co., Ltd.*<br>***Outcome Period:*** <br> *The period of January 27, 2025 through January 15, 2027 is referred to as the Outcome Period. The Buffer and the Cap are based on the total return of the Underlying ETF and are set on the first day of the Outcome Period.*<br>***Options Contract:***<br> *An agreement between a buyer and seller that gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy or sell a particular asset at a specified future date at an agreed upon price. FLEX options are customizable exchange-traded option contracts guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation ("OCC").* |

---

●  **<u>The Fund's strategy is designed to produce the Outcomes based upon the total return of the Underlying ETF from the first day of the Outcome Period to the last day of the Outcome Period</u>.** The Outcomes may only be realized by investors who continuously hold shares from the beginning of the Outcome Period until the end of the Outcome Period.  **<u>Investors that purchase shares after the Outcome Period has begun or sell shares prior to the Outcome Period ends may experience investment returns very different from those that the Fund seeks to provide</u>.** 

● When establishing an Outcome Period, the Fund cannot anticipate any corporate actions that may affect the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF, such as significant distributions by the Underlying ETF, and that may cause the strike price of the options held by the Fund to be adjusted by the OCC. **An adjustment of the strike price of the options held by the Fund by the OCC may adversely impact the Outcomes.** 

Although the Fund's investment adviser, Krane, generally anticipates that the Fund's net asset value ("NAV") will increase on days when the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF increases and will decrease on days when the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF decreases, the rate of such increase or decrease is expected to be less than that experienced by the Underlying ETF. This is because the Fund's NAV is based upon the value of its portfolio, which is composed principally of the Underlying ETF and options; and while the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF is a significant component of the value of the Fund's options, the time remaining until those options expire also affects their value. As a result, the Fund's NAV is not expected to increase or decrease at the same rate as the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF.

Further, as the Fund gets closer to the end of the Outcome Period, the value of the Underlying ETF, the put options and the calls options may differ from the values at the beginning of the Outcome Period. Such shift in the value of the Fund's holdings over time may increase risks to one type of exposure in the Fund compared to the other.

The two hypothetical graphical illustrations provided below are designed to illustrate the Outcomes, before any fees and expenses, that the Fund seeks to provide for investors who hold shares for the entirety of the Outcome Period. **There is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its attempt to provide the Outcomes for an Outcome Period.**

![](pro-kbuf_001.jpg)

![](pro-kbuf_002.jpg)

**\*** **Please note: this graph is provided merely to illustrate the Outcomes that the Fund seeks to provide based upon the performance of the KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF. There is no guarantee that these outcomes will be achieved over the Outcome Period.**

The following table is designed to illustrate the Outcomes the Fund seeks to provide over an Outcome Period, assuming the hypothetical performance of the Underlying ETF (from -100% to 100%) shown in the first line of the table. The table is provided for illustrative purposes only and does not provide every possible performance scenario for shares over the course of an Outcome Period. The table is not intended to predict or project the performance of the Fund or the Underlying ETF. Fund shareholders should not take this information as an assurance of the expected performance of the Underlying ETF or return on the Fund's shares. **There is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its attempt to provide the Outcomes for an Outcome Period.**

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| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Hypothetical Underlying ETF Performance** | **(100)%** | **(50)%** | **(20)%** | **(5)%** | **0%** | **5%** | **10%** | **15%** | **20%** | **50%** | **100%** |
| **Fund Performance** | **(10)%\*\*** | **(10)%\*\*** | **(10)%\*\*** | **(5)%** | **0%** | **5%** | **10%** | **15%** | **20%** | **40.01%\*** | **40.01%\*** |

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\* When the Fund's annual management fee of 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets is taken into account, the Cap is approximately 39.32%. The Cap will be further reduced by any other expenses charged to the Fund and any shareholder transaction fees.

\*\* When the Fund's annual management fee of 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets is taken into account, the Buffer is approximately 89.31%. The Buffer will be further reduced by any other expenses charged to the Fund and any shareholder transaction fees.

Since the Fund invests in the Underlying ETF, the Fund will receive distributions made by the Underlying ETF. These distributions paid by the Underlying ETF may cause the OCC to make adjustments to the strike price of the Fund's options. If this occurs, then such an adjustment can cause changes to the Fund's Buffer and Cap and may adversely affect the Outcomes. As a result, the Fund may not perform as expected and Fund shareholders could be adversely impacted, especially Fund shareholders that purchase shares after the start of the Outcome Period and Fund shareholders who do not hold shares for the entire Outcome Period.

The following hypothetical tables are designed to illustrate the impact of strike price adjustments on the Fund's Buffer and Cap due to distributions by the Underlying ETF. These tables are provided for illustrative purposes only and does not provide every possible scenario over the course of an Outcome Period. These tables are not intended to predict or project any distributions by the Fund or the Underlying ETF or the performance of the Fund or the Underlying ETF. Fund shareholders should not take this information as an assurance of the expected distributions or performance of the Underlying ETF or the Fund. The tables assume the Underlying ETF's market price is $30 for each period shown and the Underlying ETF distributes $3 in capital gains to the Fund, which distributes the same amount to Fund shareholders. The tables assume the OCC adjusts the strike price of the Fund's options as shown due to such distributions. The tables also assumes a shareholder purchases Fund shares on the first day of the Outcome Period and continuously holds Fund shares until the end of the Outcome Period. While these tables assume that the Fund distributes the same amount of distribution received from the Underlying ETF, the Fund may not always distribute the entire amount of the distribution received from the Underlying ETF.

**<u>Impact on Buffer With Strike Price Adjustment Due to Distributions</u>**

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| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Period** | **Distribution** | **Adjustment to Strike Price** | **Distribution as a % of Strike Price** | **Buffer\*** | **Buffer\* with Distribution Included** |
| First Day | - | - | - | 90% | - |
| End of First Year | $3 | Strike Price Reduced by $3 | 10% | 80% | 90% |
| End of Second Year | $3 | Strike Price Reduced by $3 | 10% | 70% | 90% |

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\* When the Fund's annual management fee of 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets is taken into account, the Buffer is approximately 89.31%. The Buffer will be further reduced by any other expenses charged to the Fund and any shareholder transaction fees.

As shown in the table, while the amount of the "Buffer" is expected to decrease due to such strike price adjustments, the "Buffer with the Distribution Included" is expected to approximate the Buffer on the first day if a shareholder includes the distribution they were paid by the Fund in the Buffer amount.

**<u>Impact on Cap With Strike Price Adjustment Due to Distribution</u>**

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| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Period** | **Distribution** | **Adjustment to Strike Price** | **Distribution as a % of Strike Price** | **Cap\*** | **Cap\* with Distribution Included** |
| First Day | - | - | - | 40.01% | - |
| End of First Year | $3 | Strike Price Reduced by $3 | 10% | 30.01% | 40.01% |
| End of Second Year | $3 | Strike Price Reduced by $3 | 10% | 20.01% | 40.01% |

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\* When the Fund's annual management fee of 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets is taken into account, the Cap is approximately 39.32%. The Cap will be further reduced by any other expenses charged to the Fund and any shareholder transaction fees.

As shown in the table, while the amount of the "Cap" is expected to decrease due to such strike price adjustments, the "Cap with the Distribution Included" is expected to approximate the Cap on the first day if a shareholder includes the distribution they were paid by the Fund in the Cap amount.

If the Underlying ETF makes distributions and the OCC does not make adjustments to the strike price of the Fund's options, a shareholder will need to include the amount of the distributions to achieve the sought after Outcomes. As a result, Fund shareholders that purchase shares after the start of the Outcome Period could be adversely impacted, especially those Fund shareholders that purchase shares after the Fund has made any distributions.

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| ***Use of Options, including FLEX Options.*** The Adviser will construct a portfolio principally composed of the Underlying ETF and options, including FLEX options, that reference the Underlying ETF and are set to expire on the last day of the Outcome Period. Each of the options purchased and sold throughout the Outcome Period are expected to have the same or similar terms (i.e., strike price and expiration) as the options purchased and sold on the first day of the Outcome Period.<br>At the commencement of the Outcome Period, the Adviser selects the strike price for each option such that when the options are exercised on the final day of the Outcome Period, the Outcomes may be obtained. The customizable nature of FLEX options allows the Adviser to make the FLEX options exercisable only on the expiration date of the option contract (i.e., European style option contracts). The Fund will only write (sell) FLEX options that are European style option contracts. The Fund may purchase options that are European style option contracts and options that are exercisable at any time (i.e., American style option contracts).<br>To achieve the Outcomes, the Fund may purchase and sell a combination of call option contracts and put option contracts.<br>| ***Strike Price:*** <br> *Generally, the price at which an option holder may exercise the right to purchase or sell the reference asset of an option contract upon expiration of the contract. For the Fund, the strike price will be the total return of the Underlying ETF at which the Fund may exercise an option at the end of the Outcome Period.* <br>***Call Option Contract:*** <br> *A call option contract gives the buyer of the call option contract the right (but not the obligation) to buy, and the seller of the call option contract (i.e., the "writer") the obligation to sell, a specified amount of an underlying security at a pre-determined price.* <br>***Put Option Contract:*** <br> *A put option contract gives the buyer of the put option contract the right (but not the obligation) to sell, and the writer of the put option contract the obligation to buy, a specified amount of an underlying security at a pre-determined price.* |

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***The Outcome Period.*** The Outcomes sought by the Fund are based upon the total return of the Underlying ETF at the start of the Outcome Period. **The next Outcome Period begins on January 27, 2025 and ends on January 15, 2027.** As the terms of the options do not change during each Outcome Period, the Cap and Buffer both will be measured to the total return of the Underlying ETF on the first day of the Outcome Period. **A shareholder that purchases shares after the commencement of the Outcome Period will likely have purchased shares at a different NAV than the NAV on the first day of the Outcome Period and therefore may experience investment outcomes that are very different from those sought by the Fund. Since the Fund will only exercise options on the final day of the Outcome Period, a shareholder that sells shares prior to the end of the Outcome Period may also experience investment outcomes very different from those sought by the Fund. <u>To achieve the Outcomes sought by the Fund for the Outcome Period, an investor must hold shares continuously throughout the Outcome Period</u>. There is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its attempt to provide the Outcomes.**

The Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in the Underlying ETF and options, including FLEX options, on the Underlying ETF. However, because a component of an option's value is the number of days remaining until its expiration, during the Outcome Period, the Fund's NAV will not directly correlate on a day-to-day basis with the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF. The Adviser generally anticipates that the Fund's NAV will increase on days when the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF increases and will decrease on days when the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF decreases, but that the rate of such increase or decrease will be less than that experienced by the Underlying ETF. For the same reasons, the impact of the Buffer on the Fund, may not be in full effect prior to the end of the Outcome Period. **Since the options do not expire until approximately two years after the commencement of the Outcome Period, the degree of correlation between the value of the options and the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF may be lower than if the options had a shorter term. The Fund seeks to provide the Outcomes only for the entirety of the Outcome Period and investors should not expect the sought-after Outcomes at any point prior to the end of the Outcome Period.**

***The Buffer on Losses.*** The Buffer seeks to protect shareholders that hold shares for the entire Outcome Period from declines in the Fund's total return by providing a buffer against 90% of decreases in the total return of the Underlying ETF, not including any other expenses charged to the Fund and any shareholder transaction fees. **There is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its attempt to provide buffered returns.** The Fund seeks to produce the Outcomes for the Outcome Period upon the expiration of its options investments on the last day of the Outcome Period. Therefore, it should not be expected that the Buffer, including the net effect of the Fund's annual management fee, will be provided at any point prior to the last day of the Outcome Period. <u>**If an investor purchases shares at a time during an Outcome Period when the total return of the Underlying ETF has already increased, then the investor will incur losses notwithstanding the Buffer since the Buffer only seeks to protect against declines in the total return of the Underlying ETF from the beginning of the Outcome Period**</u>. Similarly, if an investor sells shares prior to the end of the Outcome Period, the Buffer that the Fund seeks to provide may not protect against losses. When the Fund's annual management fee of 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets is taken into account, the Buffer is approximately 89.31%. The Buffer will be further reduced by any other expenses charged to the Fund and any shareholder transaction fees. In addition, any changes in the Fund's options due to material corporate actions, including material distributions, could reduce the Buffer during an Outcome Period.

***The Cap on Upside Returns.*** Unlike other investment products, the potential upside total return an investor can receive from an investment in the Fund over the Outcome Period is limited by the Cap. <u>**The Cap represents the maximum total return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund over the duration of the Outcome Period**</u>**. Therefore, even though the Fund's total returns are expected to approximate the total return of the Underlying ETF, in the event that the total return of the Underlying ETF exceeds the Cap for the Outcome Period, the Fund will not appreciate beyond the Cap.** The Cap is determined on the first day of the Outcome Period and is 40.01% prior to taking into account any fees or expenses. When the Fund's annual management fee of 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets is taken into account, the Cap is approximately 39.32%. The Cap will be further reduced by any other expenses charged to the Fund, including any extraordinary expenses, and any shareholder transaction fees. For the purpose of this prospectus, "extraordinary expenses" are non-recurring expenses that may be incurred by the Fund outside of the ordinary course of its business, including, without limitation, costs incurred in connection with any claim, litigation, arbitration, mediation, government investigation or similar proceedings, indemnification expenses and expenses in connection with holding and/or soliciting proxies for a meeting of Fund shareholders. In addition, any changes in the Fund's options due to material corporate actions, including material distributions, could have the effect of reducing the Cap for an Outcome Period.

The Cap is a result of the design of the Fund's principal investment strategy. In order to provide the sought-after Buffer, the Fund purchases a series of options. As the purchaser of these options, the Fund is obligated to pay a premium to the seller of those options. However, the strategy is designed so that any premiums that the Fund is obligated to pay are offset by premiums it receives in connection with selling options that established the Cap. These transactions occur on the first day of the Outcome Period: the Adviser calculates the amount of premium that the Fund owes in order to buy options to provide the Buffer, and then sells options with terms that entitle the Fund to receive that same amount as a premium to determine the Cap. The Cap is the strike price of the written options, which is determined based upon prevailing market conditions at the time, most notably current interest rate levels, volatility in the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF, time remaining until the options expire, and the relationship of put and call options on the Underlying ETF.

The Cap will change from one Outcome Period to the next based upon prevailing market conditions at the beginning of the Outcome Period. The Cap, and the Fund's position relative to it, should be considered before investing in the Fund.

***Subsequent Outcome Periods.*** The Fund is designed to be a continuous investment vehicle. It is not expected to terminate and distribute its assets at the conclusion of an Outcome Period. Rather, at the end of each Outcome Period, a subsequent Outcome Period is expected to begin.

At the end of each Outcome Period, the Fund will receive the cash value of all the options it held for the prior Outcome Period. It will then invest in a new series of options with an expiration date of approximately two years in the future, and a new Outcome Period will begin. Since the Cap for any Outcome Period is based upon prevailing market conditions at the beginning of an Outcome Period, the Cap will rise or fall from one Outcome Period to the next.

Investors who hold shares of the Fund at the end of an Outcome Period will receive two notices of the commencement of the subsequent Outcome Period. Approximately one week prior to the end of an Outcome Period, the Fund will file a prospectus supplement alerting existing shareholders that an Outcome Period is ending. The supplement will disclose the new name of the Fund, which will be revised to reflect the dates of the next Outcome Period, and the anticipated ranges for the Cap for the next Outcome Period. After the close of business on the last day of the Outcome Period, the Fund will file another prospectus supplement that discloses the Fund's final Cap (both gross and net of the management fee) for the next Outcome Period and the change in the Fund's name to reflect the new Outcome Period.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in instruments that are not included in the 80% test noted above. These investments include equity securities, depositary receipts, derivative instruments, other investment companies (including exchange traded funds or "ETFs") and cash or cash equivalents (including money market funds).

The Fund is non-diversified.

***Additional Information About the Underlying ETF.*** The Underlying ETF seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Index, which is designed to measure the equity market performance of China Internet Companies.

● The Index Provider defines China-based companies as those that: (i) are incorporated in mainland China; (ii) have their headquarters in mainland China; or (iii) derive at least 50% of its revenue from goods produced or sold, or services performed, in mainland China.

● China Internet Companies include, but are not limited to, companies that develop and market Internet software and/or provide Internet services; manufacture home entertainment software and educational software for home use; provide retail or commercial services primarily through the Internet; and develop and market mobile Internet software and/or provide mobile Internet services.

The Index excludes securities that during the past year had a daily average trading value of less than $3 million or a daily average market cap of less than $2 billion. Constituents of the Index are ranked by free-float market capitalization in U.S. Dollars and then weighted so that no constituent exceeds 10% at each rebalance with the top five constituents capped at 40%.

The following China-related securities may be included in the Index:

● China A-Shares, which are shares of companies incorporated in mainland China that are traded on the Chinese exchanges and denominated in domestic renminbi. China A-Shares are primarily purchased and sold in the domestic Chinese market. To the extent the Fund invests in China A-Shares, it expects to do so through the trading and clearing facilities of a participating exchange located outside of mainland China ("Stock Connect Programs"). A Qualified Foreign Investor ("QFI") license may also be acquired to invest directly in China A-Shares.

● China B-Shares, which are shares of companies listed on the Shanghai or Shenzhen Stock Exchange but quoted and traded in foreign currencies (such as Hong Kong Dollars or U.S. Dollars), which were primarily created for trading by foreign investors.

● China H-Shares, which are shares of companies incorporated in mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange ("H-Shares"), where they are traded in Hong Kong dollars and may be traded by foreign investors.

● China N-Shares, which are shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on an American stock exchange, such as NYSE or NASDAQ ("N-Shares").

● P-Chips, which are shares of private sector companies with a majority of their business operations in mainland China and controlling private Chinese shareholders, which are incorporated outside of mainland China and traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong dollars.

● Red Chips, which are shares of companies with a majority of their business operations in mainland China and controlled by the central, provincial or municipal governments of the People's Republic of China ("PRC"), whose shares are traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong dollars.

● S-Chips, which are shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on the Singapore Exchange. S-Chip shares are issued by companies incorporated anywhere, but many are registered in Singapore, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, or Bermuda.

As of May 31, 2025, the Index included 29 securities of companies with a market capitalization range of approximately $2 million to $598 billion and an average market capitalization of approximately $54 billion. The Index is rebalanced and reconstituted semi-annually.

The Underlying ETF is non-diversified. To the extent the Index is concentrated in a particular industry, the Underlying ETF is expected to be concentrated in that industry. As of May 31, 2025, issuers in the Communication Services sector (43.2%) and Consumer Discretionary sector (38.8%) represented significant portions of the Index.

Although the Underlying ETF expects to replicate (or hold all constituents of) the Index, the Underlying ETF reserves the right to use representative sampling to track the Index. "Representative sampling" is a strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have an investment profile similar to the Index. In addition, the Underlying ETF may invest up to 20% of its assets in instruments that are not included in the Index, but that Krane believes will help the Underlying ETF track the Index. The Underlying ETF's prospectus and other reports are available on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov. The Underlying ETF is traded on the NYSE Arca, Inc. under the ticker symbol KWEB.

**Principal Risks** 

The Fund has characteristics unlike traditional investment products and may not be suitable for all investors. Although the Fund seeks to achieve the Outcomes consistent with its investment objective, there is no guarantee that it will do so. An investment in the Fund may not be appropriate for investors who do not intend to hold Fund shares for the entire Outcome Period. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective and an investment in the Fund is not by itself a complete or balanced investment program. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves the risk of total loss. In addition to these risks, the Fund (either directly or through its exposure to the Underlying ETF) is subject to a number of additional principal risks that may affect the Fund's performance, net asset value ("NAV") and trading price, including (for purposes of these risks references to the Fund include, as appropriate, references to the Underlying ETF):

**Buffered Loss Risk.** There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to provide protection against 90% of decreases in the total return of the Underlying ETF over the duration of the Outcome Period. If an investor purchases shares after the beginning of the Outcome Period or sells shares prior to the end of the Outcome Period, the Buffer that the Fund seeks to provide may not be effective. If when an investor purchases shares at a time during an Outcome Period when the total return of the Underlying ETF has already increased, then the investor will incur losses notwithstanding the Buffer since the Buffer only seeks to protect against declines in the total return of the Underlying ETF from the beginning of the Outcome Period. If the options (and therefore the Buffer) do not perform as expected, an investor may experience significant losses, including the investor's entire investment.

**Capped Upside Return Risk.** Even if the total return of the Underlying ETF exceeds the Cap for the Outcome Period, the Fund will not appreciate beyond the Cap. Due to the Cap, the Fund may significantly underperform the Underlying ETF over the course of the Outcome Period. If an investor purchases shares of the Fund after the beginning of the Outcome Period and Fund shares have appreciated close to the Cap, there may be little or no ability for that investor to experience an investment gain on their shares yet such investor is exposed to potential losses between the appreciated share price and the Fund's NAV at the commencement of the Outcome Period. Further, because the options are expected to produce returns that match the total return of the Underlying ETF (subject to the Cap) on the last day of the Outcome Period, if an investor sells shares prior to that day, such investor may sell at a price that does not reflect the total return of the Underlying ETF and may sell at a price when the Fund has underperformed the Underlying ETF.

**Derivatives Risk.** The use of derivatives (including swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options) may involve leverage, which includes risks that are different from, and greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in a reference asset, because a small investment in a derivative can result in a large impact on the Fund and may cause the Fund to be more volatile. Derivatives may at times be highly illiquid, and the Fund may not be able to close out or sell a derivative at a particular time or at an anticipated price. Derivatives can be difficult to value and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. There may be imperfect correlation between the derivative and that of the reference asset, resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Certain derivatives (such as swaps and options) are bi-lateral agreements that expose the Fund to counterparty risk, which is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of derivative. In that case, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the derivative if the counterparty fails to perform its obligations. That risk is generally thought to be greater with over-the-counter ("OTC") derivatives than with derivatives that are exchange traded or centrally cleared. Counterparty risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of ways available to invest in certain reference assets and, therefore, there may be few counterparties to swaps or options based on those reference assets.

**FLEX Options Risk.** The Fund will utilize FLEX options, which are issued and guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation ("OCC") as guarantor and central counterparty.

The Fund may experience substantial downside from specific FLEX option positions and certain FLEX option positions may expire worthless. FLEX options may be less liquid than standardized options. In less liquid markets for the FLEX options, the Fund may have difficulty closing out certain FLEX options positions at desired times and prices. In connection with the creation of shares, to the extent market participants are not willing or able to enter into FLEX option transactions with the Fund at prices that reflect the then-current total return of the Underlying ETF and the Cap and/or Buffer, could be negatively impacted.

**Options Risk.** The use of options involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying instrument, or in interest or currency exchange rates, including the anticipated volatility of the underlying instrument (known as implied volatility), which in turn are affected by the performance of the issuer of the underlying instrument, by the time remaining until the expiration of the option contract, by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political and economic events. As such, prior to the exercise or expiration of the option, the Fund is exposed to implied volatility risk, meaning the value, as based on implied volatility, of an option may increase due to market and economic conditions or views based on the sector or industry in which issuers of the underlying instrument participate, including company-specific factors.

An option is a contract that gives the purchaser (holder) of the option, in return for a premium, the right to buy from (call) or sell to (put) the seller (writer) of the option the security or currency underlying the option at a specified exercise price at any time during the term of the option (normally not exceeding nine months). The writer of an option has the obligation upon exercise of the option by its purchaser to deliver the underlying security or currency upon payment of the exercise price or to pay the exercise price upon delivery of the underlying security or currency. Options are derivatives, which, as described above, can be illiquid and can imperfectly correlate with the reference asset(s).

**OCC Resetting Strike Prices Risk.** Subject to determination by the Securities Committee of the OCC, adjustments may be made to the Fund's options for certain events (collectively, "Corporate Actions") specified in the OCC's bylaws and rules such as: certain stock dividends or distributions, stock splits, reverse stock splits, rights offerings, distributions, reorganizations, recapitalizations, or reclassifications with respect to an underlying security, or a merger, consolidation, dissolution or liquidation of the issuer of the underlying security. According to the OCC's by-laws, the nature and extent of any such adjustment is to be determined by the OCC's Securities Committee, in light of the circumstances known to it at the time such determination is made, based on its judgment as to what is appropriate for the protection of investors and the public interest, taking into account such factors as fairness to holders and writers (or purchasers and sellers) of the affected options, the maintenance of a fair and orderly market in the affected options, consistency of interpretation and practice, efficiency of exercise settlement procedures, and the coordination with other clearing agencies of the clearance and settlement of transactions in the underlying interest. If the OCC's Securities Committee determines that a Corporate Action warrants an adjustment to the strike price of the Fund's options, the Fund's Buffer and Cap will be adjusted accordingly and will differ from amount set at the beginning of the Outcome Period. There is no guarantee that the options will be adjusted.

**Clearing Member Default Risk.** Transactions in some types of derivatives, including options, are required to be centrally cleared ("cleared derivatives"). In a transaction involving cleared derivatives, the Fund's counterparty is a clearing house, such as the OCC, rather than a bank or broker. Since the Fund is not a member of clearing houses and only members of a clearing house ("clearing members") can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members. In cleared derivatives positions, the Fund will make payments (including margin payments) to, and receive payments from, a clearing house through their accounts at clearing members. Customer funds held at a clearing organization in connection with any option contracts are held in a commingled omnibus account and are not identified to the name of the clearing member's individual customers. As a result, assets deposited by the Fund with any clearing member as margin for its options may, in certain circumstances, be used to satisfy losses of other clients of the Fund's clearing member. In addition, although clearing members guarantee performance of their clients' obligations to the clearing house, there is a risk that the assets of the Fund might not be fully protected in the event of the clearing member's bankruptcy. The Fund is also subject to the risk that a limited number of clearing members are willing to transact on the Fund's behalf, which heightens the risks associated with a clearing member's default. If a clearing member defaults the Fund could lose some or all of the benefits of a transaction entered into by the Fund with the clearing member. The loss of a clearing member for the Fund to transact with could result in increased transaction costs and other operational issues that could impede the Fund's ability to implement its investment strategy. If the Fund cannot find a clearing member to transact with on the Fund's behalf, the Fund may be unable to effectively implement its investment strategy.

The OCC acts as guarantor and central counterparty with respect to the options. As a result, the ability of the Fund to meet its objective depends on the OCC being able to meet its obligations. In the event an OCC clearing member that is a counterparty of the Fund were to become insolvent, the Fund may have some or all of its options closed without its consent or may experience delays or other difficulties in attempting to close or exercise its affected options positions, both of which would impair the Fund's ability to execute its investment strategy. In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses.

**Outcome Period Risk.** The Fund seeks to deliver returns that match those of the Underlying ETF's total return if shares are held by an investor from the beginning of the Outcome Period. In the event an investor purchases shares after the beginning of the Outcome Period or sells shares prior to end of the Outcome Period, the returns realized by the investor should not be expected to match those that the Fund seeks to provide. Further, because the Fund utilizes an Outcome Period that is approximately two years long, the risk of experiencing non-correlated returns is exacerbated.

**Upside Participation Risk.** There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to provide shareholders with the total return of the Underlying ETF's shares over the Outcome Period prior to taking into account any fees or expenses, subject to the maximum total return imposed by the Cap. In the event an investor purchases shares after the beginning of the Outcome Period or does not stay invested in the Fund for the entirety of the Outcome Period, the returns realized by such investor may not match those that the Fund seeks to achieve. In order to finance the downside protection offered by the Buffer, the Fund enters into a sold call option contract which limits its upside potential. Since the Buffer seeks to provide protection against 90% of decreases in the total return of the Underlying ETF over the duration of the Outcome Period, the Cap may be lower than the caps imposed by other ETFs that utilize defined outcome investing strategies with different buffers, on a relative basis. Due to the Cap, the Fund may significantly underperform the Underlying ETF over the course of the Outcome Period. Finally, the Fund's Cap is dependent upon market conditions at the commencement of the new Outcome Period. In certain market conditions, the Fund's Cap may provide relatively low upside potential, which may cause the Fund to further underperform the Underlying ETF over the course of an Outcome Period.

**Cap Change Risk.** In addition, since the Fund invests in the Underlying ETF, the Fund will receive distributions made by the Underlying ETF. These distributions paid by the Underlying ETF may cause the OCC to make adjustments to the strike price of the Fund's options. If this occurs, then such an adjustment can cause changes to the Fund's Buffer and Cap and may adversely affect the Outcomes. As a result, the Fund may not perform as expected and Fund shareholders could be adversely impacted, especially Fund shareholders that purchase shares after the start of the Outcome Period and Fund shareholders who do not hold shares for the entire Outcome Period. A new Cap is established at the beginning of each Outcome Period and is dependent on prevailing market conditions at the time the Cap is established. As such, the Cap may rise or fall from one Outcome Period to the next and is unlikely to remain the same for consecutive Outcome Periods.

**Non-Correlation Risk.** The FLEX options written by the Fund will be exercisable at their strike price only on their expiration date. The options purchased by the Fund will be exercisable at their strike price either on their expiration date or at any time. Since the options held by the Fund do not expire until approximately two years after the commencement of the Outcome Period, the degree of non-correlation between the value of the options and the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF will be higher when compared to options with shorter terms. As an option approaches its expiration date, its value typically will increasingly correlate with the price of Underlying ETF shares. Farther in advance of the expiration date, the value of the options may vary because related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF influence the value. For example, the value of the options will be influenced by interest rate changes, the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF and implied volatility levels of the Underlying ETF, among other factors. For the same reasons, the value of the options held by the Fund is not expected to increase or decrease to the same degree as the Underlying ETF's secondary market share price on a day-to-day basis.

**China Risk.** The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions in the People's Republic of China ("China" or the "PRC") and surrounding Asian countries and may demonstrate significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. Investments in Chinese securities, including those that are Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, subject the Fund to risks specific to China. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. Over the last few decades, the Chinese government has undertaken reform of economic and market practices and has expanded the sphere of private ownership of property in China. However, Chinese markets generally continue to experience inefficiency, volatility and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. Chinese companies are also subject to the risk that Chinese authorities can intervene in their operations and structure. In addition, the Chinese economy is export-driven and highly reliant on trading with key partners. A downturn in the economies of China's primary trading partners could slow or eliminate the growth of the Chinese economy and adversely impact the Fund's investments. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. The RMB is not freely convertible, but rather is subject to approval of PRC authorities. Although Chinese authorities have indicated an intent to move to a freely convertible RMB, there is no assurance that repatriation restrictions will not continue. The Chinese government may introduce new laws and regulations that could have an adverse effect on the Fund. Although China has begun the process of privatizing certain sectors of its economy, privatized entities may lose money and/or be re-nationalized.

Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Incidents involving China's or the region's security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments.

In the Chinese securities markets, a small number of issuers may represent a large portion of the entire market. The Chinese securities markets are subject to more frequent trading halts, low trading volume and price volatility. Recent developments in relations between the United States and China have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the two countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on China's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on the Fund. In addition, worsening trade relations between the two countries could adversely impact the Fund, particularly to the extent that the Chinese government restricts foreign investments in on-shore Chinese companies or the U.S. government restricts investments by U.S. investors in China. This may also result in market volatility and volatility in the price of Fund shares.

The underlying index may include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government. So long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments, the Fund is generally expected to invest in such companies, consistent with its objective to track the performance of the underlying index.

In recent years, Chinese entities have incurred significant levels of debt and Chinese financial institutions currently hold relatively large amounts of non-performing debt. Thus, there exists a possibility that widespread defaults could occur, which could trigger a financial crisis, freeze Chinese debt and finance markets and make Chinese securities illiquid.

Disclosure and regulatory standards in emerging market countries, such as China, are in many respects less stringent than U.S. standards. There is substantially less publicly available information about Chinese issuers than there is about U.S. issuers. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements or due to worsening relations between the U.S. and China, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities.

The tax laws and regulations in China are somewhat unclear and are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. The interpretation, application and enforcement of such laws and regulations by the applicable authorities may vary over time and from region to region, and could have an adverse effect on the Fund and its shareholders, particularly in relation to tax imposed upon foreign investors' capital gains. Uncertainties in Chinese tax rules could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund.

**A-Shares Risk.** A-Shares are issued by companies incorporated in mainland China and are traded on Chinese exchanges. Investments in A-Shares are made available to domestic Chinese investors and certain foreign investors, including those who have been approved as a QFI and through the Stock Connect Programs, which currently include the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shanghai-London Stock Connect, and China-Japan Stock Connect. Investments by foreign investors in A-Shares are subject to various restrictions, regulations and limits. Investments in A-Shares are heavily regulated and the recoupment and repatriation of assets invested in A-Shares is subject to restrictions by the Chinese government. A-Shares may be subject to frequent and widespread trading halts and may become illiquid. This could cause volatility in the Fund's share price and subject the Fund to a greater risk of trading halts.

**Custody Risk.** In accordance with Chinese regulations and the terms of a QFI license and insofar as Krane acquires a QFI, A-Shares will be held in the joint names of the Fund and Krane. Thus, the Fund's assets may not be as well protected as they would be if it were possible for them to be registered and held solely in the name of the Fund. There is a risk that creditors of Krane may assert that the securities are owned by Krane and that regulatory actions taken against Krane may affect the Fund.

**Hong Kong Risk.** The economy of Hong Kong has few natural resources and any fluctuation or shortage in the commodity markets could have a significant adverse effect on the Hong Kong economy. Hong Kong is also heavily dependent on international trade and finance. Additionally, the continuation and success of the current political, economic, legal and social policies of Hong Kong is dependent on and subject to the control of the Chinese government. China may change its policies regarding Hong Kong at any time. Any such change may adversely affect market conditions and the performance of Chinese and Hong Kong issuers and, thus, the value of securities in the Fund's portfolio.

**Stock Connect Program Risk.** The Stock Connect Programs are subject to daily quota limitations, and an investor cannot purchase and sell the same security on the same trading day, which may restrict the Fund's ability to invest in A-Shares through the Programs and to enter into or exit trades on a timely basis. The Shanghai and Shenzhen markets may be open at a time when the participating exchanges located outside of mainland China are not active, with the result that prices of A-Shares may fluctuate at times when the Fund is unable to add to or exit its positions. Only certain China A-Shares are eligible to be accessed through the Stock Connect Programs. Such securities may lose their eligibility at any time, in which case they could be sold but could no longer be purchased through the Stock Connect Programs. Because the Stock Connect Programs are still evolving, the actual effect on the market for trading A-Shares with the introduction of large numbers of foreign investors is still relatively unknown. Further, regulations or restrictions, such as limitations on redemptions or suspension of trading, may adversely impact the program. There is no guarantee that the participating exchanges will continue to support the Stock Connect Programs in the future.

Investments in China A-Shares may not be covered by the securities investor protection programs of either exchange and, without the protection of such programs, will be subject to the risk of default by the broker. Because of the way in which China A-Shares are held in the Stock Connect Programs, the Fund may not be able to exercise the rights of a direct shareholder and may be limited in its ability to pursue claims against the issuer of a security, and may suffer losses in the event the legal or "nominee holder" of the China A-Shares under the Stock Connect Programs becomes insolvent.

**Chinese Equity Markets.** The use of B-shares, H-shares, N-Shares, Red-Chips, P-Chips, S-Chips by Chinese companies to obtain listings are subject to the political and economic policies in China and the markets on which they are listed. Further, the markets on which these shares are listed may behave very differently from the mainland Chinese markets, and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the two.

**Special Risk Considerations of Investing in China.** For purposes of raising capital offshore on exchanges outside of China, including on U.S. exchanges, many Chinese-based operating companies are structured as Variable Interest Entities ("VIEs"). In this structure, the Chinese-based operating company is the VIE and establishes an entity, which is typically offshore in a foreign jurisdiction, such as the Cayman Islands. The offshore entity lists on a foreign exchange and enters into contractual arrangements with the VIE. This structure allows Chinese companies in which the government restricts foreign ownership to raise capital from foreign investors. While the offshore entity has no equity ownership of the VIE, these contractual arrangements permit the offshore entity to consolidate the VIE's financial statements with its own for accounting purposes and provide for economic exposure to the performance of the underlying Chinese operating company. Therefore, an investor in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, will have exposure to the Chinese-based operating company only through contractual arrangements and has no ownership in the Chinese-based operating company. Furthermore, because the offshore entity only has specific rights provided for in these service agreements with the VIE, its abilities to control the activities at the Chinese-based operating company are limited and the operating company may engage in activities that negatively impact investment value. While the VIE structure has been widely adopted, it is not formally recognized under Chinese law and therefore there is a risk that the Chinese government could prohibit the existence of such structures or negatively impact the VIE's contractual arrangements with the listed offshore entity by making them invalid. If these contracts were found to be unenforceable under Chinese law, investors in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, may suffer significant losses with little or no recourse available. If the Chinese government determines that the agreements establishing the VIE structures do not comply with Chinese law and regulations, including those related to restrictions on foreign ownership, it could subject a Chinese-based issuer to penalties, revocation of business and operating licenses, or forfeiture of ownership interest.

**Internet Companies Risk.** Investments in Internet companies may be volatile. Internet companies are subject to intense competition, the risk of product obsolescence, changes in consumer preferences and legal, regulatory and political changes. They are also especially at risk of hacking and other cybersecurity events. In addition, it can be difficult to determine what qualifies as an Internet company.

**Equity Securities Risk.** The values of equity securities are subject to factors such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value and their values may be more volatile than other asset classes. In the event of liquidation, equity securities are generally subordinate in rank to debt and other securities of the same issuer.

**Emerging Markets Risk.** Securities issued by entities with substantial operations or holdings in emerging market countries may involve additional risks and are subject to greater risk of loss than investments in developed markets. This is due to, among other things, greater market volatility, greater risk of asset seizures and capital controls, lower trading volume, political and economic instability, greater risk of market shutdown, and more governmental limitations on foreign investments in emerging market countries than typically found in developed markets. The economies of emerging markets, and China in particular, may be heavily reliant upon international trade and may suffer disproportionately if international trading declines or is disrupted. Such conditions may lead to potential errors in index data, index computation and/or index construction and may limit the ability to oversee the Index Provider's due diligence process over index data, which may adversely impact the Underlying ETF's performance and its ability to track the performance of the underlying index.

**Foreign Securities Risk.** Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may be less liquid than investments in U.S. issuers, may have less governmental regulation and oversight, and are typically subject to different investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities entail the risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations, political or economic instability, less complete financial information about the issuers, the possible imposition of withholding or confiscatory taxes, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, and the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency. Foreign market trading hours, clearance and settlement procedures, and holiday schedules may limit the Fund's ability to buy and sell securities. Additionally, foreign issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, recordkeeping, and financial reporting requirements. Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by governmental authorities. If the Fund holds positions in such suspended securities, the Fund may be adversely impacted. Certain countries in which the Fund may invest may be subject to extended settlement delays and/or foreign holidays, during which the Fund will unlikely be able to convert holdings to cash. All of these factors could result in a loss to the Fund.

**Geographic Focus Risk.** The Fund's investments are expected to be focused in a particular country, countries, or region to approximately the same degree as the Index and therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country, countries or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified fund.

**Currency Risk.** To the extent that the Fund is exposed directly or indirectly to foreign currencies, including through its investments, or invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies and vice versa. This may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**Concentration Risk.** The Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The securities of companies in an industry or group of industries could react similarly to market developments. Thus, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that affect one industry or group of industries or sector. While the Fund's sector and industry exposure is expected to vary over time based on the composition of the Index, the Fund is currently subject to the principal risks described below.

**Communication Services Sector Risk.** The communication services sector may be dominated by a small number of companies which may lead to additional volatility in the sector. Communication services companies are particularly vulnerable to the potential obsolescence of products and services due to technological advances and the innovation of competitors. Communication services companies may also be affected by other competitive pressures, such as pricing competition, as well as research and development costs, substantial capital requirements, and government regulation. Fluctuating domestic and international demand, shifting demographics, and often unpredictable changes in consumer demand can drastically affect a communication services company's profitability. Compliance with governmental regulations, delays or failure to receive regulatory approvals, or the enactment of new regulatory requirements may negatively affect the business of telecommunication services companies. Certain companies in the communication services sector may be particular targets of network security breaches, hacking and potential theft of proprietary or consumer information, or disruptions in services, which would have a material adverse effect on their businesses.

**Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk.** The success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied closely to the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence. Success depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes can also affect the demand for, and success of, consumer products in the marketplace.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to "Authorized Participants." Unlike many other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities. Thus, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in other ETFs as the Fund may recognize a capital gain that it could have avoided by making redemptions in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher capital gains distributions than ETFs that redeem in-kind. Further, paying redemption proceeds in cash rather than through in-kind delivery of portfolio securities may require the Fund to dispose of or sell portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds at an inopportune time. Cash transactions may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes, including brokerage fees, that might not have occurred if the Fund utilized in-kind transactions. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted.

**International Closed Market Trading Risk.** To the extent the Fund's investments trade in markets that are closed when the Fund and Exchange are open, there are likely to be deviations between current pricing of an underlying security and the prices at which the underlying securities are valued for purposes of the Fund's NAV. As a result, shares may appear to trade at a significant discount or premium to NAV greater than those incurred by other ETFs. In addition, shareholders may not be able to purchase or redeem their shares of the Fund, or purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** There may be times when the market price of the Fund's shares is more than the NAV intra-day (at a premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (at a discount). As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at prices well below NAV.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. Secondary market trading is subject to bid-ask spreads and trading in Fund shares may be halted by the Exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. If a trading halt occurs, a shareholder may temporarily be unable to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. In addition, although the Fund's shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed.

**New Fund Risk.** If the Fund does not grow in size, it will be at greater risk than larger funds of wider bid-ask spreads for its shares, trading at a greater premium or discount to NAV, liquidation and/or a stop to trading.

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult or impossible to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. Liquidity risk may be the result of, among other things, market turmoil, the reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants, or the lack of an active trading market. Markets for securities or financial instruments could be disrupted by a number of events, including, but not limited to, an economic crisis, natural disasters, new legislation or regulatory changes inside or outside the U.S. Liquid investments may become less liquid after being purchased by the Fund, particularly during periods of market stress. In addition, if a number of securities held by the Fund stop trading, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt.

**Conflict of Interest Risk.** Because the Fund and the Underlying ETF are both managed by Krane, Krane is subject to conflicts of interest relating to the management of the Fund and Underlying ETF including the fair valuation of the Underlying ETF's securities. Any fair valuation decisions made by Krane regarding securities held by the Underlying ETF impact the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF and may impact the pricing of the options held by the Fund.

**Small- and Mid-Capitalization Company Risk.** Investing in the securities of small and medium capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization companies. Since small and medium-sized companies may have limited operating histories, product lines and financial resources, the securities of these companies may be less liquid and more volatile. They may also be sensitive to (expected) changes in interest rates and earnings.

**Large Capitalization Company Risk.** Large capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges and attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. As such, returns on investments in stocks of large capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small and mid-capitalization companies.

**Management Risk.** The Fund is actively-managed and may not meet its investment objective based on the Adviser's success or failure to implement investment strategies for the Fund. The Adviser's evaluations and assumptions regarding investments, interest rates, inflation, and other factors may not successfully achieve the Fund's investment objective given actual market conditions.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve, and/or other government actors, including those in foreign countries, or changes in global trade relationships could cause volatility in global financial markets, negative sentiment and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund and could result in losses. Geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks may add to instability in world economies and markets generally. Changes in value may be temporary or may last for extended periods and can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Further, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain investments may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price. Market developments may also cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements.

**Valuation Risk.** Independent market quotations for certain investments held by the Fund may not be readily available, and such investments may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations involve subjectivity and different market participants may assign different prices to the same investment. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. In addition, the securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days that the Fund does not price its shares; as a result, the value of Fund shares may change on days when investors cannot purchase or sell their Fund holdings.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices and increased brokerage costs, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences to the Fund and for remaining shareholders. In some circumstances, the Fund may hold a relatively larger proportion of its assets in cash in anticipation of large shareholder transactions, which may adversely impact returns.

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, distribution and asset diversification requirements. With respect to the latter, the Fund generally may not acquire a security if, as a result of the acquisition, more than 50% of the value of the Fund's assets would be invested in (a) issuers in which the Fund has, in each case, invested more than 5% of the Fund's assets and (b) issuers more than 10% of whose outstanding voting securities are owned by the Fund. If the Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company ("RIC"), it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, and distributions to its shareholders would not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income, which would adversely affect its performance. Because there is limited transparency into state ownership of Chinese issuers, there is a risk of such issuers being deemed to be a single issuer, which could result in the Underlying ETF (and, therefore, the Fund) falling out of compliance with the asset diversification requirements.

The federal income tax treatment of certain aspects of the proposed operations of the Fund are not entirely clear, which could impact the Fund's ability to qualify as a RIC. This includes the tax aspects of the Fund's options strategy, its hedging strategy, the possible application of the "straddle" rules, and various loss limitation provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("Code"). The Fund's investments in offsetting positions with respect to the Underlying ETF may affect the character of gains or losses realized by the Fund under the Code's "straddle" rules and may increase any short-term capital gains realized by the Fund. The Fund intends to treat any income it may derive from the FLEX options as "qualifying income" under the provisions of the Code applicable to RICs. If the income is not qualifying income or the issuer of the FLEX options is not appropriately the referenced asset, the Fund could lose its own status as a RIC. With respect to the RIC diversification test, identifying the issuer can depend on the terms and conditions of a given investment. There is no published Internal Revenue Service guidance or case law on how to determine the "issuer" of certain derivatives that the Fund will enter into. Based upon language in the legislative history, the Fund intends to treat the issuer of the FLEX options as the referenced asset, which, assuming the referenced asset qualifies as a RIC, would allow the Fund to qualify for special rules in the RIC diversification requirements. The FLEX options included in the portfolio are exchange-traded options. Under Section 1256 of the Code, certain types of exchange-traded options are treated as if they were sold (i.e., "marked to market") at the end of each year. The Fund does not believe that the positions held by the Fund will be subject to Section 1256, which means that the positions will not be marked to market. In the event that a shareholder purchases shares of the Fund shortly before a distribution by the Fund, the entire distribution may be taxable to the shareholder even though a portion of the distribution effectively represents a return of the purchase price.

**Depositary Receipts Risk.** The Fund may hold the securities of foreign companies in the form of depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts and Global Depositary Receipts. Investing in depositary receipts entails the risks associated with foreign investments, such as fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the securities of U.S. issuers. In addition, the value of the securities underlying the depositary receipts may change materially when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, which will affect the value of the depositary receipts.

**IPO Risk.** Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile. At any particular time or from time to time, the Fund may not be able to invest in securities issued in IPOs, or invest to the extent desired, because, for example, only a small portion (if any) of the securities being offered in an IPO may be available to the Fund. In addition, as the Fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the Fund's performance will generally decrease.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in other investment companies, including those advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. The Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of investments by such funds and will incur its pro rata share of the underlying fund's expenses. Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to ETF Risk. Krane is subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets to investment companies that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane and/or its affiliates. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, it will not enjoy the protections of the U.S. law.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

**Performance Information**

Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included in this Prospectus that will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the variability of the Fund's return based on net assets and comparing the variability of the Fund's return to a broad measure of market performance. Once available, the Fund's current performance information will be available at www.kraneshares.com. Past performance does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.

**Management**

**Investment Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Managers**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, supports Mr. Maund and Krane's investment team for the Fund and has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception.

**Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares**

Shares may be purchased and redeemed from the Fund only in a large specified number of Shares each called a "Creation Unit," or multiples thereof. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker-dealers, purchase or redeem Creation Units. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange. Individual shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities through a broker-dealer on the Exchange. These transactions do not involve the Fund. The price of an individual Fund share is based on market prices, which may be different from its NAV. As a result, the Fund's shares may trade at a price greater than the NAV (at a premium) or less than the NAV (at a discount). An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the "bid-ask spread"). Most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer.

Recent information regarding the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid ask spreads, are available on the Fund's website at www.kraneshares.com.

**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 IRA or other tax-advantaged retirement account, which may be taxable upon withdrawal.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

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

**Investor Suitability Considerations**

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| | **You should only consider this investment if:** | | **You should <u>not</u> consider this investment if:** |
| ● | you fully understand the risks inherent in an investment in shares; | ● | you do not fully understand the risks inherent in an investment in shares; |
| ● | you desire to invest in a product with a return that depends upon the total return of the Underlying ETF over the Outcome Period; | ● | you do not desire to invest in a product with a return that depends upon the total return of the Underlying ETF over the Outcome Period; |
| ● | you are willing to hold shares for the duration of the Outcome Period in order to achieve the Outcomes that the Fund seeks to provide; | ● | you are unwilling to hold shares for the duration of the Outcome Period in order to achieve the Outcomes that the Fund seeks to provide; |
| ● | you seek an investment that seeks to provide protection relative to the Fund's market price on the first day of the Outcome Period against 90% of Underlying ETF losses for an investment held only for the duration of the entire Outcome Period; | ● | you do not seek an investment that seeks to provide protection relative to the Fund's market price on the first day of the Outcome Period against losses of the Underlying ETF only for an investment held for the duration of an Outcome Period; |
| ● | you understand that there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its attempt to provide protection through the Buffer; | ● | you do not understand that that there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its attempt to provide protection through the Buffer; |
| ● | you understand that the Buffer sought by the Fund is provided prior to taking into account any fees and expenses charged to the Fund, including any extraordinary expenses, and any shareholder transaction fees and that such fees and expenses will have the effect of lowering the Buffer; | ● | you seek the protection of a full Buffer, even after taking into account any fees and expenses charged to the Fund, including any extraordinary expenses, and any shareholder transaction fees; |
| ● | you fully understand that investments made when the Fund's total return has appreciated in value versus the value at the commencement of the Outcome Period have the potential for losses before the Buffer is in effect; | ● | you do not fully understand that investments made when the Fund's total return has appreciated in value versus the value at the commencement of the Outcome Period have the potential for losses before the Buffer is in effect; |
| ● | you fully understand that investments made when the Fund is at or near to the Cap may have limited to no upside; | ● | you do not fully understand that investments made when the Fund is at or near to the Cap may have limited to no upside; |
| ● | you are willing to forgo any gains in excess of the Cap; | ● | you are unwilling to forgo any gains in excess of the Cap; |
| ● | you understand that the Cap will be reduced by any fees and expenses charged to the Fund, including any extraordinary expenses, and any shareholder transaction fees; | ● | you do not understand that the Cap will be reduced by any fees and expenses charged to the Fund, including any extraordinary expenses, and any shareholder transaction fees; |
| ● | you understand that the Buffer and Cap may be reduced by any changes in the Fund's options due to corporate actions, such as special distributions; | ● | you do not understand that the Buffer and Cap may be reduced by any changes in the Fund's options due to corporate actions, such as special distributions; |
| ● | you fully understand that investments made after the Outcome Period has begun may not fully benefit from the Buffer sought by the Fund; and | ● | you do not fully understand that investments made after the Outcome Period has begun may not fully benefit from the Buffer sought by the Fund; and |
| ● | you have visited the Fund's website and understand the investment outcomes available to you based upon the time of your purchase. | ● | you have not visited the Fund's website and do not understand the investment outcomes available to you based upon the timing of your purchase. |

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**<u>Additional Information About the Fund</u>**

Each of the policies described in this Prospectus, including the Fund's investment objective, which are described in further detail in the Statement of Additional Information, is a non-fundamental policy that may be changed by the Board of Trustees of the Trust without shareholder approval. Certain fundamental policies of the Fund are set forth in the SAI.

**Additional Information about the Fund's Principal Investment Strategies**

As described on the cover of this prospectus, in "Principal Investment Strategies" and in "Principal Risks," there are risks associated with an investment in the Fund and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve the Outcomes it seeks to provide. The returns that the Fund seeks to provide do not include the costs associated with purchasing shares and certain expenses incurred by the Fund. The Fund's unique characteristics (i.e., the imperative of holding shares for the entire Outcome Period, the Cap and Buffer) distinguish it from other investment products and may make it an unsuitable investment for some investors. To help decide whether an investment in the Fund is appropriate based upon individual circumstances, please see "Investor Suitability Considerations." **The Fund has characteristics unlike many other traditional investment products and may not be suitable for all investors. You may lose money by investing in the Fund.**

**Principal Investment Risks**

The following section provides additional information regarding certain of the principal risks of investing in the Fund (either directly or through its exposure to the Underlying ETF). The Fund has characteristics unlike many other traditional investment products and may not be suitable for all investors. Although the Fund seeks to achieve the Outcomes consistent with its investment objective, there is no guarantee that it will do so. An investment in the Fund may not be appropriate for investors who do not intend to hold Fund shares for the entire Outcome Period. For purposes of these risks, references to the Fund include, as appropriate, references to the Underlying ETF. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. An investment in the Fund involves a risk of a total loss. There is no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective.

**Buffered Loss Risk.** There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to provide protection against 90% of decreases in the total return of the Underlying ETF over the duration of the Outcome Period. If an investor purchases shares after the beginning of the Outcome Period or sells shares prior to the end of the Outcome Period, the Buffer that the Fund seeks to provide may not be effective. If when an investor purchases shares at a time during an Outcome Period when the total return of the Underlying ETF has already increased, then the investor will incur losses notwithstanding the Buffer since the Buffer only seeks to protect against declines in the total return of the Underlying ETF from the beginning of the Outcome Period. If the options (and therefore the Buffer) do not perform as expected, an investor may experience significant losses, including the investor's entire investment.

**Cap Change Risk.** In addition, since the Fund invests in the Underlying ETF, the Fund will receive distributions made by the Underlying ETF. These distributions paid by the Underlying ETF may cause the OCC to make adjustments to the strike price of the Fund's options. If this occurs, then such an adjustment can cause changes to the Fund's Buffer and Cap and may adversely affect the Outcomes. As a result, the Fund may not perform as expected and Fund shareholders could be adversely impacted, especially Fund shareholders that purchase shares after the start of the Outcome Period and Fund shareholders who do not hold shares for the entire Outcome Period. A new Cap is established at the beginning of each Outcome Period and is dependent on prevailing market conditions at the time the Cap is established. As such, the Cap may rise or fall from one Outcome Period to the next and is unlikely to remain the same for consecutive Outcome Periods. Investors should monitor the changes in the Cap for each Outcome Period, information for which will be made available pursuant to the procedure outlined in the Fund's prospectus.

**Capped Upside Return Risk.** Even if the total return of the Underlying ETF exceeds the Cap for the Outcome Period, the Fund will not appreciate beyond the Cap. Due to the Cap, the Fund may significantly underperform the Underlying ETF over the course of the Outcome Period. If an investor purchases shares of the Fund after the beginning of the Outcome Period and Fund shares have appreciated close to the Cap, there may be little or no ability for that investor to experience an investment gain on their shares yet such investor is exposed to potential losses between the appreciated share price and the Fund's NAV at the commencement of the Outcome Period. Further, because the options are expected to produce returns that match the total return of the Underlying ETF (subject to the Cap) on the last day of the Outcome Period, if an investor sells shares prior to that day, such investor may sell at a price that does not reflect the total return of the Underlying ETF and may sell at a price when the Fund has underperformed the Underlying ETF.

**Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk.** The Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. Holding cash or cash equivalents, even strategically, may lead to missed investment opportunities. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which the Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If the Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**China Risk – General.** The economy of the People's Republic of China ("China" or the "PRC") differs, sometimes unfavorably, from the U.S. economy in such respects as structure, general development, government involvement, wealth distribution, rate of inflation, growth rate, allocation of resources and capital reinvestment, among others. Under China's political and economic system, the central government has historically exercised substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through administrative regulation and/or state ownership. For example, the Chinese government has from time to time taken actions that influence the prices at which certain goods may be sold, encourage companies to invest or concentrate in particular industries, induce mergers between companies in certain industries and induce private companies to publicly offer their securities to increase or continue the rate of economic growth, control the rate of inflation or otherwise regulate economic expansion. It may do so in the future as well. Such actions and a variety of other centrally planned or determined activities by the Chinese government could have a significant adverse effect on economic conditions in China, the economic prospects for, and the market prices and liquidity of, the securities of Chinese companies and the payments of dividends and interest by Chinese companies.

During the last 30 years, the Chinese government has reformed its economic policies, which has resulted in less direct central and local government control over the business and production activities of Chinese enterprises and companies. Notwithstanding the economic reforms instituted by the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party, actions of the Chinese central and local government authorities continue to have a substantial effect on economic conditions in China, which could affect the public and private sector companies in which the Fund invests. The Chinese government may also change course and exercise greater central and local government control over Chinese firms.

In certain cases where China has begun a process of privatization of certain entities and industries, investors in newly privatized entities have suffered losses due to the inability of the newly privatized entities to adjust quickly to a competition environment or changing regulatory and legal standards, or in some cases, due to re-nationalization of such privatized entities. There is no assurance that such losses will not recur.

Export growth continues to be a major driver of China's rapid economic growth. Reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, supply chain diversification, institution of tariffs, sanctions or other trade barriers, or a downturn in any of the economies of China's key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy. The Chinese economy is particularly dependent upon trading with key partners, such as the United States, Japan, South Korea and countries in the European Union. Recent developments in relations between the United States and China have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the two countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on China's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on the Fund. In addition, worsening trade relations between the two countries could adversely impact the Fund, particularly to the extent that the Chinese government restricts foreign investments in on-shore Chinese companies or the U.S. government restricts investments by U.S. investors in China including by limiting the ability of Chinese issuers to list on the U.S. exchanges. Worsening trade relations may also result in market volatility and volatility in the price of Fund shares. In addition, the U.S. government has imposed restrictions on the ability of U.S. investors to hold and/or acquire securities of certain Chinese companies, which may adversely impact the Fund, may mean that the Fund's underlying index may need to adjust its methodology or could increase tracking error for the Fund.

The underlying index may include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government. So long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments, the Fund is generally expected to invest in such companies, consistent with its objective to track the performance of the underlying index.

In recent years, Chinese entities have incurred significant levels of debt and Chinese financial institutions currently hold relatively large amounts of non-performing debt. Thus, there exists a possibility that widespread defaults could occur, which could trigger a financial crisis, freeze Chinese debt and finance markets and make Chinese securities illiquid.

Disclosure and regulatory standards in emerging market countries, such as China, are in many respects less stringent than U.S. standards. There is substantially less publicly available information about Chinese issuers than there is about U.S. issuers. Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if they do not meet U.S. accounting standards and auditor oversight requirements or due to worsening relations between the U.S. and China, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities.

**Inflation Risk.** Economic growth in China has historically been accompanied by periods of inflation. Beginning in 2004, the Chinese government commenced the implementation of various measures to control inflation, which included the tightening of the money supply, the raising of interest rates and more stringent control over certain industries. If inflation were to increase, the performance of the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments could be negatively impacted.

**Nationalization and Expropriation Risk.** Expropriation, including nationalization, confiscatory taxation, political, economic or social instability or other developments could adversely affect and significantly diminish the values of the Chinese companies in which the Fund invests. There can be no assurance that the Chinese government will not nationalize or expropriate assets in its territory or over which it otherwise has control. An investment in the Fund involves a risk of a total loss.

Moreover, the Chinese government limits foreign investment in the securities of Chinese issuers entirely. These restrictions or limitations may have adverse effects on the liquidity and performance of the Fund holdings as compared to the performance of the underlying index. This may increase the risk of tracking error and the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective.

**Currency Risk.** The government of China has historically maintained strict currency controls in order to achieve economic, trade and political objectives and regularly intervened in the currency market. In this regard, the Chinese government has placed strict regulation on the yuan and Hong Kong dollar and manages the yuan and Hong Kong dollar so that they have historically traded in a tight range relative to the U.S. dollar. The Chinese government has been under pressure to manage the currency in a less restrictive fashion so that it is less correlated to the U.S. dollar.

Since 2005, the exchange rate of the RMB is no longer strictly pegged to the U.S. dollar. The RMB has now moved to a managed floating exchange rate based on market supply and demand with reference to a basket of foreign currencies. The daily trading price of the RMB against other major currencies in the inter-bank foreign exchange market is allowed to float within a narrow band around the central parity published by the People's Bank of China. As the exchange rates may be based on market forces, the exchange rates for RMB against other currencies, including the U.S. dollar, are susceptible to movements based on external factors. Of course, there can be no guarantee that this will continue, or that the yuan or the Hong Kong dollar will move in relation to the U.S. dollar as expected. There can be no assurance that the RMB will not be subject to devaluation. Any devaluation of the RMB is expected to adversely affect the value of the Fund's investments.

**Available Disclosure About Chinese Issuers Risk.** Disclosure and regulatory standards in emerging market countries, such as China, are in many respects less stringent than U.S. standards. There is substantially less publicly available information about Chinese issuers than there is about U.S. issuers. Therefore, disclosure of certain material information may not be made, and less information may be available to the Fund and other investors than would be the case if the Fund's investments were restricted to securities of U.S. issuers. Chinese issuers are subject to accounting, auditing and financial standards and requirements that differ, in some cases significantly, from those applicable to U.S. issuers. In particular, the assets and profits appearing on the financial statements of a Chinese issuer may not reflect its financial position or results of operations in the way they would be reflected had such financial statements been prepared in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.

Such conditions may lead to potential errors in index data, index computation and/or index construction and may limit the ability to oversee the Index Provider's due diligence process over index data, which may adversely impact the Fund's performance and its ability to track the performance of the Index.

There has been increased attention from the SEC and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board ("PCAOB") with regard to international auditing standards of U.S.-listed companies with significant operations in China as well as PCAOB-registered auditing firms in China. Currently, the SEC and PCAOB are only able to get limited information about these auditing firms and are restricted from inspecting the audit work and practices of registered accountants in China. These restrictions may result in the unavailability of material information about issuers in China or an issuer's operations in China.

**Chinese Corporate and Securities Law Risk.** The Fund's rights with respect to its investments in China, if any, generally will not be governed by U.S. law, but rather by Chinese law. China operates under a civil law system. It is based on statutes enacted by various state bodies with authority over economic matters such as foreign investment, company organization and governance, taxation and trade. These laws are relatively recent with published court opinions based on them being limited. Further, court precedent is not binding. Thus, there is uncertainty regarding the implementation of existing law. In addition, laws pertaining to bankruptcy proceedings are generally less developed and may be different than such laws in the United States and lead to unpredictable results.

Legal principles relating to corporate affairs and the validity of corporate procedures, directors' fiduciary duties and liabilities and stockholders' rights often differ from those that may apply in the United States and other countries. In particular, Chinese laws providing protection to investors, such as laws regarding the fiduciary duties of officers and directors, are undeveloped and will not provide investors, such as the Fund, with protection in all situations where protection would be provided by comparable law in the United States. It may therefore be difficult for the Fund to enforce its rights as an investor under Chinese corporate and securities laws, and it may be difficult or impossible for the Fund to obtain a judgment in court. Moreover, as Chinese corporate and securities laws continue to develop, these developments may adversely affect foreign investors, such as the Fund.

**Chinese Securities Markets Risk.** China's securities markets, including the debt markets, have a limited operating history and are not as developed as those in the United States. These markets, historically, have had greater volatility than markets in the United States and some other countries, and experienced inefficiency and pricing anomalies. There is relatively less regulation and monitoring of Chinese securities markets and of the activities of investors, brokers and other participants than in the United States, including with respect to insider trading, tender offers, stockholder proxies and disclosure of information. Stock markets in China are in the process of change and further development. This may lead to additional volatility, difficulty in the settlement and recording of transactions and difficulty in interpreting and applying the relevant regulations.

**Political and Economic Risk.** The Chinese government continues to be an active participant in many economic sectors through ownership positions and regulation. The majority of productive assets in China are still owned by the PRC government at various levels. The allocation of resources in China is subject to a high level of government control. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. Through its policies, the government may provide preferential treatment to particular industries or companies. The policies set by the government could have a substantial effect on the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments.

For more than 30 years, the PRC government has carried out economic reforms to achieve decentralization and utilization of market forces to develop the economy of the PRC. These reforms have resulted in significant economic growth and social progress, but growth has been uneven both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. Economic growth has also been accompanied by periods of inflation. The PRC government has implemented various measures from time to time to control inflation and restrain the rate of economic growth.

Although reforms over the last 30 years have generally been regarded as successful, there can be no assurance that the PRC government will continue to pursue such economic policies or, if it does, that those policies will continue to be successful or will not otherwise have a negative effect on the Fund. Any such adjustment and modification of those economic policies may have an adverse impact on the securities market of Chinese issuers. Further, the PRC government may from time to time adopt corrective measures to control the growth of the PRC economy which may also have an adverse impact on the capital growth and performance of the Fund.

Political changes, social instability and adverse diplomatic developments in the PRC could result in the imposition of additional government restrictions including expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxes or nationalization of some or all of the property held by Chinese issuers. Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Additionally, China is alleged to have participated in state-sponsored cyberattacks against foreign companies and foreign governments. Actual and threatened responses to such activity and strained international relations, including purchasing restrictions, sanctions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Chinese government or Chinese companies, may impact China's economy and Chinese issuers of securities in which the Fund invests. Incidents involving China's or the region's security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments. China has experienced major health crises and such health crises could exacerbate any of the risks applicable to China.

**Special Risk Considerations of Investing in China.** For purposes of raising capital offshore on exchanges outside of China, including on U.S. exchanges, many Chinese-based operating companies are structured as Variable Interest Entities ("VIEs"). In this structure, the Chinese-based operating company is the VIE and establishes an entity, which is typically offshore in a foreign jurisdiction, such as the Cayman Islands. The offshore entity lists on a foreign exchange and enters into contractual arrangements with the VIE. This structure allows Chinese companies in which the government restricts foreign ownership to raise capital from foreign investors. While the offshore entity has no equity ownership of the VIE, these contractual arrangements permit the offshore entity to consolidate the VIE's financial statements with its own for accounting purposes and provide for economic exposure to the performance of the underlying Chinese operating company. Therefore, an investor in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, will have exposure to the Chinese-based operating company only through contractual arrangements and has no ownership in the Chinese-based operating company. Furthermore, because the offshore entity only has specific rights provided for in these service agreements with the VIE, its abilities to control the activities at the Chinese-based operating company are limited and the operating company may engage in activities that negatively impact investment value.

While the VIE structure has been widely adopted, it is not formally recognized under Chinese law and therefore there is a risk that the Chinese government could prohibit the existence of such structures or negatively impact the VIE's contractual arrangements with the listed offshore entity by making them invalid. If these contracts were found to be unenforceable under Chinese law, investors in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, may suffer significant losses with little or no recourse available. If the Chinese government determines that the agreements establishing the VIE structures do not comply with Chinese law and regulations, including those related to restrictions on foreign ownership, it could subject a Chinese-based issuer to penalties, revocation of business and operating licenses, or forfeiture of ownership interest. In addition, the listed offshore entity's control over a VIE may also be jeopardized if a natural person who holds the equity interest in the VIE breaches the terms of the agreement, is subject to legal proceedings or if any physical instruments for authenticating documentation, such as chops and seals, are used without the Chinese-based issuer's authorization to enter into contractual arrangements in China. Chops and seals, which are carved stamps used to sign documents, represent a legally binding commitment by the company. Moreover, any future regulatory action may prohibit the ability of the offshore entity to receive the economic benefits of the Chinese-based operating company, which may cause the value of the Fund's investment in the listed offshore entity to suffer a significant loss. For example, in 2021, the Chinese government prohibited use of the VIE structure for investment in after-school tutoring companies. There is no guarantee that the government will not place similar restrictions on other industries.

**China Risk – Onshore Investing Risks.** Because the Fund may invest in the local China markets directly (also referred to herein as domestic Chinese markets or securities or onshore Chinese markets or securities), it will be subject to the following special risks:

**Capital Controls Risk.** RMB can be categorized into "CNY" (onshore RMB) traded in the PRC and "CNH" (offshore RMB) traded outside the PRC. CNY and CNH are traded at different exchange rates and their exchange rates may not move in the same direction. Although there has been a growing amount of RMB held offshore, CNH cannot be freely remitted into the PRC and is subject to certain restrictions, and vice versa. The Fund may be adversely affected by the exchange rates between CNY and CNH.

CNY is currently not a freely convertible currency as it is subject to foreign exchange control, fiscal policies and repatriation restrictions imposed by the Chinese government. The PRC government imposes restrictions on the remittance of RMB out of and into China. In the event a remittance by the Fund is disrupted, the Fund could be adversely affected and, among other matters, may not be able to invest those funds, which may increase the tracking error of the Fund. In addition, any delay in repatriation of RMB out of China may result in delay in payment of redemption proceeds to redeeming investors. The Chinese government's policies on exchange control and repatriation restrictions are subject to change, and such control of currency conversions and movements in the RMB exchange rates may adversely affect the operations and financial results of PRC companies and the Fund. If such control policies change in the future, the Fund may be adversely affected.

Economic conditions, such as volatile currency exchange rates and interest rates, political events and other conditions may, without prior warning, lead to intervention by Chinese government authorities and the imposition of "capital controls." Capital controls include the prohibition of, or restrictions on, the ability to transfer currency, securities or other assets into, out of or into the country. Levies may be placed on profits repatriated by foreign entities (such as the Fund). Capital controls may impact the ability of the Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities or currency, adversely affect the trading market and price for shares of the Fund, and cause the Fund to decline in value.

The Chinese government also heavily regulates the domestic exchange of foreign currencies within China. Chinese law requires that all domestic transactions must be settled in RMB, places significant restrictions on the remittance of foreign currency and strictly regulates currency exchange from RMB. Under State Administration of Foreign Exchange ("SAFE") regulations, Chinese corporations may only purchase foreign currencies through government approved banks. In general, Chinese companies must receive approval from or register with the Chinese government before investing in certain capital account items, including direct investments and loans, and must thereafter maintain separate foreign exchange accounts for the capital items. Foreign investors may only exchange foreign currencies at specially authorized banks after complying with documentation requirements. These restrictions may adversely affect the Fund and its investments. The PRC government may impose additional or other currency capital controls that could significant harm the Fund.

**Custody Risk.** The Fund is required by Chinese regulation to have a local custodian in China ("PRC Custodian") for its investments in domestic, onshore Chinese securities, including A-Shares and mainland Chinese debt (also referred to herein as RMB Bonds). The PRC Custodian maintains the Fund's investments in China to ensure their compliance with the rules and regulations of the China Securities Regulatory Commission ("CSRC") and the People's Bank of China. Such investments, when purchased by Krane or the Fund's sub-adviser in its capacity as the Fund's QFI will normally be received in a securities account maintained by the PRC Custodian in the joint names of the Fund and Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable. The account may not be used for any other purpose than for maintaining the Fund's assets. However, given that the securities trading account will be maintained in the joint names of Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable, and the Fund, the Fund's assets may not be as well protected, as they would be if it were possible for them to be registered and held solely in the name of the Fund. In particular, there is a risk that creditors of Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable, may assert that the securities are owned by Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable, and not the Fund, and that a court would uphold such an assertion, in which case such creditors could seize assets. Because the Fund's PRC securities may be in the name of both Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable, and the Fund, there is also a risk that regulatory actions taken against Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable, by PRC government authorities may affect the Fund. This is particularly acute in the case of cash deposited with the PRC Custodian because it may not be segregated, and it may be treated as a debt owing from the PRC Custodian to the Fund as a depositor. Thus, in the event of a PRC Custodian bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar event, the Fund may face difficulties and/or encounter delays in recovering its cash.

**QFI.** A QFI license may be acquired to invest directly in domestic, onshore Chinese securities. To qualify for a QFI license, an applicant must meet certain requirements on asset management experience, assets under management, and firm capital. In 2020, the PRC government eliminated QFI quotas, meaning that entities registered with the appropriate Chinese regulator will no longer be subject to quotas when investing in PRC securities (but will remain subject to foreign shareholder limits) and simplified the cash repatriation process and QFI application process. However, there is no assurance that PRC rules and regulations will not change or that repatriation restrictions will not be imposed in the future. Changes to the PRC rules and regulations may be applied retroactively. Further, no single underlying foreign investor investing through a QFI may hold more than 10% of the total outstanding shares in one listed company and all foreign investors investing through QFIs may not hold, in aggregate, more than 30% of the total outstanding shares in one listed company. Such limits may not apply where foreign investors make strategic investment in listed companies in accordance with the Measures for the Administration of Strategic Investments in Listed Companies by Foreign Investors.

**China Risk - China Equity Investing Risks.**

**A-Shares Risk.** The ability of the Fund to invest in China A-Shares is dependent, in part, on the availability of A-Shares either through the trading and clearing facilities of a participating exchange located outside of mainland China ("Stock Connect Programs") which currently include the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, Shanghai-London Stock Connect, and China-Japan Stock Connect, and/or through a QFI license from the Chinese regulator. Thus, the Fund's investment in A-Shares will be limited by the amount of A-Shares available through the Stock Connect Programs. Investments in A-Shares are heavily regulated and the recoupment and repatriation of assets invested in A-Shares is subject to restrictions by the Chinese government.

Currently, there are two stock exchanges in mainland China, the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges. The Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges are supervised by the CSRC and are highly automated with trading and settlement executed electronically. The Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges are substantially smaller, less liquid and more volatile than the securities markets in the United States.

The Shanghai Stock Exchange commenced trading on December 19, 1990, and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange commenced trading on July 3, 1991. The Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges divide listed shares into two classes: A-Shares and B-shares. Companies whose shares are traded on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges that are incorporated in mainland China may issue both A-Shares and B-Shares. In China, the A-Shares and B-Shares of an issuer may only trade on one exchange. A-Shares and B-Shares may both be listed on either the Shanghai or Shenzhen Stock Exchanges. Both classes represent an ownership interest comparable to a share of common stock. A-Shares are traded on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges in RMB. A-Shares may be subject to more frequent and/or extended trading halts than other exchange-traded securities and may become illiquid. The A-Shares market may behave very differently from other Chinese equity markets, and there may be little to no correlation between them.

Restrictions continue to exist on investments in A-Shares and capital therefore cannot flow freely into the A-Share market, making it possible that, in the event of a market disruption, the liquidity of the A-Share market and trading prices of A-Shares could be more severely affected than the liquidity and trading prices of markets where securities are freely tradable and capital therefore flows more freely. The Fund cannot predict the nature or duration of such a market disruption or the impact that it may have on the A-Share market and the short-term and long-term prospects of its investments in the A-Share market.

The Chinese government has in the past taken actions that benefitted holders of A-Shares. As A-Shares become more available to foreign investors, such as the Fund, the Chinese government may be less likely to take action that would benefit holders of A-Shares.

Repatriations by QFIs for investors such as registered funds are permitted daily and are not subject to lockup periods. There is no assurance, however, that PRC rules and regulations will not change or that repatriation restrictions will not be imposed in the future. Any restrictions on repatriation of the Fund's assets may adversely affect the Fund's ability to meet redemption requests and/or may cause the Fund to borrow money in order to meet its obligations. These limitations may also prevent the Fund from making certain distributions to shareholders.

If the Fund is unable to obtain sufficient exposure to the components of its underlying index, the Fund could seek exposure to the component securities of the underlying index in other ways, such as by investing in depositary receipts of the component securities and Hong Kong listed versions of the component securities. The Fund may also invest in B-Shares issued by the same companies that issue A-Shares that are in the underlying index. The A-Shares market may behave very differently from the B-Shares market, and there may be little to no correlation between the performances of the two. The Fund may also use derivatives or invest in ETFs that can obtain comparable exposures. If necessary, the Fund may limit or suspend purchases of Creation Units of the Fund until the Fund determines that the requisite exposure to the underlying index is obtainable. During the period that creations are limited or suspended, the Fund could trade at a significant premium or discount to the NAV and could experience substantial redemptions. Alternatively, the Fund could change its investment objective by, for example, seeking to track an alternative index that does not include A-Shares as component securities, or decide to liquidate the Fund. In circumstances beyond the control of the Fund, the Fund may incur significant losses due to limited investment capabilities, including based on investment objectives or strategies, due to investment restrictions on QFIs licenses, illiquidity of the securities markets, or delay or disruption in execution or settlement of trades.

The Chinese government limits foreign investment in the securities of Chinese issuers entirely. China may also impose higher local tax rates on transactions involving certain companies. These restrictions or limitations may have adverse effects on the liquidity and performance of the Fund holdings as compared to the performance of the underlying index, if applicable. For an index ETF, this may increase the risk of tracking error and the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective.

Per a circular (Caishui [2014] 79), the Fund is temporarily exempt from the Chinese tax on capital gains ("CGT") on trading in A-Shares as a QFI on the Shanghai Stock Exchange through the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect as of November 17, 2014, and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange through the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect as of December 5, 2016. There is no indication as to how long the temporary exemption will remain in effect. Accordingly, the Fund may be subject to such taxes in the future. In addition, there is uncertainty as to the application and implementation of China's value added tax to the Fund's activities. As a result, investors may be advantaged or disadvantaged depending on the final rules of the relevant tax authorities.

Investors should note that such provision may be excessive or inadequate to meet actual CGT tax liabilities (which could include interest and penalties) on the Fund's investments. As a result, investors may be advantaged or disadvantaged depending on the final rules of the relevant tax authorities.

It is also unclear how China's value added tax may apply to the activities of a participant in the Stock Connect Programs or QFI licensee and how such application may be affected by tax treaty provisions. If such a tax is collected, the expense will be passed on and borne by the Fund. The imposition of such taxes, as well as future changes in applicable PRC tax law, may adversely affect the Fund.

The Fund reserves the right to establish a reserve for any taxes as to which it is uncertain whether they will assessed, although it has not currently done so. If the Fund establishes such a reserve but is not ultimately subject to the tax, shareholders who redeemed or sold their shares while the reserve was in place will effectively bear the tax and may not benefit from the later release, if any, of the reserve. Conversely, if the Fund does not establish such a reserve but ultimately is subject to the tax, shareholders who redeemed or sold their shares prior to the tax being withheld, reserved or paid will have effectively avoided the tax, even if they benefited from the trading that precipitated the Fund's payment of it. The Fund is responsible for any taxes on its operations or investments, including if they are applied retroactively.

**Disclosure of Interests and Short Swing Profit Rule.** The Fund may be subject to regulations promulgated by the CSRC, which currently require the Fund to make certain public disclosures when the Fund and parties acting in concert with the Fund acquire 5% or more of the issued securities of a listed company (which include A-Shares of the listed company). The relevant PRC regulations presumptively treat all affiliated investors and investors under common control as parties acting in concert. As such, the Fund may be deemed as a "concert party" of other funds managed by Krane, a sub-adviser, if applicable, or their affiliates and therefore may be subject to the risk that the Fund's holdings may be required to be reported in the aggregate with the holdings of such other funds should the aggregate holdings trigger the reporting threshold under the PRC law. If the 5% shareholding threshold is triggered, the Fund would be required to file its report within three days. During the time limit for filing the report, a trading freeze applies and the Fund would not be permitted to make subsequent trades in the invested company's securities. Any such trading freeze may impair the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective and undermine the Fund's performance.

Further, subject to the interpretation of PRC courts and PRC regulators, the operation of the PRC short swing profit rule may prevent the Fund from reducing its holdings in a PRC company within six months of the last purchase of shares of the company if the Fund's holding in that company exceeds the threshold prescribed by the relevant exchange on which the PRC company's shares are listed. The Fund could be subject to these restrictions even though an entity deemed to be an affiliate (and not the Fund) may have triggered the restrictions. Nonetheless, if the Fund violates the rule, it may be required by the listed company to return any profits realized from such trading to the company. In addition, the Fund could not repurchase securities of the listed company within six months of such sale. Finally, under PRC civil procedures, the Fund's assets may be frozen to the extent of the claims made by the company in question.

**PRC Broker Risk.** Currently, only a limited number of brokers are available to trade A-Shares with the Fund. As a result, Krane or a sub-adviser will have limited flexibility to choose among brokers on behalf of the Fund than is typically the case for investment advisers. If Krane or a sub-adviser is unable to use a particular broker in the PRC, the operation of the Fund may be adversely affected. Further, the operation of the Fund may be adversely affected in case of any acts or omissions of the PRC broker, which may result in higher tracking error or the Fund being traded at a significant premium or discount to its NAV. If a single PRC broker is appointed, the Fund may not necessarily pay the lowest commission available in the market. There is also a risk that the Fund may suffer losses from the default, bankruptcy or disqualification of the PRC broker. Krane or a sub-adviser, however, in its selection of PRC brokers will consider such factors as the competitiveness of PRC brokers' commission rates, size of the relevant orders, and execution standards.

**B-Shares Risk.** The B-Share market is generally smaller, less liquid and has a smaller issuer base than the A Share market. The issuers that compose the B-Share market include a broad range of companies, including companies with large, medium and small capitalizations. The B-Shares market may behave very differently from other portions of the Chinese equity markets, and there may be little to no correlation between their performance.

**H-Shares Risk.** The Fund may invest in shares of companies incorporated in mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange ("H-Shares"). H-Shares are traded in Hong Kong dollars on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and must meet Hong Kong's listing and disclosure requirements. H-Shares may be traded by foreigners and can be used to gain exposure to Chinese securities. Because they are traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, H-Shares involve a number of risks not typically associated with investing in countries with more democratic governments or more established economies or securities markets. Such risks may include the risk of nationalization or expropriation; greater social, economic and political uncertainty; increased competition from Asia's low-cost emerging economies; currency exchange rate fluctuations; higher rates of inflation; controls on foreign investment and limitations on repatriation of invested capital; and greater governmental involvement in and control over the economy. Fluctuations in the value of the Hong Kong dollar will affect the Fund's holdings of H-Shares. The Hong Kong stock market may behave very differently from the domestic Chinese stock market and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the Hong Kong stock market and the domestic Chinese stock market.

**N-Shares Risk.** The Fund may invest in shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on an American stock exchange, such as the NYSE or NASDAQ ("N-Shares"). N-Shares are traded in U.S. dollars. N-Shares are issued by companies incorporated anywhere, but many are registered in Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, or the United States. Because companies issuing N-Shares have business operations in China, they are subject to certain political and economic risks in China.

**P-Chip Risk.** The Fund may invest in shares of companies with controlling private Chinese shareholders that are incorporated outside mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange ("P-Chips"). These businesses are largely run by the private sector and have a majority of their business operations in mainland China. P-Chip shares are traded in Hong Kong dollars on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and may also be traded by foreigners. Because they are traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, P-Chips are also subject to risks similar to those associated with investments in H-Shares. They are also subject to risks affecting their jurisdiction of incorporation, including any legal or tax changes. Private Chinese companies may be more indebted, more susceptible to adverse changes in the economy, subject to asset seizures and nationalization, and negative political or legal developments.

**Red Chip Risk.** The Fund may invest in shares of companies with controlling Chinese government shareholders that are incorporated outside mainland China, have a majority of their business operations in mainland China, and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange ("Red Chips"). These businesses are controlled, either directly or indirectly, by the central, provincial or municipal governments of the PRC. Red Chip shares are traded in Hong Kong dollars on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, may also be traded by foreigners and are subject to risks similar to those of H-Shares. Because Red Chip companies are controlled by various PRC governmental authorities, investing in Red Chips involves risks that political changes, social instability, regulatory uncertainty, adverse diplomatic developments, asset expropriation or nationalization, or confiscatory taxation could adversely affect the performance of Red Chip companies. Red Chip companies may be less efficiently run and less profitable than other companies. They are also subject to risks affecting their jurisdiction of incorporation, including any legal or tax changes.

**S-Chip Companies Risk.** The Fund may invest in shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on the Singapore Exchange ("S-Chips"). S-Chip shares are issued by companies incorporated anywhere, but many are registered in Singapore, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, or Bermuda. They are subject to risks affecting their jurisdiction of incorporation, including any legal or tax changes. S-Chip companies may or may not be owned at least in part by a Chinese central, provincial or municipal government and be subject to the types of risks that come with such ownership described herein. There may be little or no correlation between the performance of the Singapore stock market and the mainland Chinese stock market.

**Stock Connect Program Risk.** The Stock Connect Programs are subject to daily quota limitations, and an investor cannot purchase and sell the same security on the same trading day, which may restrict the Fund's ability to invest in A-Shares through the Stock Connect Programs and to enter into or exit trades on a timely basis. The Shanghai and Shenzhen markets may be open at a time when the participating exchanges located outside of mainland China are not active, with the result that prices of A-Shares may fluctuate at times when the Fund is unable to add to or exit its position. Only certain A-Shares are eligible to be accessed through the Stock Connect Programs. Such securities may lose their eligibility at any time, in which case they may no longer be able to be purchased or sold through the Stock Connect Programs. Because the Stock Connect Programs are still evolving, the actual effect on the market for trading A-Shares with the introduction of large numbers of foreign investors is still relatively unknown. In addition, there is no assurance that the necessary systems required to operate the Stock Connect Programs will function properly or will continue to be adapted to changes and developments in both markets. In the event that the relevant systems do not function properly, trading through the Stock Connect Programs could be disrupted. The Stock Connect Programs are subject to regulations promulgated by regulatory authorities for both exchanges and further regulations or restrictions, such as limitations on redemptions or suspension of trading, may adversely impact the Stock Connect Programs, if the authorities believe it necessary to assure orderly markets or for other reasons. There is no guarantee that the participating exchanges will continue to support the Stock Connect Programs in the future. Each of the foregoing could restrict the Fund from selling its investments, adversely affect the value of its holdings and negatively affect the Fund's ability to meet shareholder redemptions.

Investments in China A-Shares may not be covered by the securities investor protection programs of the exchanges and, without the protection of such programs, will be subject to risk of default by the broker. Because of the way in which A-Shares are held in the Stock Connect Programs, the Fund may not be able to exercise the rights of a direct shareholder and may be limited in its ability to pursue claims against the issuer of a security, and may suffer losses in the event the legal or "nominee holder" of the China A-Shares under the Stock Connect Programs becomes insolvent. Given that all trades through the Stock Connect Programs must be settled in RMB, investors must have timely access to a reliable supply of offshore RMB, which cannot be guaranteed.

**Concentration Risk.** Because the Fund's assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries, to the extent that the Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that may affect that industry or group of industries. Market conditions, interest rates, and economic, regulatory, or financial developments could significantly affect a single industry or a group of related industries, and the securities of companies in that industry or group of industries could react similarly to these or other developments.

**Conflict of Interest Risk.** Because the Fund and the Underlying ETF are both managed by Krane, Krane is subject to conflicts of interest relating to the management of the Fund and Underlying ETF including the fair valuation of the Underlying ETF's securities. Any fair valuation decisions made by Krane regarding securities held by the Underlying ETF impact the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF and may impact the pricing of the options held by the Fund.

**Communication Services Sector Risk.** The communication services sector may be dominated by a small number of companies which may lead to additional volatility in the sector. Communication services companies are particularly vulnerable to the potential obsolescence of products and services due to technological advances and the innovation of competitors. Communication services companies may also be affected by other competitive pressures, such as pricing competition, as well as research and development costs, substantial capital requirements and government regulation. Fluctuating domestic and international demand, shifting demographics and often unpredictable changes in consumer demand can drastically affect a communication services company's profitability. Telecommunication service providers are often required to obtain licenses or franchises in order to provide services in a given location. Licensing or franchise rights are limited, which may result in an advantage to certain participants. Compliance with governmental regulations, delays or failure to receive regulatory approvals, or the enactment of new regulatory requirements may negatively affect the business of telecommunication services companies. Companies in media and entertainment industries can be significantly affected by competition, particularly in formulating new products and services using new technologies, and the cyclicality of revenues and earnings. Certain companies in the communication services sector may be particular targets of network security breaches, hacking and potential theft of proprietary or consumer information or disruptions in services, which would have a material adverse effect on their businesses.

**Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk.** Consumer discretionary products and services are non-essential products and services whose demand tends to increase as consumers' disposable income increases. This sector can be significantly affected by the performance of the overall economy, interest rates, competition, and consumer confidence. Success can depend heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes can also affect the demand for, and success of, consumer discretionary products. The prices of raw materials fluctuate in response to a number of factors, including changes in government agricultural support programs, exchange rates, import and export controls, changes in international agricultural and trading policies and seasonal and weather conditions. Companies in the consumer discretionary sector may be subject to severe competition, which may also have an adverse impact on their profitability.

**Currency Risk.** To the extent that the Fund is exposed directly or indirectly to foreign currencies, including through its investments, or invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates could adversely impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Domestic issuers that hold substantial foreign assets may be similarly affected. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and can be affected unpredictably by intervention, or failure to intervene, by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. To the extent the Fund invests or hedges based on the perceived relationship between two currencies, there is a risk that the correlation between those currencies may not behave as anticipated.

Any gain or loss attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the time the Fund accrues income or gain and the time the Fund converts such income or gain from a foreign currency to the dollar is generally treated as ordinary income or loss. Therefore, if the value of a foreign currency increases relative to the U.S. dollar between the accrual of income and the time at which the Fund converts the foreign currency to U.S. dollars, the Fund will recognize ordinary income upon conversion. In such circumstances, if the Fund has insufficient cash in U.S. dollars to meet distribution requirements under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), the Fund may be required to liquidate certain positions in order to make distributions. The liquidation of investments, if required, may also have an adverse impact on the Fund's performance. The Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between U.S. dollars and foreign currencies.

The use of foreign currency exchange transactions could result in the Fund's incurring losses as a result of the imposition of exchange controls, exchange rate regulation, suspension of settlements or the inability to deliver or receive a specified currency. Delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies for the purpose of purchasing foreign securities could leave the Fund with uninvested cash, may adversely affect the Fund's performance, since any delay could result in the Fund missing an investment opportunity and purchasing securities at a higher price than originally intended, and cause the Fund to incur cash drag. Delays in converting or transferring foreign currencies to U.S. dollars could also inhibit the Fund's ability to meet redemptions or make distributions.

**Depositary Receipts Risk.** The Fund may hold the securities of foreign companies in the form of depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") and Global Depositary Receipts. Investing in depositary receipts entails additional risks associated with foreign investments. The underlying securities of the depositary receipts in the Fund's portfolio are subject to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates that may affect the value of the Fund's portfolio. In addition, the value of the securities underlying the depositary receipts may change materially when the U.S. markets are not open for trading, which will affect the value of the depositary receipts. Like direct investments in foreign securities, investments in depositary receipts involve political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the securities of U.S. issuers.

ADRs are U.S. dollar-denominated receipts representing shares of foreign-based corporations. ADRs are issued by U.S. banks or trust companies, and entitle the holder to all dividends and capital gains that are paid out on the underlying foreign shares. Investment in ADRs may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market. "Sponsored" depositary receipts are established jointly by a depositary and the underlying issuer, whereas "unsponsored" depositary receipts may be established by a depositary without participation by the underlying issuer. Holders of an unsponsored depositary receipt generally bear all the costs associated with establishing the unsponsored depositary receipt. In addition, the issuers of the securities underlying unsponsored depositary receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States and, therefore, there may be less information available regarding such issuers and there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the depositary receipts.

Depositary receipts may also be unregistered and unlisted, and may be purchased in the public markets or restricted securities that can be offered and sold only to "qualified institutional buyers" under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). If a particular investment in such ADRs becomes illiquid, that investment will be included within the Fund's limitation on investment in illiquid securities. Moreover, if adverse market conditions were to develop during the period between the Fund's decision to sell these types of ADRs and the point at which the Fund is permitted or able to sell such security, the Fund might obtain a price less favorable than the price that prevailed when it decided to sell or may be unable to sell it at all.

**Derivatives Risk.** Derivatives are financial instruments, such as swaps, futures, forwards, structured notes and options, whose values are based on the value of one or more reference assets, such as a security, asset, currency, interest rate or index. Derivatives involve risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other more traditional investments. For example, derivatives involve the risk of mispricing or improper valuation and the risk that changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the reference asset(s). Derivative transactions can create investment leverage, may be highly volatile and the Fund could lose more than the amount it invests.

Many derivative transactions are entered into "over-the-counter" (not on an exchange or contract market); as a result, the value of such a derivative transaction will depend on the ability and the willingness of the Fund's counterparty to perform its obligations under the transaction. If a counterparty were to default on its obligations, the Fund's contractual remedies against such counterparty may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could affect the Fund's rights as a creditor (e.g., the Fund may not receive the net amount of payments that it is contractually entitled to receive). A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund's derivative positions at any time. If a derivative transaction is centrally cleared, it will be subject to the rules of the clearing exchange and subject to risks associated with the exchange.

Derivatives can be illiquid and imperfectly correlate with the reference asset(s), resulting in unexpected returns that could materially adversely affect the Fund. Some derivatives can have the potential for unlimited loss. It is possible that developments in the derivatives market, including ongoing or potential government regulation, could adversely affect the Fund's ability to enter into new derivatives agreements, terminate existing derivative agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such instruments.

**Clearing Member Default Risk.** Transactions in some types of derivatives, including options, are required to be centrally cleared ("cleared derivatives"). In a transaction involving cleared derivatives, the Fund's counterparty is a clearing house, such as the Options Clearing Corporation ("OCC"), rather than a bank or broker. Since the Fund is not a member of clearing houses and only members of a clearing house ("clearing members") can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members. In cleared derivatives positions, the Fund will make payments (including margin payments) to, and receive payments from, a clearing house through their accounts at clearing members. Customer funds held at a clearing organization in connection with any option contracts are held in a commingled omnibus account and are not identified to the name of the clearing member's individual customers. As a result, assets deposited by the Fund with any clearing member as margin for its options may, in certain circumstances, be used to satisfy losses of other clients of the Fund's clearing member. In addition, although clearing members guarantee performance of their clients' obligations to the clearing house, there is a risk that the assets of the Fund might not be fully protected in the event of the clearing member's bankruptcy. The Fund is also subject to the risk that a limited number of clearing members are willing to transact on the Fund's behalf, which heightens the risks associated with a clearing member's default. If a clearing member defaults the Fund could lose some or all of the benefits of a transaction entered into by the Fund with the clearing member. The loss of a clearing member for the Fund to transact with could result in increased transaction costs and other operational issues that could impede the Fund's ability to implement its investment strategy. If the Fund cannot find a clearing member to transact with on the Fund's behalf, the Fund may be unable to effectively implement its investment strategy.

The OCC acts as guarantor and central counterparty with respect to the options. As a result, the ability of the Fund to meet its objective depends on the OCC being able to meet its obligations. In the event an OCC clearing member that is a counterparty of the Fund were to become insolvent, the Fund may have some or all of its options closed without its consent or may experience delays or other difficulties in attempting to close or exercise its affected options positions, both of which would impair the Fund's ability to execute its investment strategy. The OCC's rules and procedures are designed to facilitate the prompt settlement of options transactions and exercises, including for clearing member insolvencies. However, there is the risk that the OCC and its backup system will fail if clearing member insolvencies are substantial or widespread. In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses.

**FLEX Options Risk.** The Fund will utilize FLEX options, which are issued and guaranteed for settlement by the OCC as guarantor and central counterparty.

The Fund may experience substantial downside from specific FLEX option positions and certain FLEX option positions may expire worthless. FLEX options may be less liquid than standardized options. In less liquid markets for the FLEX options, the Fund may have difficulty closing out certain FLEX options positions at desired times and prices. In connection with the creation of shares, to the extent market participants are not willing or able to enter into FLEX option transactions with the Fund at prices that reflect the then-current total return of the Underlying ETF and the Cap and/or Buffer, could be negatively impacted.

**Forward Currency Contracts Risk.** A forward foreign currency contract involves a negotiated obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date (with or without delivery required), which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. Forward foreign currency contracts are not traded on exchanges; rather, a bank or dealer will act as agent or as principal in order to make or take future delivery, exposing the Fund to counterparty risk.

**Futures Risk.** In addition to the above, risks associated with the use of futures contracts include the following: (i) an imperfect correlation between movements in prices of futures contracts and movements in the value of the reference asset(s) it is designed to simulate; and (ii) the possibility of an illiquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a position prior to its maturity date. When the Fund purchases or sells a futures contract, it is subject to daily variation margin calls that could be substantial. If the Fund has insufficient cash to meet daily variation margin requirements, it might need to sell securities at a time when such sales are disadvantageous.

**Leveraging Risk.** The Fund's investment in derivative instruments provide leveraged exposure. The Fund's investment in these instruments generally requires a small investment relative to the amount of investment exposure assumed. As a result, such investments may give rise to losses that exceed the amount invested in those instruments. The use of derivatives may expose the Fund to potentially dramatic losses (or gains) in the value of a derivative or other financial instrument and, thus, in the value the Fund's portfolio.

**OCC Resetting Strike Prices Risk.** Subject to determination by the Securities Committee of the OCC, adjustments may be made to the Fund's options for certain events (collectively, "Corporate Actions") specified in the OCC's bylaws and rules such as: certain stock dividends or distributions, stock splits, reverse stock splits, rights offerings, distributions, reorganizations, recapitalizations, or reclassifications with respect to an underlying security, or a merger, consolidation, dissolution or liquidation of the issuer of the underlying security. According to the OCC's by-laws, the nature and extent of any such adjustment is to be determined by the OCC's Securities Committee, in light of the circumstances known to it at the time such determination is made, based on its judgment as to what is appropriate for the protection of investors and the public interest, taking into account such factors as fairness to holders and writers (or purchasers and sellers) of the affected options, the maintenance of a fair and orderly market in the affected options, consistency of interpretation and practice, efficiency of exercise settlement procedures, and the coordination with other clearing agencies of the clearance and settlement of transactions in the underlying interest. If the OCC's Securities Committee determines that a Corporate Action warrants an adjustment to the strike price of the Fund's options, the Fund's Buffer and Cap will be adjusted accordingly and will differ from amount set at the beginning of the Outcome Period. There is no guarantee that the options will be adjusted.

**Options Risk.** The use of options involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying instrument, or in interest or currency exchange rates, including the anticipated volatility of the underlying instrument (known as implied volatility), which in turn are affected by the performance of the issuer of the underlying instrument, by the time remaining until the expiration of the option contract, by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political and economic events. As such, prior to the exercise or expiration of the option, the Fund is exposed to implied volatility risk, meaning the value, as based on implied volatility, of an option may increase due to market and economic conditions or views based on the sector or industry in which issuers of the underlying instrument participate, including company-specific factors.

An option is a contract that gives the purchaser (holder) of the option, in return for a premium, the right to buy from (call) or sell to (put) the seller (writer) of the option the security or currency underlying the option at a specified exercise price at any time during the term of the option (normally not exceeding nine months). The writer of an option has the obligation upon exercise of the option by its purchaser to deliver the underlying security or currency upon payment of the exercise price or to pay the exercise price upon delivery of the underlying security or currency. Options are derivatives, which, as described above, can be illiquid and can imperfectly correlate with the reference asset(s).

**Swaps Risk.** Swap transactions generally do not involve delivery of reference instruments or payment of the notional amount of the contract. Accordingly, the risk of loss with respect to swaps generally is limited to the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make or, in the case of the other party to a swap defaulting, the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually entitled to receive. Swaps are of limited duration and there is no guarantee that swaps entered into with a counterparty will continue indefinitely. Accordingly, the duration of a swap depends on, among other things, the ability of the Fund to renew the expiration period of the relevant swap at agreed upon terms.

**Emerging Markets Risk.** Securities issued by entities with substantial operations or holdings in developing or emerging market countries may involve additional risks relating to political, economic, or regulatory conditions not associated with investments in developed markets. For example, in comparison with developed markets, developing and emerging markets may be subject to greater market volatility; greater risk of asset seizures and capital controls; lower trading volume and liquidity; greater social, political and economic uncertainty; governmental controls on foreign investments and limitations on repatriation of invested capital; greater risk of market shutdown; lower disclosure, corporate governance, auditing and financial reporting standards; fewer protections of property rights; restrictions on the transfer of securities or currency; and settlement and trading practices that differ from U.S. or developed markets. Shareholder claims and legal remedies that are common in the United States may be difficult or impossible to pursue in many emerging market countries. In addition, due to jurisdictional limitations, matters of comity and various other factors, U.S. authorities may be limited in their ability to bring enforcement actions against non-U.S. companies and non-U.S. persons in certain emerging market countries. Most emerging market companies are not subject to the uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting requirements applicable to issuers in the United States, which may impact the availability and quality of information about emerging market issuers. Additionally, in times of market stress, regulatory authorities of different emerging market countries may apply varying techniques and degrees of intervention. Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange, or by governmental authorities. The likelihood of such suspensions may be higher for securities of issuers in emerging or less-developed market countries than in countries with more developed markets. Trading suspensions may be applied from time to time to the securities of individual issuers for reasons specific to that issuer, or may be applied broadly by exchanges or governmental authorities in response to market events. Suspensions may last for significant periods of time, during which trading in the securities and in instruments that reference the securities, such as derivative instruments, may be halted. Each of these factors may impact the ability of the Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities, adversely affect the trading market and price for Fund shares, and cause the Fund to decline in value.

The economies of emerging markets, and China in particular, may be heavily reliant upon international trade and may suffer disproportionately if international trading declines or is disrupted.

Such conditions may lead to potential errors in index data, index computation and/or index construction and may limit the ability to oversee the Index Provider's due diligence process over index data, which may adversely impact the Underlying ETF's performance and its ability to track the performance of the underlying index.

**Equity Securities Risk.** Equity securities are subject to volatile changes in value that may be attributable to market perception of a particular issuer or to general stock market fluctuations that affect all issuers. Investments in equity securities are subject to volatile changes in market value and their values may be more volatile than investments in other asset classes. In the event of liquidation, equity securities are generally subordinate in rank to debt and other securities of the same issuer.

**ETF Risk.** As an ETF, the Fund is subject to the following risks:

**Authorized Participants Concentration Risk.** The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. To the extent they exit the business or are otherwise unable to proceed in creation and redemption transactions with the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create or redeem, shares of the Fund may be more likely to trade at a premium or discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts or delisting. Authorized Participant concentration risk may be heightened for ETFs, such as the Fund, that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other securities or instruments that have lower trading volumes.

**Cash Transactions Risk.** Like other ETFs, the Fund sells and redeems its shares only in large blocks called Creation Units and only to Authorized Participants. Unlike most other ETFs, however, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially or fully for cash, rather than in-kind securities.

Other ETFs generally are able to make in-kind redemptions and avoid realizing gains in connection with redemption requests. Effecting redemptions for cash may cause the Fund to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. Such dispositions may occur at an inopportune time, resulting in potential losses to the Fund or difficulties in meeting shareholder redemptions, and involve transaction costs. If the Fund recognizes gain on these sales, this generally will cause the Fund to recognize gain it might not otherwise have recognized if it were to distribute portfolio securities in-kind or to recognize such gain sooner than would otherwise have been required. The Fund generally intends to distribute these gains to shareholders to avoid being taxed on this gain at the Fund level and otherwise comply with the special tax rules that apply to it. This strategy may cause shareholders to be subject to tax on gains they would not otherwise be subject to, or at an earlier date than, if they had made an investment in another ETF.

In addition, cash transactions may have to be carried out over several days if the securities market in which the Fund is trading is less liquid and may involve considerable transaction expenses and taxes. These brokerage fees and taxes, which will be higher than if the Fund sold and redeemed its shares principally in-kind, may be passed on to purchasers and redeemers of Creation Units in the form of creation and redemption transaction fees. To the extent any costs associated with cash transactions are not offset by any transaction fees payable by an Authorized Participant, the Fund's performance could be negatively impacted. The Fund has capped the total fees that may be charged in connection with the redemption of Creation Units at 2% of the value of the Creation Units redeemed. To the extent transaction and other costs associated with a redemption exceed that cap, those transaction costs will be borne by the Fund's remaining shareholders. These factors may result in wider spreads between the bid and the offered prices of the Fund's shares than for other ETFs.

**International Closed Market Trading Risk.** To the extent the Fund's investments trade in markets that are closed when the Fund and Exchange are open, there are likely to be deviations between current pricing of an underlying security and the prices at which the underlying securities are valued for purposes of the Fund's NAV. As a result, shares may appear to trade at a significant discount or premium to NAV greater than those incurred by other ETFs. In addition, shareholders may not be able to purchase or redeem their shares of the Fund, or purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** The NAV of the Fund's shares will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund's securities holdings. The market prices of Fund shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in the Fund's NAV and supply and demand of shares on the secondary market. It cannot be predicted whether Fund shares will trade below (at a discount), at or above (at a premium) their NAV. As a result, shareholders of the Fund may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling Fund shares. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. In such market conditions, market or stop-loss orders to sell Fund shares may be executed at market prices that are significantly below NAV. Price differences may be due, in part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for shares may be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the securities of the Fund trading individually. The market prices of Fund shares may deviate significantly from the NAV of the shares during periods of market volatility or if the Fund's holdings are or become more illiquid. Disruptions to creations and redemptions may result in trading prices that differ significantly from the Fund's NAV. In addition, market prices of Fund shares may deviate significantly from the NAV if the number of Fund shares outstanding is smaller or if there is less active trading in Fund shares. Investors purchasing and selling Fund shares in the secondary market may not experience investment results consistent with those experienced by those creating and redeeming directly with the Fund.

**Secondary Market Trading Risk.** Investors buying or selling shares in the secondary market will normally pay brokerage commissions, which are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors buying or selling relatively small amounts of shares. In addition, secondary market investors will incur the cost of the difference between the price that an investor is willing to pay for shares (the bid price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell shares (the ask price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the "spread" or "bid-ask spread." The bid-ask spread, which increases the cost of purchasing and selling Fund shares, varies over time for shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally lower if the Fund's shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if the Fund's shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Increased market volatility may cause increased bid-ask spreads.

Although Fund shares are listed for trading on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be maintained or that the Fund's shares will continue to be listed. Trading in Fund 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 is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to Exchange "circuit breaker" rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of any Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged or that the shares will trade with any volume, or at all.

**New Fund Risk.** If the Fund does not grow in size, it will be at greater risk than larger funds of wider bid-ask spreads for its shares, trading at a greater premium or discount to NAV, liquidation and/or a trading halt.

**Foreign Securities Risk.** Investment in foreign securities may involve higher costs than investment in U.S. securities, including higher transaction and custody costs as well as the imposition of additional taxes by foreign governments. Foreign investments may also involve risks associated with currency exchange rates, less complete financial information about the issuers, less market liquidity, more market volatility and political and economic instability. Future political and economic developments, the difficulty of enforcing obligations in other countries, the possible imposition of withholding or confiscatory taxes, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency, or the adoption of other governmental restrictions might adversely affect an investment in foreign securities. Additionally, foreign issuers, especially issuers in emerging markets, may be subject to less stringent regulation, and to different accounting, auditing, recordkeeping, financial reporting, and investor protection requirements. Investments in foreign securities typically are less liquid than investments in U.S. securities. The value of foreign securities may change materially when the U.S. markets are not open for trading.

Income from securities of non-U.S. issuers, including gains on the sale of such securities, may be subject to foreign taxes, which would be the responsibility of the Fund. Even if the Fund qualifies to pass these taxes through to shareholders, the ability to claim a credit for such taxes may be limited, particularly in the case of taxes on capital gains.

Foreign markets may have clearance and settlement procedures that make it difficult for the Fund to buy and sell securities. This could result in a loss to the Fund by causing the Fund to be unable to dispose of an investment or to miss an attractive investment opportunity, or by causing the Fund's assets to be uninvested for some period of time, or cause the Fund to face delays or difficulties in meeting shareholder redemptions.

Securities of issuers traded on foreign exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by governmental authorities. Trading suspensions may be applied from time to time to the securities of individual issuers for reasons specific to that issuer, or may be applied broadly by exchanges or governmental authorities in response to market events. Suspensions may last for significant periods of time, during which trading in the securities and in instruments that reference the securities, such as derivative instruments, may be halted. In the event that the Fund holds positions in such suspended securities, the Fund may be adversely impacted.

From time to time, certain of the issuers of securities purchased by the Fund may operate in, or have dealings with, countries that may become subject to sanctions or embargoes imposed by the U.S. Government and the United Nations and/or countries identified by the U.S. Government as state sponsors of terrorism. A company may suffer damage to its reputation and value if it is identified as such a company. Any Fund investment in such companies will be indirectly subject to those risks.

**Geographic Focus Risk.** The Fund's investments are expected to be focused in a particular country, countries, or region to approximately the same degree as the underlying index and therefore the Fund may be susceptible to adverse market, political, regulatory, and geographic events affecting that country or region. Such geographic focus also may subject the Fund to a higher degree of volatility than a more geographically diversified funds.

**Internet Companies Risk.** Investments in Internet companies may be volatile. Internet companies are subject to intense competition, the risk of product obsolescence, changes in consumer preferences and legal, regulatory and political changes. They are also especially at risk of hacking and other cybersecurity events. In addition, it can be difficult to determine what qualifies as an Internet company.

**Investments in Investment Companies Risk.** The Fund may purchase shares of investment companies, such as ETFs, unit investment trusts, closed-end investment companies and foreign investment companies, including those that are advised, sponsored or otherwise serviced by Krane, a sub-adviser (as applicable), or their affiliates, to gain exposure to particular investments or when such investments present a more cost efficient alternative to investing directly in securities. When the Fund invests in an investment company, in addition to directly bearing the expenses associated with its own operations, it will bear a pro rata portion of the underlying investment company's expenses. An investor in the Fund may receive taxable gains as a result of an underlying fund's portfolio transactions in addition to the taxable gains attributable to the Fund's transactions in shares of the underlying fund. Further, in part because of these additional expenses, the performance of an investment company may differ from the performance the Fund would achieve if it invested directly in the underlying investments of the investment company. In addition, while the risks of owning shares of an investment company generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying investments of the investment company, the Fund may be subject to additional or different risks than if the Fund had invested directly in the underlying investments. For example, shares of an ETF are traded at market prices, which may vary from the NAV of its underlying investments. Also, the lack of liquidity in an ETF can contribute to the increased volatility of its value in comparison to the value of the underlying portfolio securities. To the extent that the Fund invests in investment companies or other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered pursuant to the 1940 Act, including foreign investment companies, it will not enjoy the protections of the 1940 Act. In addition, to the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies, including ETFs, sponsored, advised or otherwise serviced by Krane, a sub-adviser (as applicable), or their affiliates, they may be subject to conflicts of interest in allocating Fund assets, particularly if they are paid an advisory fee both by the Fund and the fund in which the Fund invests.

**IPO Risk.** Securities offered in initial public offerings ("IPOs") are subject to many of the same risks of investing in companies with smaller market capitalizations and often to a heightened degree. Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile. At any particular time or from time to time, the Fund may not be able to invest in securities issued in IPOs, or invest to the extent desired, because, for example, only a small portion (if any) of the securities being offered in an IPO may be made available to the Fund. In addition, under certain market conditions, a relatively small number of companies may issue securities in IPOs. The investment performance of the Fund during periods when it is unable to invest significantly or at all in IPOs may be lower than during periods when the Fund is able to do so. In addition, as the Fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the Fund's performance will generally decrease.

**Large Capitalization Company Risk.** Investments in large capitalization companies may go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions and may underperform other market segments. Some large capitalization companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges and attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. As such, returns on investments in stocks of large capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in stocks of small and mid-capitalization companies.

**Large Shareholder Risk.** To the extent a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their shares will adversely affect the Fund's performance by forcing the Fund to sell securities, potentially at disadvantageous prices and increased brokerage costs, to raise the cash needed to satisfy such redemption requests. This risk may be heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets, or to the extent that such large shareholders have short investment horizons or unpredictable cash flow needs. Such redemptions may also increase transaction costs and/or have adverse tax consequences to the Fund and for remaining shareholders. In some circumstances, the Fund may hold a relatively larger proportion of its assets in cash in anticipation of large shareholder transactions, which may adversely impact returns.

**Liquidity Risk.** The Fund's investments are subject to liquidity risk, which exists when an investment is or becomes difficult to purchase or sell at a reasonable time and price. If a transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is or becomes illiquid, it may reduce the potential returns of the Fund because it may be unable to sell the illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price, which may cause the Fund to suffer significant losses and difficulties in meeting redemptions. This is especially true given the limited number of market participants in certain markets in which the Fund may invest. Certain countries in which the Fund may invest may be subject to extended settlement delays and/or foreign holidays, during which the Fund will unlikely be able to convert such holdings to cash and may make it additionally difficult for the Fund to meet redemptions in a timely fashion.

Market developments may cause the Fund's investments to become less liquid and subject to erratic price movements, and may also cause the Fund to encounter difficulties in timely honoring redemptions, especially if market events cause an increased incidence of shareholder redemptions. If a number of investments held by the Fund stop trading or become illiquid, such as due to an exchange's limit up, limit down rules, it may have a cascading effect and cause the Fund to halt trading. Volatility in market prices will increase the risk of the Fund being subject to a trading halt. To the extent that an investment is deemed to be an illiquid investment or a less liquid investment, the Fund can expect to be exposed to greater liquidity risk.

**Management Risk.** The Fund is actively-managed and may not meet its investment objective based on Krane's or the sub-adviser's, as applicable, success or failure to implement investment strategies for the Fund. Krane's or the sub-adviser's, as applicable, evaluations and assumptions regarding investments, interest rates, inflation, and other factors may not successfully achieve the Fund's investment objective given actual market conditions.

**Market Risk.** The values of the Fund's holdings could decline generally or could underperform other investments. Market fluctuations could be caused by such factors as economic and political developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities prices. Recent developments in relations between the United States and its trading partners have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the U.S. and other countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on the world's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on financial markets. Different types of securities tend to go through cycles of outperformance and under-performance in comparison to the general securities markets. In addition, securities may decline in value due to factors affecting a specific issuer, market or securities markets generally. Therefore, the Fund is susceptible to the risk that certain holdings may be difficult or impossible to sell at a favorable time or price.

Turbulence in the financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and fixed-income markets may negatively affect issuers worldwide, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund. The Federal Reserve and other domestic and foreign government agencies may attempt to stabilize the global economy. These actions may expose markets to heightened volatility and may reduce liquidity for certain Fund investments, causing the value of the Fund's investments and share price to decline. To the extent that the Fund experiences high redemptions because of these actions, the Fund may experience increased portfolio turnover, which will increase the costs that the Fund incurs and will lower the Fund's performance.

Geopolitical risks, including terrorism, tensions or open conflict between nations, or political or economic dysfunction within some nations that are major players on the world stage or major producers of oil, may lead to overall instability in world economies and markets generally and have led, and may in the future lead, to increased market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects. Similarly, environmental and public health risks, such as natural disasters or pandemics/epidemics, or widespread fear that such events may occur, may impact markets adversely and cause market volatility in both the short- and long-term.

Advancements in technology, including advanced development and increased regulation of artificial intelligence, may adversely impact market movements and liquidity and the profitability and growth of certain issuers and industries may be negatively impacted in ways that cannot be foreseen and could adversely impact performance.

Certain illnesses spread rapidly and have the potential to significantly and adversely affect the global economy. Epidemics and/or pandemics have and may further result in, among other things, closing borders, enhanced health screenings, healthcare service preparation and delivery, quarantines, cancellations, disruptions to supply chains and customer activity, as well as general concern and uncertainty. The impact of such epidemics and/or pandemics that may arise in the future, have the potential to affect the economies of many nations, individual companies and the global securities and commodities markets, including liquidity, in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time. The impact of infectious diseases in developing or emerging market countries may be greater due to less established health care systems. Health crises caused by the recent coronavirus outbreak may exacerbate other preexisting political, social and economic risks in certain countries. The impact of the outbreak may be short term or may last for an extended period of time and may have material adverse impacts on the Fund.

**Non-Correlation Risk.** The FLEX options written by the Fund will be exercisable at their strike price only on their expiration date. The options purchased by the Fund will be exercisable at their strike price either on their expiration date or at any time. Since the options held by the Fund do not expire until approximately two years after the commencement of the Outcome Period, the degree of non-correlation between the value of the options and the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF will be higher when compared to options with shorter terms. As an option approaches its expiration date, its value typically will increasingly correlate with the price of Underlying ETF shares. Farther in advance of the expiration date, the value of the options may vary because related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF influence the value. For example, the value of the options will be influenced by interest rate changes, the secondary market share price of the Underlying ETF and implied volatility levels of the Underlying ETF, among other factors. For the same reasons, the value of the options held by the Fund is not expected to increase or decrease to the same degree as the Underlying ETF's secondary market share price on a day-to-day basis.

**Non-Diversified Fund Risk.** Because the Fund is non-diversified and may invest a greater portion of its assets in fewer issuers than a diversified fund, changes in the market value of a single portfolio holding could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a diversified fund. This may increase the Fund's volatility and cause the performance of a single portfolio holding or a relatively small number of portfolio holdings to have a greater impact on the Fund's performance.

**Operational and Cybersecurity Risk.** The Fund, Krane, its service providers and your ability to transact with the Fund may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or its service providers, as well as the securities trading venues and their service provides, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. It is not possible for Krane or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the cybersecurity or other operational risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

**Outcome Period Risk.** The Fund seeks to deliver returns that match those of the Underlying ETF's total return if shares are held by an investor from the beginning of the Outcome Period until the end of the Outcome Period. Because the Fund utilizes European style options contracts, the Outcomes are designed to be produced only on the expiration date of the options on the final day of the Outcome Period. In the event an investor purchases shares after the beginning of the Outcome Period or sells shares prior to end of the Outcome Period, the returns realized by the investor should not be expected to match those that the Fund seeks to provide. Further, because the Fund utilizes an Outcome Period that is approximately two years long, the risk of experiencing non-correlated returns is exacerbated.

**Small- and Mid-Capitalization Company Risk.** Investing in the securities of small- and mid-capitalization companies involves greater risk and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization companies and more established companies. Since small- and medium-sized companies may have limited operating histories, product lines and financial resources, the securities of these companies may lack sufficient market liquidity and can be sensitive to expected changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and earnings. These companies' securities may be more volatile and less liquid than those of more established companies, and they may be more sensitive to market conditions.

**Tax Risk.** In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to regulated investment companies, the Fund must satisfy certain income, distribution and asset diversification requirements. With respect to the latter, the Fund generally may not acquire a security if, as a result of the acquisition, more than 50% of the value of the Fund's assets would be invested in (a) issuers in which the Fund has, in each case, invested more than 5% of the Fund's assets and (b) issuers more than 10% of whose outstanding voting securities are owned by the Fund. If the Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company ("RIC"), it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation, and distributions to its shareholders would not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income, which would adversely affect its performance. Because there is limited transparency into state ownership of Chinese issuers, there is a risk of such issuers being deemed to be a single issuer, which could result in the Underlying ETF (and, therefore, the Fund) falling out of compliance with the asset diversification requirements.

The federal income tax treatment of certain aspects of the proposed operations of the Fund are not entirely clear, which could impact the Fund's ability to qualify as a RIC. This includes the tax aspects of the Fund's options strategy, its hedging strategy, the possible application of the "straddle" rules, and various loss limitation provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("Code"). The Fund's investments in offsetting positions with respect to the Underlying ETF may affect the character of gains or losses realized by the Fund under the Code's "straddle" rules and may increase any short-term capital gains realized by the Fund. The Fund intends to treat any income it may derive from the FLEX options as "qualifying income" under the provisions of the Code applicable to RICs. If the income is not qualifying income or the issuer of the FLEX options is not appropriately the referenced asset, the Fund could lose its own status as a RIC. With respect to the RIC diversification test, identifying the issuer can depend on the terms and conditions of a given investment. There is no published Internal Revenue Service guidance or case law on how to determine the "issuer" of certain derivatives that the Fund will enter into. Based upon language in the legislative history, the Fund intends to treat the issuer of the FLEX options as the referenced asset, which, assuming the referenced asset qualifies as a RIC, would allow the Fund to qualify for special rules in the RIC diversification requirements. The FLEX options included in the portfolio are exchange-traded options. Under Section 1256 of the Code, certain types of exchange-traded options are treated as if they were sold (i.e., "marked to market") at the end of each year. The Fund does not believe that the positions held by the Fund will be subject to Section 1256, which means that the positions will not be marked to market. In the event that a shareholder purchases shares of the Fund shortly before a distribution by the Fund, the entire distribution may be taxable to the shareholder even though a portion of the distribution effectively represents a return of the purchase price.

In order to qualify for the favorable tax treatment generally available to regulated investment companies and avoid Fund-level taxes, the Fund must also satisfy certain distribution requirements. Capital controls and currency controls may affect the Fund's ability to meet the applicable distribution requirements. If the Fund fails to satisfy the distribution requirement necessary to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company for any taxable year, the Fund would be treated as a corporation subject to U.S. federal income tax, thereby subjecting any income earned by the Fund to tax at the corporate level. If the Fund fails to satisfy a separate distribution requirement, it will be subject to a Fund-level excise tax. These Fund-level taxes will apply in addition to taxes payable at the shareholder level on distributions.

To the extent the Fund does not distribute to shareholders all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain in a given year, it will be required to pay U.S. federal income tax on the retained income and gains, thereby reducing the Fund's return. The Fund may elect to treat its net capital gain as having been distributed to shareholders. In that case, shareholders of record on the last day of the Fund's taxable year will be required to include their attributable share of the retained gain in income for the year as a long-term capital gain despite not actually receiving the dividend, and will be entitled to a tax credit or refund for the tax deemed paid on their behalf by the Fund as well as an increase in the basis of their shares to reflect the difference between their attributable share of the gain and the related credit or refund.

Investments in swaps and other derivatives may be subject to special U.S. federal income tax rules that could adversely affect the character, timing and amount of income earned by the Fund (e.g., by causing amounts that would be capital gain to be taxed as ordinary income or to be taken into income earlier than would otherwise be necessary). Also, the Fund may be required to periodically adjust its positions in its swaps and derivatives to comply with certain regulatory requirements which may further cause these investments to be less efficient than a direct investment in the securities themselves. For example, swaps in which the Fund may invest may need to be reset on a regular basis in order to maintain compliance with the 1940 Act, which may increase the likelihood that the Fund will generate short-term capital gains. In addition, because the application of these special rules may be uncertain, it is possible that the manner in which they are applied by the Fund may be determined to be incorrect. In that event, the Fund may be found to have failed to maintain its qualification as a RIC or to be subject to additional U.S. tax liability. Moreover, the Fund may make investments, both directly and through swaps or other derivative positions, in companies classified as passive foreign investment companies for U.S. federal income tax purposes ("PFICs"). Investments in PFICs are subject to special tax rules which may result in adverse tax consequences to the Fund and its shareholders.

**Upside Participation Risk.** There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to provide shareholders with the total return of the Underlying ETF's shares over the Outcome Period prior to taking into account any fees or expenses, subject to a maximum total return imposed by the Cap. Because the value of the Fund's options does not increase or decrease at the same rate as the Underlying ETF's share price on a day-to-day basis (although they generally move in the same direction), the Fund may underperform the increases in the share price of the Underlying ETF until the end of the Outcome Period. To the extent the price of the Underlying ETF increases beyond the Fund's Cap, the Fund will not participate in such gains, and will underperform the Underlying ETF. In the event an investor purchases shares after the beginning of the Outcome Period or does not stay invested in the Fund for the entirety of the Outcome Period, the returns realized by such investor may not match those that the Fund seeks to achieve. In order to finance the downside protection offered by the Buffer, the Fund enters into a sold call option contract which limits its upside potential. Since the Buffer seeks to provide protection against 90% of decreases in the total return of the Underlying ETF over the duration of the Outcome Period, the Cap may be lower than the caps imposed by other ETFs that utilize defined outcome investing strategies with different buffers, on a relative basis. Due to the Cap, the Fund may significantly underperform the Underlying ETF over the course of the Outcome Period. Finally, the Fund's Cap is dependent upon market conditions at the commencement of the new Outcome Period. In certain market conditions, the Fund's Cap may provide relatively low upside potential, which may cause the Fund to further underperform the Underlying ETF over the course of an Outcome Period.

**Valuation Risk.** Financial information about the Fund's portfolio holdings may not always be reliable, which may make it difficult to obtain a current price for the investments held by the Fund. Independent market quotations for such investments may not be readily available, such as on days during which a security does not trade or a foreign holiday, and securities may be fair valued or valued by a pricing service at an evaluated price. These valuations are subjective and different funds may assign different fair values to the same investment. Such valuations also may be different from what would be produced if the security had been valued using market quotations. As a result, there is a risk that the Fund may not be able to sell an investment at the price assigned to the investment by the Fund. Such differences could be significant, particularly for illiquid securities and securities that trade in relatively thin markets and/or markets that experience extreme volatility. Additionally, Fund securities that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including "fair valued" securities, may be subject to greater fluctuations in their value from one day to the next. Because securities in which the Fund invests may trade on days when the Fund does not price its shares, the value of the securities in the Fund's portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund's shares.

**<u>Management</u>**

**Investment Adviser**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser"), which is a UN PRI signatory<sup>1</sup>, is a registered investment adviser located at 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10017 and serves as investment adviser of the Fund. Krane has served as the investment adviser of the Fund since its inception.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and Krane, Krane is responsible for reviewing, supervising and administering the Fund's investment program and the general management and administration of the Trust. In this regard, among other things, Krane arranges for transfer agency, custody, fund administration and accounting, and other non-distribution related services necessary for the Fund to operate. Krane may engage a subadviser to assist it in managing the Fund's investments, but will be responsible for overseeing any subadvisers. Krane manages the Fund's business affairs, provides office facilities and equipment and certain clerical, bookkeeping and administrative services, and permits its officers and employees to serve as officers or Trustees of the Trust. Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, Krane bears all of its own costs associated with providing advisory services to the Fund. In addition, Krane has contractually agreed to pay all operating expenses of the Fund, except (i) interest and taxes (including, but not limited to, income, excise, transaction, transfer and withholding taxes); (ii) expenses of the Fund incurred with respect to the acquisition and disposition of portfolio securities and the execution of portfolio transactions, including brokerage commissions and short sale dividend or interest expense; (iii) expenses incurred in connection with any distribution plan adopted by the Trust in compliance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, including distribution fees; (iv) Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses; (v) litigation expenses; (vi) the compensation payable to the Adviser under the investment advisory agreement; (vii) compensation and expenses of the Independent Trustees (including any Trustees' counsel fees); and (viii) any expenses determined to be extraordinary expenses by the Board. Nevertheless, there exists a risk that a Trust service provider will seek recourse against the Trust if is not timely paid by Krane for the fees and expenses for which it is responsible, which could materially adversely affect the Fund.

<sup>1</sup> UN PRI is an abbreviation for 'United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment,' a UN-supported network of investors that works to promote sustainable investment through the incorporation of environmental, social and governance factors into investment decision-making. PRI signatories publicly commit to adopt and implement the network's six ESG principles, which are voluntary and aspirational, where consistent with their fiduciary duties. Although the Adviser is a UN PRI signatory, the Fund is not an ESG fund.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Fund pays Krane the fee shown in the table below (in addition to the securities lending compensation Krane receives under the agreement discussed below), which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate based on a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund.

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | 0.25% |

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The Investment Advisory Agreement has been approved by the Board of Trustees and shareholders of the Fund (in this regard, Krane as the sole initial shareholder of the Fund will approve various matters and agreements, including the Investment Advisory Agreement for the Fund prior to its public offering). A discussion regarding the basis for the Board's approval of the Fund's investment advisory agreement with Krane is available in the Fund's Annual Report to Shareholders dated March 31, 2024.

In addition to the above-described services, to the extent the Fund engages in securities lending, Krane will: (i) determine which securities are available for loan and notify the securities lending agent for the Fund (the "Agent"), (ii) monitor the Agent's activities to ensure that securities loans are effected in accordance with Krane's instructions and in accordance with applicable procedures and guidelines adopted by the Board, (iii) make recommendations to the Board regarding the Fund's participation in securities lending, (iv) prepare appropriate periodic reports for, and seek appropriate periodic approvals from, the Board with respect to securities lending activities, (v) respond to Agent inquiries concerning Agent's activities, and (vi) such other related duties as Krane deems necessary or appropriate.

For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, the Adviser received the fees (in addition to the securities lending compensation Krane receives under the agreement discussed below), as a percentage of average daily net assets of the Fund, as set forth below, which is net of any fees waived or expenses reimbursed:

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | 0.25% |

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Under the agreement, while the fees and expenses related to the Fund's securities lending-related activities reduce the revenues and income of the Fund from such activities, they are not fees and expenses for which Krane is responsible. Further, as compensation for the services provided by Krane in connection with any securities lending-related activities, the Fund pays Krane 10% of the monthly investment income received from the investment of cash collateral and loan fees received from borrowers in respect of securities loans (net of any amounts paid to the custodian and/or securities lending agent or rebated to borrowers). For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, Krane did not receive any revenue from the Fund related to securities lending activities.

China International Capital Corporation (USA) Holdings Inc., a wholly-owned, indirect subsidiary of China International Capital Corporation Limited owns a majority stake in Krane. As of March 31, 2025, Central Huijin Investment Limited, a mainland Chinese-domiciled entity, and HKSCC Nominees Limited, held approximately 40.11% and 39.42%, respectively, of the shares of China International Capital Corporation Limited. Central Huijin Investment Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Investment Corporation, which is a mainland Chinese sovereign wealth fund. KFA One Holdings, LLC, located at 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017, holds the remaining equity interests in Krane and Jonathan Krane, through his equity interests in KFA One Holdings, LLC, beneficially owns more than 10% of the equity interests in Krane.

Krane has received "manager of managers" exemptive relief from the SEC that permits Krane, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees, to appoint a "wholly-owned" or unaffiliated sub-adviser, as defined in the exemptive relief, or to change the terms of a sub-advisory agreement with a "wholly-owned" or unaffiliated sub-adviser without first obtaining shareholder approval. The exemptive order further permits Krane to add or to change a "wholly-owned" or unaffiliated sub-adviser or to change the fees paid to such parties from time to time without the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approval of the change and to disclose sub-advisers' fees only in the aggregate in its registration statement. Any increase in the aggregate advisory fee paid by any Fund remains subject to shareholder approval. Krane continues to have ultimate responsibility (subject to oversight by the Board of Trustees) to oversee the sub-advisers and recommend their hiring, termination, and replacement. The Fund will notify shareholders of any change of the Fund's sub-adviser.

**Portfolio Managers**

James Maund, Head of Capital Markets at the Adviser, has served as the lead portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception. He joined the Adviser in 2020 and has over 20 years of experience in the investment management industry. Previously, he was a Vice President in the Institutional ETF Group and a member of the ETF Capital Markets Group at State Street Global Advisors (2010-2019); and an ETF trader at Goldman Sachs & Co (2005-2009). Mr. Maund graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics from Wesleyan University.

Jonathan Shelon, Chief Operating Officer of the Adviser, also serves as a portfolio manager of the Fund and supports Mr. Maund and Krane's investment team with respect to the Fund. Mr. Shelon has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since the Fund's inception. Mr. Shelon joined Krane in 2015. Mr. Shelon has spent the majority of his career managing investment portfolios and diverse teams at leading asset management organizations. Prior to joining Krane, he was the Chief Investment Officer of a 40-person global Specialized Strategies Team at J.P. Morgan with $40 billion AUM. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, Mr. Shelon spent ten years as a portfolio manager at Fidelity Investments where he was responsible for the investment performance, process and evolution of their target-date strategies for retirement savings, college savings and income generation.

Additional information about the Portfolio Managers' compensation, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers and the Portfolio Managers' ownership of Fund shares is available in the SAI.

**Other Service Providers**

SEI Investments Global Funds Services ("Administrator") serves as administrator for the Fund. The Administrator provides necessary administrative and accounting services for the maintenance and operations of the Trust and the Fund, and makes available the office space, equipment, personnel and facilities required to provide such services.

SEI Investments Distribution Co. ("Distributor"), an affiliate of the Administrator, serves as the Fund's distributor. Shares in less than Creation Units are not distributed by the Distributor, and the Distributor does not maintain a secondary market in the shares of the Fund.

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. ("BBH") serves as custodian and transfer agent for the Fund. BBH maintains in separate accounts cash, securities and other assets of the Fund, keeps all necessary accounts and records, and provides other services.

**<u>Shareholder Information</u>**

**Calculating NAV**

The Fund calculates its NAV by:

● Taking the current market value of its total assets

● Subtracting any liabilities and withholdings (if any)

● Dividing that amount by the total number of shares owned by the shareholders

The Fund normally calculates NAV as of the regularly scheduled close of normal trading on each day that the NYSE is scheduled to be open for business (a "Business Day") (normally, 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time). Any assets or liabilities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted into U.S. dollars at the current market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more sources.

Securities listed on a securities exchange (i.e., exchange-traded equity securities), market or automated quotation system for which quotations are readily available (except for securities traded on NASDAQ), including securities traded over the counter, are valued by independent pricing agents at the last reported sale price on the primary exchange or market (foreign or domestic) on which they are traded (or at the time as of which the Fund's NAV is calculated if a security's exchange is normally open at that time). If there is no such reported sale, such securities are valued at the most recently reported bid price. For securities traded on NASDAQ, the NASDAQ Official Closing Price will be used. If a security price cannot be obtained from an independent, third-party pricing agent, the Fund seeks to obtain bid and ask prices from two broker-dealers who make a market in the portfolio instrument and determines the average of the two.

If available, debt securities are priced based upon valuations provided by independent, third-party pricing agents. Such values generally reflect the last reported sales price if the security is actively traded. The third-party pricing agents may also value debt securities at an evaluated bid price by employing methodologies that utilize actual market transactions, broker-supplied valuations, or other methodologies designed to identify the market value for such securities. Debt obligations with remaining maturities of sixty days or less may be valued at their amortized cost, which approximates market value.

The prices for foreign securities are reported in local currency and converted to U.S. dollars using currency exchange rates. The exchange rates used for valuation are captured as of the close of the London Stock Exchange each day normally at 4:00 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time.

The value of a swap contract is equal to the obligation (or rights) under the swap contract, which will generally be equal to the net amounts to be paid or received under the contract based upon the relative values of the positions held by each party to the contract as determined by the applicable independent, third party pricing agent.

Swaps cleared through a central clearing house ("centrally cleared swaps") are valued at the settlement price established each day by the board of the exchange on which they are listed. The daily settlement prices for centrally cleared swaps are provided by an independent pricing agent. Swaps which are not centrally cleared are priced based on valuations provided by an independent pricing agent.

In a typical equity swap, one party agrees to pay another party the return on a stock, stock index, or basket of stocks (the "equity leg" of the swap) in return for interest payment(s) calculated based on the notional amount of the swap (the "financing leg" of the swap). Each leg of the swap is valued separately, and the net amount of the two legs is included in the Fund's net asset value. The value of the equity leg of the swap is provided by an independent pricing agent based on the value of the financial instrument underlying the swap. The value of the financing leg of the swap is systematically calculated by the Fund's accounting agent based on the details of the swap.

Exchange-traded options, except as discussed below for FLEX options, are valued at the mean of their most recent bid and asked price, if available, and otherwise, long positions will be valued at the most-recent bid price, and short positions will be valued at the most-recent ask price. Over-the-counter ("OTC") options are valued based upon prices determined by the applicable independent, third party pricing agent. FLEX (short for flexible) options are normally valued using a model-based price provided by a third-party pricing vendor. On days when a trade in a FLEX option occurs, the trade price will be used to value such FLEX options in lieu of the model price.

Futures are valued at the settlement price established by the board of trade on which they are traded. Foreign currency forward contracts are valued at the current day's interpolated foreign exchange rate, as calculated using the current day's spot rate and the 30-, 60-, 90- and 180-day forward rates provided by an independent pricing agent.

On certain days, the settlement price for futures may not be available at the time the Fund calculates its NAV. On such days, the best available price (which is typically the last trade price) may be used to value futures.

Securities issued by a wholly owned subsidiary of the Fund will be valued at the subsidiary's net asset value, which will be determined using the same pricing policies and procedures applicable to the Fund.

Investments in open-end investment companies that do not trade on an exchange are valued at the end of day NAV per share. Investments in open-end investment companies that trade on an exchange are valued in the same manner as other exchange-traded equity securities (described above).

Investments for which market prices are not "readily available," or are not deemed to reflect current market values, or are debt securities where no evaluated price is available from third-party pricing agents pursuant to established methodologies, are fair valued in accordance with the Adviser's valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. Some of the more common reasons that may necessitate that a security be valued using "fair value" pricing may include, but are not limited to: the security's trading has been halted or suspended; the security's primary trading market is temporarily closed; or the security has not been traded for an extended period of time.

In addition, the Fund may fair value its securities if an event that may materially affect the value of the Fund's securities that trade outside of the United States (a "Significant Event") has occurred between the time of the security's last close and the time that the Fund calculates its NAV. A Significant Event may relate to a single issuer or to an entire market sector, country or region. Events that may be Significant Events may include: government actions, natural disasters, armed conflict, acts of terrorism and significant market fluctuations. If Krane becomes aware of a Significant Event that has occurred with respect to a portfolio instrument or group of portfolio instruments after the closing of the exchange or market on which the portfolio instrument or portfolio instruments principally trade, but before the time at which the Fund calculates its NAV, it will notify the Administrator and may request that an ad hoc meeting of the Fair Value Pricing Committee be called.

With respect to trade-halted securities, the Adviser typically will fair value a trade-halted security by adjusting the security's last market close price by the security's sector performance, as measured by a predetermined index, unless Krane's Fair Value Pricing Committee determines to make additional adjustments. Certain foreign securities exchanges have mechanisms in place that confine one day's price movement in an individual security to a pre-determined price range based on that day's opening price ("Collared Securities"). Fair value determinations for Collared Securities will generally be capped based on any applicable pre-determined "limit down" or "limit up" prices established by the relevant foreign securities exchange. As an example, China A-Shares can only be plus or minus ten percent in one day of trading in the relevant mainland China equity market. As a result, the fair value price determination on a given day will generally be capped plus or minus ten percent.

Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that a fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value that could actually be realized upon the sale of the security or that another fund that uses market quotations or its own fair value procedures to price the same securities.

Trading in securities on many foreign exchanges is normally completed before the close of business on each Business Day. In addition, securities trading in a particular country or countries may not take place on each Business Day or may take place on days that are not Business Days. Changes in valuations on certain securities may occur at times or on days on which the Fund's NAV is not calculated and on which Fund shares do not trade and sales and redemptions of shares do not occur. As a result, the value of the Fund's portfolio securities and the net asset value of its shares may change on days when share purchases or sales cannot occur.

With respect to the securities of private companies, the Administrator will obtain the price of private company securities from the Valuation Designee, who will determine their fair value using various inputs, including observable data such as cost basis, primary financing rounds, tender offers, and secondary market activity. The Valuation Designee will also consider pricing from independent pricing experts<sup>2</sup>, comparables of public and private companies, and relevant market news. While primary financing rounds, tender offers, and cost basis are expected to be the main drivers of fair value, all factors will be considered. A daily dashboard will be stored to record data being considered. In addition to conducting a pricing and trend analysis on the data received from the independent pricing experts, the Valuation Designee will take business cycle, market depth, transaction size and other relevant factors into consideration when reviewing observable data and will periodically assess the pricing methodology used by the independent pricing experts.

**Buying and Selling Fund Shares**

Shares of the Fund may be purchased or redeemed directly from the Fund only in Creation Units or multiples thereof. Only a broker-dealer ("Authorized Participant") that enters into an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Fund's distributor, SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the "Distributor"), may engage in creation and redemption transactions directly with the Fund. Purchases and redemptions directly with the Fund must follow the Fund's procedures, and are subject to transaction fees, which are described in the SAI. Orders for such transactions may be rejected or delayed if they are not submitted in good order and subject to the other conditions set forth in this prospectus and the SAI. Please see the SAI for more information about purchases and redemptions of Creation Units.

<sup>2</sup> It is currently expected that the Valuation Designee will get pricing from two independent pricing agents.

Once purchased (i.e., created) by an Authorized Participant, shares are listed on the Exchange and trade in the secondary market. When you buy or sell the Fund's shares in the secondary market, you will pay or receive the market price. The price at which you buy or sell Shares (i.e., the market price) may be more or less than the NAV of the Shares. Unless imposed by your broker, there is no minimum dollar amount you must invest in the Fund and no minimum number of Shares you must buy. Shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities. Most investors will buy and sell shares through a broker and, thus, will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges when buying or selling shares. **Except when aggregated in Creation Units, Shares are not redeemable by the Fund.**

The secondary markets are closed on weekends and also are generally closed on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day (observed), Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans' Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

For more information on how to buy and sell shares of the Fund, call 1.855.857.2638 or visit <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>.

**Premium/Discount Information**

Information showing the number of days the market price of the Fund's shares was greater than the Fund's NAV per share (*i.e.*, at a premium) and the number of days it was less than the Fund's NAV per share (*i.e.*, at a discount) for various time periods is available by visiting the Fund's website at <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>. The premium and discount information contained on the website represents past performance and cannot be used to predict future results.

**Portfolio Holdings Information**

Each day the Fund is open for business, the Trust publicly disseminates the Fund's full portfolio holdings as of the close of the previous day through the website. A description of the Fund's policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of Fund portfolio holdings is available in the Fund's Statement of Additional Information ("SAI"). The holdings of the Fund can be found on the Fund's website at <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>.

**Active Investors and Market Timing**

The Trust's Board of Trustees has determined not to adopt policies and procedures designed to prevent or monitor for frequent purchases and redemptions of the Fund's shares because the Fund sells and redeems its shares at NAV only in Creation Units pursuant to the terms of an Authorized Participant Agreement between the Authorized Participant and the Distributor, and such direct trading between the Fund and Authorized Participants is critical to ensuring that the Fund's shares trade at or close to NAV. Further, the vast majority of trading in Fund shares occurs on the secondary market, which does not involve the Fund directly and therefore does not cause the Fund to experience many of the harmful effects of market timing, such as dilution and disruption of portfolio management. In addition, the Fund imposes a transaction fee on Creation Unit transactions, which is designed to offset transfer and other transaction costs incurred by the Fund in connection with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units and may employ fair valuation pricing to minimize potential dilution from market timing. The Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order at any time and reserves the right to impose restrictions on disruptive, excessive, or short-term trading.

**Investments by Registered Investment Companies**

The Fund is not eligible for investment by other investment companies pursuant to the exemptive relief provided by the SEC in Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act. This policy is subject to change.

**Continuous Offering**

The method by which Creation Units of Fund shares are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units of shares are issued and sold by the Fund on an ongoing basis, a "distribution," as such term is used in the Securities Act, may occur at any point. 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 requirement 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 constituent shares and sells the 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 a characterization 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(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of 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 engaging in ordinary secondary market transactions) and thus dealing with the shares that are part of an overallotment within the meaning of Section 4(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the Securities Act. For delivery of prospectuses to exchange members, the prospectus delivery mechanism of Rule 153 under the Securities Act is only available with respect to transactions on a national exchange.

**Dealers effecting transactions in the Fund's shares, whether or not participating in this distribution, are generally required to deliver a Prospectus. This is in addition to any obligation of dealers to deliver a Prospectus when acting as underwriters.**

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries**

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), Krane, any Fund sub-adviser or an affiliate of either may pay the intermediary for marketing activities or other services related to the sale or promotion of the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other financial intermediary and your sales person to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your sales person or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

**Distribution Plan**

The Fund has adopted a Distribution Plan (the "Plan") that allows the Fund to pay distribution fees to the Distributor and other firms that provide distribution services ("Service Providers"). Under the Plan, if a Service Provider provides distribution services, the Fund would pay distribution fees to the Distributor at an annual rate not to exceed 0.25% of average daily net assets, pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. The Distributor would, in turn, pay the Service Provider out of its fees. The Board of Trustees currently has determined not to implement any 12b-1 fees pursuant to the Plan. 12b-1 fees may only be imposed after approval by the Board of Trustees. Because any distribution fees would be paid out of the Fund's assets on an on-going basis, if payments are made in the future, the distribution fees would increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.

**Householding Policy**

To reduce expenses, we mail only one copy of the prospectus or summary prospectus, each annual and semi-annual report, and any proxy statements to each address shared by two or more accounts with the same last name or that the Trust reasonably believes are members of the same family. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, please call the Trust at 1.855.857.2638 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time on days the Fund is open for business or contact your financial institution. We will begin sending you individual copies thirty days after receiving your request. **Investors who hold their shares through an intermediary are subject to the intermediary's policies. Contact your financial intermediary for any questions you may have.**

**Dividends and Distributions**

The Fund plans to pays out dividends to shareholders annually. The Fund distributes its net capital gains, if any, to shareholders annually. The Fund may make distributions on a more or less frequent basis. The Fund reserves the right to declare special distributions, including if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the status of the Fund as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code, to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.

**<u>Additional Tax Information</u>**

The following is a summary of some important tax issues that affect the Fund and its shareholders. The summary is based on current tax laws, which may be changed by legislative, judicial or administrative action. You should not consider this summary to be a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund, or the tax consequences of an investment in the Fund. **More information about taxes is located in the SAI. You are urged to consult your tax adviser regarding specific questions as to federal, state and local income taxes.**

**Tax Status of the Fund**

The Fund is treated as a separate entity for federal tax purposes, and intends to qualify for the special tax treatment afforded to regulated investment companies. As long as the Fund qualifies for treatment as a regulated investment company, it pays no federal income tax on the earnings it distributes to shareholders.

**Tax Status of Distributions**

The Fund will, at least annually, distribute substantially all of its net investment taxable income and net capital gains.

The income dividends you receive from the Fund (which include the Fund's short-term capital gains) will be taxed as either ordinary income or qualified dividend income. For non-corporate shareholders, dividends that are reported as qualified dividend income are generally taxable at reduced maximum tax rates to the extent that the Fund receives qualified dividend income and subject to certain limitations and holding period requirements.

Distributions of the Fund's short-term capital gains are generally taxable as ordinary income. Any distributions of net capital gain (the excess of the Fund's net long-term capital gains over its net short-term capital losses) are taxable as long-term capital gains regardless of how long you have owned your shares. Long-term capital gains are taxable at reduced maximum tax rates.

If the Fund makes distributions to a shareholder in excess of the Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits in any taxable year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of the shareholder's tax basis in its shares, and thereafter as capital gain. A return of capital is not taxable, but reduces a shareholder's tax basis in its shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of its shares.

The Fund may invest in complex securities. These investments may be subject to numerous special and complex rules. These rules could affect whether gains and losses recognized by the Fund are treated as ordinary income or capital gain, accelerate the recognition of income to the Fund and/or defer the Fund's ability to recognize losses. In turn, these rules may affect the amount, timing or character of distributions you receive from the Fund.

Dividends and distributions are generally taxable to you whether you receive them in cash or in additional shares. Corporate shareholders may be entitled to a dividends-received deduction for the portion of dividends they receive that is attributable to dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations, subject to certain limitations.

Distributions paid in January but declared by the Fund in October, November or December of the previous year may be taxable to you in the previous year. Your broker will inform you of the amount of your ordinary income dividends, qualified dividend income, and capital gains distributions shortly after the close of each calendar year.

If you lend your Fund shares pursuant to securities lending arrangements, you may lose the ability to treat the Fund's dividends (paid while the shares are held by the borrower) as qualified dividend income. Consult your financial intermediary or tax adviser.

Some foreign governments levy withholding taxes against dividend and interest income. Although in some countries a portion of these withholding taxes is recoverable, the non-recovered portion will reduce the income received from the securities in the Fund. If more than 50% of the total assets of the Fund at the close of a year consist of non-U.S. stocks or securities, then the Fund may elect, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, to treat certain non-U.S. income taxes (including withholding taxes) paid by the Fund as paid by its shareholders. The Fund will provide you with the information necessary to reflect foreign taxes paid on your income tax return if it makes this election.

If you hold your shares in a tax-qualified retirement account, you generally will not be subject to federal taxation on income received with respect to the shares (including Fund dividends and distributions, and any gain on the sale of shares), until you begin receiving payments from your retirement account. You should consult your tax adviser regarding the tax rules that apply to your retirement account.

**Tax Status of Share Transactions**

Any capital gain or loss upon a sale of the Fund's shares is generally treated as a long-term gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term gain or loss if held for one year or less. Any capital loss on the sale of the Fund's shares held for six months or less is treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent that any capital gain distributions were paid with respect to such shares.

**Medicare Contribution Tax**

U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly) are subject to a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on all or a portion of their "net investment income," including interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (including capital gains realized on the sale or exchange 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.

**Back-Up Withholding**

The Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold at applicable withholding rates (currently 24%) and remit to the U.S. Treasury the amount withheld on amounts payable to any shareholder who (1) has provided the Fund either an incorrect tax identification number or no number at all, (2) is subject to back-up withholding by the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") for failure to properly report payments of interest or dividends, (3) has failed to certify to the Fund that such shareholder is not subject to back-up withholding, or (4) has not certified that such shareholder is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien).

**Non-U.S. Investors**

If you are not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States or if you are a non-U.S. entity, the Fund's ordinary income dividends (which include distributions of net short-term capital gains) will generally be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax, unless a lower treaty rate applies, provided that withholding tax will generally not apply to any gain or income realized by a non-U.S. shareholder in respect of any distributions of long-term capital gains or upon the sale or other disposition of shares of the Fund. The withholding tax will also not apply to properly designated interest-related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends. You also may potentially be subject to U.S. federal estate taxes.

A 30% withholding tax will generally be imposed on dividends paid by the Fund to (i) foreign financial institutions including non-U.S. investment funds unless they agree to collect and disclose to the IRS, or the tax authorities in their home jurisdictions, information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. account holders and (ii) certain other foreign entities, unless they certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners. A non-U.S. shareholder may be exempt from the withholding described in this paragraph under an intergovernmental agreement between the United States and a foreign government, provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement. Proposed regulations (which are effective while pending) eliminate the application of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act ("FATCA") withholding tax to capital gain dividends and redemption proceeds that was scheduled to take effect in 2019.

**State Tax Considerations**

In addition to federal taxes, distributions by the Fund and ownership of the Fund's shares may be subject to state and local taxes. You should consult your tax adviser regarding how state and local tax laws affect your investment in the Fund's shares.

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

A person who purchases a Creation Unit by exchanging securities in-kind generally will recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the sum of the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and any net amount of cash received by the Authorized Participant in the exchange and (ii) the sum of the purchaser's aggregate basis in the securities surrendered and any net amount of cash paid for the Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units and receives securities in-kind from the Fund will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the redeemer's basis in the Creation Units, and the aggregate market value of the securities received and any net cash received. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an in-kind exchange of securities for Creation Units or an exchange of Creation Units for securities cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing "wash sales," or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. Persons effecting in-kind creations or redemptions should consult their own tax adviser with respect to these matters.

The Fund has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the shares 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 deposit securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Fund also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of the 80% determinations.

**<u>Index Provider Disclaimers</u>**

China Securities Index Co., Ltd. ("CSI"), a leading index provider in China, is a joint venture between the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange that specializes in the creation of indices and index-related services. CSI is not affiliated with the Trust, Krane, the Trust's administrator, custodian, transfer agent or Distributor, or any of their respective affiliates. Krane has entered into a license agreement with CSI to use the relevant Index and CSI marks, and sublicenses such rights to the Fund at no charge. Krane uses the marks for the purpose of promoting and marketing the Fund.

The Fund is neither sponsored nor promoted, distributed or in any other manner supported by CSI. The Index is compiled and calculated by CSI. CSI will apply all necessary means to ensure the accuracy of the Index. However, neither CSI nor the Shanghai Stock Exchange nor the Shenzhen Stock Exchange shall be liable (whether in negligence or otherwise) to any person for any error in the Index and neither CSI nor the Shanghai Stock Exchange nor the Shenzhen Stock Exchange shall be under any obligation to advise any person of any error therein. All copyrights in the Index values and constituent lists vest in CSI. Neither the publication of the Index by CSI nor the granting of a license of rights relating to the Index or to the Index Trademark for the utilization in connection with the Fund, represents a recommendation by CSI for a capital investment or contains in any manner a warranty or opinion by CSI with respect to the attractiveness of an investment in the Fund.

**<u>Additional Disclaimers</u>**

**Krane and Trust Disclaimer**

*Neither Krane nor the Trust guarantees the accuracy or the completeness of any Underlying Index or any data included therein and neither shall have any liability for any errors, omissions or interruptions therein. Krane and the Fund further make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of shares of the Fund or any members of the public as to results to be obtained by the Funds from the use of any Underlying Index, as to any data included therein, or as to the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Funds particularly. Krane expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to any Underlying Index or Fund. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall Krane have any liability for any special, punitive, direct, indirect or consequential damages (including lost profits), even if notified of the possibility of such damages.*

**NYSE Arca, Inc. Disclaimer**

*Shares of the Fund are not sponsored, endorsed or promoted by NYSE Arca, Inc. ("NYSE Arca"). NYSE Arca makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the shares of the Fund or any member of the public regarding the ability of the Fund to track the total return performance of the Underlying Index or the ability of the Underlying Index to track stock market performance. NYSE Arca is not responsible for, nor has it participated in, the determination of the compilation or the calculation of the Underlying Index, nor in the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of shares of the Funds to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the shares are redeemable. NYSE Arca has no obligation or liability to owners of the shares of the Fund in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the shares of the Fund.*

*NYSE Arca does not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the Underlying Index or any data included therein. NYSE Arca makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by the Trust on behalf of the Fund as licensee, licensee's customers and counterparties, owners of the shares of the Fund, or any other person or entity from the use of the subject index or any data included therein in connection with the rights licensed as described herein or for any other use. NYSE Arca makes no express or implied warranties and hereby expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to the Underlying Indexes or any data included therein. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall NYSE Arca have any liability for any direct, indirect, special, punitive, consequential or any other damages (including lost profits) even if notified of the possibility of such damages.*

**<u>Financial Highlights</u>**

The table that follows presents the financial highlights for the Fund for the fiscal periods indicated. The table is intended to help you understand the Fund's financial performance. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The information has been derived from financial statements audited by KPMG LLP, the Trust's independent registered public accounting firm. Their report, along with the financial highlights and financial statements, is included in the Fund's most recent Form N-CSR (see back cover for information on how to obtain the Fund's financial statements).

**KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF (KBUF)**

**Selected Per Share Data & Ratios**

**For the Years/Periods Ended March 31**

**For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Period**

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF** | **2025** | **2024<sup>(1)</sup>** |
| Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period ($) | 25.63 | 25.00 |
| Net Investment Income (Loss) ($)\* | 0.94 | (0.01) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments ($) | 4.45 | 0.64 |
| Total from Operations ($) | 5.39 | 0.63 |
| Distribution from Net Investment Income ($) | (0.98) |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Distribution from Capital Gains ($) |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Return of Capital ($) |  |  |
| Total from Distributions ($) | (0.98) |  |
| Net Asset Value, End of Period ($) | 30.04 | 25.63 |
| Total Return (%)\*\* | 21.38 | 2.52 |
| Net Assets End of Period ($) (000) | 3755 | 2563 |
| Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (%) | 0.26‡ | 0.26 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Expenses to Average Net Assets (Excluding Waivers, as applicable) (%) | 0.26‡ | 0.26 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ratio of Net Investment Income (Loss) to Average Net Assets (%) | 3.38 | (0.23) |
| Portfolio Turnover (%) | 3 |  |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| (1) | The Fund's inception date was on February 7, 2024. |
| \* | Per share data calculated using average shares method. |
| \*\* | Total return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the year or period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total return is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. The return shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Excludes effects of standard creation and redemption transaction fees associated with creation units. |
| † | Annualized. |
| †† | Portfolio turnover rate is for the period indicated and periods of less than one year have not been annualized. Excludes effect of in-kind transfers. |
| ‡ | In addition to the fees and expenses which the Fund bears directly, it also indirectly bears a pro-rata share of the fees and expenses of the underlying funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the above expense ratios. |

---

**Additional Information**

*Additional and more detailed information about the Fund is included in the SAI dated August 1, 2025. The SAI has been filed with the SEC and is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus and, therefore, legally forms a part of this Prospectus. The SEC maintains the EDGAR database on its website ("http://www.sec.gov") that contains the SAI, material incorporated by reference, and other information regarding registrants that file electronically with the SEC and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.*

*You may obtain a copy of the SAI, the Annual or Semi-Annual Reports to shareholders, and other information such as Fund financial statements, or make inquiries, without charge, by calling 1.855.857.2638, visiting www.kraneshares.com, or writing the Trust at 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10017. Additional information about the Fund's investments will be available in the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports and in Form N-CSR. Also, in the Fund's Annual Report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund's performance during its last fiscal year. In Form N-CSR, you will find the Fund's annual and semi-annual financial statements. The Fund's fiscal year end is March 31.*

*No one has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations not contained in this Prospectus or in the Fund's SAI in connection with the offering of Fund shares. Do not rely on any such information or representations as having been authorized by the Fund, Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable. This Prospectus does not constitute an offering by the Fund in any jurisdiction where such an offering is not lawful.*

*The Trust enters into contractual arrangements with various parties, including among others, the Fund's investment adviser, sub-adviser(s) (if applicable), distributor, custodian, and transfer agent who provide services to the Fund. Shareholders are not parties to any such contractual arrangements or intended beneficiaries of those contractual arrangements, and those contractual arrangements are not intended to create in any shareholder any right to enforce them against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the Trust.*

*This prospectus provides information concerning the Fund that you should consider in determining whether to purchase Fund shares. Neither this prospectus nor the SAI is intended, or should be read, to be or give rise to an agreement or contract between the Trust, the Trustees, or the Fund and any investor, or to give rise to any rights in any shareholder or other person other than any rights under federal or state law that may not be waived.*

The Trust's Investment Company Act file number is 811-22698.

**KraneShares Trust**

**STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION**

**August 1, 2025**

**KRANESHARES CSI CHINA INTERNET ETF – (KWEB)**

**KRANESHARES GLOBAL HUMANOID AND EMBODIED INTELLIGENCE INDEX ETF (FORMERLY, KRANESHARES ASIA ROBOTICS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE INDEX ETF) – (KOID)**

**KRANESHARES BOSERA MSCI CHINA A 50 CONNECT INDEX ETF – (KBA)**

**KRANESHARES ASIA PACIFIC HIGH INCOME USD BOND ETF – (KHYB)**

**KRANESHARES ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND FUTURE MOBILITY INDEX ETF – (KARS)**

**KRANESHARES EMERGING MARKETS CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY INDEX ETF – (KEMQ)**

**KRANESHARES MSCI ALL CHINA HEALTH CARE INDEX ETF – (KURE)**

**KRANESHARES MSCI CHINA A HEDGED INDEX ETF – (KBAH)**

**KRANESHARES MSCI CHINA CLEAN TECHNOLOGY INDEX ETF – (KGRN)**

**KRANESHARES MSCI EMERGING MARKETS EX CHINA INDEX ETF – (KEMX)**

**KRANESHARES MSCI ONE BELT ONE ROAD INDEX ETF – (OBOR)**

**KRANESHARES SSE STAR MARKET 50 INDEX ETF – (KSTR)**

**KRANESHARES HANG SENG TECH INDEX ETF – (KTEC)**

**KRANESHARES KWEB COVERED CALL STRATEGY ETF (FORMERLY, KRANESHARES CHINA INTERNET AND COVERED CALL STRATEGY ETF) – (KLIP)**

**KRANESHARES GLOBAL LUXURY INDEX ETF – (KLXY)**

**KRANESHARES GLOBAL EM REVENUE LEADERS INDEX ETF – (KREV)**

**KRANESHARES VALUE LINE<sup>®</sup> DYNAMIC DIVIDEND EQUITY INDEX ETF – (KVLE)**

**KRANESHARES MOUNT LUCAS MANAGED FUTURES INDEX STRATEGY ETF – (KMLM)**

**KRANESHARES GLOBAL CARBON STRATEGY ETF – (KRBN)**

**KRANESHARES EUROPEAN CARBON ALLOWANCE STRATEGY ETF – (KEUA)**

**KRANESHARES CALIFORNIA CARBON ALLOWANCE STRATEGY ETF – (KCCA)**

**KRANESHARES EASTERN US CARBON ETF – (KRGI)**

**KRANESHARES HEDGEYE HEDGED EQUITY INDEX ETF – (KSPY)**

**KRANESHARES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ETF – (AGIX)**

**KRANESHARES SUSTAINABLE ULTRA SHORT DURATION INDEX ETF – (KCSH)**

**KRANESHARES CHINA ALPHA INDEX ETF – (KCAI)**

**KRANESHARES MAN BUYOUT BETA INDEX ETF – (BUYO)**

Shares of each Fund are or will be traded on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (for all Funds except KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF and Kraneshares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF) or NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (for KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF and Kraneshares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF).

This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") relates to the above listed funds (collectively, the "Funds"), each a series of the KraneShares Trust (the "Trust"). This SAI is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the current prospectus for the Funds, dated August 1, 2025, as it may be revised from time to time (the "Prospectus"). Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. The audited financial statements with respect to the Funds for the most recent fiscal year or period are incorporated in this SAI by reference to the Funds' Form N-CSR for the year or period ending March 31, 2025. A copy of the Prospectus, this SAI, and/or the most recent annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders may be obtained, without charge, by calling 1.855.857.2638, visiting <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>, or writing to the Trust at 280 Park Ave, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017.

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| [GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUNDS](#sai-kweb_001) | 1 |
| [INVESTMENT POLICIES, TECHNIQUES AND RISK FACTORS](#sai-kweb_002) | 3 |
| [INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS](#sai-kweb_003) | 41 |
| [CONTINUOUS OFFERING](#sai-kweb_004) | 45 |
| [MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST](#sai-kweb_005) | 45 |
| [INVESTMENT Adviser](#sai-kweb_006) | 52 |
| [Sub-ADVISERS](#sai-kweb_007) | 57 |
| [PORTFOLIO MANAGERS](#sai-kweb_008) | 61 |
| [CODES OF ETHICS](#sai-kweb_009) | 67 |
| [PROXY VOTING POLICY](#sai-kweb_010) | 68 |
| [ADMINISTRATOR](#sai-kweb_011) | 68 |
| [CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER AGENT](#sai-kweb_012) | 68 |
| [DISTRIBUTOR AND DISTRIBUTION ARRANGEMENTS](#sai-kweb_013) | 70 |
| [control persons AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES](#sai-kweb_014) | 71 |
| [EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING](#sai-kweb_015) | 77 |
| [BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM](#sai-kweb_016) | 78 |
| [BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS](#sai-kweb_017) | 79 |
| [CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS](#sai-kweb_018) | 86 |
| [tAXES](#sai-kweb_019) | 95 |
| [DETERMINATION OF NAV](#sai-kweb_020) | 105 |
| [DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS](#sai-kweb_021) | 108 |
| [OTHER INFORMATION](#sai-kweb_022) | 108 |
| [COUNSEL](#sai-kweb_023) | 109 |
| [INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM](#sai-kweb_024) | 110 |
| [Financial Statements](#sai-kweb_025) | 110 |
| [APPENDIX A – PROXY VOTING POLICY](#sai-kweb_026) | A-1 |
| [APPENDIX b – DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS](#sai-kweb_027) | B-1 |

---

i

**GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUNDS**

The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on February 3, 2012 and is permitted to offer multiple, separate series (*i.e.*, funds). As of the date of this SAI, the Trust offers 40 separate funds, including the Funds and other funds not offered in this SAI. The Trust is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), and each Fund is a non-diversified series of the Trust, except the following Funds are diversified:

● KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF (formerly, KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A Share ETF)

● KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF,

● KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF,

● KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF and

● KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF.

The offering of the Trust's shares is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). All payments received by the Trust for shares of any fund belong to that fund. Each Fund will have its own assets and liabilities. Shares of each Fund will only be issued against full payment, as further described in the Prospectus and this Statement of Additional Information.

**<u>Adviser and Sub-Advisers</u>**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or the "Adviser") serves as the investment adviser to each Fund and is responsible for continuously reviewing, supervising and administering each Fund's investment program. Bosera Asset Management (International) Co., Ltd. ("Bosera") serves as the investment sub-adviser to KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF and KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF and is responsible for making investment decisions for each of those Fund's assets and trading portfolio securities. Nikko Asset Management Americas Inc. ("Nikko") serves as the investment sub-adviser to the KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF and is responsible for making investment decisions for that Fund's assets and trading portfolio securities. Mount Lucas Index Advisers LLC ("MLIA") serves as the investment sub-adviser to the KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF and is responsible for making investment decisions for that Fund's assets and trading portfolio investments. Climate Finance Partners LLC ("CFP") provides non-discretionary sub-advisory services to the KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF and KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF, which includes advice, research and subject matter expertise related to those Funds' investments. Etna Capital Management Company Ltd., ("Etna") serves as the investment sub-adviser to the Kraneshares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF and is responsible for making investment decisions for a portion of that Fund's assets. Numeric Investors LLC ("Numeric") serves as the index provider and investment sub-adviser to the KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF.

SEI Investments Distribution Co. serves as the distributor (the "Distributor") of the shares of each Fund.

**<u>Exchange-Traded Fund ("ETF") Operations</u>**

Each Fund issues and redeems Shares at net asset value ("NAV") only in aggregations of a specified number of Shares ("Creation Units"), generally in exchange for a basket of securities ("Basket"), together with a specified cash payment, or, in certain circumstances, for an all cash payment. Unlike mutual funds, Shares are not individually redeemable.

Certain employees of the Adviser are responsible for interacting with market participants that transact in Baskets for one or more Creation Units. As part of these discussions, these employees may discuss with a market participant the securities a Fund is willing to accept in connection with a purchase ("creation") of shares, and securities that the Fund will provide on a redemption of shares. The Adviser's employees may also discuss portfolio holdings-related information with broker/dealers in connection with settling the Fund's transactions, as may be necessary to conduct business in the ordinary course.

Shares of each Fund are or will be listed on a national securities exchange, such as NYSE Arca, Inc. or NASDAQ Stock Market LLC ("Exchange"), and trade in the secondary market, where most investors will buy and sell them at market prices that change throughout the day. Such market prices may be lower, higher or equal to NAV. Accordingly, when transacting in the secondary market, investors may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling shares. They may also be subject to brokerage commissions and charges.

<u>**Wholly Owned Subsidiary (KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF, KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF and KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF)**</u>

Each of KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF, KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF and KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF (upon commencement of operations) will or have invested in a wholly owned subsidiary organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the "Subsidiary"), the registered offices of which are located at Maples Corporate Services Limited, PO Box 309, Ugland House, Grand Cayman, KY1-1104, Cayman Islands. Each Fund is or will be currently the sole shareholders of its respective Subsidiary, and does not expect shares of a Subsidiary to be offered or sold to other investors. A Fund's investment in the Subsidiary may not exceed 25% of the value of its total assets (ignoring any subsequent market appreciation in the Subsidiary's value), which limitation is imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), and is measured at the end of each quarter of its taxable year.

A Fund may invest in the Subsidiary in order to gain exposure to the investment returns of the commodities markets within the limitations of the federal tax law requirements applicable to regulated investment companies ("RICs"). A Subsidiary invests principally in commodity and financial futures, options and swap contracts, as well as certain fixed-income investments intended to serve as margin or collateral for the Subsidiary's derivatives positions. Unlike each Fund, a Subsidiary may invest without limitation in commodity-linked derivatives, though a Subsidiary will comply with the same 1940 Act asset coverage requirements with respect to its investments in commodity-linked derivatives that apply to the Fund's transactions in those instruments. To the extent applicable, a Subsidiary otherwise is subject to the same fundamental and non-fundamental investment restrictions as a Fund and, in particular, to the same requirements relating to portfolio leverage, liquidity, and the timing and method of valuation of portfolio investments and Fund shares. (Accordingly, references in this SAI to each Fund may also include its Subsidiary.) By investing in a Subsidiary, a Fund may be considered to be investing indirectly in the same investments as the Subsidiary and is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with those investments.

Each Subsidiary is not registered with the SEC as an investment company under the 1940 Act and is not subject to the investor protections of the 1940 Act. As an investor in a Subsidiary, each Fund will not have the same protections offered to shareholders of registered investment companies. However, because each Subsidiary is wholly owned and controlled by its respective Fund, which is managed by Krane (and MLIA for KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF), it is unlikely that a Subsidiary will take action in any manner contrary to the interest of the Fund or its shareholders. Because a Subsidiary has the same investment objective and, to the extent applicable, will comply with the same investment policies as its respective Fund, Krane (and MLIA for KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF) manages a Subsidiary's portfolio in a manner similar to that of its respective Fund.

Each Subsidiary has a board of directors that oversees its activities. Each Subsidiary has entered into a separate investment advisory agreement with Krane and pays Krane a fee for its services. Krane also has entered into a separate sub-advisory agreement with MLIA with respect to the Subsidiary for KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF. Each Subsidiary also has entered into agreements with the Funds' service providers for the provision of administrative, accounting, transfer agency and custody services.

Each Fund and its Subsidiary may not be able to operate as described in this SAI in the event of changes to the laws of the United States or the Cayman Islands. If the laws of the Cayman Islands required a Subsidiary to pay taxes to a governmental authority, each Fund would be likely to suffer decreased returns.

**INVESTMENT POLICIES, TECHNIQUES AND RISK FACTORS**

**<u>General</u>**

Each Fund's principal investment strategies and risks are discussed in its Prospectus. The investment techniques discussed below and in the Prospectus may, consistent with a Fund's investment objectives and investment limitations, be used by a Fund. Each Fund is free to reduce or eliminate its activity with respect to any of the investment techniques discussed below consistent with its fundamental investment policies. There is no assurance that a Fund's strategies or any other methods of investment will result in the achievement of the Fund's objective. Each Fund, except KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF, KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF and Kraneshares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF, seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correlate generally to an Underlying Index. With respect to investments in instruments in an Underlying Index, Kraneshares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correlate generally to an Underlying Index but KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF also will invest in securities of private companies, if it is able to find what it believes to be an attractive investment opportunity. To the extent the investment policies, techniques and risk factors discussed below reference an Underlying Index, it does not apply to KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF and KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF.

Each Fund may change its investment objective or principal investment strategies, which could include changes to the Underlying Index in its investment objective.

**<u>Representative Sampling and Index Replication</u>**

"Representative sampling" is a strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively have an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index. Such securities are expected to have, in the aggregate, characteristics similar to those of the Underlying Index. A Fund may or may not hold all of the securities in the Underlying Index when using a representative sampling strategy. Holding all of the securities in approximately the same weights as they appear in the Underlying Index would be considered a replication strategy. In all cases, a Fund may sell securities that are represented in the Underlying Index in anticipation of their removal from the Underlying Index or purchase securities not represented in the Underlying Index in anticipation of their addition to the Underlying Index. There also may be instances in which a Fund is underweight or overweight a security in the Underlying Index and each Fund may choose to sell, or not buy, a component of its Underlying Index, including to the extent it would not be legally permissible for the Fund to hold such securities, in anticipation of liquidity needs, to prevent adverse tax consequences and/or events or as otherwise may be necessary to comply with applicable laws or regulations, the Fund's investment policies and restrictions or the rules promulgated by the Fund's listing exchange.

**<u>Cash and Cash Equivalents</u>**

Each Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. Holding cash or cash equivalents, even strategically, may lead to missed investment opportunities. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which a Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If a Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**<u>Debt Securities</u>**

Each Fund may invest in debt securities. A debt security is a security consisting of a certificate or other evidence of a debt (secured or unsecured) on which the issuer promises to pay the holder thereof a fixed, variable, or floating rate of interest for a specified length of time, and to repay the debt on the specified maturity date. Some debt securities, such as zero coupon bonds, do not make regular interest payments but are issued at a discount to their principal or maturity value. Debt securities include a variety of fixed income obligations, including, but not limited to, corporate bonds, government securities, municipal securities, convertible securities, mortgage-backed securities, and asset-backed securities. Debt securities include investment-grade securities, non-investment-grade securities, and unrated securities. Debt securities are subject to a variety of risks, such as interest rate risk, income risk, call/prepayment risk, inflation risk, credit risk, and (in the case of foreign securities) country risk and currency risk.

The market value of the debt securities in which a Fund invests will change in response to interest rate changes and other factors. During periods of falling interest rates, the values of outstanding debt securities generally rise. Conversely, during periods of rising interest rates, the values of such securities generally decline. Moreover, while securities with longer maturities tend to produce higher yields, the prices of longer maturity securities are also subject to greater market fluctuations as a result of changes in interest rates. Changes in the value of these securities will not necessarily affect cash income derived from these securities but will affect a Fund's NAV. Additional information regarding debt securities is described below.

**Credit Ratings.** Credit risk is the risk that a borrower or issuer of a debt will be unable or unwilling to repay its obligations under the debt. Certain debt securities may be rated by a credit rating agency. Changes by such agencies in the rating of any debt security and in the ability of an issuer to make payments of interest and principal, or the perception thereof, may affect the value of these investments.

**U.S. Credit Ratings.** The rating criteria and methodology used by U.S. rating agencies may not be fully transparent and such ratings may not accurately reflect the risk of investing in such instruments.

**Chinese Credit Ratings.** The rating criteria and methodology used by Chinese rating agencies may be different from those adopted by most of the established international credit rating agencies. Therefore, such rating systems may not provide an equivalent standard for comparison with securities rated by international credit rating agencies. The rating criteria and methodology used by Chinese credit ratings agencies also may not be fully transparent and such ratings may not accurately reflect the risk of investing in such instruments.

**Duration.** Duration is a measure of the expected change in value of a debt security for a given change in interest rates. For example, if interest rates changed by one percent, the value of a security having an effective duration of two years generally would vary by two percent. Duration takes the length of the time intervals between the present time and time that the interest and principal payments are scheduled, or in the case of a callable bond, expected to be received, and weighs them by the present values of the cash to be received at each future point in time.

**Pay-In-Kind and Step-Up Coupon Securities.** A pay-in-kind security pays no interest in cash to its holder during its life. Similarly, a step-up coupon security is a debt security that may not pay interest for a specified period of time and then, after the initial period, may pay interest at a series of different rates. Accordingly, pay-in kind and step-up coupon securities will be subject to greater fluctuations in market value in response to changing interest rates than debt obligations of comparable maturities that make current, periodic distribution of interest in cash.

**Perpetual Bonds.** Perpetual bonds offer a fixed return with no maturity date. Because they never mature, perpetual bonds can be more volatile than other types of bonds that have a maturity date and may be more sensitive to changes in interest rates. If market interest rates rise significantly, the interest rate paid by a perpetual bond may be much lower than the prevailing interest rate. Perpetual bonds are also subject to credit risk with respect to the issuer. In addition, because perpetual bonds may be callable after a set period of time, there is the risk that the issuer may recall the bond.

**Variable and Floating Rate Securities.** Variable and floating rate instruments involve certain obligations that may carry variable or floating rates of interest, and may involve a conditional or unconditional demand feature. Such instruments bear interest at rates which are not fixed, but which vary with changes in specified market rates or indices. The interest rates on these securities may be reset daily, weekly, quarterly, or some other reset period, and may have a set floor or ceiling on interest rate changes. There is a risk that the current interest rate on such obligations may not accurately reflect existing market interest rates.

**Corporate Debt Securities.** Each Fund may invest in corporate debt securities. The selection of such securities will generally not be dependent on independent credit analysis or fundamental analysis performed by Krane or a Fund sub-adviser, if applicable. Each Fund may invest in all grades of corporate debt securities including below investment grade as discussed below. See Appendix B for a description of corporate bond ratings. Each Fund may also invest in unrated securities.

Corporate debt securities are typically fixed-income securities issued by businesses to finance their operations, but may also include bank loans to companies. Notes, bonds, debentures and commercial paper are the most common types of corporate debt securities. The primary differences between the different types of corporate debt securities are their maturities and secured or un-secured status. Commercial paper has the shortest term and is usually unsecured. The broad category of corporate debt securities includes debt issued by domestic or foreign companies of all kinds, including those with small-, mid- and large-capitalizations. Corporate debt may be rated investment-grade, below investment-grade or unrated and may carry variable or floating rates of interest.

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

Corporate debt securities carry both credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk is the risk that a Fund could lose money if the issuer of a corporate debt security does not pay interest or principal when it is due. The credit risk of a particular issuer's debt security may vary based on its priority for repayment. For example, higher ranking (senior) debt securities have a higher priority than lower ranking (subordinated) securities. This means that the issuer might not make payments on subordinated securities while continuing to make payments on senior securities. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy, holders of higher-ranking senior securities may receive amounts otherwise payable to the holders of more junior securities. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of certain corporate debt securities will tend to fall when interest rates rise. In general, corporate debt securities with longer terms tend to fall more in value when interest rates rise than corporate debt securities with shorter terms.

**High Yield Securities.** High yield securities are commonly referred to as "junk bonds." Investing in these securities involves special risks in addition to the risks associated with investments in higher-rated fixed income securities. While offering a greater potential opportunity for capital appreciation and higher yields, high yield securities typically entail greater credit risk and potential price volatility and may be less liquid than higher-rated securities. A Fund may have difficulty selling certain junk bonds because they may have a thin trading market. The lack of a liquid secondary market may have an adverse effect on the market price and a Fund's ability to dispose of particular issues, including to honor redemptions, and may also make it more difficult for the Fund to obtain accurate market quotations in valuing these assets. High yield securities are regarded as inherently speculative with respect to the issuer's continuing ability to meet principal and interest payments. They may also be more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions and changes than higher-rated securities. Issuers of securities in default may fail to resume principal or interest payments, in which case a Fund may lose its entire investment.

Companies that issue high yield bonds are often highly leveraged and may not have more traditional methods of financing available to them. During an economic downturn or recession, highly leveraged issuers of high-yield securities may experience financial stress, and may not have sufficient revenues to meet their interest payment obligations. Economic downturns tend to disrupt the market for high yield bonds, lowering their values and increasing their price volatility. The risk of issuer default is higher with respect to high yield bonds because such issues may be subordinated to other creditors of the issuer and because they may be issued by less financially stable entities.

The credit rating of a high yield bond does not necessarily address its market value risk, and ratings may from time to time change to reflect developments regarding the issuer's financial condition. The lower the rating of a high yield bond, the more speculative its characteristics.

Unrated debt securities may face the same or more severe risks than high yield securities.

**U.S. Dollar-Denominated Foreign Debt Securities.** Foreign debt securities denominated in U.S. dollars may behave very differently from debt securities issued in local currencies, and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the two. For example, changes to currency exchange rates may impact issuers of foreign debt securities denominated in U.S. dollars differently than issuers of debt securities issued in local currencies. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably, which may adversely affect the Fund. In addition, if the U.S. dollar increases in value against the local currency of a U.S. dollar-denominated debt issue, the issuer may be subject to a greater risk of default on their obligations (*i.e.*, are unable to make scheduled interest or principal payments to investors).

**Commercial Paper.** Each Fund may invest in commercial paper of U.S. or foreign issuers. U.S. commercial paper generally consists of unsecured short-term promissory notes with a fixed maturity of no more than 270 days issued by corporations, generally to finance short-term business needs. Chinese commercial paper that may be purchased by a Fund generally will have no more than one year of remaining maturity. A Fund may purchase commercial paper of any rating or that is unrated. Commercial paper issues in which a Fund may invest include securities issued by corporations without registration under the Securities Act in reliance on the exemption from such registration afforded by Section 3(a)(3) thereof, and commercial paper issued in reliance on the so-called "private placement" exemption from registration, which is afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act ("Section 4(a)(2) paper"). Section 4(a)(2) paper is restricted as to disposition under the federal securities laws in that any resale must similarly be made in an exempt transaction. Section 4(a)(2) paper is normally resold to other institutional investors through or with the assistance of investment dealers who make a market in Section 4(a)(2) paper, which may provide some liquidity.

**Mortgage-Backed Securities.** Each Fund may invest in mortgage-backed securities, including collateralized mortgage obligations and mortgage pass-through securities. These securities represent interests in pools of mortgage loans. The payments of principal and interest on the underlying loans pass through to investors. Although the underlying mortgage loans are for specified periods of time, such as fifteen to thirty years, the borrowers can, and often do, repay them sooner. Thus, the security holders may receive prepayments of principal, in addition to the regular interest and principal.

There are three types of interest rate-related risks associated with mortgage-backed securities. The first is interest rate risk. The values of mortgage-backed securities will generally fluctuate inversely with interest rates. The second is prepayment risk. This is the risk that borrowers will repay their mortgages earlier than anticipated. A borrower is more likely to prepay a mortgage that bears a relatively high rate of interest. Thus, in times of declining interest rates, some higher yielding mortgages might be repaid resulting in larger cash payments to the Fund, and a Fund will be forced to accept lower interest rates when that cash is used to purchase additional securities. The third is extension risk. When interest rates rise, prepayments often drop, which should extend the average maturity of the mortgage-backed security. This makes mortgage-backed securities more sensitive to interest rate changes.

Mortgage-backed securities may also be subject to credit risk. Payment of principal and interest on many mortgage pass-through securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies whose obligations are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association) or may be guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government whose obligations are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (such as the Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae") or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac")). Mortgage pass-through securities may also be issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers). Some of these mortgage pass-through securities may be supported by various forms of insurance or guarantees but may otherwise be subject to a greater risk of loss.

**Other Asset-Backed Securities.** Each Fund may invest in other forms of asset-backed securities in addition to asset-based commercial paper and mortgage-backed securities. These securities, issued by trusts and special purpose corporations, are backed by a pool of assets, such as credit card receivables, automobile loans, airplane leases, equipment leases, or other forms of receivables. These securities present certain risks in addition to those normally associated with debt securities. For instance, these securities may not have the benefit of any security interest in any collateral that could ensure payment of the receivable. For example, credit card receivables are generally unsecured. The obligors may also be entitled to the protection of a number of state and federal credit laws. Moreover, even if there are perfected security interests in the underlying collateral, there is the possibility that recoveries on repossessed collateral may not be sufficient to support payments on these securities.

To lessen the effect of failures by obligors on underlying assets to make payments, asset-backed securities may contain elements of credit support which fall into two categories: (i) liquidity protection and (ii) protection against losses resulting from ultimate default by an obligor on the underlying assets. Liquidity protection refers to the provision of advances, to ensure that the receipt of payments on the underlying pool occurs in a timely fashion. Protection against losses resulting from ultimate default ensures payment through insurance policies or letters of credit obtained by the issuer or sponsor from third parties. The degree of credit support provided for each issue is generally based on historical information respecting the level of credit risk associated with the underlying assets. Delinquency or loss in excess of that anticipated or failure of the credit support could adversely affect the return on an investment in such a security. Credit supports, if any, do not protect against fluctuation in the market values of asset-backed securities. Moreover, a credit support depends upon the financial ability of its issuer to honor the support.

**Sovereign and Quasi-Sovereign Debt Obligations.** Each Fund may invest in sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt obligations. Sovereign debt obligations are issued or guaranteed by a foreign government or one of its agencies, authorities, instrumentalities, political subdivisions or by a supra-national organization. Investments in sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt obligations involve special risks not present in corporate debt obligations. The issuer of the sovereign or quasi-sovereign debt or the governmental authorities that control the repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal or interest when due, and a Fund may have limited recourse in the event of a default. Quasi-sovereign debt typically is not guaranteed by a sovereign entity. During periods of economic uncertainty, the market prices of sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt, and a Fund's net asset value, may be more volatile than prices of U.S. debt obligations. In the past, certain non-U.S. markets have encountered difficulties in servicing their debt obligations, withheld payments of principal and interest and declared moratoria on the payment of principal and interest on their sovereign debts.

A sovereign or quasi-sovereign debtor's willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation, the extent of its foreign currency reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange, the relative size of the debt service burden, politics, the sovereign debtor's policy toward principal international lenders and local political constraints. Sovereign and quasi-sovereign debtors may also be dependent on expected disbursements from foreign governments, multilateral agencies and other entities to reduce principal and interest arrearages on their debt. The failure of a sovereign or quasi-sovereign debtor to implement economic reforms, achieve specified levels of economic performance or repay principal or interest when due may result in the cancellation of third-party commitments to lend funds to the sovereign or quasi- sovereign debtor, which may further impair such debtor's ability or willingness to service its debts.

**Debt Securities Issued by the World Bank for Reconstruction and Development ("World Bank").** Each Fund may invest in debt securities issued by the World Bank. Debt securities issued by the World Bank may include high quality global bonds backed by member governments, including the United States, Japan, Germany, France and the United Kingdom, as well as in bonds in "non-core" currencies, including emerging markets and European accession countries, structured notes, and discount notes represented by certificates, in bearer form only, or in un-certified form (Book Entry Discount Notes) with maturities of 360 days or less at a discount, and in the case of Discount Notes, in certified form only and on an interest bearing basis in the U.S. and Eurodollar markets.

**U.S. Government Securities.** The Funds 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, the government National Mortgage Association ("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 National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation.

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 federal agencies, such as those securities issued by Fannie Mae, are not guaranteed by the U.S. government. No assurance can be given that the U.S. government will provide financial support to such issuers 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.

Since 2008, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been in conservatorship and have received significant capital support through U.S. Treasury preferred stock purchases, as well as U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve purchases of their mortgage-backed securities. The Federal Housing Finance Agency ("FHFA") and the U.S. Treasury (through its agreement to purchase Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac preferred stock) have imposed strict limits on the size of their mortgage portfolios. The mortgage-backed security purchase programs ended in 2010. An FHFA stress test suggested that in a "severely adverse scenario" significant additional Treasury support might be required. No assurance can be given that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will remain successful in meeting their obligations with respect to the debt and mortgage-backed securities that they issue.

In addition, the problems faced by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, resulting in their being placed into federal conservatorship and receiving significant U.S. government support, have sparked serious debate among federal policy makers regarding the continued role of the U.S. government in providing liquidity for mortgage loans. In December 2011, Congress enacted the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011 which, among other provisions, requires that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac increase their single-family guaranty fees by at least 10 basis points and remit this increase to Treasury with respect to all loans acquired by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac on or after April 1, 2012 and before January 1, 2022. Nevertheless, discussions among policymakers have continued as to whether Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should be nationalized, privatized, restructured, or eliminated altogether. Fannie Mae has reported that there is "significant uncertainty regarding the future of our company, including how long the company will continue to exist in its current form, the extent of our role in the market, how long we will be in conservatorship, what form we will have and what ownership interest, if any, our current common and preferred stockholders will hold in us after the conservatorship is terminated, and whether we will continue to exist following conservatorship." Freddie Mac faces similar uncertainty about its future role. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac also are the subject of several continuing legal actions and investigations related to certain accounting, disclosure, or corporate governance matters, which (along with any resulting financial restatements) may continue to have an adverse effect on the guaranteeing entities. Congress is currently considering several pieces of legislation that would reform U.S. government sponsored enterprises, proposing to address their structure, mission, portfolio limits, and guarantee fees, among other issues.

**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 typically 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 U.S. 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 a Fund's shares.

**<u>Foreign Securities</u>**

Each Fund may invest in non-U.S. securities and instruments, or in instruments that provide exposure to such securities and instruments. These instruments may include debt or equity securities. Investments in non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities. For example, investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. There may be less information publicly available about non-U.S. issuers. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, financial reporting and investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks (including restrictions on the transfers of securities). With respect to certain countries, there is the possibility of government intervention and expropriation or nationalization of assets. Because legal systems differ, there is also the possibility that it will be difficult to obtain or enforce legal judgments in certain countries.

Non-U.S. markets may not be as developed or efficient as, and may be more volatile than, those in the U.S. While the volume of shares traded on non-U.S. markets generally have been growing, such markets usually have substantially less volume than U.S. markets. Therefore, a Fund's investments in non-U.S. securities may be less liquid and subject to more rapid and erratic price movements than comparable securities trading in the U.S. For example, non-U.S. equity securities may trade at price/earnings multiples higher than comparable U.S. securities and such levels may not be sustainable. There may be less government supervision and regulation of foreign stock exchanges, brokers, banks and listed companies abroad than in the U.S. Moreover, settlement practices for transactions in foreign markets may differ from those in U.S. markets. Such differences may include delays beyond periods customary in the U.S. and practices, such as delivery of securities prior to receipt of payment, that increase the likelihood of a failed settlement, which can result in losses to a Fund. Foreign exchanges may be open on days when a Fund does not price its shares, thus, the value of the securities in a Fund's portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell a Fund's shares. Conversely, Fund shares may trade on days when foreign exchanges are closed. Each of these factors can make investments in a Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments. In addition, a Fund may change its creation or redemption procedures without notice in connection with restrictions on the transfer of securities. For more information on creation and redemption procedures, see "Creation and Redemption of Creation Units" herein.

Foreign brokerage commissions, custodial expenses and other fees are also generally higher than for securities traded in the U.S. This may cause a Fund to incur higher portfolio transaction costs than domestic funds. Fluctuations in exchange rates may also affect the earning power and asset value of the foreign entity issuing a security, even one denominated in U.S. dollars. Dividend and interest payments may be repatriated based on the exchange rate at the time of disbursement, but restrictions on capital flows may be imposed.

Economic conditions, such as volatile currency exchange rates and interest rates, political events and other conditions may, without prior warning, lead to government intervention and the imposition of "capital controls." Countries use these controls to restrict volatile movements of capital entering (inflows) and exiting (outflows) their country to respond to certain economic conditions. Capital controls include the prohibition of, or restrictions on, the ability to transfer currency, securities or other assets. Levies may be placed on profits repatriated by foreign entities (such as a Fund). Capital controls may impact the ability of a Fund to create and redeem Creation Units, adversely affect the trading market for shares of a Fund, and cause shares of a Fund to trade at prices materially different from NAV. There can be no assurance that a country in which a Fund invests will not impose a form of capital control to the possible detriment of a Fund and its shareholders. A Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies for the purpose of purchasing foreign securities. This may hinder a Fund's performance, since any delay could result in a Fund missing an investment opportunity and purchasing securities at a higher price than originally intended, or incurring cash drag.

Investing in foreign companies may involve risks not typically associated with investing in companies domiciled in the United States. The value of securities denominated in foreign currencies, and of dividends from such securities, can change significantly when foreign currencies strengthen or weaken relative to the U.S. dollar. Foreign securities markets generally have less trading volume and less liquidity than U.S. markets, and prices in some foreign markets can be very volatile. Many foreign countries lack uniform accounting and disclosure standards comparable to those that apply to U.S. companies, and it may be more difficult to obtain reliable information regarding a foreign issuer's financial condition and operations. In addition, the costs of foreign investing, including withholding taxes, brokerage commissions, and custodial fees, generally are higher than for U.S. investments. Investing in companies located abroad also carries political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the United States. Foreign investment may be affected by actions of foreign governments adverse to the interests of U.S. investors, including the possibility of seizure, expropriation or nationalization of assets, including foreign deposits, confiscatory taxation, restrictions on U.S. investment, or on the ability to repatriate assets or to convert currency into U.S. dollars. There may be a greater possibility of default by foreign governments or foreign-government sponsored enterprises. Investments in foreign countries also involve a risk of local political, economic, or social instability, military action or unrest, or adverse diplomatic developments.

**Geographic Focus.** Funds that are less diversified across countries or geographic regions are generally riskier than more geographically diversified funds. To the extent a Fund focuses on a specific region, it will be more exposed to that region's economic cycles, currency exchange rates, stock market valuations and political risks, among others, compared with a more geographically diversified fund. The economies and financial markets of certain regions, such as Asia, can be interdependent and may be adversely affected by the same events. Set forth below for certain markets in which a Fund may invest are brief descriptions of some of the conditions and risks in each such market.

**Investments in Emerging Markets Securities.** A Fund may invest in markets that are considered to be "emerging." Investing in securities listed and traded in emerging markets may be subject to additional risks associated with emerging market economies. Such risks may include: (i) greater market volatility, (ii) greater risk of asset seizures and capital controls, (iii) lower trading volume and liquidity, (iv) greater social, political and economic uncertainty, (v) governmental controls on foreign investments and limitations on repatriation of invested capital, (vi) lower disclosure, corporate governance, auditing and financial reporting standards, (vii) fewer protections of property rights, (viii) restrictions on the transfer of securities or currency, and (ix) settlement and trading practices that differ from U.S. markets. Emerging markets are generally less liquid and less efficient than developed securities markets.

**Investments in Frontier Market Securities.** Frontier market countries generally have smaller economies and less developed capital markets or legal, regulatory and political systems than traditional emerging market countries. As a result, the risks of investing in emerging market countries are magnified in frontier market countries.

**Investments in Asia.** Investments in securities of issuers in Asian countries involve risks not typically associated with investments in securities of issuers in other regions. Such heightened risks include, among others, expropriation and/or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, political instability, including authoritarian and/or military involvement in governmental decision-making, armed conflict and social instability as a result of religious, ethnic and/or socio-economic unrest. Certain Asian economies have experienced rapid rates of economic growth and industrialization in recent years, and there is no assurance that these rates of economic growth and industrialization will be maintained.

Certain Asian countries have democracies with relatively short histories, which may increase the risk of political instability. These countries have faced political and military unrest, and further unrest could present a risk to their local economies and securities markets. Indonesia and the Philippines have each experienced violence and terrorism, which has negatively impacted their economies. North Korea and South Korea each have substantial military capabilities, and historical tensions between the two countries present the risk of war; in the recent past, these tensions have escalated. Any outbreak of hostilities between the two countries could have a severe adverse effect on the South Korean economy and securities market. Increased political and social unrest in these geographic areas could adversely affect the performance of investments in this region.

Certain governments in this region administer prices on several basic goods, including fuel and electricity, within their respective countries. Certain governments may exercise substantial influence over many aspects of the private sector in their respective countries and may own or control many companies. Future government actions could have a significant effect on the economic conditions in this region, which in turn could have a negative impact on private sector companies. There is also the possibility of diplomatic developments adversely affecting investments in the region.

Corruption and the perceived lack of a rule of law in dealings with international companies in certain Asian countries may discourage foreign investment and could negatively impact the long-term growth of certain economies in this region. In addition, certain countries in the region are experiencing high unemployment and corruption, and have fragile banking sectors. Their securities markets are not as developed as those of other countries and, therefore, are subject to additional risks such as trading halts.

Some economies in this region are dependent on a range of commodities, including oil, natural gas and coal. Accordingly, they are strongly affected by international commodity prices and particularly vulnerable to any weakening in global demand for these products. The market for securities in this region may also be directly influenced by the flow of international capital, and by the economic and market conditions of neighboring countries. Adverse economic conditions or developments in neighboring countries may increase investors' perception of the risk of investing in the region as a whole, which may adversely impact the market value of the securities issued by companies in the region.

**Investments in Brazil.** Brazil has experienced economic instability resulting from, among other things, periods of very high inflation, persistent structural public sector deficits and significant devaluations of its currency, leading also to a high degree of price volatility in both the Brazilian equity and foreign currency markets. Brazilian companies may also be adversely affected by high interest and unemployment rates, fluctuations in commodity prices, significant public health concerns, and associated declines in tourism.

**Investments in China.** The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions and policy in China and surrounding Asian countries. Investments in Chinese securities, including those that are Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, subject the Fund to risks specific to China. The economy of China, which has been in a state of transition from a planned economy to a more market oriented economy, differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the level of government involvement, its state of development, its growth rate, control of foreign exchange, and allocation of resources.

Although the majority of productive assets in China are still owned by the Chinese government at various levels, the Chinese government has implemented economic reform measures emphasizing utilization of market forces in the development of the economy of China and a high level of management autonomy. The economy of China has experienced significant growth in the past 20 years, but growth has been uneven both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. Economic growth has often been accompanied by periods of high inflation in China. The Chinese government has implemented various measures from time to time to control inflation and restrain the rate of economic growth.

The Chinese government has carried out economic reforms to achieve decentralization and utilization of market forces to develop the economy of China. These reforms have resulted in significant economic growth and social progress. There can, however, be no assurance that the Chinese government will continue to pursue such economic policies or, if it does, that those policies will continue to be successful. Any such adjustment and modification of those economic policies may have an adverse impact on the securities market in China, the portfolio securities of a Fund or a Fund itself. Further, the Chinese government may from time to time adopt corrective measures to control the growth of the Chinese economy, which may also have an adverse impact on the capital growth and performance of a Fund. Political changes, social instability and adverse diplomatic developments in China could result in the imposition of additional government restrictions including expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxes or nationalization of some or all of the property held by the underlying issuers of a Fund's portfolio securities. As the Chinese economy develops, its growth may slow significantly and sometimes unexpectedly. The laws, regulations, including the investment regulations allowing foreigners to invest in Chinese securities, government policies and political and economic climate in China may change with little or no advance notice. Any such change could adversely affect market conditions and the performance of the Chinese economy and, thus, the value of securities in a Fund's portfolio.

The Chinese government continues to be an active participant in many economic sectors through ownership positions and regulation. The allocation of resources in China is subject to a high level of government control. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. Through its policies, the government may provide preferential treatment to particular industries or companies. The policies set by the government could have a substantial effect on the Chinese economy and a Fund's investments. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy, and may introduce new laws and regulations that have an adverse effect on a Fund.

In addition, the Chinese economy is export-driven and highly reliant on trade. Recent developments in relations between the United States and China have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the two countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, oversupply of certain manufactured goods, substantial price reductions of goods and possible failure of individual companies and/or large segments of China's export industry, all of which could have a negative impact on China's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on a Fund. In addition, worsening trade relations between the two countries could adversely impact a Fund, particularly to the extent that the Chinese government restricts foreign investments in on-shore Chinese companies or the U.S. government restricts investments by U.S. investors in China including by limiting the ability of Chinese issuers to list on the U.S. exchanges. Worsening trade relations may also result in market volatility and volatility in the price of Fund shares. In addition, the U.S government has imposed restrictions on the ability of U.S. investors to hold and/or acquire securities of certain Chinese companies, which may adversely impact a Fund, may mean that the Fund's underlying index may need to adjust its methodology or could increase tracking error for the Fund.

A Fund's underlying index may include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government and a Fund that seeks to track an underlying index is generally expected to invest in such companies as long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments.

There has been increased attention to Chinese companies from the U.S. government and U.S. regulators, including the Department of the Treasury ("DOT") and its Office of Foreign Assets Control. On June 3, 2021, an amending executive order was issued to an executive order that was issued in November 2020, which established a new sanctions program designed to prohibit U.S. persons from entering into transactions in certain publicly traded securities, as well as derivatives and securities designed to provide investment exposure to such securities, of certain companies specified in the executive order. A number of Chinese issuers have been designated under this program and more could be added. Under current guidance, U.S. investors may purchase interests in an investment fund that does not make any new purchases of designated securities and is "seeking to" divest its holdings of such securities during the applicable divestment period. On August 9, 2023, the DOT issued regulations which will prohibit or require notification of investments by certain U.S. persons in certain sub-sets of national security technologies and products including semiconductors and microelectronics, quantum information technologies and certain artificial intelligence systems in or related to "countries of concern," defined as China including Hong Kong and Macau. These regulations are in effect as of January 2, 2025. As a result, the executive orders and related guidance may significantly reduce the liquidity of such securities, force a Fund to sell certain positions at inopportune times or for unfavorable prices, and restrict future investments by a Fund.

The performance of the Chinese economy may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross domestic product, rate of inflation, currency depreciation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position. Adverse changes to the economic conditions of its primary trading partners, such as the United States, Japan and South Korea, would adversely impact the Chinese economy and a Fund's investments. A downturn in the economies of China's primary trading partners could also slow or eliminate the growth of the Chinese economy and adversely impact a Fund's investments. Moreover, the slowdown in other significant economies of the world, such as the United States, the European Union ("EU") and certain Asian countries, may adversely affect economic growth in China. An economic downturn in China would likely adversely affect a Fund's investments.

The regulatory and legal framework for capital markets in China may not be as well developed as those of developed countries. Chinese laws and regulations affecting securities markets are relatively new and evolving, and enforcement of these regulations involve significant uncertainties. No assurance can be given that changes in such laws and regulations, their interpretation or their enforcement will not have a material adverse effect on their business operations or on a Fund.

A Fund may obtain exposure to companies based or operated in the People's Republic of China ("PRC") by investing through legal structures known as variable interest entities ("VIEs"). Because of Chinese governmental restrictions on non-Chinese ownership of companies in certain industries in the PRC, certain Chinese companies have used VIEs to facilitate foreign investment without distributing direct ownership of companies based or operated in the PRC. In such cases, the Chinese operating company establishes an offshore entity, and the offshore entity enters into contractual arrangements (such as powers of attorney, equity pledge agreements and other services or business cooperation agreements) with the operating company. These contractual arrangements are intended to give the offshore entity the ability to exercise power over and obtain economic rights from the operating company. Shares of the offshore entity, in turn, are listed and traded on exchanges outside of the PRC and are available to non-Chinese investors such as a Fund. This arrangement allows non-Chinese investors in the offshore entity to obtain economic exposure to the Chinese company without direct equity ownership in the Chinese company.

Although VIEs are a longstanding industry practice and well known to officials and regulators in the PRC, VIEs are not formally recognized under Chinese law. There is a risk that the PRC may cease to tolerate VIEs at any time or impose new restrictions on the structure, in each case either generally or with respect to specific industries, sectors or companies. Investments involving a VIE may also pose additional risks because such investments are made through an entity whose interests in the underlying operating company are established through contract rather than through equity ownership. For example, in the event of a dispute, the offshore entity's contractual claims with respect to the operating company may be deemed unenforceable in the PRC, thus limiting (or eliminating) the remedies and rights available to the offshore entity and its investors. Such legal uncertainty may also be exploited against the interests of the offshore entity and its investors. Further, the interests of the equity owners of the operating company may conflict with the interests of the investors of the offshore entity, and the fiduciary duties of the officers and directors of the operating company may differ from, or conflict with, the fiduciary duties of the officers and directors of the offshore entity. Foreign companies listed on U.S. exchanges, including offshore entities that utilize a VIE structure, also could face delisting or other ramifications for failure to meet the requirements of the SEC, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board ("PCAOB") or other United States regulators or due to worsening relations between the countries, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities. Audits performed by PCAOB-registered accounting firms in mainland China and Hong Kong may be less reliable than those performed by firms subject to PCAOB inspection. Accordingly, information about the Chinese securities in which a Fund invests may be less reliable or complete. Under amendments to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act enacted in December 2020, which requires that the PCAOB be permitted to inspect the accounting firm of a U.S.-listed Chinese issuer, Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if the PCAOB is unable to inspect the accounting firm. Any of the foregoing risks and events could negatively impact a Fund's performance.

Although China has begun the process of privatizing certain sectors of its economy, privatized entities may lose money and/or be re-nationalized. Accordingly, an investment in a Fund involves a risk of total loss. In the Chinese securities markets, a small number of issuers may represent a large portion of the entire market. The Chinese securities markets are characterized by relatively frequent trading halts and low trading volume, resulting in substantially less liquidity and greater price volatility. These risks may be more pronounced for the A Share market than for Chinese equity securities markets generally because the A Share market is subject to greater government restrictions and control, including the risk of nationalization or expropriation of private assets which could result in a total loss of an investment in a Fund.

Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Incidents involving China's or the region's security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments.

Repatriations of gains and income on PRC securities may require the approval of China's State Administration of Foreign Exchange ("SAFE") and principal invested pursuant to the PRC securities quota may be subject to repatriation restrictions, depending on the license used and the period from remittance of funds into China.

Currently, there are two stock exchanges in mainland China, the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges. The Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges are supervised by the China Securities Regulatory Commission ("CSRC") and are highly automated with trading and settlement executed electronically. The Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges are substantially smaller, less liquid and more volatile than the major securities markets in the United States.

The Shanghai Stock Exchange commenced trading on December 19, 1990, the Shenzhen Stock Exchange commenced trading on July 3, 1991 and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange commenced trading on April 2, 1986. The Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges divide listed shares into two classes: A-Shares and B-Shares. Companies whose shares are traded on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges that are incorporated in mainland China may issue both A-Shares and B-Shares. In China, the A-Shares and B-Shares of an issuer trade on one exchange. A-Shares and B-Shares may both be listed on either the Shanghai or Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Both classes represent an ownership interest comparable to a share of common stock. A-Shares are traded on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges in Chinese currency. B-Shares are traded on the Shenzhen and Shanghai Stock Exchanges in Hong Kong dollars and U.S. dollars, respectively.

Foreign investors had historically been unable to participate in the PRC securities market. However, in late 2002, Investment Regulations promulgated by the CSRC came into effect, which were replaced by the updated Investment Regulations (i.e., "Measures for the Administration of the Securities Investments of Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors in the PRC"), which came into effect on September 1, 2006, that provided a legal framework for certain Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors ("QFIIs") to invest in PRC securities and certain other securities historically not eligible for investment by non-Chinese investors, through quotas granted by SAFE to those QFIIs which have been approved by the CSRC. The RMB QFII ("RQFII") program was instituted in December 2011 and is substantially similar to the QFII program, but provides for greater flexibility in repatriating assets. In 2020, the PRC government eliminated QFII and RQFII quotas, meaning that entities registered with the appropriate Chinese regulator will no longer be subject to quotas when investing in PRC securities (but will remain subject to foreign shareholder limits), and merged the two programs into the Qualified Foreign Investor regime ("QFI").

In November 2014, the PRC government launched the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect program, which allows investors with brokerage accounts in Hong Kong to invest in certain A-Shares without a QFI license. A similar stock connect program, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect program, launched in November 2016, and the Shanghai-London Stock Connect Program and the China-Japan Stock Connect both launched in June 2019 (together, the "Stock Connect Programs").

In February 2016, the People's Bank of China established a program that permits foreign investors to invest directly in securities traded on the Chinese Interbank Bond Market ("CIBM"), even without a QFI license ("CIBM Program"). If a Fund participates in the CIBM Program, a PRC onshore settlement agent will be appointed for a Fund, which is required by the CIBM Program.

Bond Connect, a mutual market access scheme, commenced trading on July 3, 2017 and represents an exception to Chinese laws that generally restrict foreign investment in RMB Bonds. In August 2018, Bond Connect enhanced its settlement system to fully implement real-time delivery-versus-payment settlement of trades, which has resulted in increased adoption of Bond Connect by investors. However, if a Fund participates in Bond Connect, there is a risk that Chinese regulators may alter all or part of the structure and terms of, as well as the Fund's access to, Bond Connect in the future or eliminate it altogether, which may limit or prevent the Fund from investing directly in or selling its RMB Bonds.

There is no guarantee that any applicable quota received by Krane or a subadviser of a Fund to invest in PRC securities will not be modified or revoked in the future. Additionally, given that the PRC securities markets are considered volatile and unstable, the creation and redemption of Creation Units may also be disrupted. A participating dealer may not redeem or create Creation Units of a Fund for securities if it believes PRC securities are not available.

<u>PRC Custodian and Dealer/Settlement Agent</u>.

A Fund is responsible for selecting the PRC Dealer/Settlement Agent to execute certain transactions for a Fund in the PRC markets. Krane or a sub-adviser can currently only use a limited number of PRC Dealers/Settlement Agents and may use more than one PRC Dealer/Settlement Agent for accessing some securities. Should, for any reason, a Fund's ability to use a given PRC Dealer/Settlement Agent be affected, this could disrupt the operations of a Fund and affect the ability of a Fund to track the underlying index or cause a premium or a discount to the trading price of a Fund's shares. A Fund may also incur losses due to the acts or omissions of either the relevant PRC Dealer/Settlement Agent or the PRC Custodian in the execution or settlement of any transaction or in the transfer of any funds or securities. Subject to the applicable laws and regulations in the PRC, Krane or a sub-adviser will make arrangements to ensure that the PRC Dealers/Settlement Agents and PRC Custodian have appropriate procedures to properly seek to safe-keep a Fund's assets.

According to the applicable Chinese regulations and market practice, the securities and cash accounts for a Fund held in the PRC pursuant to a QFI license are to be maintained in the joint names of Krane or a sub-adviser as the QFI holder and the Fund. Krane or a sub-adviser may not use the account for any other purpose than for maintaining a Fund's assets. However, given that the securities trading account will or would be maintained in the joint names of Krane or a sub-adviser and the Fund, the Fund's assets may not be as well protected as they would be if it were possible for them to be registered and held solely in the name of the Fund. In particular, there is a risk that creditors of Krane or a sub-adviser may assert that the securities are owned by Krane or the sub-adviser and not the Fund, and that a court would uphold such an assertion, in which case creditors of Krane or the sub-adviser could seize assets of the Fund. Because the QFI license would be in the name of Krane or the sub-adviser and the Fund, there is also a risk that regulatory actions taken against Krane or the sub-adviser by PRC government authorities may affect the Fund.

Investors should note that cash deposited in the cash account of a Fund with the PRC Custodian will not be segregated but will be a debt owing from the PRC Custodian to a Fund as a depositor. Such cash will be co-mingled with cash belonging to other clients of the PRC Custodian. In the event of bankruptcy or liquidation of the PRC Custodian, a Fund will not have any proprietary rights to the cash deposited in such cash account, and a Fund will become an unsecured creditor, ranking pari passu with all other unsecured creditors, of the PRC Custodian. A Fund may face difficulty and/or encounter delays in recovering such debt, or may not be able to recover it in full or at all, in which case a Fund will suffer losses.

In the event of any default of either the relevant PRC Dealer/Settlement Agent or the PRC Custodian (directly or through its delegate) in the execution or settlement of any transaction or in the transfer of any funds or securities in the PRC, a Fund may encounter delays in recovering its assets which may in turn adversely impact the NAV of that Fund.

Specific Risks of Investing in the A-Shares Market

The Funds may invest in A-Shares through a QFI license from CSRC and an A-Shares quota from SAFE, the Stock Connect Programs, and other investment companies, including other exchange-traded funds ("ETFs") which may be advised or otherwise serviced by Krane. The Stock Connect Programs are exceptions to Chinese law, which generally restricts foreign investment in A Shares. These programs are novel. Chinese regulators may alter or eliminate these programs at any time.

Because restrictions continue to exist and capital therefore cannot flow freely into and out of the A-Share market, it is possible that in the event of a market disruption, the liquidity of the A-Share market and trading prices of A-Shares could be more severely affected than the liquidity and trading prices of markets where securities are freely tradable and capital therefore flows more freely. A Fund cannot predict the nature or duration of such a market disruption or the impact that it may have on the A-Share market and the short-term and long-term prospects of its investments in the A-Share market. In the event that a Fund invests in A-Shares directly, a Fund may incur significant losses, or may not be able fully to implement or pursue its investment objectives or strategies, due to investment restrictions on QFIs, illiquidity of the Chinese securities markets, or delay or disruption in execution or settlement of trades. A-Shares may become subject to frequent and widespread trading halts.

The Chinese government has in the past taken actions that benefitted holders of A-Shares. As A-Shares become more available to foreign investors, such as a Fund, the Chinese government may be less likely to take action that would benefit holders of A-Shares. In addition, there is no guarantee that an A-Shares quota will be sufficient for a Fund's intended scope of investment.

The regulations which apply to investments by QFIs are relatively new and are unique to PRC investment schemes. The application and interpretation of such regulations are therefore relatively untested. In addition, there is little precedent or certainty evidencing how such discretion may be exercised now or in the future; and even if there were precedent, it may provide little guidance as PRC authorities would likely continue to have broad discretion.

If a Fund obtains a QFI license to invest in A-Shares, Krane and/or a sub-adviser will be required to transfer the entire investment principal into a local sub-custodian account within such time period as specified by SAFE. These limitations may also prevent a Fund from making certain distributions to shareholders.

Repatriations by QFIs are currently permitted daily and are not subject to repatriation restrictions or prior regulatory approval. However, there is no assurance that PRC rules and regulations will not change or that repatriation restrictions will not be imposed in the future. Further, such changes to the PRC rules and regulations may be applied retroactively. Any restrictions on repatriation of a Fund's portfolio investments could have an adverse effect on a Fund's ability to meet redemption requests.

If a Fund invests in A-Shares directly through a QFI license, it would be required to select a PRC sub-custodian for its investments in A-Shares, which is a mainland commercial bank qualified as a custodian for QFIs ("PRC custodian"). Given that the securities in an A-Shares trading account would be maintained in the joint names of Krane and a Fund, a Fund's assets may not be as well protected as they would be if it were possible for them to be registered and held solely in the name of a Fund. In particular, there is a risk that creditors of Krane or a sub-adviser may assert that the securities are owned by Krane and not a Fund, and that a court would uphold such an assertion, in which case creditors of Krane could seize assets of a Fund. There would also be a risk that regulatory actions taken against Krane might affect a Fund.

The Chinese government limits foreign investment in the securities of certain Chinese issuers and prohibits certain investments entirely. For example, currently, no single underlying foreign investor may hold more than 10% of the total outstanding shares in one listed company and all foreign investors may not hold, in aggregate, more than 30% of the total outstanding shares in one listed company. Such limits may not apply where foreign investors make strategic investment in listed companies in accordance with the Measures for the Administration of Strategic Investments in Listed Companies by Foreign Investors. Any restrictions or limitations could have adverse effects on the liquidity and performance of a Fund's holdings, which would increase the risk of tracking error and, at the worst, result in a Fund not being able to achieve its investment objective.

Regulations adopted by the CSRC and SAFE specify that all A-Shares purchased or sold through a QFI license must be executed through a specified set of brokers per exchange. Should a Fund's ability to use the relevant PRC broker be affected for any reason, it could disrupt the operations of a Fund, causing a premium or discount in the trading price of a Fund's shares relative to NAV. A Fund may also incur losses due to the acts or omissions of the PRC broker in the execution of any transaction or the transfer of funds or securities. In addition, limiting transactions to a particular PRC broker may result in higher brokerage commissions paid by a Fund.

If a Fund purchases A-Shares through a QFI license, a Fund, per Chinese regulations, would be required to maintain its securities and cash accounts in the PRC in the joint names of a Fund and the QFI holder. Although the accounts cannot be used for any purpose other than maintaining a Fund's assets, such assets may not be as well protected as they would be if they were registered and held solely in the name of a Fund. In particular, there is a risk that creditors of the QFI holder may seek to assert ownership in the event of such entity's bankruptcy or the like. Adverse actions taken against the QFI holder may also adversely impact the accounts.

If a Fund purchases A-Shares through a QFI license, cash deposited in the cash account of a Fund with the PRC custodian would not normally be, in fact, segregated for the benefit of a Fund, but will likely be deemed a general debt of the PRC custodian owing to a Fund as depositor. Such cash accordingly would be commingled with the cash of other clients of the PRC custodian. In the event of such custodian's bankruptcy or the like, it is unlikely that a Fund would have proprietary rights to the cash it deposited. Instead, a Fund would likely become an unsecured creditor, ranking pari passu with all other unsecured creditors of the custodian. A Fund may face delays in recovering the cash and may be unable to recover it at all.

In addition to investing directly in A-Shares, a Fund may seek exposure to China A-Shares by investing in depositary receipts, H shares or B-Shares on the component securities. The A Shares market may behave very differently from the B-Shares, H-Shares, and N-Shares and there may be little to no correlation between their performance. A Fund may also use derivatives or invest in ETFs that provide comparable exposures. If necessary, a Fund may suspend the sale of shares in Creation Units until it is determined that the requisite exposure to the component securities of the underlying index is obtainable. During the period that creations are suspended, Fund shares may trade at a significant premium or discount to net asset value (the "NAV"). Alternatively, a Fund may change its investment objective and track another index of Chinese-related stocks. In extreme circumstances beyond the control of a Fund, a Fund may incur significant losses due to limited investment capabilities, including based on the illiquidity of the Chinese securities markets, or delay or disruption in execution or settlement of trades. A-Shares may be subject to more frequent and/or extended trading halts than other exchange-traded securities.

The ability of a Fund to buy and sell A-Shares through the Stock Connect Programs on a particular day may be affected by public holidays of the participating exchanges, which differ.

*Tax Risk.* Per a circular (Caishui [2014] 79), the Fund is temporarily exempt from the Chinese tax on capital gains ("CGT") on trading in A-Shares as a QFI on the Shanghai Stock Exchange through the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect as of November 17, 2014, and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange through the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect as of December 5, 2016. There is no indication as to how long the temporary exemption will remain in effect. Accordingly, the Funds may be subject to such taxes in the future.

When the QFI transfers A-Shares and B-Shares, PRC Stamp Duty is currently imposed on the seller but not on the purchaser, at a rate of 0.1% on the transacted value. In addition, under the current PRC Business Tax ("BT") Law, which came into effect on January 1, 2009, taxpayer would be subject to PRC BT at a rate of 5% in respect of capital gains derived from the trading of A-Shares. However, Caishui [2005] 155 grants BT exemption to QFIs in respect of their gains derived from the trading of PRC securities (including A-Shares). The new BT Law, which came into effect on January 1, 2009, has not changed this exemption treatment at the time of this Prospectus. Dividend income or profit distributions on equity investment derived from China are not included in the taxable scope of BT.

Urban maintenance and construction tax (currently at the rate ranging from 1% to 7%), educational surcharges (currently at the rate of 3%) and local educational surcharges (currently at the rate of 2%) are imposed based on the business tax liabilities.

Each Fund reserves the right to establish a reserve for taxes which present uncertainty as to whether they will be assessed, although it currently does not do so. If a Fund establishes such a reserve but is not ultimately subject to these taxes, shareholders who redeemed or sold their shares while the reserve was in place will effectively bear the tax and may not benefit from the later release, if any, of the reserve. Conversely, if a Fund does not establish such a reserve but ultimately is subject to the tax, shareholders who redeemed or sold their shares prior to the tax being withheld, reserved or paid will have effectively avoided the tax. Investors should note that such provision, if any, may be excessive or inadequate to meet actual tax liabilities (which could include interest and penalties) on a Fund's investments. As a result, investors may be advantaged or disadvantaged depending on the final rules of the relevant tax authorities.

Investments in swaps and other derivatives may be subject to special U.S. federal income tax rules that could adversely affect the character, timing and amount of income earned by a Fund (e.g., by causing amounts that would be capital gain to be taxed as ordinary income or to be taken into income earlier than would otherwise be necessary). Also, a Fund may be required to periodically adjust its positions in its swaps and derivatives to comply with certain regulatory requirements which may further cause these investments to be less efficient than a direct investment in the securities themselves. For example, swaps in which a Fund may invest may need to be reset on a regular basis in order to maintain compliance with the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), which may increase the likelihood that a Fund will generate short-term capital gains. In addition, because the application of these special rules may be uncertain, it is possible that the manner in which they are applied by a Fund may be determined to be incorrect. In that event, a Fund may be found to have failed to maintain its qualification as a RIC or to be subject to additional U.S. tax liability. Moreover, a Fund may make investments, both directly and through swaps or other derivative positions, in companies classified as passive foreign investment companies ("PFICs") for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Investments in PFICs are subject to special tax rules which may result in adverse tax consequences to a Fund and its shareholders.

*Currency, Capital Controls and Currency Conversion Risk.* Economic conditions and political events may lead to foreign government intervention and the imposition of additional or renewed capital controls in China, which may impact the ability of a Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities or currency, and limit a Fund's ability to pay redemptions, and cause a Fund to decline in value. Although the RMB is not presently freely convertible, there is no assurance that repatriation restrictions will not be (re-)imposed in the future. Because each Fund's NAV is determined on the basis of U.S. dollars, a Fund may lose value if the RMB depreciates against the U.S. dollar, even if the local currency value of a Fund's holdings goes up. A Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to RMB for the purpose of purchasing A Shares. This may hinder its performance, including because any delay could result in the Fund missing an investment opportunity and purchasing securities at a higher price than originally intended, or incurring cash drag.

<u>China B-Shares</u>. The Funds may invest in shares of companies incorporated in mainland China that are traded in the mainland B-Share markets. B-Shares were originally intended to be available only to foreign investors or foreign institutions. However, since February 2001, B-Shares have been available to domestic individual investors who trade through legal foreign currency accounts. Unlike prices in the A-Share market, the prices of B-Shares are quoted in foreign currencies. The B-Share market commenced operations in April 1991 and was originally opened exclusively for foreign investors. In 2001, the B-Share market opened to Chinese domestic individual investors as well. However, Chinese domestic individual investors must trade with legal foreign currency accounts. The China B-Share market is composed of the Shanghai Stock Exchange (which settles in U.S. dollars) and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (which settles in Hong Kong dollars). The China B-Share market is generally smaller, less liquid and has a smaller issuer base than the China A-Share market. The A-Shares market may behave very differently from the B-Shares market, and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the two.

<u>China H-Shares</u>. The Funds may invest in shares of companies incorporated in mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. H-Shares are traded in Hong Kong dollars on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and must meet Hong Kong's listing and disclosure requirements. H-Shares may be traded by foreigners and offer a vehicle to foreigners to gain exposure to Chinese securities. Because they are traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, H-Shares involve a number of risks not typically associated with investing in countries with more democratic governments or more established economies or securities markets. Such risks may include the risk of nationalization or expropriation; greater social, economic and political uncertainty; increased competition from Asia's other low-cost emerging economies; currency exchange rate fluctuations; higher rates of inflation; controls on foreign investment and limitations on repatriation of invested capital; and greater governmental involvement in and control over the economy. Fluctuations in the value of the Hong Kong dollar will affect a Fund's holdings of H-Shares. The Hong Kong stock market may behave very differently from the domestic Chinese stock market and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the Hong Kong stock market and the domestic Chinese stock market.

<u>China N-Shares</u>. The Funds may invest in shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on an American stock exchange, such as NYSE or Nasdaq. N-Shares are traded in U.S. dollars. N-Shares are issued by companies incorporated anywhere, but many are registered in Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, or the United States. Because companies issuing N-Shares often have business operations in China, they are subject to certain political and economic risks in China.

<u>P-Chip Companies</u>*.* The Funds may invest in shares of companies with controlling private Chinese shareholders that are incorporated outside mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. These businesses are often run by the private sector and have a majority of their business operations in mainland China. P-Chip shares are traded in Hong Kong dollars on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and may also be traded by foreigners. Because they are traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, P-Chips are also subject to risks similar to those associated with investments in H-Shares. They are also subject to risks affecting their jurisdiction of incorporation, including any legal or tax changes. Private Chinese companies may be more indebted, more susceptible to adverse changes in the economy, subject to asset seizures and nationalization, and negative political or legal developments.

<u>Red Chip Companies</u>. The Funds may invest in shares of companies with controlling Chinese shareholders that are incorporated outside mainland China, have a majority of their business operations in mainland China, and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. These businesses are controlled, either directly or indirectly, by the central, provincial or municipal governments of the PRC. Red Chip shares are traded in Hong Kong dollars on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and may also be traded by foreigners. Because Red Chip companies are controlled by various PRC governmental authorities, investing in Red Chips involves risks that political changes, social instability, regulatory uncertainty, adverse diplomatic developments, asset expropriation or nationalization, or confiscatory taxation could adversely affect the performance of Red Chip companies. Red Chip companies may be less efficiently run and less profitable than other companies.

<u>S-Chip Companies</u>. The Funds may invest in shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on the Singapore Exchange ("S-Chips"). S-Chip shares are issued by companies incorporated anywhere, but many are registered in Singapore, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, or Bermuda. They are subject to risks affecting their jurisdiction of incorporation, including any legal or tax changes. S-Chip companies may or may not be owned at least in part by a Chinese central, provincial or municipal government and be subject to the types of risks that come with such ownership described herein. There may be little or no correlation between the performance of the Singapore stock market and the mainland Chinese stock market.

<u>Disclosure of Interests and Short Swing Profit Rule</u>*.* The Funds may be subject to shareholder disclosure of interest regulations promulgated by the CSRC. These regulations currently require a Fund to make certain public disclosures when a Fund and parties acting in concert with a Fund acquire 5% or more of the issued securities of a listed company. If the reporting requirement is triggered, a Fund will be required to report information which includes, but is not limited to: (a) information about a Fund and the type and extent of its holdings in the company; (b) a statement of a Fund's purposes for the investment and whether a Fund intends to increase its holdings over the following 12-month period; (c) a statement of a Fund's historical investments in the company over the previous six months; (d) the time of, and other information relating to, the transaction that triggered a Fund's holding in the listed company reaching the 5% reporting threshold; and (e) other information that may be required by the CSRC or the stock exchange. Additional information may be required if a Fund and its concerted parties constitute the largest shareholder or actual controlling shareholder of the listed company. The report must be made to the CSRC, the stock exchange, the invested company, and the CSRC local representative office where the listed company is located. A Fund would also be required to make a public announcement through a media outlet designated by the CSRC. The public announcement must contain the same content as the official report.

The relevant PRC regulations presumptively treat all affiliated investors and investors under common control as parties acting in concert. As such, under a conservative interpretation of these regulations, a Fund may be deemed as a "concert party" of other funds managed by Krane, a sub-adviser and/or their affiliates and therefore may be subject to the risk that a Fund's holdings may be required to be reported in the aggregate with the holdings of such other funds should the aggregate holdings trigger the reporting threshold under the PRC law.

If the 5% shareholding threshold is triggered by a Fund and parties acting in concert with the Fund, the Fund would be required to file its report within three days of the date the threshold is reached. During the time limit for filing the report, a trading freeze applies and the Fund would not be permitted to make subsequent trades in the invested company's securities. Any such trading freeze may impair the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective and undermine the Fund's performance, if a Fund would otherwise make trades during that period but is prevented from doing so by the regulation.

Once a Fund and parties acting in concert reach the 5% trading threshold as to any listed company, any subsequent incremental increase or decrease of 5% or more will trigger a further reporting requirement and an additional three-day trading freeze, and also an additional freeze on trading within two days of a Fund's report and announcement of the incremental change. These trading freezes may undermine a Fund's performance as described above. Also, Shanghai Stock Exchange requirements currently require a Fund and parties acting in concert, once they have reach the 5% threshold, to disclose whenever their shareholding drops below this threshold (even as a result of trading which is less than the 5% incremental change that would trigger a reporting requirement under the relevant CSRC regulation). CSRC regulations also contain additional disclosure (and tender offer) requirements that apply when an investor and parties acting in concert reach thresholds of 20% and greater than 30% shareholding in a company.

Subject to the interpretation of PRC courts and PRC regulators, the operation of the PRC short swing profit rule may prevent a Fund from reducing its holdings in a PRC company within six months of the last purchase of shares of the company if the Fund's holding in that company exceeds the threshold prescribed by the relevant exchange on which the PRC company's shares are listed. If a Fund's holdings are aggregated with other investors deemed as acting as concert parties of a Fund, a Fund will be subject to these restrictions even though it may not have caused or benefited by the activity. If a Fund violates the rule, it may be required by the listed company to return any profits realized from such trading to the listed company. In addition, the rule limits the ability of a Fund to repurchase securities of the listed company within six months of such sale. Moreover, under PRC civil procedures, a Fund's assets may be frozen to the extent of the claims made by the company in question. These risks may greatly impair the performance of a Fund.

**Investments in Eastern Europe.** Many countries in Eastern Europe are in their infancy and are developing rapidly, but such countries may lack the social, political and economic stability of more developed countries. Emerging market countries in Europe will be significantly affected by the fiscal and monetary controls of the European Monetary Union. Changes in regulations on trade, decreasing imports or exports, changes in the exchange rate of the euro and recessions among European countries may have a significant adverse effect on the economies of other European countries including those of Eastern Europe. The markets in Eastern Europe remain relatively undeveloped and can be particularly sensitive to political and economic developments, including those relating to Russia. Additionally, the small size and inexperience of the securities markets in Eastern European countries and the limited volume of trading in securities in those markets may make a Fund's investments in such countries illiquid or more volatile than investments in more developed countries.

**Investments in Germany.** Investment in German issuers subjects a Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risks specific to Germany. Recently, new concerns have emerged in relation to the economic health of the European Union. These concerns have led to downward pressure on the earnings of certain European issuers, including German financial services companies. Secessionist movements, such as the Catalan movement in Spain, may have an adverse effect on the German economy. The German economy is dependent to a significant extent on the economies of certain key trading partners, including the Netherlands, China, United States, United Kingdom, France, Italy and other European countries. Reduction in spending on German products and services, or changes in any of its key trading partners' economies may have an adverse impact on the German economy. Recent developments in relations between the United States and its trading partners have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on Germany's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on a Fund. In addition, heavy regulation of labor, energy and product markets in Germany may have an adverse impact on German issuers. Such regulations may negatively impact economic growth or cause prolonged periods of recession.

**Investments in Hong Kong.** The Funds may invest in securities listed and traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. In addition to the risks of investing in non-U.S. securities, investing in securities listed and traded in Hong Kong involves special considerations not typically associated with investing in countries with more democratic governments or more established economies or securities markets. Such risks may include: (i) the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets or confiscatory taxation; (ii) greater social, economic and political uncertainty (including the risk of war); (iii) dependency on exports and the corresponding importance of international trade; (iv) increasing competition from Asia's other low-cost emerging economies; (v) currency exchange rate fluctuations and the lack of available currency hedging instruments; (vi) higher rates of inflation; (vii) controls on foreign investment and limitations on repatriation of invested capital and on a Fund's ability to exchange local currencies for U.S. dollars; (viii) greater governmental involvement in and control over the economy; (ix) the risk that the Chinese government may decide not to continue to support the economic reform programs implemented since 1978 and could return to the prior, completely centrally planned, economy; (x) the fact that Chinese companies, particularly those located in China, may be smaller, less seasoned and newly organized; (xi) the differences in, or lack of, auditing and financial reporting standards which may result in unavailability of material information about issuers, particularly in China; (xii) the fact that statistical information regarding the economy of China may be inaccurate or not comparable to statistical information regarding the U.S. or other economies; (xiii) the less extensive, and still developing, regulation of the securities markets, business entities and commercial transactions; (xiv) the fact that the settlement period of securities transactions in foreign markets may be longer; (xv) the fact that the willingness and ability of the Chinese government to support the Chinese and Hong Kong economies and markets is uncertain; (xvi) the risk that it may be more difficult, or impossible, to obtain and/or enforce a judgment than in other countries; (xvii) the rapidity and erratic nature of growth, particularly in China, resulting in inefficiencies and dislocations; (xviii) the risk that, because of the degree of interconnectivity between the economies and financial markets of China and Hong Kong, any sizable reduction in the demand for goods from China, or an economic downturn in China, could negatively affect the economy and financial market of Hong Kong as well; and (xix) the risk that certain companies in a Fund's underlying index, if any, may have dealings with countries subject to sanctions or embargoes imposed by the U.S. Government or identified as state sponsors of terrorism.

Investments in Hong Kong are also subject to certain political risks. Following the establishment of the People's Republic of China by the Communist Party in 1949, the Chinese government renounced various debt obligations incurred by China's predecessor governments, which obligations remain in default, and expropriated assets without compensation. There can be no assurance that the Chinese government will not take similar action in the future. An investment in a Fund involves risk of a total loss. China has committed by treaty to preserve Hong Kong's autonomy and its economic, political and social freedoms for 50 years from the July 1, 1997 transfer of sovereignty from Great Britain to China. However, if China would exert its authority so as to alter the economic, political or legal structures or the existing social policy of Hong Kong, or is followed by political or economic disruptions, investor and business confidence in Hong Kong could be negatively affected, which in turn could negatively affect markets and business performance. These and other factors could have a negative impact on a Fund's performance.

**Investments in India.** Foreign investment in the securities of issuers in India is usually restricted or controlled to some degree. Under normal circumstances, income, gains and initial capital with respect to such investments are freely repatriable, subject to payment of applicable Indian taxes. There can be no assurance that these investment control regimes will not change in a way that makes it more difficult or impossible for a Fund to implement its investment objective or repatriate its income, gains and initial capital from India.

The Indian government exercises significant influence over many aspects of the economy. Government actions, bureaucratic obstacles and inconsistent economic reform could have a significant effect on the economy and a Fund's investments in India. There can be no assurance that the Indian government in the future, whether for purposes of managing its balance of payments or for other reasons, will not impose restrictions on foreign capital remittances abroad or otherwise modify the exchange control regime applicable to foreign institutional investors in such a way that may adversely affect the ability of a Fund to repatriate its income and capital.

Founders and their families control many Indian companies. Corporate governance standards of family-controlled companies may be weaker and less transparent, which increases the potential for loss and unequal treatment of investors. The securities market in India is substantially smaller, less liquid and significantly more volatile than the securities market in the U.S. Exchanges have also experienced problems such as temporary exchange closures, broker defaults, settlement delays and broker strikes that, if they occur again in the future, could affect the market prices and liquidity of the Indian securities in which a Fund invests. In addition, the governing bodies of the various Indian stock exchanges have from time to time imposed restrictions on trading in certain securities, limits on price movements and margin requirements. The relatively small market capitalizations of, and trading values on, the principal stock exchanges may cause a Fund's investments in securities listed on these exchanges to be comparatively less liquid and subject to greater price volatility than comparable U.S. investments.

Religious, cultural and border disputes persist in India. The Indian government has confronted separatist movements in several Indian states. The longstanding dispute with Pakistan over the bordering Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir remains unresolved. If the Indian government is unable to control the violence and disruption associated with these tensions (including both domestic and external sources of terrorism), the results could destabilize the economy and, consequently, adversely affect a Fund's investments. Both India and Pakistan have tested nuclear weapons, and the threat of deploying such weapons could hinder development of the Indian economy, and escalating tensions could impact the broader region, including China.

**Investments in Indonesia.** Indonesia is subject to a considerable degree of economic, political and social instability. Indonesia has experienced currency devaluations, substantial rates of inflation, widespread corruption and economic recessions. Indonesia is considered an emerging market, and its securities laws are unsettled. Judicial enforcement of contracts with foreign entities is inconsistent and, as a result of pervasive corruption, subject to the risk that cases will not be judged impartially. Indonesia has a history of political and military unrest and has recently experienced acts of terrorism that have targeted foreigners. Such acts of terrorism have had a negative impact on tourism, an important sector of the Indonesian economy. Additionally, Indonesia has faced violent separatist movements on the islands of Sumatra and Timor, as well as outbreaks of violence amongst religious and ethnic groups. Although the Indonesian government has recently revised policies intended to coerce cultural assimilation of ethnic minorities, a history of discrimination, official persecution, and populist violence continues to heighten the risk of economic disruption in Indonesia due to ethnic tensions. In addition, the Indonesian economy is heavily dependent on trading relationships with certain key trading partners, including China, Japan, Singapore and the United States.

**Investment in Japan.** The Japanese yen has shown volatility over the past two decades and such volatility could affect returns in the future. The yen may also be affected by currency volatility elsewhere in Asia. Depreciation of the yen, and any other currencies in which a Fund's securities are denominated, will decrease the value of the Fund's holdings.

Japan's growth prospects appear to be dependent on its export capabilities. Japan's neighbors, in particular China, have become increasingly important export markets. Despite a strengthening in the economic relationship between Japan and China, the countries' political relationship has at times been strained in recent years. Should political tension increase, it could adversely affect the economy and destabilize the region as a whole. Japan also remains heavily dependent on oil imports, and higher commodity prices could therefore have a negative impact on the economy. The natural disasters that have impacted Japan and the ongoing recovery efforts have had a negative effect on Japan's economy. Japan has an aging population and, as a result, Japan's workforce is shrinking. Japan's economy may suffer if this trend continues.

**Investments in Latin America.** Latin America, including Brazil and Mexico, has long suffered from political, economic, and social instability. For investors, this has meant additional risk caused by periods of regional conflict, political corruption, totalitarianism, protectionist measures, nationalization, hyperinflation, debt crises and defaults, sudden and large currency devaluation, and intervention by the military in civilian and economic spheres. For example, the government of Brazil imposes a tax on foreign investment in Brazilian stocks and bonds, which may affect the value of a Fund's investments in Brazilian issuers. While some Latin American governments have experienced privatization of state-owned companies and relaxation of trade restrictions, future free-market economic reforms are uncertain, and political unrest could result in significant disruption in securities markets in the region. The economies of certain Latin American countries have experienced high interest rates, economic volatility, inflation and high unemployment rates. Adverse economic events in one country may have a significant adverse effect on other Latin American countries.

Commodities (such as oil, gas and minerals) represent a significant percentage of the region's exports and many economies in this region are particularly sensitive to fluctuations in commodity prices. Some markets are in areas that have historically been prone to natural disasters or are economically sensitive to environmental events, and a natural disaster could have a significant adverse impact on the economies in the geographic region.

Many Latin American countries have high levels of debt, which may stifle economic growth, contribute to prolonged periods of recession and adversely impact a Fund's investments. Most countries have been forced to restructure their loans or risk default on their debt obligations. Interest on debt is subject to market conditions and may reach levels that would impair economic activity and create a difficult and costly environment for borrowers. Governments may be forced to reschedule or freeze their debt repayment, which could negatively affect local markets.

**Investments in Middle East.** Many Middle Eastern countries are prone to political turbulence, which may have an adverse impact on a Fund. Many economies in the Middle East are highly reliant on income from the sale of oil or trade with countries involved in the sale of oil, and their economies are therefore vulnerable to changes in the market for oil and foreign currency values. As global demand for oil fluctuates, many Middle Eastern economies may be significantly impacted.

In addition, many Middle Eastern governments have exercised and continue to exercise substantial influence over many aspects of the private sector. In certain cases, a Middle Eastern country's government may own or control many companies, including some of the largest companies in the country. Accordingly, governmental actions in the future could have a significant effect on economic conditions in Middle Eastern countries. This could affect private sector companies and a Fund, as well as the value of securities in a Fund's portfolio.

Certain Middle Eastern markets are in the earliest stages of development. As a result, there may be 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 investors and financial intermediaries. Brokers in Middle Eastern countries typically are fewer in number and less well capitalized than brokers in the United States.

The legal systems in certain Middle Eastern countries also may have an adverse impact on a Fund. For example, the potential liability of a shareholder in a U.S. corporation with respect to acts of the corporation generally is limited to the amount of the shareholder's investment. However, the notion of limited liability is less clear in certain Middle Eastern countries. A Fund therefore may be liable in certain Middle Eastern countries for the acts of a corporation in which it invests for an amount greater than its actual investment in that corporation. Similarly, the rights of investors in Middle Eastern issuers may be more limited than those of shareholders of a U.S. corporation. It may be difficult or impossible to obtain or enforce a legal judgment in a Middle Eastern country. Some Middle Eastern countries prohibit or impose substantial restrictions on investments in their capital markets, particularly their equity markets, by foreign entities such as a Fund. For example, certain countries may require governmental approval prior to investment by foreign persons or limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular issuer. Certain Middle Eastern countries may also limit the investment by foreign persons to only a specific class of securities of an issuer that may have less advantageous terms (including price) than securities of the issuer available for purchase by nationals.

The manner in which foreign investors may invest in companies in certain Middle Eastern countries, as well as limitations on those investments, may have an adverse impact on the operations of a Fund. For example, in certain of these countries, a Fund may be required to invest initially through a local broker or other entity and then have the shares that were purchased re-registered in the name of a Fund. Re-registration in some instances may not be possible on a timely basis. This may result in a delay during which a Fund may be denied certain of its rights as an investor, including rights as to dividends or to be made aware of certain corporate actions. There also may be instances where a Fund places a purchase order but is subsequently informed, at the time of re-registration, that the permissible allocation of the investment to foreign investors has been filled.

Substantial limitations may exist in certain Middle Eastern countries with respect to a Fund's ability to repatriate investment income or capital gains. A Fund could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, any required governmental approval for repatriation of capital, as well as by the application to a Fund of any restrictions on investment.

Certain Middle Eastern countries may be heavily dependent upon international trade and, consequently, have been and may continue to be negatively affected by trade barriers, exchange controls, managed adjustments in relative currency values and other protectionist measures imposed or negotiated by the countries with which they trade. These countries also have been and may continue to be adversely impacted by economic conditions in the countries with which they trade. In addition, certain issuers located in Middle Eastern countries in which a Fund invests may operate in, or have dealings with, countries subject to sanctions and/or embargoes imposed by the U.S. government and the United Nations, and/or countries identified by the U.S. government as state sponsors of terrorism. As a result, an issuer may sustain damage to its reputation if it is identified as an issuer which operates in, or has dealings with, such countries. A Fund, as an investor in such issuers, will be indirectly subject to those risks.

Certain Middle Eastern countries have strained relations with other Middle Eastern countries due to territorial disputes, historical animosities or defense concerns, which may adversely affect the economies of these Middle Eastern countries. Certain Middle Eastern countries experience significant unemployment, as well as widespread underemployment. Recently, many Middle Eastern countries have experienced political, economic and social unrest as protestors have called for widespread reform. These protests may adversely affect the economies of these Middle Eastern countries.

**Investments in Russia.** Russia has experienced political and economic turbulence and has endured decades of communist rule under which its citizens were collectivized into state agricultural and industrial enterprises. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia's government has been faced with the task of stabilizing and modernizing its economy. Investors in Russia have experienced significant losses due to expropriation, nationalization, confiscation of assets and property or the imposition of restrictions on foreign investments and repatriation of capital invested. There is no assurance that similar losses will not recur. The current government regime has become increasingly authoritarian, especially in its dealings with successful Russian companies. In this environment, there is always a risk that the government will abandon elements of a market economy and replace them with radically different political and economic policies that would be detrimental to the interests of foreign investors.

The Russian economy is heavily dependent upon the export of a range of commodities including industrial metals, forestry products, oil, and gas. Accordingly, it is strongly affected by international commodity prices and is particularly vulnerable to any weakening in global demand for these products. Foreign investors also face a high degree of currency risk when investing in Russian securities and a lack of available currency hedging instruments. In addition, Eastern European markets remain relatively underdeveloped and can be particularly sensitive to political and economic developments; adverse events in Eastern European countries may greatly impact the Russian economy.

Because of the recent formation of the Russian securities market as well as the underdeveloped state of the banking and telecommunications systems, settlement, clearing and registration of securities transactions are subject to significant risks. There is no central registration system for shareholders and these services are carried out by the companies themselves or by registrars located throughout Russia. These registrars are not necessarily subject to effective state supervision nor are they licensed with any governmental entity and it is possible for a Fund to lose share registration through fraud or negligence. In addition, while applicable Russian regulations impose liability on registrars for losses resulting from their errors, it may be difficult for a Fund to enforce any rights it may have against the registrar or issuer of the securities in the event of loss of share registration. Furthermore, significant delays or problems may occur in registering the transfer of securities, which could cause a Fund to incur losses due to a counterparty's failure to pay for securities a Fund has delivered or a Fund's inability to complete its contractual obligations because of theft or other reasons.

Poor accounting standards, inept management, pervasive corruption, insider trading and crime, and inadequate regulatory protection all pose significant risks, particularly to foreign investors. In addition, there is a risk that the Russian tax system will not be reformed to prevent inconsistent, retroactive and/or punitive taxation, or, in the alternative, a risk that a reformed tax system may result in inconsistent and unpredictable enforcement of the new tax laws. The Russian securities market is relatively new and a substantial proportion of securities transactions in Russia are privately negotiated outside the stock exchanges. The inexperience of the Russian securities market and the limited volume of trading in securities in the market may make obtaining accurate prices on portfolio securities from independent sources more difficult than in more developed markets. Additionally, little information is available to investors. As a result, it may be difficult to assess the value of an investment in Russian companies. Because of the recent formation of the Russian securities market and the underdeveloped state of the banking and telecommunications systems, securities transactions are subject to significant risks.

In addition, Russia also may attempt to assert its influence in the region through economic or even military measures, as it did with Georgia in the summer of 2008 and the Ukraine in 2014 and 2022. Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The extent and duration of the military action, resulting sanctions and resulting future market disruptions, including declines in its stock markets and the value of the ruble against the U.S. dollar, are impossible to predict, but could be significant. Any such disruptions caused by Russian military action or other actions (including cyberattacks and espionage) or resulting actual and threatened responses to such activity, including purchasing and financing restrictions, boycotts or changes in consumer or purchaser preferences, sanctions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Russian government, Russian companies or Russian individuals, including politicians, may impact Russia's economy and Russian issuers of securities in which the Fund invests. Actual and threatened responses to such activity, including purchasing restrictions, sanctions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Russian government or Russian companies, may impact Russia's economy and Russian issuers of securities in which the Fund invests. Actual and threatened responses to such military action may also impact the markets for certain Russian commodities, such as oil and natural gas, as well as other sectors of the Russian economy, and may likely have collateral impacts on such sectors globally.

The United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on certain Russian individuals and issuers, particularly in response to its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The United States and other nations or international organizations may impose additional, broader economic sanctions or take other actions that may adversely affect Russian-related issuers in the future. These sanctions, any future sanctions or other actions, or even the threat of further sanctions or other actions, may negatively affect the value and liquidity of a Fund's investments. For example, a Fund may be prohibited from investing in securities issued by companies subject to such sanctions. In addition, the sanctions may require a Fund to freeze its existing investments in Russian companies, prohibiting a Fund from buying, selling or otherwise transacting in these investments. Russia may undertake countermeasures or retaliatory actions which may further impair the value and liquidity of a Fund's portfolio and potentially disrupt its operations.

For these or other reasons, to the extent permitted by law, a Fund could seek to suspend creations and/or redemptions of Creation Units, including in the event that an emergency exists in which it is not reasonably practicable for a Fund to dispose of its securities or to determine its net asset value. During the period that creations or redemptions are affected, a Fund's shares could trade at a significant premium or discount to their net asset value. In the case of a period during which creations are suspended, a Fund could experience substantial redemptions, which may cause a Fund to experience increased transaction costs and make greater taxable distributions to shareholders of a Fund. A Fund could liquidate all or a portion of its assets, which may be at unfavorable prices.

**Investments in South Africa.** South Africa's two-tiered economy, with one rivaling developed countries and the other exhibiting many characteristics of developing countries, is characterized by uneven distribution of wealth and income and high rates of unemployment. This may cause civil and social unrest, which could adversely impact the South African economy. Ethnic and civil conflict could result in the abandonment of many of South Africa's free market reforms. In addition, South Africa has experienced high rates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and HIV remains a prominent health concern.

Although economic reforms have been enacted to promote growth and foreign investments, there can be no assurance that these programs will achieve the desired results. South Africa's inadequate currency reserves have left its currency vulnerable, at times, to devaluation. South Africa has privatized or has begun the process of privatization of certain entities and industries. In some instances, investors in certain newly privatized entities have suffered losses due to the inability of the newly privatized entities to adjust quickly to a competitive environment or to changing regulatory and legal standards. There is no assurance that such losses will not recur. Despite significant reform and privatization, the South African government continues to control a large share of South African economic activity. Heavy regulation of labor and product markets is pervasive and may stifle South African economic growth or cause prolonged periods of recession. The agriculture and mining sectors of South Africa's economy account for a large portion of its exports, and thus the South African economy is susceptible to fluctuations in these commodity markets. Moreover, the South African economy is heavily dependent upon the economies of Europe, Asia (particularly Japan) and the United States. Reduction in spending by these economies on South African products and services or negative changes in any of these economies may cause an adverse impact on the South African economy. South Africa has historically experienced acts of terrorism and strained international relations related to border disputes, historical animosities, racial tensions and other defense concerns. These situations may cause uncertainty in the South African market and may adversely affect the South African economy.

**Investments in South Korea**. The South Korean economy is heavily dependent on trading exports and on the economies of other Asian countries, especially China or Southeast Asia, and the United States as key trading partners. Distributions in trade activity, reductions in spending by these economies on South Korean products and services or negative changes in any of these economies may have an adverse impact on the South Korean economy. Furthermore, South Korea's economy may be impacted by currency fluctuations and increasing competition from Asia's other low-cost emerging economies. Finally, South Korea's economic growth potential has recently been on a decline due to, among other factors, a rapidly aging population and structural problems.

Substantial tensions with North Korea may cause further uncertainty in the political and economic climate of South Korea. North and South Korea each have substantial military capabilities, and historical tensions between the two present the ongoing risk of war. Recent events involving the North Korean military have escalated tensions between North and South Korea. Any outbreak of hostilities between the two countries, or even the threat of an outbreak of hostilities, may have a severe adverse effect on the South Korean economy and any investments in South Korea.

**Investments in Taiwan.** The political reunification of China and Taiwan, over which China continues to claim sovereignty, remains tense and is unlikely to be settled in the near future. China has staged frequent military drills off the coast of Taiwan and relations between China and Taiwan have been hostile at times. This continuing hostility between China and Taiwan may have an adverse impact on the values of a Fund's investments in China or Taiwan, or make such investments impracticable or impossible. Any escalation of hostility between China and Taiwan would likely have a significant adverse impact on the value of a Fund's investments in both countries and the region. In addition, certain Asian economies have experienced over-extension of credit, currency devaluations and restrictions, high unemployment, high inflation, decreased exports and economic recessions. Economic events in any one country may have a significant economic effect on the entire Asian region and any adverse events in the Asian markets may have a significant adverse effect on Taiwanese companies.

Taiwan's growth has been export-driven to a significant degree. As a result, Taiwan is affected by changes in the economies of its main trading partners. If growth in the export sector declines, future growth will be increasingly reliant on domestic demand. Taiwan has limited natural resources, resulting in dependence on foreign sources for certain raw materials and vulnerability to global fluctuations of price and supply. This dependence is especially pronounced in the energy sector. Any fluctuations or shortages in the commodity markets could have a negative impact on Taiwan's economy. A significant increase in energy prices could have an adverse impact on Taiwan's economy.

**Investments in the United Kingdom.** The United Kingdom has one of the largest economies in Europe and is heavily dependent on trade with the European Union ("EU"), and to a lesser extent the United States and China. As a result, the economy of the United Kingdom may be impacted by changes to the economic health of EU member counties, the United States and China. In 2016, the United Kingdom voted via referendum to exit the EU, commonly referred to as "Brexit". On December 31, 2020, the United Kingdom left the European Union. The United Kingdom and the European Union reached a trade agreement on December 31, 2020, which became effective on May 1, 2021 after being ratified by all applicable United Kingdom and European Union governmental bodies. The period following the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union is expected to be one of significant political and economic uncertainty particularly until the United Kingdom government and European Union member states agree and implement the terms of the United Kingdom's future relationship with the European Union. Brexit may create additional economic stresses for the United Kingdom, which may include causing a contraction of the United Kingdom economy and price volatility in United Kingdom stocks, decreased trade, capital outflows, devaluation of pounds sterling, and wider corporate bond spreads due to uncertainty and declines in business and consumer spending as well as foreign direct investment. The Fund may be negatively impacted by changes in law and tax treatment resulting from or following Brexit. Until the economic effects of Brexit become clearer, and while a period of political, regulatory and commercial uncertainty continues, there remains a risk that Brexit may negatively impact the value of investments held by the Fund. In addition, if one or more other countries were to exit the EU or abandon the use of the euro as a currency, the value of investments tied to those countries or the euro could decline significantly and unpredictably.

**<u>Currency Transactions</u>**

The Funds may enter into spot currency transactions, foreign currency forward and foreign currency futures contracts. Foreign currency forward and foreign currency futures contracts are derivatives and are subject to derivatives risk.

**Forward Foreign Currency Contracts.** A forward foreign currency exchange contract ("forward contract") involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts are principally traded in the interbank market conducted directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. A forward contract generally has no margin deposit requirement.

A non-deliverable forward contract is a forward contract where there is no physical settlement of two currencies at maturity. Non-deliverable forward contracts are contracts between parties in which one party agrees to make a payment to the other party (the "Counterparty") based on the change in market value or level of a specified currency. In return, the Counterparty agrees to make payment to the first party based on the return of a different specified currency. Non-deliverable forward contracts will usually be done on a net basis, with a Fund receiving or paying only the net amount of the two payments. The net amount of the excess, if any, of a Fund's obligations over its entitlements with respect to each non-deliverable forward contract is accrued on a daily basis and an amount of cash or highly liquid securities having an aggregate value at least equal to the accrued excess is maintained in an account at the Trust's custodian bank. The risk of loss with respect to non-deliverable forward contracts generally is limited to the net amount of payments that a Fund is contractually obligated to make or receive.

**Foreign Currency Futures Contracts.** A foreign currency futures contract is a contract involving an obligation to deliver or acquire the specified amount of a specific currency, at a specified price and at a specified future time. Futures contracts may be settled on a net cash payment basis rather than by the sale and delivery of the underlying currency.

Currency exchange transactions involve a significant degree of risk and the markets in which currency exchange transactions are effected are highly volatile, specialized and technical. Significant changes, including changes in liquidity and prices, can occur in such markets within very short periods of time, often within minutes. Currency exchange trading risks include, but are not limited to, exchange rate risk, maturity gap, interest rate risk, and potential interference by foreign governments through regulation of local exchange markets, foreign investment or particular transactions in foreign currency. If a Fund utilizes foreign currency transactions at an inappropriate time, such transactions may not serve their intended purpose of improving the correlation of a Fund's return with the performance of the underlying index and may lower a Fund's return. A Fund could experience losses if the value of any currency forwards and futures positions is poorly correlated with its other investments or if it could not close out its positions because of an illiquid market. Such contracts are subject to the risk that the counterparty will default on its obligations. In addition, a Fund will incur transaction costs, including trading commissions, in connection with certain foreign currency transactions.

**Foreign Exchange Spot Transactions.** The Funds may settle trades of holdings denominated in foreign currencies on a spot (*i.e.*, cash) basis at the prevailing rate in the foreign currency exchange market. A foreign exchange spot transaction, also known as FX spot, is an agreement between two parties to buy one currency against selling another currency at an agreed price for settlement on the spot date. The exchange rate at which the transaction is done is called the spot exchange rate. Unlike forward foreign currency exchange contracts and foreign currency futures contracts, which involve trading a particular amount of a currency pair at a predetermined price at some point in the future, the underlying currencies in a spot FX are exchanged following the settlement date.

**<u>Equity Securities</u>**

The Funds may invest in equity securities. Equity securities represent ownership interests in a company or partnership and include common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants to acquire common stock, securities convertible into common stock, and investments in master limited partnerships. 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 a Fund invests will cause the NAV of a Fund to fluctuate. Global stock markets, including the U.S. stock market, tend to be cyclical, with periods when stock prices generally rise and periods when stock prices generally decline. The Funds may purchase equity securities traded on exchanges or the over-the-counter ("OTC") market. The Funds may invest in the types of equity securities 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.

**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 a Fund is called for redemption or conversion, a 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 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 OTC 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.

**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.

**Rights.** A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights normally have a short life of usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price. An investment in rights may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. Investing in rights increases the potential profit or loss to be realized from the investment as compared with investing the same amount in the underlying securities.

**Depositary Receipts.** The Funds may invest in issuers located outside the United States directly, or in financial instruments that are indirectly linked to the performance of foreign issuers. Examples of such financial instruments include ADRs, Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs"), European Depositary Receipts ("EDRs"), International Depository Receipts ("IDRs"), "ordinary shares," and "New York shares" issued and traded in the United States. ADRs are U.S. dollar-denominated receipts typically issued by U.S. banks and trust companies that evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign issuer. The underlying securities may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. The underlying securities are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer's home country. The depositary bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions. Generally, ADRs in registered form are designed for use in domestic securities markets and are traded on exchanges or over-the-counter in the United States. GDRs, EDRs, and IDRs are similar to ADRs in that they are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer, however, GDRs, EDRs, and IDRs may be issued in bearer form and denominated in other currencies, and are generally designed for use in specific or multiple securities markets outside the United States. EDRs, for example, are designed for use in European securities markets while GDRs are designed for use throughout the world. Ordinary shares are shares of foreign issuers that are traded abroad and on a U.S. exchange. New York shares are shares that a foreign issuer has allocated for trading in the United States. ADRs, ordinary shares, and New York shares all may be purchased with and sold for U.S. dollars.

Depositary receipts may be sponsored or unsponsored. Although the two types of depositary receipt facilities (unsponsored or sponsored) are similar, there are differences regarding a holder's rights and obligations and the practices of market participants. A depository may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by (or acquiescence of) the underlying issuer; typically, however, the depository requests a letter of non-objection from the underlying issuer prior to establishing the facility. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of the facility. The depository usually charges fees upon the deposit and withdrawal of the underlying securities, the conversion of dividends into U.S. dollars or other currency, the disposition of non-cash distributions, and the performance of other services. The depository of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the underlying issuer or to pass through voting rights to depositary receipt holders with respect to the underlying securities.

Sponsored depositary receipt facilities are created in generally the same manner as unsponsored facilities, except that sponsored depositary receipts are established jointly by a depository and the underlying issuer through a deposit agreement. The deposit agreement sets out the rights and responsibilities of the underlying issuer, the depository, and the depositary receipt holders. With sponsored facilities, the underlying issuer typically bears some of the costs of the depositary receipts (such as dividend payment fees of the depository), although most sponsored depositary receipts holders may bear costs such as deposit and withdrawal fees. Depositories of most sponsored depositary receipts agree to distribute notices of shareholder meetings, voting instructions, and other shareholder communications and information to the depositary receipt holders at the underlying issuer's request.

Depositary receipts may be unregistered and unlisted. A Fund's investments may also include ADRs that are not purchased in the public markets and are restricted securities that can be offered and sold only to "qualified institutional buyers" under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Depositary receipts may become illiquid. If adverse market conditions were to develop during the period between a Fund's decision to sell these types of ADRs and the point at which a Fund is permitted or able to sell such security, a Fund might obtain a price less favorable than the price that prevailed when it decided to sell.

**<u>Real Estate Investment Trusts</u>**

The Funds may invest in the securities of real estate investment trusts ("REITs"). Risks associated with investments in securities of REITs include decline in the value of real estate, risks related to general and local economic conditions, overbuilding and increased competition, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws, casualty or condemnation losses, variations in rental income, changes in neighborhood values, the appeal of properties to tenants, and increases in interest rates. In addition, equity REITs may be affected by changes in the values of the underlying property owned by the trusts, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of credit extended. REITs are dependent upon management skills, may not be diversified and are subject to the risks of financing projects. REITs are also subject to heavy cash-flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, self-liquidation and the possibility of failing to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income and net gains under the Code and to maintain exemption from the 1940 Act. If an issuer of debt securities collateralized by real estate defaults, it is conceivable that the REITs could end up holding the underlying real estate. Because REITs have ongoing fees and expenses, which may include management, operating and administration expenses, REIT shareholders, including a Fund, will indirectly bear a proportionate share of those expenses in addition to the expenses of a Fund. However, such expenses are not considered to be Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and, therefore, are not reflected as such in a Fund's fee table.

**<u>Privately-Issued Securities</u>**

The Funds may invest in privately-issued securities, including those that are normally purchased pursuant to Rule 144A or Regulation S under the Securities Act. Privately-issued securities typically may be resold only to "qualified institutional buyers," in a privately negotiated transaction, to a limited number of purchasers or in limited quantities after they have been held for a specified period of time and other conditions are met for an exemption from registration. Because there may be relatively few potential purchasers for such securities, especially under adverse market or economic conditions or in the event of adverse changes in the financial condition of the issuer, a Fund may find it more difficult to sell such securities when it may be advisable to do so or it may be able to sell such securities only at prices lower than if such securities were more widely held and traded. At times, it also may be more difficult to determine the fair value of such securities for purposes of computing the Fund's NAV due to the absence of an active trading market. There can be no assurance that a privately-issued security that is deemed to be liquid when purchased will continue to be liquid for as long as it is held by the Fund, and its value may decline as a result.

<u>**Private Companies (Kraneshares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF)**</u>

The Fund may invest, directly or indirectly, in private companies. To the extent investments in private companies are considered illiquid investments, the Fund intends to invest approximately 10% of its assets in such investments as measured at the time of investment. However, due to changes in the asset size of the Fund, the percentage of such investments held by the Fund may exceed 10%. The Fund's investments in private companies may exceed the above limits to the extent such investments are not categorized as illiquid. See "Illiquid Securities" below for more information. Investments in private companies involve greater risks than investments in securities of companies that have traded publicly on an exchange for extended periods of time. Investments in these companies are generally less liquid than investments in securities issued by public companies and may be difficult for the Fund to value. Compared to public companies, private companies may have a more limited management group and limited operating histories with narrower, less established product lines and smaller market shares, which may cause them to be more vulnerable to competitors' actions, market conditions and consumer sentiment with respect to their products or services, as well as general economic downturns. In addition, private companies may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations. This could lead to bankruptcy or liquidation of such private company or the dilution or subordination of the Fund's investment in such private company. Additionally, there is significantly less information available about private companies' business models, quality of management, earnings growth potential and other criteria used to evaluate their investment prospects and the little public information available about such companies may not be reliable. Because financial reporting obligations for private companies are not as rigorous as public companies, it may be difficult to fully assess the rights and values of certain securities issued by private companies. The Fund may only have limited access to a private company's actual financial results and there is no assurance that the information obtained by the Fund is reliable. Although there is a potential for shares to increase in value if the company does issue shares in an initial public offering ("IPO"), IPOs are risky and volatile and may cause the value of the Fund's investment to decrease significantly. Moreover, because securities issued by private companies are generally not freely or publicly tradable, the Fund may not have the opportunity to purchase or the ability to sell these shares in the amounts or at the prices the Fund desires. The private companies the Fund may invest in may not ever issue shares in an IPO and a liquid market for their shares may never develop, which may negatively affect the price at which the Fund can sell these shares and make it more difficult to sell these shares, which could also adversely affect the Fund's liquidity. Furthermore, these investments may be subject to additional contractual restrictions on resale that would prevent the Fund from selling the company's securities for a period of time following any IPO. The Fund's investment in a private company's securities will involve investing in restricted securities. If the Fund invests in private companies or issuers, there is a possibility that Krane or a sub-adviser may obtain access to material non-public information about an issuer of private placement securities, which may limit the ability to sell such securities, could negatively impact the ability to manage the Fund since Krane or a sub-adviser may be required to sell other securities to meet redemptions, or could adversely impact the Fund's performance.

**<u>Derivatives</u>**

The Funds may use derivative instruments as part of their investment strategies. Generally, derivatives are financial contracts the value of which depends upon, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate or index, and may relate to bonds, interest rates, currencies, commodities, and related indexes. Examples of derivative instruments include forward currency contracts, currency and interest rate swaps, currency options, futures contracts, including index futures, options on futures contracts, structured notes, and swap contracts. A Fund's use of derivative instruments may be collateralized by investments in short term, high-quality U.S. money market securities.

Because a Fund may enter into (or "open") certain derivatives contracts with an initial investment that is less than the notional value of the contract, such contracts provide inherent economic leverage equal to the difference between the initial investment requirement (also known as initial margin requirement) and the notional value of the contract. A Fund reserves the right to modify its asset segregation policies in the future consistent with applicable law. A Fund's use of derivatives may be limited by the requirements of the Code for qualification as a regulated investment company for U.S. federal tax purposes.

The SEC adopted Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act, which regulates the use of derivatives for certain funds registered under the Investment Company Act ("Rule 18f-4"). Unless a fund qualifies as a "limited derivatives user" as defined in Rule 18f-4, Rule 18f-4, among other things, requires the fund to establish a comprehensive derivatives risk management program, to comply with certain value-at-risk based leverage limits, to appoint a derivatives risk manager and to provide additional disclosure both publicly and to the SEC regarding its derivatives positions. For funds that qualify as limited derivatives users, Rule 18f-4 requires a fund to have policies and procedures to manage its aggregate derivatives risk.

To the extent a Fund, except KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF, KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF and KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF, transacts in commodity interests (e.g., futures contracts, swap agreements, non-deliverable forward contracts), it will do so only in accordance with Rule 4.5 of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC"). Krane, on behalf of each Fund, except KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF, KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF and KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF, has filed or will file a notice of eligibility for exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" in accordance with Rule 4.5 so that it is not subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator under the Commodity Exchange Act ("CEA") with respect to such Funds.

Each of KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF, KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF and KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF is or will be registered as a commodity pool and Krane is registered as a "commodity pool operator" under the CEA and CFTC rules with respect to each such Fund.

**Swap Contracts.** The Funds may enter into swap contracts, including interest rate swaps and currency swaps. A typical interest rate swap involves the exchange of a floating interest rate payment for a fixed interest payment. A typical foreign currency swap involves the exchange of cash flows based on the notional differences among two or more currencies. Swap contracts may be used to hedge or achieve exposure to, for example, currencies, interest rates, and money market securities without actually purchasing such currencies or securities. A Fund may also use swap contracts to invest in a market without owning or taking physical custody of the underlying securities in circumstances in which direct investment is restricted for legal reasons or is otherwise impracticable. Swap contracts will tend to shift a Fund's investment exposure from one type of investment to another or from one payment stream to another. Depending on their structure, swap contracts may increase or decrease a Fund's exposure to long- or short-term interest rates (in the United States or abroad), foreign currencies, corporate borrowing rates, or other factors, and may increase or decrease the overall volatility of a Fund's investments and its share price.

**Futures, Options and Options on Futures Contracts.** The Funds may enter into U.S. or foreign futures contracts, options and options on futures contracts. When a Fund purchases a futures contract, it agrees to purchase a specified underlying instrument at a specified future date. When a Fund sells a futures contract, it agrees to sell the underlying instrument at a specified future date. The price at which the purchase and sale will take place is fixed when a Fund enters into the contract. Futures can be held until their delivery dates, or can be closed out before then if a liquid secondary market is available.

The risk of loss in trading futures contracts or uncovered call options in some strategies (*e.g.*, selling uncovered stock index futures contracts) is potentially unlimited. The risk of a futures position may still be large as traditionally measured due to the low margin deposits required. In many cases, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in immediate and substantial loss or gain to the investor relative to the size of a required margin deposit. The KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF intends to utilize futures and options contracts in a manner designed to limit its risk exposure to levels comparable to direct investment in securities.

Utilization of futures and options on futures by a Fund involves the risk of imperfect or even negative correlation to the underlying index if the index underlying the futures contract differs from the underlying index. There is also the risk of loss by a Fund of margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of a broker with whom a Fund has an open position in the futures contract or option. The purchase of put or call options will be based upon predictions by a Fund as to anticipated trends, which predictions could prove to be incorrect.

The potential for loss related to the purchase of an option on a futures contract is limited to the premium paid for the option plus transaction costs. Because the value of the option is fixed at the point of sale, there are no daily cash payments by the purchaser to reflect changes in the value of the underlying contract; however, the value of the option changes daily and that change would be reflected in the NAV of a Fund. The potential for loss related to writing options is unlimited.

Although the KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF intends to enter into futures contracts only if there is an active market for such contracts, there is no assurance that an active market will exist for the contracts at any particular time.

When the Fund writes a call option, it is obligated to sell a security to a purchaser at a specified price at any time until a certain date if the purchaser decides to exercise the option. The Fund will receive a premium for writing a call option. So long as the obligation of the call option continues, the Fund may be assigned an exercise notice, requiring it to deliver the underlying security against payment of the exercise price. The Fund may be obligated to deliver securities underlying an option at less than the market price.

A call option is "covered" if the Fund simultaneously holds an equivalent position in the security underlying the option. When writing a covered call option, the Fund, in return for the premium, gives up the opportunity for profit from a price increase in the underlying security above the exercise price, but retains the risk of loss should the price of the security decline.

If a call option that the Fund has written expires unexercised, the Fund will realize a gain in the amount of the premium; however, that gain may be offset by a decline in the market value of the underlying security during the option period. If a call option that the Fund has written is exercised, the Fund will realize a gain or loss from the sale of the underlying security.

When the Fund purchases a call option, it pays a premium to the writer for the right to purchase a security from the writer for a specified amount at any time until a certain date. The Fund generally would purchase a call option to offset a previously written call option or to protect itself against an increase in the price of a security it intends to purchase.

When the Fund writes a put option, it is obligated to acquire a security at a certain price at any time until a certain date if the purchaser decides to exercise the option. The Fund will receive a premium for writing a put option. When writing a put option, the Fund, in return for the premium, takes the risk that it must purchase the underlying security at a price that may be higher than the current market price of the security. If a put option that the Fund has written expires unexercised, the Fund will realize a gain in the amount of the premium.

When the Fund purchases a put option, it pays a premium to the writer for the right to sell a security to the writer for a specified amount at any time until a certain date. The Fund generally would purchase a put option to protect itself against a decrease in the market value of a security it owns.

<u>*General Information About Options on Securities.*</u>

The exercise price of an option may be below, equal to, or above the market value of the underlying security at the time the option is written. Options normally have expiration dates between three and nine months from the date written. American-style options are exercisable at any time prior to their expiration date. European-style options are exercisable only immediately prior to their expiration date. The obligation under any option written by the Fund terminates upon expiration of the option or, at an earlier time, when the Fund offsets the option by entering into a "closing purchase transaction" to purchase an option of the same series. If an option is purchased by the Fund and is never exercised or closed out, the Fund will lose the entire amount of the premium paid.

Options are traded both on U.S. national securities exchanges and in the OTC market. Options also are traded on non-U.S. exchanges. Exchange-traded options are issued by a clearing organization affiliated with the exchange on which the option is listed; the clearing organization in effect guarantees completion of every exchange-traded option. In contrast, OTC options are contracts between the Fund and a counterparty, with no clearing organization guarantee. Thus, when the Fund sells (or purchases) an OTC option, it generally will be able to "close out" the option prior to its expiration only by entering into a closing transaction with the dealer to whom (or from whom) the Fund originally sold (or purchased) the option. There can be no assurance that the Fund would be able to liquidate an OTC option at any time prior to expiration. Unless the Fund is able to effect a closing purchase transaction in a covered OTC call option it has written, it will not be able to liquidate securities used as cover until the option expires or is exercised or until different cover is substituted. In the event of the counterparty's insolvency, the Fund may be unable to liquidate its options position and the associated cover.

The premium the Fund receives (or pays) when it writes (or purchases) an option is the amount at which the option is currently traded on the applicable market. The premium may reflect, among other things, the current market price of the underlying security, the relationship of the exercise price to the market price, the historical price volatility of the underlying security, the length of the option period, the general supply of and demand for credit, and the interest rate environment.

Closing transactions are effected in order to realize a profit (or minimize a loss) on an outstanding option, to prevent an underlying security from being called, or to permit the sale or the put of the underlying security. Furthermore, effecting a closing transaction permits the Fund to write another call option on the underlying security with a different exercise price or expiration date or both. There is, of course, no assurance that the Fund will be able to effect closing transactions at favorable prices. If the Fund cannot enter into such a transaction, it may be required to hold a security that it might otherwise have sold (or purchase a security that it might otherwise not have bought), in which case it would continue to be at market risk on the security.

The Fund will realize a profit or loss from a closing purchase transaction if the cost of the transaction is less or more than the premium received from writing the call or put option. Because increases in the market price of a call option generally reflect increases in the market price of the underlying security, any loss resulting from the repurchase of a call option is likely to be offset, in whole or in part, by appreciation of the underlying security owned by the Fund; however, the Fund could be in a less advantageous position than if it had not written the call option.

The Fund pays brokerage commissions or spreads in connection with purchasing or writing options, including those used to close out existing positions. From time to time, the Fund may purchase an underlying security for delivery in accordance with an exercise notice of a call option assigned to it, rather than deliver the security from its inventory. In those cases, additional brokerage commissions are incurred.

The hours of trading for options may not conform to the hours during which the underlying securities are traded. To the extent that the options markets close before the markets for the underlying securities close, significant price and rate movements can take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the options markets.

Additionally, volatility in the market for equity securities, which can impact a single stock or certain segments of stocks and can happen suddenly, can meaningfully increase the risk of loss associated with options.

**FLEX Options.** FLexible EXchange® Options ("FLEX Options") are customized option contracts available through national securities exchanges that are guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation ("OCC"). FLEX Options are listed on a U.S. national securities exchange. FLEX Options provide investors with the ability to customize assets referenced by the options, exercise prices, exercise styles (*i.e.*, American-style, exercisable any time prior to the expiration date, or European-style, exercisable only on the option expiration date) and expiration dates, while achieving price discovery in competitive, transparent auctions markets and avoiding the counterparty exposure of over-the-counter ("OTC") options positions. Each option contract entitles the holder thereof to purchase (for the call options) or sell (for the put options) shares of the reference asset at the strike price.

The OCC guarantees performance by each of the counterparties to the FLEX Options, becoming the "buyer for every seller and the seller for every buyer", with the goal of protecting clearing members and options traders from counterparty risk.

The FLEX Options in which the Fund invests will be options on an exchange-traded fund ("ETF" or "Reference Asset"). As such, the value of the Fund's FLEX Options will fluctuate with changes in the value of the securities included in, or held by, the Reference Asset, and thus the Reference Asset's price return. In addition to the value of the Reference Asset, the value of an option contract, in general, will reflect, among other things, the time remaining until its expiration date, the relationship of the exercise price to the market price of the underlying investment, and general market conditions. Option contracts that expire unexercised have no value.

Each of the options exchanges has established limitations governing the maximum number of call or put options on the same asset that may be bought or written by a single investor, whether acting alone or in concert with others (regardless of whether such options are written on the same or different exchanges or are held or written on one or more accounts or through one or more brokers). Under these limitations, option positions of all investment companies advised by Krane are combined for purposes of these limits. Pursuant to these limitations, an exchange may order the liquidation of positions and may impose other sanctions or restrictions. These positions limits may restrict the number of listed options that the Fund may buy or sell.

The Fund utilizes FLEX Options that are cash-settled. Cash-settled option contracts give the holder the right to receive an amount (or owe an amount) of cash upon the exercise of the option contract. Gain or loss depends on changes in the value of the Reference Asset's price return relative to the strike price for a given option contract. The amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the Reference Asset's price return and the exercise price of the option contract times a specified multiple ("multiplier"), which determines the total value for each point of such difference.

If the Fund has purchased an option and exercises it before the closing value for that day is available, it runs the risk that the Reference Asset's price return may subsequently change. If such a change causes the exercised option to fall out of the money, the Fund will be required to pay the difference between the closing value of the Reference Asset's value and the exercise price of the option (times the applicable multiplier) to the assigned writer.

**Structured Notes and Securities**. The Funds may invest in structured instruments, including, without limitation, participation notes, certificates and warrants and other types of notes on which the amount of principal repayment and interest payments are based on the movement of one or more specified factors, such as the movement of a particular stock or stock index. Structured instruments may be derived from or based on a single security or securities, an index, a commodity, debt issuance or a foreign currency (a "reference"), and their interest rate or principal may be determined by an unrelated indicator. Structured securities may be positively or negatively indexed, so that appreciation of the reference may produce an increase or a decrease in the value of the structured security at maturity, or in the interest rate of the structured security. Structured securities may entail a greater degree of risk than other types of securities because a Fund bears the risk of the reference in addition to the risk that the counterparty to the structured security will be unable or unwilling to fulfill its obligations under the structured security to a Fund when due. A Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received in connection with a structured security in the event of the default or bankruptcy of the counterparty to the structured security. Structured securities may also be more volatile, less liquid, and more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities or more traditional debt securities.

**<u>Exchange-Traded Notes</u>**

A Fund may invest in exchange-traded notes ("ETNs"). ETNs are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities whose returns are linked to the performance of a particular market benchmark or strategy, minus applicable fees. ETNs are traded on an exchange (e.g., the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE")) during normal trading hours; however, investors can also hold the ETN until maturity. At maturity, the issuer pays to the investor a cash amount equal to the principal amount, subject to the day's market benchmark or strategy factor. ETNs do not make periodic coupon payments or provide principal protection. ETNs are subject to credit risk, including the credit risk of the issuer, and the value of the ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuer's credit rating, despite the underlying market benchmark or strategy remaining unchanged. The value of an ETN may also be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying assets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer's credit rating, and economic, legal, political, or geographic events that affect the referenced underlying asset. When a Fund invests in ETNs, it will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN. A decision by a Fund to sell ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. In addition, although an ETN may be listed on an exchange, the issuer may not be required to maintain the listing, and there can be no assurance that a secondary market will exist for an ETN.

ETNs are also subject to tax risk. No assurance can be given that the IRS will accept, or a court will uphold, how a Fund characterizes and treats ETNs for tax purposes.

An ETN that is tied to a specific market benchmark or strategy may not be able to replicate and maintain exactly the composition and relative weighting of securities, commodities or other components in the applicable market benchmark or strategy. Some ETNs that use leverage can, at times, be relatively illiquid, and thus they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Leveraged ETNs are subject to the same risk as other instruments that use leverage in any form.

The market value of ETNs may differ from their market benchmark or strategy. This difference in price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for ETNs at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the securities, commodities or other components underlying the market benchmark or strategy that the ETN seeks to track. As a result, there may be times when an ETN trades at a premium or discount to its market benchmark or strategy.

**<u>Investments in Other Investment Companies</u>**

The Funds may invest in the securities of other investment companies to the extent that such an investment would be consistent with the requirements of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, or any rule, regulation or order of the SEC or interpretation thereof. Generally, a Fund may invest in the securities of another investment company (the "acquired company") provided that a Fund, immediately after such purchase or acquisition, does not own: (i) more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the acquired company; (ii) securities issued by the acquired company having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the value of the total assets of a Fund; or (iii) securities issued by the acquired company and all other investment companies having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of a Fund. Section 12(d)(1)(B) prohibits another investment company from selling its shares to a Fund if, after the sale (i) a Fund owns more than 3% of the other investment company's voting stock or (ii) a Fund and other investment companies, and companies controlled by them, own more than 10% of the voting stock of such other investment company. In addition, a Fund will not purchase a security issued by a closed-end fund if after such purchase a Fund and any other investment companies with the same investment adviser would own more than 10% of the voting shares of the closed-end investment company.

The Fund, however, is permitted to invest in shares of certain investment companies beyond the limits contained in the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, if the Fund complies with the adopted framework for fund of funds arrangements under Rule 12d1-4. Pursuant to Rule 12d1-4, the Fund is permitted to exceed the limits of Section 12 of the 1940 Act if the Fund complies with Rule 12d1-4's conditions, which contain elements from the SEC prior exemptive orders permitting fund of funds arrangements, including (i) limits on control and voting; (ii) required evaluations and findings; (iii) required fund of funds investment agreements; and (iv) limits on complex structures.

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

Consistent with the restrictions discussed above, a Fund may invest in several different types of investment companies from time to time, including mutual funds, ETFs, closed-end funds, foreign investment companies and business development companies ("BDCs"). For example, a Fund may elect to invest in another investment company when such an investment presents a more efficient investment option than buying securities individually. A Fund also may invest in investment companies that are included as components of an index, such as BDCs, to seek to track the performance of that index. A BDC is a less common type of closed-end investment company that more closely resembles an operating company than a typical investment company. BDCs generally focus on investing in, and providing managerial assistance to, small, developing, financially troubled, private companies or other companies that may have value that can be realized over time and with management assistance. Similar to an operating company, a BDC's total annual operating expense ratio typically reflects all of the operating expenses incurred by the BDC, and is generally greater than the total annual operating expense ratio of a mutual fund that does not bear the same types of operating expenses.

The main risk of investing in other investment companies is that a Fund will be exposed to the risks of the investments held by the other investment companies. The market prices of ETFs will fluctuate in accordance with both changes in the market value of their underlying portfolio securities and due to supply and demand for the instruments on the exchanges on which they are traded (which may result in their trading at a discount or premium to their NAVs). Index-based investment companies may not replicate exactly the performance of their specific index because of transaction costs, and because of the temporary unavailability of certain component securities of the index, or strategy used to track the index.

Krane and a sub-adviser are subject to a conflict of interest in allocating a Fund's assets to investment companies from which they or their affiliates receive compensation or other benefits.

**<u>Tracking Error</u>**

Funds that track an Underlying Index may experience tracking error, which is a performance difference relative to the Underlying Index. A number of factors may contribute to a Fund's tracking error. For example, the following factors may affect the ability of a Fund to achieve correlation with the performance of the Underlying Index: (1) Fund expenses, including brokerage (which may be increased by high portfolio turnover); (2) fluctuations in currency exchange rates; (3) a Fund holding less than all of the securities in the Underlying Index and/or securities not included in the Underlying Index; (4) an imperfect correlation between the performance of instruments held by a Fund, such as swaps, futures contracts and options, and the performance of the underlying securities in the market; (5) bid-ask spreads (the effect of which may be increased by portfolio turnover); (6) a Fund holding instruments traded in a market that has become illiquid or disrupted; (7) Fund share prices being rounded to the nearest cent; (8) changes to the Underlying Index that are not disseminated in advance; (9) the need to conform a Fund's portfolio holdings to comply with investment restrictions or policies or regulatory or tax law requirements; (10) the time difference between the close of the foreign market on which foreign securities are traded and the time a Fund prices its shares; or (11) early or unanticipated closings of the markets on which the holdings of a Fund trade, resulting in the inability of a Fund to execute intended portfolio transactions. To the extent a Fund engages in fair value pricing, the day-to-day correlation of a Fund's performance may tend to vary from the closing performance of the Underlying Index.

<u>**Cap and Trade (KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF and KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF)**</u>

Cap and trade regimes and related markets are new and based on scientific principles that are subject to debate. Cap and trade regimes have arisen primarily due to relative international consensus with respect to scientific evidence indicating a correlative relationship between the rise in global temperatures and extreme weather events, on the one hand, and the rise in Greenhouse Gas ("GHG") emissions in the atmosphere, on the other hand. If this consensus were to break down, cap and trade regimes and the value of the Fund may be negatively affected.

Scientists are still debating whether the rise in atmospheric GHGs is caused by human activity such as GHG emissions generated through the burning of fossil fuels, as well as the acceptable level of GHG concentrations in the atmosphere. If the science supporting the relationship or the acceptable level of GHG concentrations is discredited or proved to be incorrect or inaccurate, it may negatively affect cap and trade regimes and the value of the Fund.

There is no assurance that cap and trade regimes will continue to exist. cap and trade may not prove to be an effective method of reduction in GHG emissions. As a result or due to other factors, cap and trade regimes may be terminated or may not be renewed upon their expiration. The EU ETS is organized into a number of phases, each which a predetermined duration. Currently, the EU ETS is in Phase III. There can be no assurance that the EU ETS will enter into a new phase as scheduled.

New technologies may arise that may diminish or eliminate the need for cap and trade markets. Ultimately, the cost of emissions credits is determined by the cost of actually reducing emissions levels. If the price of credits becomes too high, it will be more economical for companies to develop or invest in green technologies, thereby suppressing the demand for credits and adversely affecting the price of the Fund.

Cap and trade regimes set emission limits (i.e., the right to emit a certain quantity of GHG emissions), which can be allocated or auctioned to the parties in the mechanism up to the total emissions cap. This allocation may be larger or smaller than is needed for a stable price of credits and can lead to large price volatility, which could affect the value of the Fund. Depending upon the industries covered under each cap and trade mechanism represented in the Index, unpredictable demand for their products and services can affect the value of GHG emissions credits. For example, very mild winters or very cool summers can decrease demand for electric utilities and therefore require fewer carbon credits to offset reduced production and GHG emissions.

The ability of the GHG emitting companies to pass on the cost of emissions credits to consumers can affect the price of the carbon credit futures. If the price of emissions can be passed on to the end customer with little impact upon consumer demand, it is likely that industries may continue emitting and purchase any shortfall in the market at the prevailing price. If, however, the producer is unable to pass on the cost, it may be incentivized to reduce production in order to decrease its need for offsetting emissions credits, which could adversely affect the price of carbon credit futures and the Fund.

Regulatory risk related to changes in regulation and enforcement of cap and trade regimes could also adversely affect market behavior. If fines or other penalties for non-compliance are not enforced, incentives to purchase GHG credits will deteriorate, which could result in a decline in the price of emissions credits and a drop in the value of the Fund. In addition, as cap and trade markets develop, new regulation with respect to these markets may arise, which could have a negative effect on the value and liquidity of the cap and trade markets and the Fund.

**<u>Borrowing</u>**

The Funds may borrow money to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. Borrowing for investment purposes is a form of leverage. Leveraging investments, by purchasing securities with borrowed money, is a speculative technique that increases investment risk. Because substantially all of a Fund's assets will fluctuate in value, whereas the interest obligations on borrowings may be fixed, the NAV of a Fund will increase more when a Fund's portfolio assets increase in value and decrease more when a Fund's portfolio assets decrease in value than would otherwise be the case. Moreover, interest costs on borrowings may fluctuate with changing market rates of interest and may partially offset or exceed the returns on the borrowed funds. A Fund also may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with a borrowing or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit, which would further increase the cost of borrowing. Under adverse conditions, a Fund might have to sell portfolio securities to meet interest or principal payments at a time when investment considerations would not favor such sales.

Although it has not entered into a credit facility (other than any overdrafts permitted by the Funds' custodian), a Fund may borrow money to facilitate management of a Fund's portfolio by enabling a Fund to meet redemption requests when the liquidation of portfolio instruments would be inconvenient or disadvantageous, and for temporary or emergency purposes, such as trade settlements and as necessary to distribute to shareholders any income required to maintain the Fund's status as a RIC. In this regard, a Fund may enter into a credit facility to borrow money for temporary or emergency purposes, including the funding of shareholder redemption requests, trade settlements, and as necessary to distribute to shareholders any income required to maintain a Fund's status as a RIC. Such borrowing is not for investment purposes and will be repaid by a Fund promptly. As required by the 1940 Act, a Fund must maintain continuous asset coverage (total assets, including assets acquired with borrowed funds, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of all amounts borrowed. If, at any time, the value of a Fund's assets should fail to meet this 300% coverage test, a Fund, within three days (not including Sundays and holidays), will reduce the amount of a Fund's borrowings to the extent necessary to meet this 300% coverage requirement. Maintenance of this percentage limitation may result in the sale of portfolio securities at a time when investment considerations otherwise indicate that it would be disadvantageous to do so.

While the Funds do not anticipate doing so, each Fund is authorized to pledge (*i.e.*, transfer a security interest in) portfolio securities in an amount up to one-third of the value of the Fund's total assets in connection with any borrowing.

**<u>Bank Deposits and Obligations</u>**

The Funds may invest in deposits and other obligations of U.S. and non-U.S. banks and financial institutions. Deposits and obligations of banks and financial institutions include certificates of deposit, time deposits, and bankers' acceptances. Certificates of deposit and time deposits represent an institution's obligation to repay funds deposited with it that earn a specified interest rate. Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates, while time deposits are non-negotiable deposits. A banker's acceptance is a time draft drawn on and accepted by a bank that becomes a primary and unconditional liability of the bank upon acceptance. Investments in obligations of non-U.S. banks and financial institutions may involve risks that are different from investments in obligations of U.S. banks. These risks include future unfavorable political and economic developments, seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits, currency controls, interest limitations or other governmental restrictions that might affect the payment of principal or interest on the securities held in a Fund. All investments in deposits and other obligations are subject to credit risk, which is the risk that a Fund may lose its investments in these instruments if, for example, the issuing financial institution collapses and is unable to meet its obligations. This risk is more acute for investments in deposits and other obligations that are not insured by a government or private entity. For a discussion of the risks of a Fund holding cash in mainland China, please see the "PRC Custodian and Dealer/Settlement Agent" section above.

**<u>Illiquid Securities</u>**

A Fund may invest up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. The liquidity of an investment will be determined based on relevant market, trading, and investment specific considerations as set forth in the Fund's liquidity risk management program (the "Liquidity Program") as required by Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act (the "Liquidity Rule"). Illiquid investments may trade at a discount to comparable, more liquid investments and the Fund may not be able to dispose of illiquid investments in a timely fashion or at their expected prices.

If illiquid investments exceed 15% of a Fund's net assets (including, for example, because of changes in the market value of its investments or because of redemptions), the Liquidity Rule and the Liquidity Program will require that certain remedial actions be taken. A Fund may not acquire illiquid investments if, immediately after the acquisition, more than 15% of the Fund's net assets would be in illiquid investments.

**<u>Portfolio Turnover</u>**

In general, Krane or a sub-adviser manages each Fund without regard to restrictions on portfolio turnover. The Funds' investment strategies may produce high portfolio turnover rates. To the extent a Fund invests in derivative or other instruments with short maturities, the instruments generally will have short-term maturities and, thus, be excluded from the calculation of portfolio turnover. The value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of a Fund's shares also is excluded from the calculation of the Fund's portfolio turnover rate. As a result, a Fund's reported portfolio turnover may be low despite relatively high portfolio activity which would, in turn, produce correspondingly greater expenses for a Fund, including brokerage commissions or dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of securities and reinvestments in other securities. Generally, the higher the rate of portfolio turnover of a fund, the higher these transaction costs borne by a fund and its long-term shareholders. Such sales may result in the realization of taxable capital gains (including short-term capital gains, which, when distributed, are generally taxed to shareholders at ordinary income tax rates) for certain taxable shareholders.

"Portfolio Turnover Rate" is defined under the rules of the SEC as the lesser of the value of the securities purchased or of the 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, derivatives and instruments with a remaining maturity of less than one-year are excluded from the calculation of the portfolio turnover rate. Instruments excluded from the calculation of portfolio turnover may include commercial paper, futures contracts and option contracts because they generally have a remaining maturity of less than one-year.

**<u>Repurchase Agreements</u>**

The Funds may enter into repurchase agreements. A repurchase agreement is a transaction in which a Fund purchases securities or other obligations from a bank or securities dealer (or its affiliate) and simultaneously commits to resell them to a counterparty at an agreed-upon date or upon demand and at a price reflecting a market rate of interest unrelated to the coupon rate or maturity of the purchased obligations. A Fund maintains custody of the underlying obligations prior to their repurchase, either through its regular custodian or through a special "triparty" custodian or sub-custodian that maintains separate accounts for both a Fund and its counterparty. Thus, the obligation of the counterparty to pay the repurchase price on the date agreed to or upon demand is, in effect, secured by such obligations.

Repurchase agreements carry certain risks not associated with direct investments in securities, including a possible decline in the market value of the underlying obligations. If their value becomes less than the repurchase price, plus any agreed-upon additional amount, the counterparty must provide additional collateral so that at all times the collateral is at least equal to the repurchase price plus any agreed-upon additional amount. The difference between the total amount to be received upon repurchase of the obligations and the price that was paid by a Fund upon acquisition is accrued as interest and included in its net investment income. Repurchase agreements collateralized by instruments other than U.S. government securities (such as commercial paper and corporate bonds) are subject to special risks as they may not have the benefit of certain protections in the event of the counterparty's insolvency. If the seller or guarantor becomes insolvent, a Fund may suffer delays, costs and possible losses in connection with the disposition of collateral.

**<u>Reverse Repurchase Agreements</u>**

The Funds may enter into reverse repurchase agreements, which involve the sale of securities held by a Fund subject to its agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon date or upon demand and at a price reflecting a market rate of interest. Reverse repurchase agreements are subject to a Fund's limitation on borrowings and may be entered into only with banks or securities dealers or their affiliates.

Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the buyer of the securities sold by a Fund might be unable to deliver them when a Fund seeks to repurchase. If the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the buyer or trustee or receiver may receive an extension of time to determine whether to enforce the Fund's obligation to repurchase the securities, and the Fund's use of the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement may effectively be restricted pending such decision.

**<u>Lending of Portfolio Securities</u>**

Each Fund may lend securities from its portfolio to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. In connection with such loans, a Fund remains the beneficial owner of the loaned securities and continues to be entitled to payments in amounts approximately equal to the interest, dividends or other distributions payable on the loaned securities. A Fund also has the right to terminate a loan at any time. A Fund does not have the right to vote on securities while they are on loan. Loans of portfolio securities will not exceed 33 1/3% of the value of a Fund's total assets (including the value of all assets received as collateral for the loan). A Fund will receive collateral in an amount equal to at least 100% of the current market value of the loaned securities. If the collateral consists of cash, a Fund will reinvest the cash and pay the borrower a pre-negotiated fee or "rebate" from any return earned on the investment. Should the borrower of the securities fail financially, a Fund may experience delays or trouble in recovering the loaned securities or exercising its rights in the collateral. In a loan transaction, a Fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities acquired with cash collateral. Krane and a sub-adviser are subject to potential conflicts of interest because the compensation paid to them increases in connection with any net income received by a Fund from a securities lending program.

**<u>Cyber-Security Risk</u>**

Each Fund, and its service providers, may be prone to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber-attacks. Cyber-attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber security breaches. Cyber-attacks affecting a Fund or its advisors, custodian, transfer agent, intermediaries and other third-party service providers may adversely impact a Fund. For instance, cyber-attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact a Fund's ability to calculate its NAV, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential business information, impede trading, subject a Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses and/or cause reputational damage. A Fund may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes. While a Fund's service providers have established business continuity plans, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, a Fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by its service providers or any other third parties whose operations may affect a Fund or its shareholders. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issues or securities in which a Fund may invest, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause a Fund's investment in such companies to lose value.

**INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS**

Unless otherwise noted, whenever a fundamental or non-fundamental investment policy or limitation states that a maximum percentage of a Fund's assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding quality standards, such standard or percentage limitation will be determined immediately after and as a result of a Fund's acquisition of such security or other asset. Accordingly, other than with respect to a Fund's limitations on borrowings, any subsequent change in values, net assets, or other circumstances will not be considered when determining whether the investment complies with a Fund's investment policies and limitations.

**<u>Fundamental Policies</u>**

The investment limitations below are fundamental policies of each Fund, and cannot be changed without the consent of the holders of a majority of each Fund's outstanding shares. The term "majority of the outstanding shares" means the vote of (i) 67% or more of each Fund's shares present at a meeting, if more than 50% of the outstanding shares of each Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of each Fund's outstanding shares, whichever is less.

KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF and KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF may not:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. Act as an underwriter of another issuer's securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act in the disposition of portfolio securities.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4. Purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, or any non-U.S. government, or their respective agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the Fund's total assets would be invested in the securities of companies whose principal business activities are in the same industry, except that the Fund will invest more than 25% of its total assets in securities of the same industry to approximately the same extent that the Underlying Index concentrates in the securities of a particular industry or group of industries.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;5. Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate, real estate investment trusts or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business).

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;6. Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options and futures contracts or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities).

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;7. Lend any security or make any other loan except as permitted under the 1940 Act. This means that no more than 33 1/3% of the Fund's total assets would be lent to other parties. This limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities or to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments permissible under the Fund's investment policies.

KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF may not:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, and any applicable exemptive relief.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, and any applicable exemptive relief.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. Act as an underwriter of another issuer's securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act in the disposition of portfolio securities.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4. Purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, or any non-U.S. government, or their respective agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the Fund's total assets would be invested in the securities of companies whose principal business activities are in the same industry (excluding investment companies) or group of industries, except that the Fund will invest more than 25% of its total assets in securities of the same industry to approximately the same extent that the Underlying Index concentrates in the securities of a particular industry or group of industries.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;5. Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate, real estate investment trusts or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business).

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;6. Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options and futures contracts or from investing in issuers engaged in the commodities business or securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities).

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;7. Lend any security or make any other loan except as permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, and any applicable exemptive relief. This limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities or to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments permissible under the Fund's investment policies.

KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF, KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF, KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF, KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF, KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF, KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF, KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF, KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF, KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF and KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF may not:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, and any applicable exemptive relief.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, and any applicable exemptive relief.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. Act as an underwriter of another issuer's securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act in the disposition of portfolio securities.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4. Purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, or any non-U.S. government, or their respective agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the Fund's total assets would be invested in the securities of companies whose principal business activities are in the same industry (excluding investment companies) or group of industries, except that the Fund will invest more than 25% of its total assets in securities of the same industry to approximately the same extent that the Underlying Index concentrates in the securities of a particular industry or group of industries.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;5. Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate, real estate investment trusts or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business).

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;6. Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options, futures contracts, forward contracts, swaps and other financial instruments or from investing in issuers engaged in the commodities business or securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities).

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;7. Lend any security or make any other loan except as permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, and any applicable exemptive relief. This limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities or to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments permissible under the Fund's investment policies.

Each of the KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF, KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF, KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF, KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF, KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF, KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF, KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology ETF and KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF may not:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, and any applicable exemptive relief.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, and any applicable exemptive relief.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. Act as an underwriter of another issuer's securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act in the disposition of portfolio securities.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4. Purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, or any non-U.S. government, or their respective agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the Fund's total assets would be invested in the securities of companies whose principal business activities are in the same industry, except that the Fund will invest more than 25% of its total assets in securities of the same industry to approximately the same extent that the Underlying Index concentrates in the securities of a particular industry or group of industries.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;5. Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate, real estate investment trusts or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business).

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;6. Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options and futures contracts or from investing in issuers engaged in the commodities business or securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities).

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;7. Lend any security or make any other loan except as permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, and any applicable exemptive relief. This limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities or to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments permissible under the Fund's investment policies.

KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF, KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF, KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF and KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF may not:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, and any applicable exemptive relief.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, and any applicable exemptive relief.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. Act as an underwriter of another issuer's securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act in the disposition of portfolio securities.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4. Purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, or any non-U.S. government, or their respective agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the Fund's total assets would be invested in the securities of companies whose principal business activities are in the same industry (excluding investment companies) or group of industries, except that the Fund will invest more than 25% of its total assets in securities of the same industry to approximately the same extent that the Fund's Index concentrates in the securities of a particular industry or group of industries.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;5. Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate, real estate investment trusts or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business).

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;6. Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options, futures contracts, forward contracts, swaps and other financial instruments or from investing in issuers engaged in the commodities business or securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities).

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;7. Lend any security or make any other loan except as permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, and any applicable exemptive relief. This limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities or to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments permissible under the Fund's investment policies.

For purposes on limitation 4 above, while the KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF is actively managed, the KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF invests 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in the component securities of the Index or in instruments that have economic characteristics similar to those in the Index and writes (sells) covered call options on the Index or in instruments that have economic characteristics similar to writing covered call options on the Index. The Index is currently the CSI Overseas China Internet Index.

For KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF and KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF, with respect to the fundamental policy relating to concentration set forth in (4) above, each Fund's Index is defined as the Fund's benchmark index or the Index that the Fund seeks to track.

Each Fund's fundamental policies will be interpreted broadly. For example, the policies will be interpreted to refer to the 1940 Act and the related rules as they are in effect from time to time, and to interpretations of or relating to the 1940 Act by the SEC and others as they are given from time to time. When a policy provides that an investment practice may be conducted as permitted by the 1940 Act, the policy will be interpreted to mean either that the 1940 Act expressly permits the practice or that the 1940 Act does not prohibit the practice.

**CONTINUOUS OFFERING**

The method by which Creation Units of shares are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units of shares are issued and sold by a Fund on an ongoing basis, at any point a "distribution," as such term is used in 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 requirement 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 Funds' Distributor, breaks them down into constituent 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 a 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, generally are required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act.

**MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST**

**<u>Board Responsibilities</u>**

The Board of Trustees is responsible for overseeing the management and affairs of each Fund and the Trust. The Board considers and approves contracts, as described herein, under which certain companies provide essential management and administrative services to the Trust. Like most ETFs, the day-to-day business of the Trust, including the day-to-day management of risk, is performed by third-party service providers, such as Krane, a sub-adviser where applicable, the Distributor and the Administrator (as defined below). The Board oversees the Trust's service providers and overall risk management. Risk management seeks to identify and eliminate or mitigate the potential effects of risks, *i.e.*, events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Trust or a Fund. Under the overall supervision of the Board and the Audit Committee (discussed in more detail below), the service providers to the Funds employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify risks relevant to the operations of the Trust and a Fund to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust's business (*e.g.*, Krane is responsible for the oversight of a sub-adviser) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that activity.

Consistent with its responsibility for oversight of the Trust and the Funds, the Board oversees the management of risks relating to the administration and operations of the Trust and the Funds. Krane, as part of its responsibilities for the day-to-day operations of the Funds, is responsible for day-to-day risk management for the Funds. The Board performs its risk management oversight directly and, as to certain matters, through its committees. The following provides an overview of the principal, but not all, aspects of the Board's oversight of risk management for the Trust and the Funds.

In general, each Fund's risks include, among others, investment risk, liquidity risk, valuation risk and operational risk. The Funds' service providers, including Krane and sub-adviser, as applicable, are responsible for adopting policies, procedures and controls designed to address various risks within their purview. Further, Krane is responsible for overseeing and monitoring the investments and operations of each sub-adviser. The Board also oversees risk management for the Trust and the Funds through review of regular reports, presentations and other information from officers of the Trust and other persons. In addition to reports from Krane, the Board also receives reports regarding other service providers to the Trust on a periodic or regular basis.

The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent and quality of a Fund services provided to the Funds by Krane and any sub-adviser and receives information from them on a periodic basis. In connection with its consideration of whether to approve and/or renew the advisory agreements with Krane and any sub-adviser, the Board will request information allowing the Board to review such services. The Board also receives reports related to Krane's and any sub-adviser's adherence to each Fund's investment restrictions and compliance with the stated policies of a Fund. In addition, the Board regularly receives information about each Fund's performance and investments.

The Trust's Chief Compliance Officer meets regularly with the Board to review and discuss compliance and other issues. At least annually, the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust's policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the Adviser and any sub-adviser. The report generally seeks to address: the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and material compliance matters since the date of the last report.

The Board normally also receives reports from the Trust's service providers regarding Fund operations, portfolio valuation and other matters. Annually, an independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of the Trust's financial statements, focusing on certain areas of risk to the Trust and the Trust's internal controls.

The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect a Fund can be identified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve a Fund's goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, despite the periodic reports the Board receives and the Board's discussions with the service providers to a Fund, it may not be made aware of all relevant information about certain risks. Most of the Trust's investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through Krane and other service providers, each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the Trust's and each other's in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board's risk management oversight is subject to substantial limitations.

**<u>Members of the Board and Officers of the Trust</u>**

Set forth below are the names, years of birth, position with the Trust, term of office, the principal occupations for a minimum of the last five years, number of portfolios overseen by, and other directorships of each of the persons currently serving as members of the Board and as Executive Officers of the Trust. Also included below is the term of office for each of the Executive Officers of the Trust. The members of the Board serve as Trustees for the life of the Trust or until retirement, removal, or their office is terminated pursuant to the Trust's Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust.

The Chairman of the Board, Jonathan Krane, is an interested person of the Trust as defined in the 1940 Act. No single Independent Trustee serves as a lead Independent Trustee. The Board has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics the Trust and its operations. The Board made this determination in consideration of, among other things, Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust (*i.e.*, "Independent Trustees") constitute at least fifty percent (50%) of the Board, the Audit Committee is composed of the Independent Trustees, and the Board oversees only a certain number of funds (and classes of shares).

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| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name, Address**<br> **and Year of Birth of<br> Trustee/Officer** | **Position(s)<br> Held with<br> the Trust,<br> Term of Office<br> and Length of<br> Time Served<br> (or Year Service Began)** | **Principal Occupation(s)**<br> **During Past 5 Years** | **Number of<br> Portfolios in<br> Fund Complex<br> Overseen**<br> **by Trustee/**<br> **Officer** | **Other<br> Directorships<br> Held by<br> Trustee/Officer**<br> **During Past 5 Years** |
| **Interested Trustee** | **Interested Trustee** | **Interested Trustee** | **Interested Trustee** | **Interested Trustee** |
| Jonathan Krane\*<br> (1968)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Trustee and Chairman of the Board, No set term; served since 2012 | Chief Executive Officer of Krane Funds Advisors, LLC from 2011 to present. | 40 | Director of Krane California Carbon Allowance Fund, Ltd. from 2024 to present. Director of KraneShares ETC plc from 2024 to present. Director of KraneShares ICAV from 2021 to present. |
| **Independent Trustees** | **Independent Trustees** | **Independent Trustees** | **Independent Trustees** | **Independent Trustees** |
| Luis Berruga<br> (1977)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Trustee, No set term; served since 2024 | Founder and Managing Partner of LBS Capital (family office and advisory business) from 2024 to present. Chief Executive Officer of Global X ETFs from 2018 to 2023. Chief Executive Officer of Global X Management Company LLC ("Global X") from 2014 to 2023; Chief Operating Officer of Global X in 2018; Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Global X from 2014 to 2018. | 40 | Independent Director of Sol Strategies from 2025 to present. Independent Director of VistaOne Fund from 2025 to present. Independent Director of Tidal Trust IV from 2025 to present. Interested Trustee of Global X Funds from 2018 to 2023. |

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| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name, Address**<br> **and Year of Birth of<br> Trustee/Officer** | **Position(s)<br> Held with<br> the Trust,<br> Term of Office<br> and Length of<br> Time Served<br> (or Year Service Began)** | **Principal Occupation(s)**<br> **During Past 5 Years** | **Number of<br> Portfolios in<br> Fund Complex<br> Overseen**<br> **by Trustee/**<br> **Officer** | **Other<br> Directorships<br> Held by<br> Trustee/Officer**<br> **During Past 5 Years** |
| John Ferguson<br> (1966)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Trustee, No set term; served since 2012 | President and CCO of Three Fifty Eight Investment Group, LLC from 2024 to present. Advisor to CEO and CCO of Covey Advisors LLC from 2023 to 2024. Chief Operating Officer of Shrewsbury River Capital from 2017 to 2020. Chief Operating Officer of Kang Global Investors LP (hedge fund adviser) from 2014 to 2016. President of Alden Global Capital, LLC (hedge fund adviser) from 2012 to 2014 (formerly, Chief Operating Officer from 2011 to 2012). Senior Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of K2 Advisors, LLC from 2005 to 2011. | 40 | Independent Director of Pula Capital Offshore Fund Ltd. (Cayman) from 2024 to present. Independent Director of K2 Advisors Offshore Fund Complex from 2022 to present. |
| Matthew Stroyman<br> (1968)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Trustee, No set term; served since 2012 | Founder and President of BlackRidge Ventures from 2018 to present (principal investment activities and strategic advisory services in a variety of industries to clients and partners that include institutional investment firms, family offices and high net-worth individuals). | 40 |  |
| **Officers** | **Officers** | **Officers** | **Officers** | **Officers** |
| Jonathan Krane<br> (1968)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer, No set term; served since 2012 | Chief Executive Officer of Krane Funds Advisors, LLC from 2011 to present. | 40 |  |
| Jennifer Tarleton (formerly Krane)<br> (1966)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Vice President and Secretary, No set term; served since 2012 | Vice President of Krane Funds Advisors, LLC from 2011 to present. | 40 |  |
| Michael Quain<br> (1957)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Chief Compliance Officer and Anti-Money Laundering Officer, No set term; served since 2015 | Principal/President of Quain Compliance Consulting, LLC from 2014 to present. | 40 |  |

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| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name, Address**<br> **and Year of Birth of<br> Trustee/Officer** | **Position(s)<br> Held with<br> the Trust,<br> Term of Office<br> and Length of<br> Time Served<br> (or Year Service Began)** | **Principal Occupation(s)**<br> **During Past 5 Years** | **Number of<br> Portfolios in<br> Fund Complex<br> Overseen**<br> **by Trustee/**<br> **Officer** | **Other<br> Directorships<br> Held by<br> Trustee/Officer**<br> **During Past 5 Years** |
| John Bourgeois<br> (1973)<br> SEI Investments Company<br> One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, PA 19456 | Assistant Treasurer, No set term; served since 2024 | Director of Accounting, SEI Investments Global Fund Services from May 2024 to present. Fund Accounting Manager, SEI Investments Global Fund Services from June 2001 to May 2024. | 40 |  |
| David Adelman<br> (1964)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Assistant Secretary, No set term; served since 2021 | Managing Director and the General Counsel, Krane Fund Advisors, LLC from 2021 to present. Partner, Reed Smith LLP from 2015 to 2021. | 40 |  |
| Jonathan Shelon<br> (1974)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Assistant Secretary, No set term; served since 2019 | Chief Operating Officer, Krane Funds Advisors, LLC from 2015 to present. Chief Investment Officer of Specialized Strategies, J.P. Morgan from 2011 to 2015. | 40 |  |

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\* Mr. Krane is an "interested" person of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, by virtue of his ownership and controlling interest in Krane.

**<u>Board Standing Committees</u>**

The Board has established the following standing committees:

**Audit Committee.** Messrs. Berruga, Ferguson and Stroyman are members of the Trust's Audit Committee (the "Audit Committee") and Mr. Ferguson is the Chairman of the Audit Committee. The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee are to oversee the financial reporting process and internal controls of the Trust, including recommending the appointment and compensation of the Trust's independent auditors, and reviewing any significant disputes regarding financial reporting between Trust management and such independent auditors. Under the terms of the Audit Committee charter adopted by the Board, the Audit Committee is authorized to, among other things, (i) oversee the accounting and financial reporting processes of the Trust and its internal control over financial reporting; (ii) oversee the quality and integrity of a Fund's financial statements and the independent audits thereof; (iii) assist the Board with oversight of the Trust's compliance with legal and regulatory requirements that relate to the Trust's accounting and financial reporting, internal control over financial reporting and independent audits; (iv) approve, prior to appointment, the engagement of the Trust's independent auditors and, in connection therewith, review and evaluate the qualifications, independence and performance of the Trust's independent auditors; and (v) act as a liaison between the Trust's independent auditors and the full Board. The Board of the Trust has adopted a written charter for the Audit Committee. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, the Audit Committee held four meetings.

The Audit Committee also serves as the Qualified Legal Compliance Committee ("QLCC") for the Trust. The function of the QLCC is to receive, review and recommend resolution with respect to any report made or referred to the QLCC by an attorney of evidence of a material violation of applicable U.S. federal or state securities law, material breach of a fiduciary duty under U.S. federal or state law or a similar material violation by the Trust or by any officer, trustee, employee, or agent of the Trust. The QLCC meets as needed and during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, did not meet.

**Nominating Committee.** Messrs. Berruga, Ferguson and Stroyman are members of the Trust's Nominating Committee and Mr. Stroyman is the Chairman of the Nominating Committee. The principal responsibilities of the Nominating Committee are to (i) identify, select and nominate the appropriate number of candidates for election or appointment as members of the Board and (ii) recommend to the Board for its consideration any appropriate changes to the number or qualification of Board members. The Nominating Committee is solely responsible for the selection and nomination of the Trust's Independent Trustees and does not consider nominations for the office of Trustee made by Trust shareholders. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, the Nominating Committee held two meetings.

**<u>Individual Trustee Qualifications</u>**

The Board has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board because of his ability to review and understand information about the Trust and each Fund provided by management, to identify and request other information he may deem relevant to the performance of the Trustees' duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration of a Fund, and to exercise his business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of a Fund's shareholders. The Board has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on his experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as described below.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Krane should serve as Trustee because of his knowledge of, and the executive positions he holds, or has held, in the financial services industry. Specifically, Mr. Krane currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Adviser. Mr. Krane contributes expertise and institutional knowledge relating to both the Adviser and the Trust. Prior to founding the Adviser, Mr. Krane also served as Chief Executive Officer of the China division of a multinational company, where he gained valuable experience in managing a business and critical knowledge of business and investment opportunities in China. In addition, he has served on the boards of different corporations and, in doing so, has first-hand knowledge of the fiduciary duties and responsibilities bestowed upon trustees and directors. The Board believes that Mr. Krane's experience serving as Chief Executive Officer for multiple businesses in the financial services industry, his familiarity with the KraneShares complex, and his experience in serving on the boards of various companies qualify him to serve as a Trustee of the Trust.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Ferguson should serve as Trustee because of the experience he has gained working in the financial services and legal industries over the years. In particular, Mr. Ferguson has extensive experience in managing global investment adviser firms, including the management, creation and operation of hedge funds. Mr. Ferguson has also served as a corporate securities and tax attorney assisting and counseling clients with the organization and creation of both domestic and offshore funds. In addition, Mr. Ferguson has served as an officer for two registered investment companies and, in doing so, has gained experience and knowledge regarding the mutual fund industry. The Board believes that Mr. Ferguson's experience in the financial services, fund and legal industries and his day-to-day work in managing investment advisory firms, qualify him to serve as a Trustee of the Trust.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Stroyman should serve as Trustee because of the experience he has gained working in the financial services and real estate industries. Working as an investment banker early in his career, Mr. Stroyman developed a strong base of knowledge regarding corporate finance, structuring, public and private securities, and company valuations. Through his work in the real estate industry and relationships with large investment management firms, Mr. Stroyman has gained an understanding of sophisticated financial products. He has advised institutional clients including pension funds, endowments and other qualified investors in asset management, risk assessment, and repositioning and disposition of underperforming assets. The Board believes that the knowledge Mr. Stroyman has gained over the years working in the financial services and real estate industries and his value and understanding of fiduciary duties and responsibilities assigned to board members qualify him to serve as Trustee of the Trust.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Berruga should serve as Trustee because of his extensive knowledge of and experience in the financial services industry. In particular, Mr. Berruga has extensive experience managing a global investment advisory firm and exchange-traded fund sponsor, giving him a strong understanding of product development related to and operation of exchange-traded funds. In addition, Mr. Berruga serves or has served as a board member of various operating companies, exchange-traded funds and private funds, and thus has first-hand knowledge of the fiduciary duties and responsibilities bestowed upon trustees and directors. The Board believes that the knowledge Mr. Berruga has gained over the years working in the exchange-traded fund industry and his value and understanding of fiduciary duties and responsibilities assigned to board members qualify him to serve as Trustee of the Trust.

As of March 31, 2025, none of the Independent Trustees or members of their immediate family, beneficially owned or owned of record securities representing interests in Krane, any sub-adviser or distributor of the Trust, or any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with such persons. For this purpose, "immediate family member" includes an Independent Trustee's spouse, children residing in the same household and dependents of the Independent Trustee.

**<u>Fund Shares Owned by Board Members</u>**

As of December 31, 2024, the Trustees beneficially owned the following amounts of Fund shares and shares of other series of the Trust:

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Trustee** | **Funds** | **Aggregate**<br> **Dollar**<br> **Range of**<br> **Beneficial**<br> **Ownership**<br> **of Funds** |
| Luis Berruga |  |  |
| John Ferguson | KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF | $10001-$50000 |
| John Ferguson | KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF | $10001-$50000 |
| John Ferguson | KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | $50001-$100000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF | $10001-$50000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares SSE Star Market 50 Index ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Matthew Stroyman |  |  |

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"Beneficial ownership" is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "1934 Act").

**<u>Board Compensation</u>**

Trustees who are "interested persons" of Krane are not compensated by the Trust for their service as a Trustee. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025: (a) Mr. Berruga received aggregate compensation from the Trust in the amount of $108,049; (b) Mr. Ferguson received aggregate compensation from the Trust in the amount of $190,000; (c) Mr. Stroyman received aggregate compensation from the Trust in the amount of $190,000; and (d) Patrick Campo (who retired from his position as Trustee effective December 31, 2024) received aggregate compensation from the Trust in the amount of $142,500. None of the Trustees accrued or received any retirement or pension benefits.

Effective September 1, 2023, the Trustees receive compensation from the Trust in the amount of $190,000 per year. Each Fund bears a proportionate share of Trustee compensation and expenses based on its relative net assets.

**INVESTMENT ADVISER**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") serves as investment adviser to each Fund pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and Krane (the "Investment Advisory Agreement"). Krane is a Delaware limited liability company registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the "Advisers Act"). Krane's offices are located at 280 Park Ave, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, Krane is responsible for reviewing, supervising and administering each Fund's investment program and the general management and administration of the Trust. Krane may engage a subadviser to assist it in managing a Fund's investments, but will be responsible for overseeing any subadvisers. Krane arranges for transfer agency, custody, fund administration and accounting, and other non-distribution related services necessary for each Fund to operate. Krane manages each Fund's business affairs, provides office facilities and equipment and certain clerical, bookkeeping and administrative services, and permits its officers and employees to serve as officers or Trustees of the Trust. Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, Krane bears all of its own costs associated with providing advisory services to the Funds. As part of the Investment Advisory Agreement, Krane has contractually agreed to pay all expenses of each Fund, except (i) interest and taxes (including, but not limited to, income, excise, transaction, transfer and withholding taxes); (ii) expenses of a Fund incurred with respect to the acquisition and disposition of portfolio securities and the execution of portfolio transactions, including brokerage commissions and short sale dividend or interest expense; (iii) expenses incurred in connection with any distribution plan adopted by the Trust in compliance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, including distribution fees; (iv) Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses; (v) litigation expenses; (vi) the compensation payable to the Adviser under the Investment Advisory Agreement; (vii) compensation and expenses of the Independent Trustees (including any Trustees' counsel fees); and (viii) any expenses determined to be extraordinary expenses by the Board. Nevertheless, there exists a risk that a Trust service provider will seek recourse against the Trust if is not timely paid by Krane for the fees and expenses for which it is responsible, which could materially adversely affect a Fund.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, each Fund pays Krane the fee shown in middle column of the table below (labeled "Advisory Fee"), which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate based on a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund. Any contractual waiver applicable to the advisory fee of a Fund is shown in the third column of the table below (labeled "Fee Waiver"). These contractual fee waivers will continue until August 1, 2026, and may only be terminated prior thereto by the Board, except the fee waivers will terminate if the Investment Advisory Agreement for a Fund is terminated.

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Fund** | **Advisory Fee** | **Fee Waiver** |
| KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | 0.68% | N/A |
| KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF (formerly, KraneShares Asia Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Index ETF) | 0.78% | 0.10% |
| KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF (formerly, KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A Share ETF) | 0.78% | 0.23% |
| KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF (formerly, KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income Bond ETF) | 0.68% | N/A |
| KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF | 0.68% | N/A |
| KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF | 0.78% | 0.30%\* |
| KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF | 0.78% | 0.14% |
| KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF | 0.78% | N/A |
| KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF (formerly, KraneShares MSCI China Environment Index ETF) | 0.78% | N/A |
| KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF | 0.58% | 0.35% |
| KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF | 0.78% | N/A |
| KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF | 0.88% | N/A |
| KraneShares Hang Seng Tech Index ETF | 0.68% | N/A |
| KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF (formerly, KraneShares China Internet and Covered Call Strategy ETF) | 0.25%\*\* | N/A |
| KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF | 0.68% | N/A |
| KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF | 0.68% | 0.04% |
| KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF | 0.55% | N/A |
| KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF | 0.89% | N/A |
| KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF | 0.78% | N/A |
| KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | 0.78% | N/A |
| KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | 0.78% | N/A |
| KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF | 0.78% | N/A |
| KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF | 0.78% | N/A |
| KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF | 0.99% | N/A |
| KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF | 0.29% | 0.10% |
| KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF | 0.78% | N/A |
| KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF | 0.88% | N/A |

---

\* Prior to November 1, 2024, Krane had contractually agreed to waive its advisory fee by 0.20% of the average daily net assets of the Fund.

\*\* The Fund's advisory fee is 0.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets effective as of August 1, 2024. Prior to that date, the Fund's advisory fee was 0.94% of the Fund's average daily net assets, which was reduced by the amount of any acquired fund fees and expenses incurred by the Fund that were attributable to the Fund's investment in affiliated acquired funds.

In addition to the advisory fee rate paid to Krane, as shown in the table above, under the Investment Advisory Agreement, each Fund pays Krane 10% of the monthly investment income received from the investment of cash collateral and loan fees received from borrowers in respect of securities loans (net of any amounts paid to the custodian and/or securities lending agent or rebated to borrowers) as compensation for the services provided by Krane in connection with any securities lending-related activities.

To the extent a Fund engages in securities lending, Krane will: (i) determine which securities are available for loan and notify the securities lending agent for a Fund (the "Agent"), (ii) monitor the Agent's activities to ensure that securities loans are effected in accordance with Krane's instructions and in accordance with applicable procedures and guidelines adopted by the Board, (iii) make recommendations to the Board regarding the Fund's participation in securities lending, (iv) prepare appropriate periodic reports for, and seek appropriate periodic approvals from, the Board with respect to securities lending activities, (v) respond to Agent inquiries concerning Agent's activities, and (vi) such other related duties as Krane deems necessary or appropriate. In addition, Krane may provide additional securities lending-related services as requested by the Trustees from time to time.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, while the fees and expenses related to a Fund's securities lending-related activities reduce the revenues and income of the Fund from such activities, they are not fees and expenses for which Krane is responsible.

For the three prior fiscal years or periods, as applicable, during which a Fund was operational, Krane received the following compensation under the Investment Advisory Agreement:

---

| | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Fiscal Year/Period Ended**<br> **3/31/25** | **Fiscal Year/Period Ended**<br> **3/31/25** | **Fiscal Year/Period Ended**<br> **3/31/24** | **Fiscal Year/Period Ended**<br> **3/31/24** | **Fiscal Year/Period Ended**<br> **3/31/23** | **Fiscal Year/Period Ended**<br> **3/31/23** |
| | **Advisory Fees** | **Fees from Securities Lending** | **Advisory Fees** | **Fees from Securities Lending** | **Advisory Fees** | **Fees from Securities Lending** |
| KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | $40786079 | $857278 | $36687356 | $600758 | $43182019 | $301354 |
| KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF | $1424739 | $0 | $2649742 | $0 | $4319739 | $0 |
| KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF | $121225 | $0 | $115722 | $0 | $150544 | $0 |
| KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF | $544206 | $22696 | $1042807 | $42152 | $1545275 | $67245 |
| KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF | $129542 | $336 | $117322 | $927 | $296203 | $6087 |
| KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF | $367293 | $941 | $530747 | $541 | $831225 | $1908 |
| KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF | $404836 | $0 | $591363 | $0 | $931302 | $0 |
| KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF | $428825 | $0 | $233816 | $0 | $121761 | $0 |
| KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF | $27280 | $0 | $33101 | $0 | $44408 | $0 |

---

---

| | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Fiscal Year/Period Ended**<br> **3/31/25** | **Fiscal Year/Period Ended**<br> **3/31/25** | **Fiscal Year/Period Ended**<br> **3/31/24** | **Fiscal Year/Period Ended**<br> **3/31/24** | **Fiscal Year/Period Ended**<br> **3/31/23** | **Fiscal Year/Period Ended**<br> **3/31/23** |
| | **Advisory Fees** | **Fees from Securities Lending** | **Advisory Fees** | **Fees from Securities Lending** | **Advisory Fees** | **Fees from Securities Lending** |
| KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF | $264084 | $0 | $309221 | $0 | $439952 | $0 |
| KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF | $84353 | $0 | $42501 | $0 | $51290 | $0 |
| KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF | $366857 | $0 | $201743 | $0 | $1983 | N/A |
| KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF | $21332 | $0 | $10920 | $0 | N/A | N/A |
| KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF | $172898 | $0 | $172454 | $0 | $158971 | $0 |
| KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF | $2875942 | $0 | $2430126 | $0 | $1854112 | $0 |
| KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF | $2032003 | $0 | $3811917 | $0 | $7127903 | $0 |
| KraneShares European Carbon Allowance ETF | $79253 | $0 | $171335 | $0 | $184462 | $0 |
| KraneShares California Carbon Allowance ETF | $1500624 | $0 | $2002710 | $0 | $1723443 | $0 |
| KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF | $46813 | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF | $72002 | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF | $450323 | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF | $44215 | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF | $46688 | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |

---

Because each of the KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF, KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF, KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF and KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF had not commenced operations prior to the end of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, Krane did not receive any advisory fees or fees from securities lending activities from those Funds during the prior three fiscal years.

Krane waived the following amount of fees for each Fund listed below pursuant to that Fund's fee waiver agreement:

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Fiscal Year/Period Ended<br> 3/31/25** | **Fiscal Year/Period Ended<br> 3/31/24** | **Fiscal Year/Period Ended<br> 3/31/23** |
| KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF | $420117 | $781337 | $1320906 |
| KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF | $40439 | $30083 | $75950 |
| KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF | $65924 | $95262 | $149193 |
| KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF | $258772 | $141095 | $73476 |
| KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF | $6002 | N/A | N/A |
| KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF | $155282 | N/A | N/A |

---

The Investment Advisory Agreement with respect to each Fund will continue in effect for two years from its initial effective date, and thereafter is subject to annual approval by (i) the Board of Trustees of the Trust or (ii) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, provided that in either event such continuance also is approved by a vote of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund. If the shareholders of a Fund fail to approve the Investment Advisory Agreement, Krane may continue to serve in the manner and to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and rules and regulations thereunder.

The Investment Advisory Agreement with respect to a Fund is terminable without any penalty, by vote of the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of a Fund, or by Krane, in each case on not less than sixty (60) days' prior written notice to the other party; provided that a shorter notice period shall be permitted for a Fund in the event its shares are no longer listed on a national securities exchange or in such other circumstances where a Fund waives such notice period. The Investment Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically and immediately in the event of its "assignment" (as defined in the 1940 Act).

China International Capital Corporation (USA) Holdings Inc., a wholly-owned, indirect subsidiary of China International Capital Corporation Limited owns a majority stake in Krane. As of March 31, 2025, Central Huijin Investment Limited, a mainland Chinese-domiciled entity, and HKSCC Nominees Limited, held approximately 40.11% and 39.42%, respectively, of the shares of China International Capital Corporation Limited. Central Huijin Investment Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Investment Corporation, which is a mainland Chinese sovereign wealth fund. KFA One Holdings, LLC, located at 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017, holds the remaining equity interests in Krane and Jonathan Krane, through his equity interests in KFA One Holdings, LLC, beneficially owns more than 10% of the equity interests in Krane.

Krane has received "manager of managers" exemptive relief from the SEC that permits Krane, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees, to appoint a "wholly-owned" or unaffiliated sub-adviser, as defined in the exemptive relief, or to change the terms of a sub-advisory agreement with a "wholly-owned" or unaffiliated sub-adviser without first obtaining shareholder approval. The exemptive order further permits Krane to add or to change a "wholly-owned" or unaffiliated sub-adviser or to change the fees paid to such parties from time to time without the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approval of the change and to disclose sub-advisers' fees only in the aggregate in its registration statement. Any increase in the aggregate advisory fee paid by any Fund remains subject to shareholder approval. Krane continues to have ultimate responsibility (subject to oversight by the Board of Trustees) to oversee the sub-advisers and recommend their hiring, termination, and replacement. A Fund will notify shareholders of any change of a Fund sub-adviser.

**SUB-ADVISERS**

**<u>Bosera Asset Management (International) Co., Ltd</u>.**

Bosera Asset Management (International) Co., Ltd. ("Bosera") serves as the sub-adviser to the KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF and KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF. Bosera is a Hong Kong limited liability company. Bosera's offices are located at Suite 4109, Jardine House, One Connaught Place, Central, Hong Kong.

Bosera, a registered investment adviser with the SEC, is being directly held by Bosera Asset Management Co., Limited and China Merchants Fund Management Co., Limited as to 55% and 45% ordinary shares of Bosera. Bosera's majority shareholder, Bosera Asset Management Company Limited, is one of the largest fund management companies in China. Headquartered in Shenzhen, Bosera Asset Management Company Limited was established in 1998, among the first fund houses in China. As of March 31, 2025, the Bosera group managed more than $216 billion (including Bosera Asset Management Co., Ltd. and Bosera Asset Management (International) Co., Ltd.) in assets for clients in Asia, Europe and North America. With more than 200 investment professionals in China, the Bosera group seeks to offer expertise and on-the-ground insight into China, servicing and advising institutional and retail investors globally, including sovereign wealth funds, central banks and national pensions. The Bosera group also has strong experience in managing several index funds and ETFs in China.

Krane has entered into an Investment Advisory Agreement with Bosera. The Investment Advisory Agreement will automatically terminate if assigned, and may be terminated without penalty at any time: (1) by a vote of a majority of the Trustees or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund or by Krane upon (60) days' written notice to Bosera; (2) by Bosera upon sixty (60) days' written notice to the Board and Krane; or immediately upon written notice by Krane or Bosera if: (A) the license, approval, authorization or consent held by Krane or Bosera which is required for the performance of its obligations under the Investment Advisory Agreement and which has been granted or given by any relevant regulatory authority, is terminated or suspended; (B) Krane or Bosera commits a material breach of the Investment Advisory Agreement that is uncured within thirty (30) days from the date of notice; (C) any step is taken with a view to the winding up, bankruptcy or administration of Krane or Bosera; (D) any adverse finding is made in respect of, or official sanction imposed on, Krane or Bosera by any relevant regulatory authority which would be likely to affect its ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement; or (E) a relevant regulatory authority has held, or is likely to hold, Krane or Bosera to be in breach of any regulatory or other duties in relation to the Investment Advisory Agreement. The Investment Advisory Agreement will continue in effect provided that annually such continuance is specifically approved by a vote of the Trustees, including the affirmative votes of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Investment Advisory Agreement or "interested persons" (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any such party or by the vote of shareholders.

Krane pays Bosera fifteen (15%) percent of the net revenue received by Krane from KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF under the Investment Advisory Agreement. Net revenue is defined for these purposes as gross revenue minus the gross fund-related expenses incurred by Krane (including any waiver by Krane of its compensation under the Investment Advisory Agreement and any reimbursements by Krane of the Fund's expenses).

Krane pays Bosera a twelve basis points (0.12%) sub-advisory fee based upon the monthly average assets under management of KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF. The sub-advisory fee shall be payable on a monthly basis in arrears.

For the prior fiscal years, Krane paid Bosera the following sub-advisory fees:

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Fiscal Year/Period Ended<br> 3/31/25** | **Fiscal Year/Period Ended<br> 3/31/24** | **Fiscal Year/Period Ended<br> 3/31/23** |
| KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF | $222031 | $825954 | $1096454 |
| KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF | $29484 | $46404 | $67392 |

---

**<u>Nikko Asset Management Americas Inc</u>.**

Nikko Asset Management Americas Inc. ("Nikko") serves as the investment sub-adviser to KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF. Nikko is responsible for the day-to-day investment management of the Fund, subject to the supervision of Krane and the Board of Trustees. Nikko delegates to its affiliate Nikko Asset Management Asia, Ltd. ("Nikko Asia"), a registered investment adviser with the SEC, certain of its responsibilities for the management of the Fund.

Nikko, a registered investment adviser with the SEC, was established in the State of Delaware, and is principally engaged in the provision of investment advisory services to corporations, pooled investment vehicles, institutions and individual investors. As of May 31, 2025, Nikko had approximately $10.21 billion in assets under management. Both Nikko and Nikko Asia are wholly owned subsidiaries of Nikko Asset Management Co., Ltd.

Krane has entered into a Sub-Advisory Agreement with Nikko pursuant to which Krane has agreed to pay Nikko 36.77% of the sum of: (i) the total gross advisory fee due to the Adviser from the Fund under the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement minus (ii) any applicable fee waivers from time to time entered into between the Fund and the Adviser.

Prior to August 1, 2021, CCB Securities Ltd. ("CCBS") was responsible for day-to-day portfolio management of the Fund.

For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, Krane paid Nikko $42,936 in sub-advisory fees. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, Krane paid Nikko $43,719 in sub-advisory fees. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, Krane paid Nikko $57,196 in sub-advisory fees.

The Sub-Advisory Agreement will automatically terminate if assigned, and may be terminated without penalty at any time: (1) by Krane upon sixty (60) days' written notice to Nikko; (2) by a vote of a majority of the Trustees or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund upon (60) days' written notice to Nikko; (3) by Nikko upon sixty (60) days' written notice to the Board and Krane; or immediately upon written notice by Krane or Nikko if (A) the license, approval, authorization or consent held by Krane or Nikko which is required for the performance of its obligations under the Sub-Advisory Agreement and which has been granted or given by any relevant regulatory authority, is terminated or suspended; (B) Krane or Nikko commits a material breach of the Sub-Advisory Agreement that is uncured within thirty (30) days of notice; (C) any step is taken with a view to the winding up, bankruptcy or administration of Krane or Nikko; (D) any adverse finding is made in respect of, or official sanction imposed on, Krane or Nikko by any relevant regulatory authority which would be likely to affect its ability to perform its obligations under the Sub-Advisory Agreement; or (E) a relevant regulatory authority has held, or is likely to hold, Krane or Nikko to be in breach of any regulatory or other duties in relation to the Sub-Advisory Agreement. After an initial period of two years, the Sub-Advisory Agreement will continue in effect provided that annually such continuance is specifically approved by a vote of the Trustees, including the affirmative votes of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Sub-Advisory Agreement or "interested persons" (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any such party or by the vote of shareholders.

**<u>Mount Lucas Index Advisers LLC</u>**

The Adviser has retained Mount Lucas Index Advisers LLC ("MLIA"), 405 South State Street, Newtown, Pennsylvania, 18940, to serve as investment sub-adviser for KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF. MLIA was established in 2020 by Mount Lucas Management LP. Mount Lucas Management LP has been around since 1986 and manages $1.5 billion as of May 31, 2025 across a range of investment products that include actively managed strategies and proprietary passive indices.

Krane has entered into a Sub-Advisory Agreement with MLIA pursuant to which Krane will pay MLIA thirty-two percent (32%) of the Net Revenue received by Krane from the Fund. Net Revenue is defined for these purposes as gross revenue under Schedule A of the Investment Advisory Agreement minus gross fund-related expenses (including any waiver by Krane of its compensation under the Investment Advisory Agreement and any reimbursements by Krane of the Fund's expenses).

With respect to KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF, for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, Krane paid MLIA $913,835 in sub-advisory fees. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, Krane paid MLIA $783,165 in sub-advisory fees. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, Krane paid MLIA $537,439 in sub-advisory fees.

The Sub-Advisory Agreement will automatically terminate if assigned, and may be terminated without penalty at any time: (1) by Krane upon sixty (60) days' written notice to MLIA; (2) by a vote of a majority of the Trustees or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund upon (60) days' written notice to MLIA; (3) by MLIA upon sixty (60) days' written notice to the Board and Krane; or immediately upon written notice by Krane or MLIA if (A) the license, approval, authorization or consent held by Krane or MLIA which is required for the performance of its obligations under the Sub-Advisory Agreement and which has been granted or given by any relevant regulatory authority, is terminated or suspended; (B) Krane or MLIA commits a material breach of the Sub-Advisory Agreement that is uncured within thirty (30) days of notice; (C) any step is taken with a view to the winding up, bankruptcy or administration of Krane or MLIA; (D) any adverse finding is made in respect of, or official sanction imposed on, Krane or MLIA by any relevant regulatory authority which would be likely to affect its ability to perform its obligations under the Sub-Advisory Agreement; or (E) a relevant regulatory authority has held, or is likely to hold, Krane or MLIA to be in breach of any regulatory or other duties in relation to the Sub-Advisory Agreement. After an initial period of two years, the Sub-Advisory Agreement will continue in effect provided that annually such continuance is specifically approved by a vote of the Trustees, including the affirmative votes of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Sub-Advisory Agreement or "interested persons" (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any such party, cast at a meeting called for the purpose of considering such approval, or by the vote of shareholders.

<u>**Climate Finance Partners LLC**</u>

The Adviser has retained Climate Finance Partners LLC ("CFP"), 1000 North W. St., Suite 1200, Wilmington, DE, 19808, to provide non-discretionary sub-advisory services to the KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, and KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF which includes advice, research and subject matter expertise related to each Fund's investments. CFP was established in December 2018 and is controlled by its Managing Members.

Krane has entered into a Sub-Advisory Agreement with CFP pursuant to which Krane pays CFP thirty-two percent (32%) of the Net Revenue received by Krane from each Fund. Net Revenue is defined for these purposes as gross revenue under Schedule A of the Advisory Agreement minus gross fund-related expenses (including any waiver by Krane of its compensation under the Advisory Agreement and any reimbursements by Krane of a Fund's expenses).

The Sub-Advisory Agreement will automatically terminate if assigned, and may be terminated without penalty at any time: (1) by Krane upon sixty (60) days' written notice to CFP; (2) by a vote of a majority of the Trustees or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund upon (60) days' written notice to CFP; (3) by CFP upon sixty (60) days' written notice to the Board and Krane; or immediately upon written notice by Krane or CFP if (A) the license, approval, authorization or consent held by Krane or CFP which is required for the performance of its obligations under the Sub-Advisory Agreement and which has been granted or given by any relevant regulatory authority, is terminated or suspended; (B) Krane or CFP commits a material breach of the Sub-Advisory Agreement that is uncured within thirty (30) days of notice; (C) any step is taken with a view to the winding up, bankruptcy or administration of Krane or CFP; (D) any adverse finding is made in respect of, or official sanction imposed on, Krane or CFP by any relevant regulatory authority which would be likely to affect its ability to perform its obligations under the Sub-Advisory Agreement; or (E) a relevant regulatory authority has held, or is likely to hold, Krane or CFP to be in breach of any regulatory or other duties in relation to the Sub-Advisory Agreement. After an initial period of two years, the Sub-Advisory Agreement will continue in effect provided that annually such continuance is specifically approved by a vote of the Trustees, including the affirmative votes of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Sub-Advisory Agreement or "interested persons" (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any such party, cast at a meeting called for the purpose of considering such approval, or by the vote of shareholders.

For the prior fiscal years or periods, as applicable, during which a Fund was operational, Krane paid CFP the following sub-advisory fees:

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Fiscal Year/Period Ended<br> 3/31/25** | **Fiscal Year/Period Ended<br> 3/31/24** | **Fiscal Year/Period Ended<br> 3/31/23** |
| KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF | $389000 | $760000 | $1790000 |
| KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | $190000 | $295000 | $292000 |

---

<u>**Etna Capital Management Company Ltd.**</u>

The Trust, on behalf of the KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF, and the Adviser has retained Etna Capital Management Company Ltd. ("Etna" or "Sub-Adviser"), 1532 Nexxus Building, Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong, to serve as investment sub-adviser for the Fund. Etna, a private Hong Kong company, is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment adviser and is a research and advisory team specializing in disruptive innovations.

For the services it will provide, Krane will pay Etna a fee equal to thirty percent (30%) of the total gross advisory fee paid to Krane by the Fund under the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement (the "Sub-Advisory Fee").

The Sub-Advisory Agreement will automatically terminate if assigned, and may be terminated without penalty at any time: (1) by Krane upon sixty (60) days' written notice to Etna; (2) by a vote of a majority of the Trustees or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund upon (60) days' written notice to Etna; (3) by Etna upon sixty (60) days' written notice to the Board and Krane; or immediately upon written notice by Krane or Etna if (A) the license, approval, authorization or consent held by Krane or Etna which is required for the performance of its obligations under the Sub-Advisory Agreement and which has been granted or given by any relevant regulatory authority, is terminated or suspended; (B) Krane or Etna commits a material breach of the Sub-Advisory Agreement that is uncured within thirty (30) days of notice; (C) any step is taken with a view to the winding up, bankruptcy or administration of Krane or Etna; (D) any adverse finding is made in respect of, or official sanction imposed on, Krane or Etna by any relevant regulatory authority which would be likely to affect its ability to perform its obligations under the Sub-Advisory Agreement; or (E) a relevant regulatory authority has held, or is likely to hold, Krane or Etna to be in breach of any regulatory or other duties in relation to the Sub-Advisory Agreement. After an initial period of two years, the Sub-Advisory Agreement will continue in effect provided that annually such continuance is specifically approved by a vote of the Trustees, including the affirmative votes of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Sub-Advisory Agreement or "interested persons" (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any such party, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of considering such approval, or by the vote of shareholders.

For the fiscal period ended March 31, 2025, Krane paid Etna $0 in sub-advisory fees.

<u>**Numeric Investors LLC**</u>

The Adviser has retained Numeric Investors LLC ("Numeric"), located at 200 Pier 4 Boulevard, Boston, Massachusetts 02210 to serve as the index provider and investment sub adviser of the KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF and Numeric selects investments for the Underlying Index using a systematic process as defined in the index methodology. Numeric is a limited liability company organized under the laws of the State of Delaware, and is a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of Man Group plc. Numeric is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. Numeric is also registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the "CFTC") as a commodity pool operator and is a member of the National Futures Association.

Krane has entered into a Sub-Advisory Agreement with Numeric pursuant to which Krane will pay Numeric forty-five (45%) percent of the Net Revenue received by Krane from the Fund on the first $1 billion in Assets and fifty (50%) percent on any amounts thereafter. Net Revenue is defined for these purposes as gross revenue under Schedule A of the Sub-Advisory Agreement – (minus) gross fund-related expenses (including any waiver by Krane of its compensation under the Investment Advisory Agreement and any reimbursements by Krane of the Fund's expenses).

The Sub-Advisory Agreement will automatically terminate if assigned, and may be terminated without penalty at any time: (1) by Krane upon sixty (60) days' written notice to Numeric; (2) by a vote of a majority of the Trustees or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund upon (60) days' written notice to Numeric; (3) by Numeric upon sixty (60) days' written notice to the Board and Krane; or immediately upon written notice by Krane or Numeric if (A) the license, approval, authorization or consent held by Krane or Numeric which is required for the performance of its obligations under the Sub-Advisory Agreement and which has been granted or given by any relevant regulatory authority, is terminated or suspended; (B) Krane or Numeric commits a material breach of the Sub-Advisory Agreement that is uncured within thirty (30) days of notice; (C) any step is taken with a view to the winding up, bankruptcy or administration of Krane or Numeric; (D) any adverse finding is made in respect of, or official sanction imposed on, Krane or Numeric by any relevant regulatory authority which would be likely to affect its ability to perform its obligations under the Sub-Advisory Agreement; or (E) a relevant regulatory authority has held, or is likely to hold, Krane or Numeric to be in breach of any regulatory or other duties in relation to the Sub-Advisory Agreement. After an initial period of two years, the Sub-Advisory Agreement will continue in effect provided that annually such continuance is specifically approved by a vote of the Trustees, including the affirmative votes of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Sub-Advisory Agreement or "interested persons" (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any such party, cast at a meeting called for the purpose of considering such approval, or by the vote of shareholders.

For the fiscal period ended March 31, 2025, Krane paid Numeric $0 in sub-advisory fees.

**PORTFOLIO MANAGERS**

**Portfolio Manager Fund Ownership.** The Funds are required to show the dollar range of each portfolio manager's "beneficial ownership" of shares of a Fund as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year (except as otherwise noted below). Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC.

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Krane's Portfolio Managers** | **Krane's Portfolio Managers** | **Krane's Portfolio Managers** |
| **Name** | **Funds Covered by this SAI** | **Dollar Range of Fund Ownership (dollars)** |
| James Maund | KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF |  |
| James Maund | KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF |  |
| James Maund | KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF |  |
| James Maund | KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF |  |
| James Maund | KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF |  |
| James Maund | KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF |  |
| James Maund | KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF |  |
| James Maund | KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF |  |
| James Maund | KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF | $1-$10000 |
| James Maund | KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF |  |
| James Maund | KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF |  |
| James Maund | KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF |  |
| James Maund | KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF |  |
| James Maund | KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF |  |
| James Maund | KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | $1-$10000 |
| James Maund | KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF | $1-$10000 |
| James Maund | KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF |  |
| James Maund | KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF |  |
| James Maund | KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF |  |
| James Maund | KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF |  |

---

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| Jonathan Shelon | KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF |  |
| Jonathan Shelon | KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF | $50001-$100000 |
| Jonathan Shelon | KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF | $10001-$50000 |
| Jonathan Shelon | KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF |  |
| Jonathan Shelon | KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF |  |
| Jonathan Shelon | KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF |  |
| Jonathan Shelon | KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF |  |
| Jonathan Shelon | KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF |  |
| Jonathan Shelon | KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Jonathan Shelon | KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF |  |
| Jonathan Shelon | KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF | $10001-$50000 |
| Jonathan Shelon | KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF |  |
| Jonathan Shelon | KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF |  |
| Jonathan Shelon | KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF |  |
| Jonathan Shelon | KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF | $50001-$100000 |
| Jonathan Shelon | KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF |  |
| Jonathan Shelon | KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF |  |
| Jonathan Shelon | KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF |  |
| Jonathan Shelon | KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF |  |
| Jonathan Shelon | KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF | $10001-$50000 |
| Jonathan Shelon | KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF |  |
| Jonathan Shelon | KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF |  |
| Luke Oliver | KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF |  |
| Luke Oliver | KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF |  |
| Luke Oliver | KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF |  |
| Anthony Sassine | KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF |  |

---

The KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF, KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF, KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF and KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF have not yet commenced operations as of March 31, 2025. Therefore, Messrs. Maund, Shelon and Oliver did not beneficially own any shares of these Funds as of that date.

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Bosera's Portfolio Manager** | **Bosera's Portfolio Manager** | **Bosera's Portfolio Manager** |
| **Name** | **Funds Covered by this SAI** | **Dollar Range of Fund Ownership (dollars)** |
| Qiong Wan | KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF |  |
| Qiong Wan | KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF |  |

---

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Nikkos's Portfolio Manager** | **Nikkos's Portfolio Manager** | **Nikkos's Portfolio Manager** |
| **Name** | **Funds Covered by this SAI** | **Dollar Range of Fund Ownership (dollars)** |
| Wai Hoong Leong | KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF | None |
| Jian Wei Loh | KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF | None |

---

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **MLIA's Portfolio Manager** | **MLIA's Portfolio Manager** | **MLIA's Portfolio Manager** |
| **Name** | **Funds Covered by this SAI** | **Dollar Range of Fund Ownership (dollars)** |
| Timothy J. Rudderow Sr. | KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF |  |
| Gerald L. Prior, III | KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF | $10001 - $50000 |
| David Aspell | KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF |  |

---

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Etna's Portfolio Manager** | **Etna's Portfolio Manager** | **Etna's Portfolio Manager** |
| **Name** | **Funds Covered by this SAI** | **Dollar Range of Fund Ownership (dollars)** |
| Solomon Bier | KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF | None |
| Max Chen | KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF | None |

---

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Numeric's Portfolio Manager** | **Numeric's Portfolio Manager** | **Numeric's Portfolio Manager** |
| **Name** | **Funds Covered by this SAI** | **Dollar Range of Fund Ownership (dollars)** |
| John Lidington | KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF | None |

---

**Other Accounts.** The portfolio managers are responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as follows:

---

| | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Krane's Portfolio Managers** | **Krane's Portfolio Managers** | **Krane's Portfolio Managers** | **Krane's Portfolio Managers** | **Krane's Portfolio Managers** | **Krane's Portfolio Managers** | **Krane's Portfolio Managers** |
| **Name** | **Registered** <br> **Investment Companies\*** | **Registered** <br> **Investment Companies\*** | **Other Pooled** <br> **Investment Vehicles\*** | **Other Pooled** <br> **Investment Vehicles\*** | **Other Accounts\*** | **Other Accounts\*** |
| **Name** | **Number of <br> Accounts** | **Total Assets**<br> **($ millions)** | **Number of <br> Accounts** | **Total Assets <br> ($ millions)** | **Number of<br> Accounts** | **Total Assets**<br> **($ millions)** |
| James Maund\* | 23 | $9082.71 | 10 | $623.49 | NA | NA |
| Luke Oliver\* | 3 | $288.58 | 3 | $24.60 | NA | NA |
| Jonathan Shelon\* | 23 | $9082.71 | 10 | $623.49 | 10 | $0.133 |
| Anthony Sassine\* | 1 | $63.66 | NA | NA | 10 | $0.133 |

---

**\*** The information provided is as of March 31, 2025. None of the accounts paid advisory fees based on the performance of the accounts.

---

| | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Bosera's Portfolio Manager** | **Bosera's Portfolio Manager** | **Bosera's Portfolio Manager** | **Bosera's Portfolio Manager** | **Bosera's Portfolio Manager** | **Bosera's Portfolio Manager** | **Bosera's Portfolio Manager** |
| **Name** | **Registered** <br> **Investment Companies\*** | **Registered** <br> **Investment Companies\*** | **Other Pooled** <br> **Investment Vehicles\*** | **Other Pooled** <br> **Investment Vehicles\*** | **Other Accounts\*** | **Other Accounts\*** |
| **Name** | **Number of<br> Accounts** | **Total Assets**<br> **($ millions)** | **Number of<br> Accounts** | **Total Assets<br> ($ millions)** | **Number of<br> Accounts** | **Total Assets**<br> **($ millions)** |
| Qiong Wan\* | 0 | $0 | 15 | $5453.58 | 0 | $0 |

---

**\*** The information provided is as of March 31, 2025. None of the accounts paid advisory fees based on the performance of the accounts.

---

| | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Nikko's Portfolio Managers** | **Nikko's Portfolio Managers** | **Nikko's Portfolio Managers** | **Nikko's Portfolio Managers** | **Nikko's Portfolio Managers** | **Nikko's Portfolio Managers** | **Nikko's Portfolio Managers** |
| **Name** | **Registered** <br> **Investment Companies\*** | **Registered** <br> **Investment Companies\*** | **Other Pooled** <br> **Investment Vehicles\*** | **Other Pooled** <br> **Investment Vehicles\*** | **Other Accounts\*** | **Other Accounts\*** |
| **Name** | **Number of<br> Accounts** | **Total Assets**<br> **($ millions)** | **Number of<br> Accounts** | **Total Assets<br> ($ millions)** | **Number of<br> Accounts** | **Total Assets**<br> **($ millions)** |
| Wai Hoong Leong\* | 0 | $0 | 6 | $708.2 | 0 | $0 |
| Jian Wei Loh\* | 0 | $0 | 2 | $208.1 | 2 | $48.0 |

---

**\*** The information provided is as of March 31, 2025. None of the accounts paid advisory fees based on the performance of the accounts.

---

| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **MLIA's Portfolio Managers** | **MLIA's Portfolio Managers** | **MLIA's Portfolio Managers** | **MLIA's Portfolio Managers** | **MLIA's Portfolio Managers** | **MLIA's Portfolio Managers** | **MLIA's Portfolio Managers** | **MLIA's Portfolio Managers** | **MLIA's Portfolio Managers** | **MLIA's Portfolio Managers** | **MLIA's Portfolio Managers** | **MLIA's Portfolio Managers** | **MLIA's Portfolio Managers** |
| **Name** | **Registered**<br> **Investment Companies\*** | **Registered**<br> **Investment Companies\*** | **Registered**<br> **Investment Companies\*** | **Registered**<br> **Investment Companies\*** | **Other Pooled**<br> **Investment Vehicles\*** | **Other Pooled**<br> **Investment Vehicles\*** | **Other Pooled**<br> **Investment Vehicles\*** | **Other Pooled**<br> **Investment Vehicles\*** | **Other Accounts\*** | **Other Accounts\*** | **Other Accounts\*** | **Other Accounts\*** |
| **Name** | **Number of Accounts** | **Total Assets**<br> **($ millions)** | **Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees** | **Total Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)** | **Number of Accounts** | **Total Assets ($ millions)** | **Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees** | **Total Assets Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees (in millions)** | **Number of Accounts** | **Total Assets**<br> **($ millions)** | **Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees** | **Number of Accounts Managed with Performance-Based Advisory Fees** |
| Timothy J. Rudderow Sr.\* | 3 | $273.6 | 0 | $0 | 4 | $292.2 | 1 | $170.7 | 10 | $993.0 | 1 | $114.1 |
| Gerald L. Prior, III\* | 3 | $273.6 | 0 | $0 | 4 | $292.2 | 1 | $170.7 | 10 | $993.0 | 1 | $114.1 |
| David Aspell\* | 3 | $273.6 | 0 | $0 | 4 | $292.2 | 1 | $170.7 | 10 | $993.0 | 1 | $114.1 |

---

**\*** The information provided is as of March 31, 2025.

---

| | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Etna's Portfolio Managers** | **Etna's Portfolio Managers** | **Etna's Portfolio Managers** | **Etna's Portfolio Managers** | **Etna's Portfolio Managers** | **Etna's Portfolio Managers** | **Etna's Portfolio Managers** |
| **Name** | **Registered**<br> **Investment Companies\*** | **Registered**<br> **Investment Companies\*** | **Other Pooled** <br> **Investment Vehicles\*** | **Other Pooled** <br> **Investment Vehicles\*** | **Other Accounts\*** | **Other Accounts\*** |
| **Name** | **Number of<br> Accounts** | **Total Assets**<br> **($ millions)** | **Number of<br> Accounts** | **Total Assets<br> ($ millions)** | **Number of<br> Accounts** | **Total Assets**<br> **($ millions)** |
| Solomon Bier\* | 0 | $0 | 3 | $91.8 | 0 | $0 |
| Max Chen\* | 0 | $0 | 3 | $91.8 | 0 | $0 |

---

**\*** The information provided is as of March 31, 2025. None of the accounts paid advisory fees based on the performance of the accounts.

---

| | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Numeric's Portfolio Managers** | **Numeric's Portfolio Managers** | **Numeric's Portfolio Managers** | **Numeric's Portfolio Managers** | **Numeric's Portfolio Managers** | **Numeric's Portfolio Managers** | **Numeric's Portfolio Managers** |
| **Name** | **Registered**<br> **Investment Companies\*** | **Registered**<br> **Investment Companies\*** | **Other Pooled** <br> **Investment Vehicles\*** | **Other Pooled** <br> **Investment Vehicles\*** | **Other Accounts\*** | **Other Accounts\*** |
| **Name** | **Number of<br> Accounts** | **Total Assets**<br> **($ millions)** | **Number of<br> Accounts** | **Total Assets<br> ($ millions)** | **Number of<br> Accounts** | **Total Assets**<br> **($ millions)** |
| John Lidington\* | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |

---

**\*** The information provided is as of March 31, 2025. None of the accounts paid advisory fees based on the performance of the accounts.

<u>**Portfolio Manager Compensation**</u>

<u>Krane</u>

The portfolio managers receive a fixed base salary and incentive awards based on the profitability of Krane and the satisfaction of the account objectives. For Funds that track the performance of an underlying index, the potential conflicts of interest arising with respect to each portfolio manager's compensation are relatively limited because the Funds seek to track the performance of the underlying index, which makes it unlikely, but not impossible, that the portfolio manager would take undue risks in investing a Fund's assets to increase performance. Nevertheless, to the extent a portfolio manager would derive additional compensation from managing other accounts, the portfolio manager may be motivated to favor the other accounts. To address these and other conflicts of interest, Krane has adopted various policies and procedures designed so that all clients are treated equitably and that no client is systematically favored or disadvantaged over time.

<u>Bosera</u>

Bosera has adopted a performance-oriented incentive mechanism with differentiated key performance indicators ("KPI"), which is set according to each staff member's position and responsibilities. Both the remuneration incentives and the non-remuneration incentives are arranged based on a performance evaluation. The recruitment, retention and elimination of the key posts are based primarily on the result of performance evaluations. To ensure the stability of staff in key posts, such as investment and research, Bosera has implemented the following measures:

● Externally competitive and internally fair remunerations with staff-friendly and fringe benefits;

● Continuous training; and

● Multiple paths of personal career development

The distribution of performance bonuses will be linked to personal performance. The KPI evaluation accounts for 70% of the performance evaluation, while the evaluation of comprehensive qualities accounts for 30% of the performance evaluation.

<u>Nikko</u>

The portfolio manager receives a fixed base salary and is eligible to receive a discretionary bonus based on the profitability of Nikko as well as the job performance of the portfolio manager. The discretionary bonus is not directly based on the performance of the Fund and in this respect, potential conflicts of interest arising from to the portfolio manager's compensation are limited. The company has in place a conflict of interests policy to address such matters.

<u>MLIA</u>

The portfolio managers receive a fixed base salary, are also indirect equity owners of MLIA, and receive a share of net profits. Compensation is not based on the performance or growth of any particular fund or client. The potential conflicts of interest arising with respect to each portfolio manager's compensation are relatively limited due to the Fund's investment strategy and types of investments. Nevertheless, to the extent a portfolio manager would derive additional compensation from managing other accounts, the portfolio manager may be motivated to favor the other accounts.

<u>Etna</u>

Etna's portfolio managers receive a fixed base salary and incentive awards based on the performance of their accounts and Etna's profitability.

<u>Numeric</u>

The portfolio manager receives a fixed base salary and is eligible to receive a discretionary bonus based on the profitability of Numeric as well as the job performance of the portfolio manager. The discretionary bonus is not directly based on the performance of the Fund and in this respect, potential conflicts of interest arising from to the portfolio manager's compensation are limited. Numeric has in place a conflict of interests policy to address such matters.

**<u>Description of Material Conflicts of Interest</u>**

<u>Krane</u>

A portfolio manager's management of "other accounts" may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with his management of a 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 a Fund. Therefore, a potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the similar investment objectives, whereby the portfolio manager could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include the portfolio manager's knowledge of the size, timing and possible market impact of a Fund's trades, whereby the portfolio manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts, including personal trading, and to the disadvantage of a Fund. However, Krane has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities among all accounts it manages are fairly and equitably allocated. Krane monitors and limits personal trading in accordance with its Code of Ethics, as described below.

<u>Bosera</u>

The portfolio manager's management of "other accounts" may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with her 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 the portfolio manager could favor one account over another. In addition, Bosera is subject to a potential conflict of interest because Bosera allocates its A-Share quota between clients. Another potential conflict could include the portfolio manager's knowledge of the size, timing and possible market impact of the Fund's trades, whereby the portfolio manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts, including personal trading, and to the disadvantage of the Fund. However, Bosera has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities among all accounts it manages are fairly and equitably allocated, and Bosera monitors and limits personal trading in accordance with its Code of Ethics, as described below.

<u>Nikko</u>

From time to time various potential and actual conflicts of interest may arise from the overall advisory, investment and other activities of Nikko, its officers and affiliates. The following briefly summarizes some of these conflicts, but is not intended to be an exhaustive list of such conflicts. Like many investment managers, Nikko may manage multiple accounts with the same or similar investment objective and may have financial incentives to favor certain accounts over others. The other accounts may have the same investment objective as the Fund. However, Nikko and its affiliates owe a fiduciary duty to each client as not to unfairly discriminate between clients. Nikko and its affiliates may invest on behalf of themselves and clients in securities that would be appropriate for the Fund or held by or considered for investment for other Nikko's clients. Another potential conflict could include the portfolio manager's knowledge of the size, timing and possible market impact of the Fund's trades, whereby the portfolio manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts, including personal trading, and to the disadvantage of the Fund. However, Nikko, consistent with its fiduciary duty to each client, will endeavor to resolve conflicts in a manner which it deems equitable to the extent possible under the prevailing facts and circumstances as well as over time. Nikko monitors and limits personal trading in accordance with its Code of Ethics, as described below.

<u>MLIA</u>

A portfolio manager's management of "other accounts" may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with his 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 similar investment objectives, whereby the portfolio manager could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include the portfolio manager's knowledge of the size, timing and possible market impact of the Fund's trades, whereby the portfolio manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts, including personal trading, and to the disadvantage of the Fund. However, MLIA has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities among all accounts it manages are fairly and equitably allocated. MLIA monitors and limits personal trading in accordance with its Code of Ethics, as described below.

<u>Etna</u>

A portfolio manager's management of "other accounts" may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with his 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 similar investment objectives, whereby the portfolio manager could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include the portfolio manager's knowledge of the size, timing and possible market impact of the Fund's trades, whereby the portfolio manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts, including personal trading, and to the disadvantage of the Fund. However, Etna has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities among all accounts it manages are fairly and equitably allocated. Etna monitors and limits personal trading in accordance with its Code of Ethics, as described below.

<u>Numeric</u>

A portfolio manager's management of "other accounts" may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with his 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 similar investment objectives, whereby the portfolio manager could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include the portfolio manager's knowledge of the size, timing and possible market impact of the Fund's trades, whereby the portfolio manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts, including personal trading, and to the disadvantage of the Fund. However, Numeric has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities among all accounts it manages are fairly and equitably allocated. Numeric monitors and limits personal trading in accordance with its Code of Ethics, as described below.

**CODES OF ETHICS**

The Trust, Krane and each sub-adviser have each adopted a Code of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. The Codes of Ethics apply to the personal investing activities of trustees, directors, officers and certain employees ("access persons"). Rule 17j-1 and the Codes of Ethics are designed to prevent unlawful practices in connection with the purchase or sale of securities by access persons. Under the Codes of Ethics, access persons are permitted to engage in personal securities transactions (including investments in securities that may be purchased and held by a Fund), but are required to report their personal securities transactions for monitoring purposes. Each Code of Ethics is on file with the SEC and is available to the public.

**PROXY VOTING POLICY**

The Trust has adopted the proxy voting policies of Krane, a summary of which is set forth in the appendix to this SAI. The Trust is required to disclose annually a Fund's complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX covering the period from July 1 of one year through June 30 of the next and to file Form N-PX with the SEC no later than August 31 of each year. The Form N-PX is available, or will be available, (1) without charge, upon request, by calling 1.855.857.2638 and contacting <u>info@kraneshares.com</u>; (2) on or through the Funds' website at <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>; and (3) on the SEC's website at <u>www.sec.gov</u>.

**ADMINISTRATOR**

SEI Investments Global Funds Services (the "Administrator") serves as administrator for the Funds. SEI Investments Management Corporation ("SIMC"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEI Investments Company ("SEI Investments"), is the owner of all beneficial interest in the Administrator. The principal address of the Administrator is One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456. Under an Amended and Restated Administration Agreement with the Trust dated July 9, 2014, as amended (the "Administration Agreement"), the Administrator provides necessary administrative and accounting services for the maintenance and operations of the Trust and the Funds. In addition, the Administrator makes available the office space, equipment, personnel and facilities required to provide such services.

For its services under the Administration Agreement, the Administrator is entitled to a fee, based on assets under management, subject to a minimum fee. The Administrator may be reimbursed by the Funds for its out-of-pocket expenses. The Investment Advisory Agreement provides that Krane will pay certain operating expenses of the Trust, including the fees due to the Administrator under the Administration Agreement.

**CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER AGENT**

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. ("BBH") serves as custodian and transfer agent for the Trust. The principal address of BBH is 50 Post Office Square, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. Under the Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreement with the Trust dated December 12, 2012, BBH, in its capacity as custodian, maintains in separate accounts cash, securities and other assets of the Funds, keeps all necessary accounts and records, and provides other services. BBH is required, upon the order of the Trust, to deliver securities held by it, in its capacity as custodian, and to make payments for securities purchased by the Trust for a Fund.

Under the Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreement, foreign securities held by the Funds are generally held by sub-custodians in BBH's sub-custodian network. The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd. serves as the PRC custodian for the KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF, KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF, and KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF.

PRC debt securities (or "RMB Bonds") held by the Funds are held in mainland China through an account with Bond Connect scheme, or through the China Central Depository and Clearing Corporation Limited ("CCDCC") and Shanghai Clearing House ("SCH").

PRC securities, including PRC debt securities and A Shares, purchased by Krane or a sub-adviser in their capacity as QFI may be received in a securities account maintained by the PRC Custodian in the joint names of the Funds and Krane or the sub-advisor. Pursuant to a sub-custodian agreement and a supplementary control agreement, the Funds should be recognized as the beneficial owner, and control the disposition, of assets in the account, even though, pursuant to Chinese law and regulations, the QFI holder (in addition to the Funds) is the legal owner of the account.

BBH further acts as a transfer agent for the Trust's authorized and issued shares of beneficial interest, and as dividend disbursing agent of the Trust, under the Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreement. The Investment Advisory Agreement provides that Krane will pay certain operating expenses of the Trust, including the fees due to BBH under the Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreement.

**SECURITIES LENDING ARRANGEMENTS**

BBH serves as the securities lending agent for the Trust. The principal address of BBH is 50 Post Office Square, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. As the securities lending agent, BBH, among other matters, negotiates the specific loan terms for the Funds to loan their securities and receive compensation therefor, arranges for deliveries of securities and collateral under the securities lending program, and effects the investment of cash collateral received in connection with loaned securities, all as specified in the Securities Lending Agency Agreement and within the parameters established under the Trust's securities lending program. BBH is authorized to lend Fund securities only to such borrowers as have been approved by the Trust.

As of March 31, 2025, the dollar amounts of gross and net income from securities lending activities received and the related fees and/or compensation paid by each Fund were as follows:\*

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| | | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Gross Income from Securities Lending Activities** | **Fees Paid to Securities Lending Agent from the Revenue Split** | **Fees Paid to Krane for Securities Lending-Related Services** | **Fees Paid for Cash Collateral Management Services (Including Fees Deducted from the Cash Collateral Reinvestment Vehicle)** | **Borrower Rebates** | **Aggregate Fees/**<br> **Compensation for Securities Lending Activities** | **Net Income from Securities Lending Activities** |
| KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | $21529718.02 | $1512837.35 | $857278.35 | $9703258.44 | $1740838.74 | $13814212.88 | $7715505.14 |
| KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF | $1296039.17 | $40357.60 | $22870.20 | $787840.92 | $239138.61 | $1090207.33 | $205831.84 |
| KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF | $102301.22 | $1935.36 | $1096.33 | $68174.44 | $21228.11 | $92434.24 | $9866.98 |
| KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF | $100392.42 | $1677.49 | $950.59 | $66381.06 | $22827.95 | $91837.10 | $8555.33 |

---

\* The information in this table may not align with the information in the Form N-CSR, prospectus and/or this statement of additional information due to differences in how such information is accounted for in the periods measured.

**DISTRIBUTOR AND DISTRIBUTION ARRANGEMENTS**

SEI Investments Distribution Co., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEI Investments, and an affiliate of the Administrator, serves as Distributor for the Trust. The principal address of the Distributor is One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456. The Distributor has entered into an Amended and Restated Distribution Agreement with the Trust dated July 9, 2014, (the "Distribution Agreement") pursuant to which it distributes shares of the Funds. The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable annually. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Funds through the Distributor only in Creation Units, as described in the Prospectus and below in the "Creation and Redemption of Creation Units" section. Shares in less than Creation Units are not distributed by the Distributor. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the 1934 Act and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA"). The Distributor is not affiliated with Krane, a sub-adviser, or any national securities exchange.

The Distribution Agreement provides that it may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty: (i) by a vote of a majority of the independent Trustees; (ii) by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of a Fund; or (iii) on at least thirty (30) days' prior written notice to the other party. The Distribution Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).

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

**Distribution Plan.** Each Fund has adopted a Distribution Plan applicable to the Fund's shares. Under the Distribution Plan, the Distributor, or designated service providers, may receive up to 0.25% of a Fund's assets attributable to shares as compensation for distribution services pursuant to Rule 12b-1 of the 1940 Act. Distribution services may include: (i) services in connection with distribution assistance, or (ii) payments to financial institutions and other financial intermediaries, such as broker-dealers, fund "supermarkets" and the Distributor's affiliates and subsidiaries, as compensation for services or reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance. The Distributor may, at its discretion, retain a portion of such payments to compensate itself for distribution services and distribution related expenses such as the costs of preparation, printing, mailing or otherwise disseminating sales literature, advertising, and prospectuses (other than those furnished to current shareholders of a Fund), promotional and incentive programs, and such other marketing expenses that the Distributor may incur. The plan is a compensation plan, which means that the Distributor is compensated regardless of its expenses, as opposed to a reimbursement plan which reimburses only for expenses incurred.

No distribution fees are currently charged to the Funds and there are currently no plans to impose these fees. The Plan was adopted in order to permit the implementation of each Fund's method of distribution. In the event that 12b-1 fees are charged in the future, because a Fund pays these fees out of assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees may cost you more than other types of sales charges and will increase the cost of your investment in a Fund.

The Plan will remain in effect for a period of one year and is renewable from year to year with respect to a Fund, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees and (2) by a vote of the majority of those Independent Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan ("Rule 12b-1 Trustees"). The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount of fees that may be paid by a Fund under the Plan unless such amendment is approved by a 1940 Act majority vote of the outstanding shares and by a Fund's Trustees in the manner described above. The Plan is terminable with respect to a Fund at any time by a vote of a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees or by a 1940 Act majority vote of the outstanding shares.

**Intermediary Compensation.** Krane, a sub-adviser and/or their affiliates, out of their own resources and not out of a Fund's assets (*i.e.*, without additional cost to a Fund or its shareholders), may pay certain broker dealers, banks and other financial intermediaries ("Intermediaries"), to the extent permitted by applicable law, for certain activities related to a Fund, including marketing and education support and the sale of a Fund's shares. These arrangements are sometimes referred to as "revenue sharing" arrangements. Revenue sharing arrangements are not financed by a Fund and, thus, do not result in increased Fund expenses. They are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fees and expenses sections of a Fund's Prospectus and they do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of a Fund's shares or the amount received by a shareholder as proceeds from the redemption of shares of a Fund.

Such compensation may be paid to Intermediaries that provide services to a Fund, including marketing and education support (such as through conferences, webinars and printed communications). Such compensation may also be paid to Intermediaries for inclusion of a Fund on a sales list, including a preferred or select sales list, in other sales programs. Krane periodically assesses the advisability of continuing to make these payments.

Payments to an Intermediary may be significant to the Intermediary, and amounts that Intermediaries pay to your adviser, broker or other investment professional, if any, may also be significant to such adviser, broker or investment professional. Because an Intermediary may make decisions about what investment options it will make available or recommend, and what services to provide in connection with various products, based on payments it receives or is eligible to receive, such payments create conflicts of interest between the Intermediary and its clients. For example, these financial incentives may cause the Intermediary to recommend a Fund over other investments. The same conflict of interest exists with respect to your financial adviser, broker or investment professionals if he or she receives similar payments from his or her Intermediary firm.

Intermediary information is current only as of the date of this SAI. Please contact your adviser, broker or other investment professional for more information regarding any payments his or her Intermediary firm may receive. Any payments made by Krane, a sub-adviser and/or their affiliates to an Intermediary may create an incentive for the Intermediary to encourage customers to buy shares of a Fund.

**CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES**

All shares of a Fund that have commenced operations are held of record in the name of the DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co. Although the Funds do not have information concerning the beneficial ownership of shares held in the names of DTC participants, as of June 30, 2025, the name and percentage ownership of each DTC participant\* that owned of record 5% or more of the outstanding shares of a Fund were as follows:

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Ticker** | **Fund** | **Participant Name and Address** | **Percentage of Ownership** |
| KWEB | KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | CITIBANK, N.A.<br> 388 Greenwich Street New York, New York 10013 | 13.2% |
| KWEB | KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON<br> 240 Greenwich Street New York, New York 10286 | 9.3% |
| KWEB | KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | BROWN BROTHERS HARRIMAN & CO.<br> 140 Broadway New York, New York 10005 | 8.1% |
| KWEB | KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.<br> 3000 Schwab Way, Westlake TX 76262 | 7.9% |
| KWEB | KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | INTERACTIVE BROKERS LLC/RETAIL<br> Two Pickwick Plaza Greenwich CT 06830 | 6.7% |
| KWEB | KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION<br> 1111 Polaris Parkway Columbus Ohio 43240 | 5.2% |
| KWEB | KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC<br> 1 World Financial Center - Sandy Hook, New York, New York 10281 | 5.1% |

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| KBA | KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF | BNP PARIBAS, NEW YORK BRANCH/INDEVAL<br> 787 7th Avenue, New York, NY 10019 | 36.9% |
| KBA | KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF | MORGAN STANLEY SMITH BARNEY LLC<br> 1585 Broadway New York, New York 10036 | 10.4% |
| KBA | KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF | CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.<br> 3000 Schwab Way, Westlake TX 76262 | 8.1% |
| KBA | KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF | NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC<br> 1 World Financial Center - Sandy Hook, New York, New York 10281 | 7.1% |
| OBOR | KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF | GOLDMAN SACHS & CO. LLC<br> 200 West Street New York, New York 10282 | 39.1% |
| OBOR | KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF | BOFA SECURITIES, INC.<br> 100 North Tryon Street Charlotte NC 28255 | 21.5% |
| OBOR | KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF | CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.<br> 3000 Schwab Way, Westlake TX 76262 | 8.3% |
| OBOR | KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF | NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC<br> 1 World Financial Center - Sandy Hook, New York, New York 10281 | 6.3% |
| KEMQ | KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF | BOFA SECURITIES, INC.<br> 100 North Tryon Street Charlotte NC 28255 | 50.2% |
| KEMQ | KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF | MORGAN STANLEY SMITH BARNEY LLC<br> 1585 Broadway New York, New York 10036 | 19.5% |
| KEMQ | KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF | GOLDMAN SACHS & CO. LLC<br> 200 West Street New York, New York 10282 | 8.1% |
| KEMQ | KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF | CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.<br> 3000 Schwab Way, Westlake TX 76262 | 5.4% |
| KGRN | KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF | JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION<br> 1111 Polaris Parkway Columbus Ohio 43240 | 22.3% |
| KGRN | KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF | PHILLIP CAPITAL INC.<br> 141 W. Jackson Blvd., Ste 1531A, Chicago, IL 60604 | 15.5% |
| KGRN | KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF | CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.<br> 3000 Schwab Way, Westlake TX 76262 | 13.5% |
| KGRN | KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF | NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC<br> 1 World Financial Center - Sandy Hook, New York, New York 10281 | 9.4% |
| KGRN | KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF | CITIBANK, N.A.<br> 388 Greenwich Street New York, New York 10013 | 7.9% |
| KGRN | KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF | UBS FINANCIAL SERVICES INC.<br> 1285 Ave of the Americas New York, New York 10019 | 6.1% |

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| KARS | KraneShares Electric Vehicles And Future Mobility Index ETF | JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION<br> 1111 Polaris Parkway Columbus Ohio 43240 | 21.1% |
| KARS | KraneShares Electric Vehicles And Future Mobility Index ETF | NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC<br> 1 World Financial Center - Sandy Hook, New York, New York 10281 | 14.5% |
| KARS | KraneShares Electric Vehicles And Future Mobility Index ETF | CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.<br> 3000 Schwab Way, Westlake TX 76262 | 12.2% |
| KARS | KraneShares Electric Vehicles And Future Mobility Index ETF | MORGAN STANLEY SMITH BARNEY LLC<br> 1585 Broadway New York, New York 10036 | 8.0% |
| KARS | KraneShares Electric Vehicles And Future Mobility Index ETF | UBS FINANCIAL SERVICES INC.<br> 1285 Ave of the Americas New York, New York 10019 | 7.3% |
| KURE | KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF | THE NORTHERN TRUST COMPANY<br> 50 S. LaSalle Street, Chicago, IL 60603 | 50.4% |
| KURE | KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF | JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION<br> 1111 Polaris Parkway Columbus Ohio 43240 | 9.0% |
| KURE | KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF | CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.<br> 3000 Schwab Way, Westlake TX 76262 | 5.5% |
| KHYB | KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF | GOLDMAN SACHS & CO. LLC<br> 200 West Street New York, New York 10282 | 26.0% |
| KHYB | KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF | CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.<br> 3000 Schwab Way, Westlake TX 76262 | 24.3% |
| KHYB | KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF | NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC<br> 1 World Financial Center - Sandy Hook, New York, New York 10281 | 13.1% |
| KHYB | KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF | INTERACTIVE BROKERS LLC/RETAIL<br> Two Pickwick Plaza Greenwich CT 06830 | 6.9% |
| KHYB | KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF | MORGAN STANLEY SMITH BARNEY LLC<br> 1585 Broadway New York, New York 10036 | 6.3% |
| KEMX | KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF | CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.<br> 3000 Schwab Way, Westlake TX 76262 | 51.1% |
| KEMX | KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF | NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC<br> 1 World Financial Center - Sandy Hook, New York, New York 10281 | 19.0% |
| KEMX | KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF | FIFTH THIRD BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION<br> 5001 Kingsley Dr, Dept 3385, Cincinnati, OH 45263 | 8.6% |

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| KRBN | KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF | CITIBANK, N.A.<br> 388 Greenwich Street New York, New York 10013 | 23.4% |
| KRBN | KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF | NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC<br> 1 World Financial Center - Sandy Hook, New York, New York 10281 | 14.4% |
| KRBN | KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF | CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.<br> 3000 Schwab Way, Westlake TX 76262 | 13.5% |
| KRBN | KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF | THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON<br> 240 Greenwich Street New York, New York 10286 | 6.0% |
| KRBN | KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF | INTERACTIVE BROKERS LLC/RETAIL<br> Two Pickwick Plaza Greenwich CT 06830 | 5.8% |
| KVLE | KraneShares Value Line® Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF | LPL FINANCIAL LLC<br> 4707 Executive Drive San Diego CA 92121 | 58.9% |
| KVLE | KraneShares Value Line® Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF | NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC<br> 1 World Financial Center - Sandy Hook, New York, New York 10281 | 17.6% |
| KVLE | KraneShares Value Line® Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF | CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.<br> 3000 Schwab Way, Westlake TX 76262 | 15.4% |
| KMLM | KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF | CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.<br> 3000 Schwab Way, Westlake TX 76262 | 23.4% |
| KMLM | KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF | NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC<br> 1 World Financial Center - Sandy Hook, New York, New York 10281 | 21.6% |
| KMLM | KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF | INTERACTIVE BROKERS LLC/RETAIL<br> Two Pickwick Plaza Greenwich CT 06830 | 10.5% |
| KMLM | KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF | MORGAN STANLEY SMITH BARNEY LLC<br> 1585 Broadway New York, New York 10036 | 6.3% |
| KMLM | KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF | PERSHING LLC<br> One Pershing Plaza Jersey City, NJ 07399 | 6.2% |
| KMLM | KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF | CITIBANK, N.A.<br> 388 Greenwich Street New York, New York 10013 | 5.6% |
| KSTR | KraneShares SSE Star Market 50 Index ETF | JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION<br> 1111 Polaris Parkway Columbus Ohio 43240 | 56.3% |
| KSTR | KraneShares SSE Star Market 50 Index ETF | CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.<br> 3000 Schwab Way, Westlake TX 76262 | 10.8% |
| KSTR | KraneShares SSE Star Market 50 Index ETF | NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC<br> 1 World Financial Center - Sandy Hook, New York, New York 10281 | 8.8% |

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| KTEC | KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF | CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.<br> 3000 Schwab Way, Westlake TX 76262 | 20.3% |
| KTEC | KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF | NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC<br> 1 World Financial Center - Sandy Hook, New York, New York 10281 | 15.4% |
| KTEC | KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF | CITIBANK, N.A.<br> 388 Greenwich Street New York, New York 10013 | 13.2% |
| KTEC | KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF | PERSHING LLC<br> One Pershing Plaza Jersey City, NJ 07399 | 10.7% |
| KTEC | KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF | INTERACTIVE BROKERS LLC/RETAIL<br> Two Pickwick Plaza Greenwich CT 06830 | 5.8% |
| KTEC | KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF | UBS SECURITIES LLC<br> 1285 Avenue Of The Americas,10019 New York | 5.2% |
| KCCA | KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC<br> 1 World Financial Center - Sandy Hook, New York, New York 10281 | 30.6% |
| KCCA | KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.<br> 3000 Schwab Way, Westlake TX 76262 | 23.1% |
| KCCA | KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | PERSHING LLC<br> One Pershing Plaza Jersey City, NJ 07399 | 14.1% |
| KCCA | KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | THE NORTHERN TRUST COMPANY<br> 50 S. LaSalle Street, Chicago, IL 60603 | 8.0% |
| KCCA | KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | INTERACTIVE BROKERS LLC/RETAIL<br> Two Pickwick Plaza Greenwich CT 06830 | 5.7% |
| KEUA | KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.<br> 3000 Schwab Way, Westlake TX 76262 | 18.9% |
| KEUA | KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | CITIBANK, N.A.<br> 388 Greenwich Street New York, New York 10013 | 16.4% |
| KEUA | KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC<br> 1 World Financial Center - Sandy Hook, New York, New York 10281 | 11.8% |
| KEUA | KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | GOLDMAN SACHS & CO. LLC<br> 200 West Street New York, New York 10282 | 6.4% |
| KEUA | KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INTERNATIONAL PLC<br> 25 Cabot Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 4QA, United Kingdom | 6.2% |
| KEUA | KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC/JPMC<br> 277 Park Avenue New York, New York 10172 | 5.7% |
| KEUA | KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | INTERACTIVE BROKERS LLC/RETAIL<br> Two Pickwick Plaza Greenwich CT 06830 | 5.2% |

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| KLIP | KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF | CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.<br> 3000 Schwab Way, Westlake TX 76262 | 34.4% |
| KLIP | KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF | NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC<br> 1 World Financial Center - Sandy Hook, New York, New York 10281 | 18.4% |
| KLIP | KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF | MORGAN STANLEY SMITH BARNEY LLC<br> 1585 Broadway New York, New York 10036 | 10.6% |
| KLXY | KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF | BOFA SECURITIES, INC.<br> 100 North Tryon Street Charlotte NC 28255 | 35.8% |
| KLXY | KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF | CITIBANK, N.A.<br> 388 Greenwich Street New York, New York 10013 | 11.7% |
| KLXY | KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF | DRIVEWEALTH, LLC<br> 97 Main Street, 2nd floor, Chatham, NJ 07928 | 9.7% |
| KLXY | KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF | CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.<br> 3000 Schwab Way, Westlake TX 76262 | 9.4% |
| KLXY | KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF | J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC/JPMC<br> 277 Park Avenue New York, New York 10172 | 8.2% |
| KLXY | KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF | GOLDMAN SACHS & CO. LLC<br> 200 West Street New York, New York 10282 | 7.0% |
| KLXY | KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF | CIBC WORLD MARKETS INC./CDS\*\*<br> 300 Madison Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10017 | 5.4% |
| KSPY | KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF | NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC<br> 1 World Financial Center - Sandy Hook, New York, New York 10281 | 44.1% |
| KSPY | KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF | PERSHING LLC<br> One Pershing Plaza Jersey City, NJ 07399 | 21.2% |
| KSPY | KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF | CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.<br> 3000 Schwab Way, Westlake TX 76262 | 12.9% |
| AGIX | KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF | CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.<br> 3000 Schwab Way, Westlake TX 76262 | 21.4% |
| AGIX | KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF | INTERACTIVE BROKERS LLC/RETAIL<br> Two Pickwick Plaza Greenwich CT 06830 | 19.6% |
| AGIX | KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF | NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC<br> 1 World Financial Center - Sandy Hook, New York, New York 10281 | 14.0% |
| AGIX | KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF | FUTU CLEARING INC.<br> 12750 Merit Drive, Suite 475, Dallas, TX 75251 United States | 6.7% |
| AGIX | KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF | WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC<br> 550 South Tryon Street, 6th Floor, Charlotte, NC 28202 | 5.7% |
| KCSH | KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF | BROWN BROTHERS HARRIMAN & CO.<br> 140 Broadway New York, New York 10005 | 99.1% |

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| KCAI | KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF | FIDELITY CLEARING CANADA ULC/CDS\*\*<br> 483 Bay Street, South tower Suite 200 Toronto, ON | 86.0% |
| KCAI | KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF | J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC/JPMC<br> 277 Park Avenue New York, New York 10172 | 7.6% |
| BUYO | KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF | THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON<br> 240 Greenwich Street New York, New York 10286 | 87.7% |
| BUYO | KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF | BOFA SECURITIES, INC.<br> 100 North Tryon Street Charlotte NC 28255 | 10.4% |
| KOID | KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF | NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC<br> 1 World Financial Center - Sandy Hook, New York, New York 10281 | 17.6% |
| KOID | KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF | CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.<br> 3000 Schwab Way, Westlake TX 76262 | 16.7% |
| KOID | KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF | GOLDMAN SACHS & CO. LLC<br> 200 West Street New York, New York 10282 | 13.0% |
| KOID | KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF | MORGAN STANLEY SMITH BARNEY LLC<br> 1585 Broadway New York, New York 10036 | 10.4% |
| KOID | KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF | INTERACTIVE BROKERS LLC/RETAIL<br> Two Pickwick Plaza Greenwich CT 06830 | 5.7% |

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\* DTC participants are listed according to their DTC number and may represent multiple companies under a single parent company, which have not been aggregated.

The KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF, KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF, KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF and KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF had not yet commenced operations as of March 31, 2025, and, therefore, there were no public shareholders of those Funds as of that date. Krane will own the initial shares issued by each such Fund and can thus approve any matter requiring shareholder approval.

A person owning 25% or more of the voting securities of a Fund is termed a "Control Person" of the Fund. Shareholders owning voting securities in excess of 25% may determine the outcome of any matter affecting and voted on by shareholders of a Fund. The actions of an entity or person that controls a Fund could have an effect on other shareholders. For instance, a Control Person may have effective voting control over a Fund, and large redemptions by a Control Person could cause a Fund's other shareholders to pay a higher pro rata portion of the Fund's expenses.

**EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING**

A discussion of exchange listing and trading matters associated with an investment in a Fund is contained in the Prospectus. The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, such sections of the Prospectus.

The shares of the Funds are listed and traded on the Exchange identified on the cover of this SAI at prices that may differ from a Fund's NAV. There can be no assurance that the Exchange requirements necessary to maintain the listing of the shares of the Fund will continue to be met. The Exchange may, but is not required to, remove the shares of the Fund from listing if, among other matters: (i) the Exchange becomes aware that the Fund is no longer eligible to operate in reliance on Rule 6c-11 of the Investment Company Act; (ii) if the Fund no longer complies with the requirements set forth by the Exchange; (iii) following the initial 12-month period after commencement of trading of the Fund, there are fewer than fifty (50) Beneficial Owners (as that term is defined below) of the shares of the Fund; or (iv) such other event shall occur or condition exist that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the shares of the Fund from listing and trading upon termination of the Fund.

Trading prices of 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.

As in the case of other stocks traded on the Exchange, broker's commissions on purchases or sales of shares in market transactions will be based on investors' negotiated commission rates.

The Trust reserves the right to adjust the price levels of 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 a Fund or the value of investors' individual positions in the Fund.

**BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM**

The information below supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled "Shareholder Information."

The Depository Trust Company ("DTC") acts as securities depository for the Funds' shares. Shares of the Funds are represented by securities registered in the name of the DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, the DTC.

The DTC, a limited-purpose trust company, was created to hold securities of its participants ("DTC Participants") and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities' certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own the DTC. More specifically, the DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the Exchange, and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the "Indirect Participants").

Beneficial ownership of shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as "Beneficial Owners") is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by the DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of shares. The laws of some jurisdictions may require that certain purchasers of securities take physical delivery of such securities in definitive form. Such laws may impair the ability of certain investors to acquire beneficial interests in shares.

Conveyance of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. Pursuant to the Depositary Agreement between the Trust and the DTC, the DTC is required to make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee to be charged to the Trust a listing of the shares of a Fund held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall inquire of each such DTC Participant as to the number of Beneficial Owners holding shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

Share distributions shall be made to the DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all shares. The DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants' accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in shares of a Fund as shown on the records of the DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a "street name," and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.

The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in such shares, or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between the DTC and DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.

The DTC may decide to discontinue providing its service with respect to shares at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Trust and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Trust shall take action to find a replacement for the DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost.

**BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS**

Krane or, as applicable, a Fund sub-adviser assumes general supervision over placing orders on behalf of a Fund for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities.

Although Krane or, as applicable, a Fund sub-adviser strives to obtain the best net price under prevailing circumstances surrounding each trade, the determinative factor is whether a transaction represents the best overall execution for a Fund and not whether the lowest possible transaction cost is obtained. Krane and any sub-adviser consider the full range and quality of a broker-dealer's servicing in selecting the broker to meet best execution obligations, and may not pay the lowest transaction cost available. Krane or the sub-adviser review trading to ensure best execution, operational performance, and reasonable commission rates. Order flow may go through traditional broker-dealers, but may also be executed on an Electronic Communication Network, Alternative Trading System or other execution system.

As discussed in the Prospectus and this SAI, Chinese regulations and market practice limit the PRC Dealers and/or Brokers that may be available to trade with a Fund. Where multiple broker-dealers are available to execute portfolio transactions, in selecting the brokers or dealers for any transaction in portfolio securities, Krane or a sub-adviser's policy is to make such selection based on factors deemed relevant, which may include the breadth of the market in the security; the price of the security; the reasonableness of the commission or mark-up or mark-down, if any; execution capability; settlement capability; back office efficiency; and the financial condition of the broker or dealer, both for the specific transaction and on a continuing basis. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid or spreads is evaluated by Krane or a sub-adviser generally based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions paid or spreads by other institutional investors for comparable services. Brokers or dealers may also be selected because of their ability to handle special or difficult executions, such as may be involved in large block trades, less liquid securities, broad distributions, or other circumstances. Krane or a sub-adviser may also consider the provision or value of research, products or services a broker or dealer may provide, if any, as a factor in the selection of a broker or dealer or the determination of the reasonableness of commissions paid in connection with portfolio transactions. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of a Fund's shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or a dealer to execute its portfolio transactions.

When one or more broker-dealers is believed capable of providing the best combination of price and execution, a broker-dealer need not be selected based solely on the lowest commission rate available for a particular transaction. In such cases, Krane or a sub-adviser may pay a higher commission than otherwise obtainable from other brokers in return for brokerage research services provided to Krane or a sub-adviser consistent with Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act. Section 28(e) provides that Krane or a sub-adviser may cause a Fund to pay a broker-dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged as long as Krane or the sub-adviser makes a good faith determination that the amount of commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by the broker-dealer. To the extent Krane or a sub-adviser obtains brokerage and research services that it otherwise would acquire at its own expense, Krane or a sub-adviser may have incentive to place a greater volume of transactions or pay higher commissions than would otherwise be the case.

The types of products and services that Krane or the sub-adviser may obtain from broker-dealers through such arrangements may include research reports and other information on the economy, industries, sectors, groups of securities, individual companies, statistical information, political developments, technical market action, pricing and appraisal services, credit analysis, risk measurement analysis, performance and other analysis. Krane or a sub-adviser may use products and services provided by brokers in servicing all of its client accounts and not all such products and services may necessarily be used in connection with the account that paid commissions to the broker-dealer providing such products and services. Any advisory or other fees paid to Krane or a sub-adviser are not reduced as a result of the receipt of brokerage and research services.

In some cases, Krane or a sub-adviser may receive a product or service from a broker that has both a "research" and a "non-research" use. When this occurs, Krane or the sub-adviser will make a good faith allocation between the research and non-research uses of the product or service. The percentage of the service that is used for research purposes may be paid for with brokerage commissions, while Krane or the sub-adviser will use its own funds to pay for the percentage of the service that is used for non-research purposes. In making this good faith allocation, Krane or the sub-adviser faces a potential conflict of interest, but Krane or the sub-adviser believes that its allocation procedures are reasonably designed to appropriately allocate the anticipated use of such products and services to research and non-research uses.

The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of a Fund's shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or a dealer to execute its portfolio transactions.

Brokerage transactions may be conducted through "affiliated brokers or dealers," as defined in rules under the 1940 Act. An affiliated broker-dealer will receive compensation from a Fund in connection with the Fund's portfolio investment transactions conducted through them. This arrangement may present actual or perceived conflicts of interest, but the 1940 Act permits commissions to be paid by a fund to an "affiliated broker or dealer" if such commissions do not exceed the usual and customary broker's commission. Accordingly, the Funds have adopted compliance policies and procedures to permits such trades so long as, among other matters, the commissions paid to an affiliated broker-dealer are, in the judgment of the Krane or the subadviser (if applicable), reasonable and fair as compared to the commissions charged by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities.

An affiliated broker-dealer may engage in proprietary trading and advise accounts and funds that have investment objectives similar to those of a Fund and/or that engage in and compete for transactions in the same types of securities, currencies and other instruments as the Fund. Such activities could affect the prices and availability of the securities, currencies, and instruments in which a Fund invests, which could have an adverse impact on a Fund's performance. Such transactions by an affiliated broker-dealer, including for other client accounts, will be executed independently of a Fund's transactions and thus at prices or rates that may be more or less favorable than those obtained by the Fund.

**<u>Brokerage Commissions</u>**

Aggregate brokerage commissions paid by each of the following operational Funds on portfolio transactions for the fiscal periods shown are set forth in the table below:

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Fiscal Period Ended<br> March 31,**<br> **2025** | **Fiscal Period Ended<br> March 31,<br> 2024** | **Fiscal Period Ended<br> March 31,<br> 2023** |
| KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | $4337118 | $1974917 | $7509114 |
| KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF | $166881 | $274871 | $524435 |
| KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF | $122305 | $139300 | $251001 |
| KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF | $8908 | $23617 | $84114 |
| KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF | $69285 | $29319 | $57035 |
| KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF | $43605 | $84750 | $106951 |
| KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF | $7808 | $22354 | $21830 |
| KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF | $1573 | $1770 | $4834 |
| KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF | $28485 | $20865 | $38414 |

---

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Fiscal Period Ended<br> March 31,**<br> **2025** | **Fiscal Period Ended<br> March 31,<br> 2024** | **Fiscal Period Ended<br> March 31,<br> 2023** |
| KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF | $20841 | $3598 | $8069 |
| KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF | $1948700 | $1337283 | $16,319\* |
| KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF | $1273 | $957\*\* | N/A |
| KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF | $18453 | $45148 | $24156 |
| KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF | $152659 | $119177 | $196742 |
| KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF | $152002 | $121340 | $241460 |
| KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | $4324 | $4260 | $5009 |
| KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | $119052 | $28020 | $0 |
| KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF | $18,598\*\*\* | N/A | N/A |
| KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF | $2,525\*\*\*\* | N/A | N/A |
| KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF | $0\*\*\*\*\* | N/A | N/A |
| KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF | $28,067\*\*\*\*\*\* | N/A | N/A |
| KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF | $4,380\*\*\*\*\*\*\* | N/A | N/A |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF's inception, January 12, 2023 to March 31, 2023. |
| \*\* | For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF's inception, September 7, 2023 to March 31, 2024. |
| \*\*\* | For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF's inception, July 15, 2024 to March 31, 2025. |
| \*\*\*\* | For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF's inception, July 17, 2024 to March 31, 2025. |
| \*\*\*\*\* | For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF's inception, July 25, 2024 to March 31, 2025. |
| \*\*\*\*\*\* | For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF's inception, August 27, 2024 to March 31, 2025. |
| \*\*\*\*\*\*\* | For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF's inception, October 7, 2024 to March 31, 2025. |

---

Because each of the KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF, KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF, KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF and KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF had not commenced operations prior to the end of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, those Funds did not pay any brokerage commissions during the three prior fiscal years.

**<u>Directed Brokerage</u>**

For the fiscal year/period ended March 31, 2025, the Funds paid the following in commissions on brokerage transactions directed to brokers pursuant to an agreement or understanding whereby the broker provides research or other brokerage services to Krane or the sub-adviser:

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Fund** | **Brokerage<br> Commissions for<br> Research Services** | **Transactions<br> Involving**<br> **Brokerage<br> Commissions for<br> Research Services** |
| KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | $553252 | $700562868 |
| KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF | $0 | $0 |

---

Because each of the KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF, KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF, KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF and KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF had not commenced operations prior to the end of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, those Funds did not pay any brokerage commissions pursuant to an agreement or understanding whereby the broker provides research or other brokerage services to Krane or the sub-adviser during the prior fiscal year.

**<u>Affiliated Brokers</u>**

Of the aggregate brokerage commissions paid by each of the following operational Funds on portfolio transactions for the fiscal periods shown, below are the commissions paid by the Funds to a broker that is an affiliated person of the Fund:

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Fiscal Period Ended<br> March 31,<br> 2025** | **Fiscal Period Ended <br>March 31,<br> 2024** | **Fiscal Period Ended <br>March 31,<br> 2023** |
| KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF | $0 | $71 | $0 |
| KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF | $0 | $0 | $0\* |
| KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF | $0 | $0\*\* | N/A |
| KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF | $0\*\*\* | N/A | N/A |
| KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF | $0\*\*\*\* | N/A | N/A |
| KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF | $0\*\*\*\*\* | N/A | N/A |
| KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF | $0\*\*\*\*\*\* | N/A | N/A |
| KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF | $0\*\*\*\*\*\*\* | N/A | N/A |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF's inception, January 12, 2023 to March 31, 2023. |
| \*\* | For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF's inception, September 7, 2023 to March 31, 2024. |
| \*\*\* | For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF's inception, July 15, 2024 to March 31, 2025. |
| \*\*\*\* | For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF's inception, July 17, 2024 to March 31, 2025. |
| \*\*\*\*\* | For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF's inception, July 25, 2024 to March 31, 2025. |
| \*\*\*\*\*\* | For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF's inception, August 27, 2024 to March 31, 2025. |
| \*\*\*\*\*\*\* | For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF's inception, October 7, 2024 to March 31, 2025. |

---

Because each of the KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF, KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF, KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF and KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF had not commenced operations prior to the end of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, those Funds did not pay any brokerage commissions to any affiliated brokers during the three prior fiscal years.

**<u>Regular Broker-Dealers</u>**

Each Fund is required to identify any securities of its "regular brokers and dealers" (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) which a Fund may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. "Regular brokers or dealers" of a Fund are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year: (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from a Fund's portfolio transactions; (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio transactions of a Fund; or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of a Fund's shares. Such information is set out in the table below:

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| | **Ownership as of**<br> **March 31, 2025**<br> **($ thousands)** |
| KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF |  |
| KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF |  |
| KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF |  |
| KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF |  |
| KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF |  |
| KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF |  |
| KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF |  |
| KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index |  |
| KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF |  |
| KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF |  |
| KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF |  |
| KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF |  |
| KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF |  |
| KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF | $526 – Goldman Sachs Group Inc. |
|  | $469 – JP Morgan Chase & Co. |
|  | $239 – Morgan Stanley & Co. |
|  | $213 – Virtu Americas |
| KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF |  |
| KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF |  |
| KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF |  |
| KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF |  |
| KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF |  |
| KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF |  |
| KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF |  |
| KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF |  |
| KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF |  |
| KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF |  |

---

Because each of the KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF, KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF, KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF and KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF had not commenced operations prior to the end of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, those Funds did not own any securities of their "regular broker-dealers" as of that time.

**<u>Portfolio Turnover</u>**

Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year, and generally relates to changes in the underlying index. High turnover rates are likely to result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses or dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions is evaluated by Krane or the sub-adviser based upon their knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions and spreads paid or incurred by the other institutional investors for comparable services.

During the two prior fiscal years/periods, the Funds' portfolio turnover rates were as follows:

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Fiscal Period Ended <br>March 31,<br> 2025** | **Fiscal Period Ended <br>March 31,<br> 2024** |
| KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | 54% | 32% |
| KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF | 77% | 38% |
| KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF | 158% | 121% |
| KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF | 39% | 42% |
| KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF | 63% | 135% |
| KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF | 77% | 17% |
| KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF | 36% | 65% |
| KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF | 3% | 6% |
| KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF | 19% | 27% |
| KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF | 57% | 32% |
| KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index | 86% | 55% |
| KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF | 424% | 347% |
| KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF | 55% | 14%\* |
| KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF | 80% | 200% |
| KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF | 0% | 0% |
| KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF | 45% | 0% |
| KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | 10% | 0% |
| KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | 74% | 0% |
| KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF | 2%\*\* | N/A |
| KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF | 49%\*\*\* | N/A |
| KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF | 0%\*\*\*\* | N/A |
| KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF | 149%\*\*\*\*\* | N/A |
| KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF | 27%\*\*\*\*\*\* | N/A |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| \* | For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF's inception, September 7, 2023 to March 31, 2024. |
| \*\* | For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF's inception, July 15, 2024 to March 31, 2025. |
| \*\*\* | For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF's inception, July 17, 2024 to March 31, 2025. |
| \*\*\*\* | For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF's inception, July 25, 2024 to March 31, 2025. |
| \*\*\*\*\* | For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF's inception, August 27, 2024 to March 31, 2025. |
| \*\*\*\*\*\* | For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF's inception, October 7, 2024 to March 31, 2025. |

---

Because each of the KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF, KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF, KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF and KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF had not commenced operations prior to the end of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, those Funds do not have portfolio turnover information for the prior fiscal year to report.

**CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS**

Except as otherwise noted below, the following applies to any Fund covered by this SAI:

**<u>General</u>**

The Trust issues and redeems shares of a Fund only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load but subject to the transaction fees described below, at the NAV next determined after receipt, on any Business Day (as defined below), of an order in proper form. A "Business Day", as used herein, is any day on which the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") is open for business. As of the date of this SAI, the NYSE observes the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Currently, the number of shares that constitutes a Creation Unit is 50,000 shares (except for the KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF, KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF, KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF, KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF and KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF, whose Creation Units consist of 100,000, 25,000, 25,000, 25,000, 25,000 and 25,000 shares, respectively). In its discretion, the Board reserves the right to increase or decrease the number of the Fund's shares that constitute a Creation Unit. The Board reserves the right to declare a split or a consolidation in the number of shares outstanding of the Fund, and to make changes in the number of shares constituting a Creation Unit, including in the event that the per share price in the secondary market rises (or declines) to an amount that falls outside the range deemed desirable by the Board.

Creation Units may be purchased and redeemed only by or through a DTC Participant that has entered into an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Distributor (an "Authorized Participant"). Such Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of such Authorized Participant Agreement and on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including those set forth below, the Authorized Participant Agreement and any handbook governing the Authorized Participants (collectively, the "AP Agreement"). Investors who are not Authorized Participants must make appropriate arrangements with an Authorized Participant to purchase or redeem Creation Units. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not be a DTC Participant or may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Distributor and that Creation Unit orders may have to be placed by the investor's broker through an Authorized Participant. As a result, orders placed through an Authorized Participant may result in additional charges to such investor. A list of current Authorized Participants may be obtained from the Distributor.

Investors who are not Authorized Participants may purchase and sell shares of the Fund through an Authorized Participant or on the secondary market.

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

The Basket of securities comprising a Fund Deposit and a Fund Redemption (each, as defined below) may be representative of the Fund's portfolio holdings; or the Fund may utilize "Custom Baskets" provided that certain conditions are met. A Custom Basket is (i) a Basket that is composed of a non-representative selection of the Fund's portfolio holdings, (ii) a representative Basket that is different from the initial Basket used in transactions on the same business day, or (iii) a Basket that contains bespoke cash and/or security substitutions, including for a single Authorized Participant. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that govern the construction and acceptance of Baskets, including heightened requirements for Custom Baskets. Such policies and procedures provide detailed parameters for the construction and acceptance of Custom Baskets, establish processes for revisions to, or deviations from, such parameters, and specify the titles and roles of the employees of the Adviser who are required to review each Custom Basket for compliance with those parameters. In connection with the construction and acceptance of Custom Baskets, the Adviser may consider various factors, including, but not limited to:

(1) whether the securities, assets and other positions comprising a Basket are consistent with the Fund's investment objective, policies and disclosure; (2) whether the securities, assets and other positions can legally and readily be acquired, transferred and held by the Fund and/or Authorized Participant(s), as applicable; (3) whether and to what extent to include cash in the Basket; (4) whether the Custom Basket increases the liquidity of a Fund's portfolio, noting that a Custom Basket may not be accepted which adversely affects the liquidity position of a Fund's portfolio when other Basket options exist; (5) whether the use of Custom Baskets may reduce costs, increase (tax) efficiency and improve trading in Fund shares; and (6) with respect to index-based strategies, whether the securities, assets and other positions aid the Fund to track its underlying index. The policies and procedures apply different criteria to different types of Custom Baskets in order to mitigate against potential overreaching by an Authorized Participant, although there is no guarantee that such policies and procedures will be effective.

**<u>Purchases of Creation Units</u>**

The consideration for the purchase of Creation Units of the Fund consists of an in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities ("Deposit Securities") or cash for all or any portion of such securities ("Deposit Cash") (collectively, the "Deposit Basket") and the Cash Component, which is an amount equal to the difference between the aggregate NAV of a Creation Unit and the Deposit Basket. Together, the Deposit Basket and the Cash Component constitute the "Fund Deposit."

The Custodian or the Administrator makes available through the National Securities Clearing Corporation ("NSCC") on each Business Day, prior to the opening of regular trading on the Exchange, the list of names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security and Deposit Cash in the Deposit Basket, and the estimated amount of the Cash Component to be included in the current Fund Deposit. Such Fund Deposit will normally be applicable, subject to any adjustments as described below, in order to effect purchases of Creation Units of the Fund until such time as the next-announced Fund Deposit is made available. The means by which the Deposit Basket and Cash Component are to be delivered by the Authorized Participant to the Fund are set forth in the AP Agreement, except to the extent the Distributor and the Authorized Participant otherwise agree. Fund shares will be settled through the DTC system.

The identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities change pursuant to, among other matters, changes in the composition of the Fund's portfolio and as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time. The composition of the Deposit Securities may also change in response to adjustments to the weighting or composition of the component securities constituting a Fund's Underlying Index, if applicable.

Cash purchases of Creation Units will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind purchases. The Authorized Participant will pay the cash equivalent of the Deposit Securities as Deposit Cash plus or minus the same Cash Component.

Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable, on behalf of the Fund, will convert subscriptions that are made in whole or in part in cash, including Deposit Cash, into the relevant foreign currency prior to investment at the applicable exchange rate and subject to the applicable spread. Those purchasing Creation Units of the Fund bear the risk associated with changes in the currency exchange rate between the time they place their order and the time that the Fund converts any cash received into foreign investments.

**<u>Placement of Purchase Orders</u>**

*All Funds except KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF, KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF, KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF and KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF*

To initiate an order for a Creation Unit, an Authorized Participant must submit to the Distributor an irrevocable order in proper form to purchase shares of the Fund generally between 4:15 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Authorized Participants may also submit to the Distributor an irrevocable order in proper form to purchase shares of the Fund generally anytime on a Business Day, except from 4:00 p.m. to 4:15 Eastern Time, but orders submitted on a Business Day before 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time will normally be charged the maximum transaction fees and Authorized Participants are encouraged to submit orders generally between 4:15 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. For a purchase order to be processed based on the NAV calculated on a particular Business Day, the purchase order must be received in proper form and accepted by the Trust prior to the time as of which the NAV is calculated ("Cutoff Time").

*KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF*

To initiate an order for a Creation Unit, an Authorized Participant must submit to the Distributor an irrevocable order in proper form to purchase shares of the Fund before the earlier of (a) 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time or (b) two hours before the close of the trading session on the Exchange ("Cutoff Time"). For a purchase order to be processed based on the NAV calculated on a particular Business Day, the purchase order must be received in proper form and accepted by the Trust prior to the Cutoff Time.

*KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF and KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF*

For a purchase order to be processed based on the NAV calculated on a particular Business Day, the purchase order must be received in proper form and accepted by the Trust prior to the time as of which the NAV is calculated ("Cutoff Time").

*KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF*

To initiate an order for a Creation Unit, an Authorized Participant must submit to the Distributor an irrevocable order in proper form to purchase shares of the Fund before the earlier of (a) 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time or (b) two hours before the close of the trading session on the Exchange. For a purchase order to be processed based on the NAV calculated on a particular Business Day, the purchase order must be received in proper form and accepted by the Trust prior to the time as of which the NAV is calculated ("Cutoff Time").

*KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF*

To initiate an order for a Creation Unit, an Authorized Participant must submit to the Distributor an irrevocable order in proper form to purchase shares of the Fund before the earlier of (a) 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time or (b) three hours before the close of the trading session on the Exchange. For a purchase order to be processed based on the NAV calculated on a particular Business Day, the purchase order must be received in proper form and accepted by the Trust prior to the time as of which the NAV is calculated ("Cutoff Time").

*All Funds*

Investors who are not Authorized Participants and seek to place a purchase order for a Creation Unit through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Distributor by the Cutoff Time on such Business Day. Custom Orders must normally be received in proper form and accepted by the Trust at least two hours prior to Cutoff Time.

The AP Agreement sets forth the different methods whereby Authorized Participants can submit purchase orders. A purchase order is considered to be in "proper form" if a request in a form satisfactory to the Fund is (1) received by the Distributor from an Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another person within the time period set above, and (2) all the procedures and other requirements applicable to the method used by the Authorized Participant to submit the purchase order, such as, in the case of purchase orders submitted through the Distributor's website, the completion of all required fields, including as set forth in the AP Agreement, are properly followed.

Creation Unit orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure, may impede transmissions between the Distributor and an Authorized Participant. Orders to create shares of the Fund that are submitted on the Business Day immediately preceding a holiday or a day (other than a weekend) when the securities markets in a foreign market in which the Fund may invest are closed may not be accepted or may be charged the maximum transaction fee. The Distributor, in its discretion, may permit the submission of orders and requests by or through an Authorized Participant via communication through the facilities of the Distributor's proprietary website maintained for this purpose. A purchase order, if accepted by the Trust, will be processed based on the NAV as of next time it is calculated.

**<u>Acceptance of Orders for, and Issuance of, Creation Units</u>**

All questions as to whether an order has been submitted in proper form and the number of shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Fund and the Fund's determination shall be final and binding.

The Fund reserves the right to reject or revoke acceptance of a creation order, for any reason, provided that such action is not in contravention of Rule 6c-11. For example, the Fund may reject or revoke acceptance of a creation order including, but not limited to, when (i) the order is not in proper form; (ii) the investor(s), upon obtaining the shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding shares of the Fund; (iii) the Deposit Securities delivered do not conform to the identity and number of shares specified; (iv) acceptance of the Fund Deposit is not legally required or would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; or (v) circumstances outside the control of the Fund, the Distributor and Krane make it impracticable to process purchase orders. The Distributor shall notify a prospective purchaser of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such purchaser of the rejection or revocation of acceptance of such order. The Fund, the Custodian, the sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall any of them incur any liability for failure to give such notification.

Except as provided in the following paragraph, a Creation Unit will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Fund of the Deposit Securities and the payment of the Cash Component, Deposit Cash and creation transaction fees have been completed. In this regard, the Custodian will require, prior to the issuance of a Creation Unit, that the sub-custodian confirm to the Custodian that the Deposit Securities have been delivered to the account of the Fund at the sub-custodian(s). If the Fund does not receive the foregoing by the time specified herein the Creation Unit may not be delivered or the purchase order may be rejected.

The Fund may issue Creation Units to an Authorized Participant, notwithstanding the fact that all Deposit Securities have not been received, in reliance on the undertaking of the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing Deposit Securities as soon as possible, which undertaking shall be secured by such Authorized Participant's delivery and maintenance of collateral having a value of up to 115% of the value of the missing Deposit Securities. The only collateral that is acceptable is cash in U.S. dollars. Such cash collateral must be delivered no later than 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time on the contractual settlement date of the Creation Unit(s). The Fund may buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time, and the Authorized Participant will be liable for any shortfall between the cost to the Fund of purchasing such securities and the cash collateral. In addition, the cash collateral may be invested at the risk of the Authorized Participant, and any income on invested cash collateral will be paid to that Authorized Participant. Information concerning the Fund's current procedures for collateralization of missing Deposit Securities is available from the Distributor.

In certain cases, an Authorized Participant may create and redeem Creation Units on the same trade date. In these instances, the Fund reserves the right to settle these transactions on a net basis or require a representation from the Authorized Participant that the creation and redemption transactions are for separate Beneficial Owners.

Once the Fund has accepted a purchase order, upon the next determination of the NAV of the shares, the Fund may confirm the issuance of a Creation Unit, against receipt of payment, at such NAV. The Distributor will then transmit a confirmation of acceptance to the Authorized Participant that placed the order. Creation Units typically are settled on a "T+1" basis (i.e., one Business Day after trade date), subject to certain exceptions. However, the Fund reserves the right to settle Creation Unit transactions on a basis other than T+1, including in order to accommodate non-U.S. market holiday schedules, closures and settlement cycles, and to account for different treatment among non-U.S. and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates.

**<u>Creation Transaction Fees</u>**

A standard creation transaction fee is imposed to offset transfer and other costs associated with the issuance of Creation Units. The standard creation transaction fee is charged to the Authorized Participant on the day such Authorized Participant creates a Creation Unit, and is the same, regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased by the Authorized Participant on the applicable Business Day.

The Authorized Participant may also be required to pay a variable transaction fee (up to the maximum amount shown in the table below) to cover certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, market impact and other costs and expenses. Authorized Participants will also bear the costs of transferring the Deposit Securities, including any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses.

The standard creation transaction fee and maximum variable transaction fee for a Creation Unit are set forth below:

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **FUND** | **STANDARD<br> TRANSACTION FEE** | **MAXIMUM VARIABLE<br> TRANSACTION FEE\*** |
| KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | $500 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF | $750 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF | $850 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF | $600 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF | $800 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF | $1500 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF | $1200 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF | $250 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF | $800 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF | $15000 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF | $3600 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF | $2250 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF | $550 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF | $10 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF | $625 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF | $1650 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF | $400 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF | $500 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF | $50 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | $50 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | $50 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF | $50 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF | $25 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF | $500 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF | $750 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF | $650 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF | $1850 | 2.00% |

---

\* As a percentage of the Creation Unit(s) purchased.

The Adviser may adjust the transactions fees from time to time based on actual experience.

**<u>Redemptions of Creation Units</u>**

The consideration paid by the Fund for the redemption of Creation Units consists of an in-kind basket of designated securities ("Redemption Securities") or cash for all or any portion of such securities ("Redemption Cash") (collectively, the "Fund Securities") and the Cash Component, which is an amount equal to the difference between the aggregate NAV of a Creation Unit and the Fund Securities. Together, the Fund Securities and the Cash Component constitute the "Fund Redemption."

The Custodian or the Administrator normally makes available through NSCC on each Business Day, prior to the opening of regular trading on the Exchange, the list of names and the number of shares of each Redemption Security and Redemption Cash, as applicable, and the estimated amount of the Cash Component to be included in the current Fund Redemption. Such Fund Redemption is applicable, subject to any adjustments as described below, for redemptions of Creation Units of the Fund until such time as the next-announced Fund Redemption is made available. The delivery of Fund shares will be settled through the DTC system. The means by which the Fund Securities and Cash Component are to be delivered to the Authorized Participant by the Fund are set forth in the AP Agreement, except to the extent the Distributor and the Authorized Participant otherwise agree.

The identity and number of shares of the Redemption Securities change pursuant to, among other matters, changes in the composition of the Fund's portfolio and as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time. The composition of the Redemption Securities may also change in response to adjustments to the weighting or composition of the component securities constituting a Fund's Underlying Index or investments and may not be the same as the Deposit Securities.

Cash redemptions of Creation Units will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind redemptions. The Authorized Participant will receive the cash equivalent of the Fund Securities as Redemption Cash plus or minus the same Cash Component.

Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable, on behalf of the Fund, will sell investments denominated in foreign currencies and convert such proceeds into U.S. Dollars at the applicable exchange rate and subject to the applicable spread for redemptions that are made in whole or in part for cash, including Redemption Cash. Those redeeming Creation Units of the Fund bear the risk associated with changes in the currency exchange rate between the time they place their order and the time that the Fund converts any investments into U.S. Dollars.

**<u>Placement of Redemption Orders</u>**

*All Funds except KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF, KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF, KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF and KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF*

To initiate a redemption order for a Creation Unit, an Authorized Participant must submit to the Distributor an irrevocable order in proper form to redeem shares of the Fund generally between 4:15 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Authorized Participants may also submit to the Distributor an irrevocable order in proper form to redeem shares of the Fund generally anytime on a Business Day, except from 4:00 p.m. to 4:15 Eastern Time, but orders submitted on a Business Day before 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time will normally be charged the maximum transaction fees and Authorized Participants are encouraged to submit orders generally between 4:15 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. For a redemption order to be processed based on the NAV calculated on a particular Business Day, the redemption order must be received in proper form and accepted by the Trust prior to the time as of which the NAV is calculated ("Cutoff Time").

*KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF*

To initiate a redemption order for a Creation Unit, an Authorized Participant must submit to the Distributor an irrevocable order in proper form to redeem shares of the Fund before the earlier of (a) 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time or (b) two hours before the close of the trading session on the Exchange ("Cutoff Time"). For a redemption order to be processed based on the NAV calculated on a particular Business Day, the redemption order must be received in proper form and accepted by the Trust prior to the Cutoff Time.

*KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF and KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF*

For a redemption order to be processed based on the NAV calculated on a particular Business Day, the redemption order must be received in proper form and accepted by the Trust prior to the time as of which the NAV is calculated ("Cutoff Time").

*KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF*

To initiate a redemption order for a Creation Unit, an Authorized Participant must submit to the Distributor an irrevocable order in proper form to redeem shares of the Fund before the earlier of (a) 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time or (b) two hours before the close of the trading session on the Exchange. For a redemption order to be processed based on the NAV calculated on a particular Business Day, the redemption order must be received in proper form and accepted by the Trust prior to the time as of which the NAV is calculated ("Cutoff Time").

*KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF*

To initiate a redemption order for a Creation Unit, an Authorized Participant must submit to the Distributor an irrevocable order in proper form to redeem shares of the Fund before the earlier of (a) 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time or (b) three hours before the close of the trading session on the Exchange. For a redemption order to be processed based on the NAV calculated on a particular Business Day, the redemption order must be received in proper form and accepted by the Trust prior to the time as of which the NAV is calculated ("Cutoff Time").

*All Funds*

Investors who are not Authorized Participants and seek to place a redemption order for a Creation Unit through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the redemption order to the Distributor by the Cutoff Time on such Business Day.

The AP Agreement sets forth the different methods whereby Authorized Participants can submit redemption requests. A redemption request is considered to be in "proper form" if a request in a form satisfactory to the Fund is (1) received by the Distributor from an Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another person within the time period set above, and (2) all the procedures and other requirements applicable to the method used by the Authorized Participant to submit the redemption order, such as, in the case of redemption orders submitted through the Distributor's website, the completion of all required fields, including as set forth in the AP Agreement, are properly followed.

Creation Unit orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure, may impede transmissions between the Distributor and an Authorized Participant. Orders to redeem shares of the Fund that are submitted on the Business Day immediately preceding a holiday or a day (other than a weekend) when the securities markets in a foreign market in which the Fund may invest are closed may not be accepted or may be charged the maximum transaction fee. The Distributor, in its discretion, may permit the submission of orders and requests by or through an Authorized Participant via communication through the facilities of the Distributor's proprietary website maintained for this purpose. A redemption order, if accepted by the Trust, will be processed based on the NAV as of next time it is calculated.

**<u>Acceptance of Orders for, and Redemption of, Creation Units</u>**

All questions as to whether an order has been submitted in proper form and the requisite number of Fund shares and transaction fees have been delivered shall be determined by the Fund, and the Fund's determination shall be final and binding.

The Fund reserves the right to reject a redemption order if the order is not in proper form. In addition, the right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to the Fund (i) for any period during which the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings), (ii) for any period during which trading on the NYSE is suspended or restricted, (iii) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the shares of the Fund's portfolio securities or determination of its NAV is not reasonably practicable; or (iv) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC. The Fund or Distributor will notify the Authorized Participant of such rejection, but the Fund, Custodian, sub-custodian and Distributor shall not be liable for any failure to give such notification.

The payment by the Fund of the Fund Securities, including Redemption Securities and Redemption Cash, and Cash Component will not be issued until the transfer of the Creation Unit(s) and the applicable redemption transaction fees has been completed. If the Transfer Agent does not receive the investor's shares through DTC's facilities and the applicable redemption transaction fees by the required time, the redemption request may be rejected.

To the extent contemplated by the AP Agreement, in the event the Authorized Participant has submitted a redemption request in proper form but is unable to transfer all or part of the Creation Unit to be redeemed to the Fund's Transfer Agent, the Transfer Agent will nonetheless accept the redemption request in reliance on the undertaking by the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing shares as soon as possible. Such undertaking may be secured by the Authorized Participant's delivery and maintenance of collateral consisting of cash having a value (marked to market daily) of up to 115% of the value of the missing shares, which the Trust may change from time to time. The current procedures for collateralization of missing shares require, among other things, that any cash collateral shall be in the form of U.S. dollars in immediately available funds and shall be held by the Custodian and marked to market daily, and that the fees of the Custodian and any sub-custodians in respect of the delivery, maintenance and redelivery of the cash collateral shall be payable by the Authorized Participant. The AP Agreement will permit the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, to purchase the missing shares at any time and will subject the Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Trust of purchasing such shares, Fund Securities or Cash Component and the value of the collateral.

A redeeming Beneficial Owner or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such Beneficial Owner must maintain appropriate security arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction where Redemption Securities are customarily traded and will be delivered. If neither the redeeming Beneficial Owner nor the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such redeeming Beneficial Owner has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of Redemption Securities in the applicable non-U.S. jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of Redemption Securities in such jurisdiction, the Trust may redeem shares in Redemption Cash, and the redeeming Beneficial Owner will be required to receive its redemption proceeds as Redemption Cash. In addition, because redemptions of shares for Redemption Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws, the Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Fund cannot lawfully deliver specific Redemption Securities or cannot do so without first registering a Fund Security under such laws.

Once the Fund has accepted a redemption order, upon the next determination of the NAV of the shares, the Fund may confirm the redemption of a Creation Unit, against receipt of payment, at such NAV. The Distributor will then transmit a confirmation of acceptance to the Authorized Participant that placed the order. Deliveries of redemption proceeds by the Fund typically are settled on a "T+1" basis (i.e., one Business Day after trade date), but may be made up to seven days later, particularly in stressed market conditions. The Fund reserves the right to settle redemption transactions up to 15 days later to accommodate non-U.S. market holiday schedules (see below for further information), closures and settlement cycles, to account for different treatment among non-U.S. and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates (i.e., 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.

In certain cases, an Authorized Participant may create and redeem Creation Units on the same trade date. In these instances, the Fund reserves the right to settle these transactions on a net basis or require a representation from the Authorized Participant that the creation and redemption transactions are for separate Beneficial Owners.

**<u>Redemption Transaction Fees</u>**

A standard redemption transaction fee is imposed to offset transfer and other costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units. The standard redemption transaction fee is charged to the Authorized Participant on the day such Authorized Participant redeems a Creation Unit, and is the same regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed by an Authorized Participant on the applicable Business Day.

The Authorized Participant may also be required to pay a variable transaction fee (up to the maximum amount shown in the table below) to cover certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, market impact and other costs and expenses. Authorized Participants will also bear the costs of transferring the Redemption Securities, including any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses. Investors who use the services of a broker or other financial intermediary may be charged a fee for such services.

The standard redemption transaction fee and maximum variable transaction fee for a Creation Unit are set forth below:

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **FUND** | **STANDARD<br> TRANSACTION<br> FEE** | **MAXIMUM<br> VARIABLE<br> TRANSACTION FEE\*** |
| KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | $500 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF | $750 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF | $850 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF | $600 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF | $800 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF | $1500 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF | $1200 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF | $250 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF | $800 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF | $15000 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF | $3600 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF | $2250 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF | $550 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF | $10 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF | $625 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF | $1650 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF | $400 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF | $500 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF | $50 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | $50 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | $50 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF | $50 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF | $25 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF | $500 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF | $750 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF | $650 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF | $1850 | 2.00% |

---

\* As a percentage of the Creation Unit(s) redeemed.

The Adviser may adjust the transactions fees from time to time based on actual experience.

**<u>Taxation on Creations and Redemptions of Creation Units</u>**

An Authorized Participant generally will recognize either gain or loss upon the exchange of Deposit Securities for Creation Units. This gain or loss will generally equal the difference between (i) the sum of the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and any net amount of cash received by the Authorized Participant in the exchange and (ii) the sum of the Authorized Participant's aggregate basis in the Deposit Securities exchanged therefor and any net amount of cash paid for the Creation Units. However, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service may apply the wash sales rules to determine that any loss realized upon the exchange of Deposit Securities for Creation Units is not currently deductible. Authorized Participants should consult their own tax advisers.

Current U.S. federal tax laws dictate that capital gain or loss realized from the redemption of Creation Units will generally create long-term capital gain or loss if the Authorized Participant holds the Creation Units for more than one year, or short-term capital gain or loss if the Creation Units were held for one year or less, if the Creation Units are held as capital assets.

**<u>Postponement of Redemptions</u>**

For every occurrence of one or more intervening holidays in the applicable non-U.S. market that are not holidays observed in the U.S. equity market, the redemption settlement cycle will be extended by the number of such intervening holidays. In addition to holidays, other unforeseeable closings in a non-U.S. market due to emergencies may also prevent the Trust from delivering securities within normal settlement period. The securities delivery cycles currently practicable for transferring portfolio securities to redeeming investors, coupled with non-U.S. market holiday schedules, will require a delivery process longer than seven calendar days, in certain circumstances, but in no event longer than fifteen calendar days.

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

**TAXES**

The following discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences of investing in a Fund is based on the Code, U.S. Treasury regulations, and other applicable authority, all as in effect as of the date of the filing of this SAI. These authorities are subject to change by legislative or administrative action, possibly with retroactive effect. The following discussion is only a summary of some of the important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in a Fund. There may be other tax considerations applicable to particular shareholders. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisers regarding their particular situation and the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws.

**<u>Qualification as a RIC</u>**

Each Fund has elected or intends to elect to be treated, and intends to qualify each year, as a regulated investment company (a "RIC") under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code. In order to qualify for the special tax treatment accorded RICs and their shareholders, a Fund must, among other things:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(a) derive at least 90% of its gross income each year from (i) dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies, and (ii) net income derived from interests in "qualified publicly traded partnerships" (as defined below);

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(b) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of its taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the market value of a Fund's total assets consists of cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities, with investments in such other securities limited with respect to any one issuer to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of a Fund's total assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of a Fund's total assets is invested in (1) the securities (other than those of the U.S. government or other RICs) of any one issuer or two or more issuers that are controlled by a Fund and that are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses or (2) the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships; and

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(c) distribute with respect to each taxable year at least the sum of 90% of its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code without regard to the deduction for dividends paid – generally taxable ordinary income and the excess, if any, of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses) and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income.

In general, for purposes of the 90% of gross income requirement described in (a) above, income derived from a partnership will be treated as qualifying income only to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership that would be qualifying income if realized directly by a Fund. However, 100% of the net income derived from an interest in a "qualified publicly traded partnership" (generally, a partnership (i) interests in which are traded on an established securities market or are readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof, (ii) that derives at least 90% of its income from the passive income sources specified in Code section 7704(d), and (iii) that derives less than 90% of its income from the qualifying income described in (a)(i) of the prior paragraph) will be treated as qualifying income. In addition, although in general the passive loss rules of the Code do not apply to RICs, such rules do apply to a RIC with respect to items attributable to an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership.

The U.S. Treasury Department has authority to issue regulations that would exclude foreign currency gains from the 90% test described in (a) above if such gains are not directly related to a Fund's business of investing in stock or securities. Accordingly, regulations may be issued in the future that could treat some or all of a Fund's non-U.S. currency gains as non-qualifying income, thereby potentially jeopardizing a Fund's status as a RIC for all years to which the regulations are applicable.

**<u>Taxation of a Fund</u>**

If a Fund qualifies as a RIC, the Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on income and gains that are distributed in a timely manner to its shareholders in the form of dividends.

If a Fund fails to satisfy the qualifying income test in any taxable year or the diversification requirements for any quarter, the Fund may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. If these relief provisions are not available to a Fund for any year in which it fails to qualify as a RIC, all of its taxable income will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and its distributions (including capital gains distributions) generally will be taxable as ordinary income dividends to its shareholders, subject to the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders and lower tax rates on qualified dividend income for individual shareholders. In addition, a Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a RIC that is accorded special tax treatment.

Each Fund intends to distribute at least annually to its shareholders substantially all of its taxable income and its net capital gains. Taxable income that is retained by a Fund will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates. If a Fund retains any net capital gain, that gain will be subject to tax at corporate rates, but the Fund may designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its shareholders who (i) will be required to include in income for federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their shares of such undistributed amount, and (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the tax paid by the Fund on such undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to claim refunds on a properly filed U.S. tax return to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. For federal income tax purposes, the tax basis of shares owned by a shareholder of a Fund will be increased by an amount equal to the difference between the amount of undistributed capital gains included in the shareholder's gross income and the tax deemed paid by the shareholder under clause (ii) of the preceding sentence.

**<u>Deferral of Late Year Losses</u>**

A Fund may elect to treat part or all of any "qualified late year loss" as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund's taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such "qualified late year loss" as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing the Fund's distributions for any calendar year. A "qualified late year loss" generally includes net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (commonly referred to as "post-October losses") and certain other late-year losses.

**<u>Capital Loss Carryovers</u>**

If a Fund has a "net capital loss" (that is, capital losses in excess of capital gains), the excess (if any) of the Fund's net short-term capital losses over its net long-term capital gains is treated as a short-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund's next taxable year, and the excess (if any) of the Fund's net long-term capital losses over its net short-term capital gains is treated as a long-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund's next taxable year. Such capital loss carryover can be used to offset capital gains of the Fund in succeeding taxable years. The carryover of capital losses may be limited under the general loss limitation rules if a Fund experiences an ownership change as defined in the Code.

**<u>Excise Tax</u>**

If a Fund fails to distribute in a calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of 98% of its ordinary income for such year and 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 of such year, plus any retained amount from the prior year, the Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax on the undistributed amount. For these purposes, a Fund will be treated as having distributed any amount on which it has been subject to corporate income tax for the taxable year ending within the calendar year. A dividend paid to shareholders in January of a year generally is deemed to have been paid by a Fund on December 31 of the preceding year if the dividend was declared and payable to shareholders of record on a date in October, November, or December of that preceding year. Each Fund intends to declare and pay dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of the 4% excise tax, although there can be no assurance that it will be able to do so.

**<u>Fund Distributions</u>**

Distributions are taxable whether shareholders receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares. Moreover, distributions are generally subject to federal income tax as described herein to the extent they do not exceed a Fund's realized income and gains, even though such dividends and distributions may economically represent a return of a particular shareholder's investment. Such distributions are likely to occur in respect of shares purchased at a time when a Fund's NAV reflects gains that are either unrealized, or realized but not distributed. Such realized gains may be required to be distributed even when a Fund's NAV also reflects unrealized losses.

Dividends and other distributions by a Fund are generally treated under the Code as received by the shareholders at the time the dividend or distribution is made. However, if any dividend or distribution is declared by a Fund in October, November or December of any calendar year and payable to its shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month but is actually paid during the following January, such dividend or distribution will be deemed to have been received by each shareholder on December 31 of the year in which the dividend was declared.

Distributions by a Fund of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long a Fund owned the investments that generated those gains, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her Fund shares. Distributions of net capital gains from the sale of investments that a Fund owned for more than one year and that are properly designated by the Fund as capital gain dividends ("Capital Gain Dividends") will be taxable as long-term capital gains. Distributions from capital gains are generally made after applying any available capital loss carryovers. Preferential long-term capital gain rates apply to individuals at a maximum rate of 20% for individuals with taxable income exceeding certain thresholds. Distributions of gains from the sale of investments that a Fund owned for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income.

Distributions of investment income reported by a Fund as derived from "qualified dividend income" will be taxable in the hands of individuals at the rates applicable to long-term capital gains, provided holding period and other requirements are met at both the shareholder and the Fund level.

Qualified dividend income is, in general, dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and certain foreign corporations (*i.e.*, foreign corporations incorporated in a possession of the United States or in certain countries with a comprehensive tax treaty with the United States, which includes China (but not Hong Kong which is treated as a separate jurisdiction), or the stock of which is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States). In order for some portion of the dividends received by a Fund's shareholders to be qualified dividend income, the Fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the dividend paying stocks in its portfolio, and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Fund's shares.

Some portion of the dividends paid by a Fund investing in equity securities may be expected to be eligible for qualified dividend income treatment. A Fund investing in fixed income securities would not expect to distribute qualified dividend income.

For KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF and KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF, given each Fund's investment objective, it is not expected that Fund distributions will be eligible for qualified dividend income treatment or the corporate dividends received deduction on Fund distributions attributable to dividends received.

For U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly), a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax will apply on all or a portion of their "net investment income," including interest, dividends, and capital gains, which generally includes taxable distributions received from a 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.

If a Fund makes distributions to a shareholder in excess of the Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits in any taxable year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of the shareholder's tax basis in its shares, and thereafter as capital gain. A return of capital is not taxable, but reduces a shareholder's tax basis in its shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of its shares.

Investors considering buying shares just prior to a dividend or capital gain distribution should be aware that, although the price of shares purchased at that time may reflect the amount of the forthcoming distribution, such dividend or distribution may nevertheless be taxable to them. If a Fund is the holder of record of any security on the record date for any dividends payable with respect to such security, such dividends will be included in the Fund's gross income not as of the date received but as of the later of (a) the date such security became ex-dividend with respect to such dividends (*i.e.*, the date on which a buyer of the security would not be entitled to receive the declared, but unpaid, dividends); or (b) the date the Fund acquired such security. Accordingly, in order to satisfy its income distribution requirements, a Fund may be required to pay dividends based on anticipated earnings, and shareholders may receive dividends in an earlier year than would otherwise be the case.

**<u>Sale or Exchange of Shares</u>**

A sale or exchange of shares in a Fund may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received (or deemed received) by the shareholder with respect to the shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be disallowed if shares of the same Fund are purchased within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

As noted above, for U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly), a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax will apply on "net investment income," including interest, dividends, and capital gains, which generally includes taxable distributions received from a Fund and taxable gains on the disposition of shares of a Fund.

**<u>Backup Withholding</u>**

A Fund (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which a shareholder holds Fund shares) generally is required to withhold and to 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 under-reported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that he, she or it is not subject to such withholding. The backup withholding tax rate is currently 24%.

**<u>Federal Tax Treatment of Certain Fund Investments</u>**

Transactions of a Fund in options, futures contracts, hedging transactions, forward contracts, swap contracts, straddles and foreign currencies may be subject to various special and complex tax rules, including mark-to-market, constructive sale, straddle, wash sale and short sale rules. These rules could affect whether gains and losses recognized by a Fund are treated as ordinary income or capital gain, accelerate the recognition of income to a Fund and/or defer a Fund's ability to recognize losses. These rules may in turn affect the amount, timing or character of the income distributed to shareholders by a Fund.

A Fund is required, for federal income tax purposes, to mark to market and recognize as income for each taxable year its net unrealized gains and losses as of the end of such year on certain regulated futures contracts, foreign currency contracts and options that qualify as Section 1256 contracts in addition to the gains and losses actually realized with respect to such contracts during the year. Except as described below under "Certain Foreign Currency Tax Issues," gain or loss from Section 1256 contracts that are required to be marked to market annually will generally be 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. Application of this rule may alter the timing and character of distributions to shareholders.

Some debt obligations that are acquired by a Fund may be treated as having original issue discount ("OID"). Generally, a Fund will be required to include OID in taxable income over the term of the debt security, even though payment of the OID is not received until a later time, usually when the debt security matures. If a Fund holds such debt instruments, it may be required to pay out as distributions each year an amount that is greater than the total amount of cash interest the Fund actually received. Such distributions may be made from the cash assets of a Fund or by liquidation of portfolio securities, if necessary. A Fund may realize gains or losses from such liquidations. In the event a Fund realizes net gains from such transactions, its shareholders may receive larger distributions than they would have in the absence of such transactions.

Any market discount recognized on a bond is taxable as ordinary income. A market discount bond is a bond acquired in the secondary market at a price below redemption value or adjusted issue price if issued with original issue discount. Absent an election by a Fund to include the market discount in income as it accrues, gains on the Fund's disposition of such an obligation will be treated as ordinary income rather than capital gain to the extent of the accrued market discount.

*KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF, KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF, KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF, KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF, KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF and KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF*

The covered call options written by a Fund generally will be treated as equity options governed by Section 1234 of the Code, and not as Section 1256 contracts. Pursuant to Section 1234 of the Code, if a written option expires unexercised, the premium received is short-term capital gain to the Fund. If a Fund enters into a closing transaction, the difference between the amount paid to close out its position and the premium received for writing the option is short-term capital gain or loss. If an option written by a Fund that is not a Section 1256 contract is cash settled, any resulting gain or loss will be short-term capital gain or loss. If a call option written by a Fund is exercised and physically settled, the premium received is included in the sale proceeds, increasing the gain or decreasing the loss realized by the Fund at the time of option exercise.

The Code contains special rules that apply to "straddles," defined generally as the holding of "offsetting positions with respect to personal property." For example, the straddle rules normally apply when a taxpayer holds stock and an offsetting option with respect to such stock or substantially identical stock or securities. In general, investment positions will be offsetting if there is a substantial diminution in the risk of loss from holding one position by reason of holding one or more other positions. A Fund may enter into options transactions or certain other investments that may constitute positions in a straddle. If two or more positions constitute a straddle, recognition of a realized loss from one position must generally be deferred to the extent of unrecognized gain in an offsetting position. In addition, long-term capital gain may be recharacterized as short-term capital gain, or short-term capital loss as long-term capital loss. Interest and other carrying charges allocable to personal property that is part of a straddle are not currently deductible but must instead be capitalized. Similarly, "wash sale" rules apply to prevent the recognition of loss by a Fund from the disposition of stock or securities at a loss in a case in which identical or substantially identical stock or securities (or an option to acquire such property) is or has been acquired within a prescribed period.

*KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF*

Although the covered call options written by the Fund will represent offsetting positions with respect to the Fund's shares in the Underlying Fund, the Fund expects that its options will be "qualified covered call options," as defined in Code section 1092, that are not subject to the straddle rules. A call option written by the Fund will be a qualified covered call option if the option is to purchase stock held by the taxpayer (or stock acquired by the taxpayer in connection with the granting of the option) but only if: (i) the option is traded on a national securities exchange, (ii) the option is granted more than 30 days before the day on which the option expires, (iii) the option is not a deep-in-the-money option, (iv) the option is not granted by an options dealer (within the meaning of section 1256(g)(8)) in connection with his activity of dealing in options, and (v) gain or loss with respect to such option is not ordinary income or loss. In the case of FLEX options, regulations impose the following additional requirements to qualify as "qualified covered call options": (i) the only payments permitted with respect to the option are a single fixed premium paid not later than five business days after the day on which the option is granted, and a single fixed strike price stated as a dollar amount that is payable entirely at (or within five business days of) exercise; (ii) an equity option with standardized terms is outstanding for the underlying equity; and (iii) the underlying security is stock in a single corporation.

*KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF, KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF and KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF*

 

A Fund may invest a portion of its assets in a Subsidiary, a Cayman Islands exempted company that is classified as a corporation for federal tax purposes. A foreign corporation, such as a Subsidiary, generally is not subject to federal income tax unless it is engaged in the conduct of a trade or business in the United States. With respect to its investments in the United States, each Subsidiary intends to operate in a manner that is expected to meet the requirements of a safe harbor under section 864(b)(2) of the Code, under which it may trade in stocks or securities or certain commodities for its own account without being deemed to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business. If, however, certain of the Subsidiary's activities did not meet those safe harbor requirements, it might be considered as engaging in such a trade or business. Even if the Subsidiary is not so engaged, it may be subject to a withholding tax at a rate of 30% on some portion of its U.S.-source gross income that is not effectively connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade or business.

A Subsidiary will be treated as a controlled foreign corporation (a "CFC"), and the Fund investing in the Subsidiary will be a "United States shareholder" thereof. As a result, the Fund will be required to include in its gross income each taxable year all of the Subsidiary's "subpart F income" and its "GILTI" income. It is expected that most of a Subsidiary's income will be "subpart F income." If the Subsidiary realizes a net loss, that loss generally will not be available to offset the Fund's income. The Fund's inclusion of the Subsidiary's "subpart F income" in its gross income will increase the Fund's tax basis in its shares of the Subsidiary. Distributions by the Subsidiary to the Fund will not be taxable to the extent of its previously undistributed "subpart F income" and will reduce the Fund's tax basis in those shares.

Although income from certain commodity investments held by a Subsidiary would not be qualifying income if received directly by the Fund, the Code provides that a RIC's "subpart F income" inclusions will be treated as qualifying income if the CFC distributes such income to the RIC during the year of inclusion. Further, the Service has issued Regulations providing that the annual net profit, if any, realized by a Subsidiary and included in the Fund's income under the subpart F rules will constitute "qualifying income" for purposes of remaining qualified as a RIC whether or not the included income is distributed by the Subsidiary to the Fund if the Fund makes its investment in the Subsidiary as part of the Fund's business of investing in stocks and securities.

For U.S. federal income tax purposes, a Subsidiary is treated as a corporation. The Subsidiary would be subject to U.S. federal income tax, at the 21% rate currently applicable to U.S. corporations, on its net income that is treated as "effectively connected" with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States ("effectively connected income"). In addition, the Subsidiary would be subject to a 30% U.S. branch profits tax in respect of its "dividend equivalent amount," as defined in Section 884 of the Code, attributable to effectively connected income. Each Fund expects that, in general, the activities of its Subsidiary will be conducted in a manner such that the Subsidiary will not be treated as engaged in the conduct of a U.S. trade or business. There can be no assurance, however, that the Subsidiary will not recognize any effectively connected income. The imposition of U.S. federal tax on the Subsidiary's effectively connected income could significantly reduce the Fund's returns.

The federal income tax treatment of a Fund's income from a Subsidiary also may be adversely affected by future legislation, Regulations, and/or other guidance issued by the Service that could affect the character, timing of recognition, and/or amount of the Fund's taxable income and/or net capital gains and, therefore, the distributions it makes.

*KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF*

Index options written by the Fund will be 1256 contracts.

Some covered call options written by the Fund, such as options on shares of a single ETF, will be treated as equity options governed by Section 1234 of the Code, and not as Section 1256 contracts. Pursuant to Section 1234 of the Code, if a written option expires unexercised, the premium received is short-term capital gain to the Fund. If the Fund enters into a closing transaction, the difference between the amount paid to close out its position and the premium received for writing the option is short-term capital gain or loss. If an option written by the Fund that is not a Section 1256 contract is cash settled, any resulting gain or loss will be short-term capital gain or loss. If a call option written by the Fund is exercised and physically settled, the premium received is included in the sale proceeds, increasing the gain or decreasing the loss realized by the Fund at the time of option exercise.

The Code contains special rules that apply to "straddles," defined generally as the holding of "offsetting positions with respect to personal property." For example, the straddle rules normally apply when a taxpayer holds stock and an offsetting option with respect to such stock or substantially identical stock or securities. In general, investment positions will be offsetting if there is a substantial diminution in the risk of loss from holding one position by reason of holding one or more other positions. The Fund may enter into options transactions or certain other investments that may constitute positions in a straddle. If two or more positions constitute a straddle, recognition of a realized loss from one position must generally be deferred to the extent of unrecognized gain in an offsetting position. In addition, long-term capital gain may be recharacterized as short-term capital gain, or short-term capital loss as long-term capital loss. Interest and other carrying charges allocable to personal property that is part of a straddle are not currently deductible but must instead be capitalized. Similarly, "wash sale" rules apply to prevent the recognition of loss by the fund from the disposition of stock or securities at a loss in a case in which identical or substantially identical stock or securities (or an option to acquire such property) is or has been acquired within a prescribed period.

**<u>Certain Foreign Currency Tax Issues</u>**

A Fund's gain or loss on foreign currency denominated debt securities and on certain other financial instruments, such as forward currency contracts and currency swaps, that is attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates occurring between the date of acquisition and the date of settlement or disposition of such securities or instruments generally will be treated under Section 988 of the Code as ordinary income or loss. A Fund may elect out of the application of Section 988 of the Code with respect to the tax treatment of each of its foreign currency forward contracts to the extent that (i) such contract is a capital asset in the hands of the Fund and is not part of a straddle transaction and (ii) the Fund makes an election by the close of the day the contract is entered into to treat the gain or loss attributable to such contract as capital gain or loss.

A Fund's forward contracts may qualify as Section 1256 contracts if the underlying currencies are currencies for which there are futures contracts that are traded on and subject to the rules of a qualified board or exchange. However, a forward currency contract that is a Section 1256 contract would, absent an election out of Section 988 of the Code as described in the preceding paragraph, be subject to Section 988. Accordingly, although such a forward currency contract would be marked to market annually like other Section 1256 contracts, the resulting gain or loss would be ordinary. If a Fund were to elect out of Section 988 with respect to forward currency contracts that qualify as Section 1256 contracts, the tax treatment generally applicable to Section 1256 contracts would apply to those forward currency contracts: that is, the contracts would be marked to market annually and gains and losses with respect to the contracts would be treated as long-term capital gains or losses to the extent of 60% thereof and short-term capital gains or losses to the extent of 40% thereof. If a Fund were to elect out of Section 988 with respect to any of its forward currency contracts that do not qualify as Section 1256 contracts, such contracts will not be marked to market annually and the Fund will recognize short-term or long-term capital gain or loss depending on the Fund's holding period therein. A Fund may elect out of Section 988 with respect to some, all or none of its forward currency contracts.

Finally, regulated futures contracts and non-equity options that qualify as Section 1256 contracts and are entered into by a Fund with respect to foreign currencies or foreign currency denominated debt instruments will be subject to the tax treatment generally applicable to Section 1256 contracts unless the Fund elects to have Section 988 apply to determine the character of gains and losses from all such regulated futures contracts and non-equity options held or later acquired by the Fund.

**<u>Foreign Investments</u>**

Income received by a Fund from sources within foreign countries (including, for example, interest on securities of non-U.S. issuers) may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such countries. Tax treaties between such countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes. If as of the end of a Fund's taxable year more than 50% of the Fund's assets consist of foreign securities, the Fund is expected to make an election to permit shareholders to claim a credit or deduction on their income tax returns for their pro rata portions of qualified taxes paid by the Fund during that taxable year to foreign countries in respect of foreign securities that the Fund has held for at least the minimum period specified in the Code. In such a case, shareholders will include in gross income from foreign sources their pro rata shares of such taxes. A shareholder's ability to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction in respect of foreign taxes paid by a Fund may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code, which may result in the shareholder not getting a full credit or deduction for the amount of such taxes. Because a foreign tax credit is only available for foreign taxes paid by a Fund, no such credit may be available for a reduction in a Fund's net asset value to reflect a reserve (if any) for Chinese withholding taxes. Shareholders who do not itemize on their federal income tax returns may claim a credit, but not a deduction, for such foreign taxes.

**<u>Passive Foreign Investment Companies</u>**

If a Fund purchases shares in a PFIC, it may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any "excess distribution" or gain from the disposition of such shares even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend by the Fund to its shareholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest may be imposed on the Fund in respect of deferred taxes arising from such distributions or gains. If a Fund were to invest in a PFIC and elect to treat the PFIC as a "qualified electing fund" under the Code, in lieu of the foregoing requirements, the Fund would be required to include in income each year a portion of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the qualified electing fund, even if not distributed to the Fund, and such amounts would be subject to the 90% and excise tax distribution requirements described above. In order to make this election, a Fund would be required to obtain certain annual information from the PFICs in which it invests, which may be difficult or impossible to obtain. Alternatively, a Fund may make a mark-to-market election that would result in the Fund being treated as if it had sold and repurchased its PFIC stock at the end of each year. In such case, the Fund would report any such gains as ordinary income and would deduct any such losses as ordinary losses to the extent of previously recognized gains. The election must be made separately for each PFIC owned by a Fund and, once made, would be effective for all subsequent taxable years, unless revoked with the consent of the IRS. By making the election, a Fund could potentially ameliorate the adverse tax consequences with respect to its ownership of shares in a PFIC, but in any particular year may be required to recognize income in excess of the distributions it receives from the PFIC and its proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock. A Fund may have to distribute this "phantom" income and gain to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement and to avoid imposition of the 4% excise tax. Each Fund will make the appropriate tax elections, if possible, and take any additional steps that are necessary to mitigate the effects of these rules.

**<u>Tax-Exempt Shareholders</u>**

Under current law, income of a RIC that would be treated as unrelated business taxable income ("UBTI") if earned directly by a tax-exempt entity generally will not be attributed as UBTI to a tax-exempt entity that is a shareholder in the RIC. Notwithstanding this "blocking" effect, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of its investment in a Fund if shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Code Section 514(b).

**<u>Non-U.S. Shareholders</u>**

In general, dividends other than Capital Gain Dividends paid by a Fund to a shareholder that is not a "U.S. person" within the meaning of the Code (a "foreign person") are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) even if they are funded by income or gains (such as foreign-source dividend and interest income) that, if paid to a foreign person directly, would not be subject to withholding. If a Fund were to recognize short-term capital gains or U.S.-source portfolio interest, properly reported short-term capital gain dividends and interest-related dividends paid by the Fund would not be subject to such withholding tax.

A beneficial holder of shares who is a non-U.S. person is not, in general, subject to U.S. federal income tax on gains (and is not allowed a U.S. income tax deduction for losses) realized on a sale of shares of a Fund or on Capital Gain Dividends or short-term capital gain dividends unless (i) such gain or dividend is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business carried on by such holder within the United States or (ii) in the case of an individual holder, the holder is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the sale or the receipt of the Capital Gain Dividend or short-term capital gains dividends and certain other conditions are met.

In order for a non-U.S. investor to qualify for an exemption from backup withholding, the foreign investor must comply with special certification and filing requirements. Foreign investors in a Fund should consult their tax advisers in this regard. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder's U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the Internal Revenue Service.

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

Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act ("FATCA"), a 30% withholding tax will be imposed on dividends paid by a Fund to (i) foreign financial institutions including non-U.S. investment funds unless they agree to collect and disclose to the Internal Revenue Service information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. account holders and (ii) certain other foreign entities, unless they certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners. A non-U.S. shareholder resident or doing business in a country that has entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the U.S. to implement a similar reporting regime will be exempt from this withholding tax if the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement. A Shareholder subject to such withholding tax will not receive additional amounts from the Fund to compensate for such withholding. Proposed regulations (which are effective while pending) eliminate the application of the FATCA withholding tax to capital gain dividends and redemption proceeds that was scheduled to take effect in 2019.

**<u>Creation and Redemption of Creation Units</u>**

An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize 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 and the sum of the exchanger's aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger's basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The Internal Revenue Service, 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 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 for more than one year.

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 for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will be treated as short-term capital gains or losses.

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

**<u>Section 351</u>**

The Trust on behalf of a Fund has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the shares 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 deposit 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.

**<u>Tax Shelter Reporting Regulations</u>**

Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if an individual shareholder recognizes a loss of $2 million or more in any single tax year or, for a corporate shareholder, $10 million or more in any single tax year, the shareholder must file with the Internal Revenue Service a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all RICs. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer's treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

**<u>Chinese Tax Considerations</u>**

Although Chinese law provides for a 10% withholding tax ("WHT") on capital gains realized by non-residents, significant uncertainties remain regarding the implementation of this law. Such uncertainties may result in capital gains taxes imposed upon a Fund relative to securities of companies headquartered, managed or listed in China. While the application and enforcement of this law with respect to a Fund remain subject to clarification, to the extent that such taxes are imposed on any capital gains of a Fund, a Fund's NAV or returns may be adversely impacted.

In addition, there is uncertainty as to the application of China's value added tax to a Fund's activities. The imposition of such taxes, as well as future changes in applicable PRC tax law, may adversely affect a Fund. In light of this uncertainty, each Fund reserves the right to establish a reserve for such tax, although none currently do so. If a Fund establishes such a reserve but is not ultimately subject to these taxes, shareholders who redeemed or sold their shares while the reserve was in place will effectively bear the tax and may not benefit from the later release, if any, of the reserve. Conversely, if a Fund does not establish such a reserve but ultimately is subject to the tax, shareholders who redeemed or sold their shares prior to the tax being withheld, reserved or paid will have effectively avoided the tax. Investors should note that such provision, if any, may be excessive or inadequate to meet actual Chinese tax liabilities (which could include interest and penalties) on a Fund's investments. As a result, investors may be advantaged or disadvantaged depending on the final rules of the relevant PRC tax authorities.

Per a circular (Caishui [2014] 79), each Fund is temporarily exempt from the Chinese tax on capital gains ("CGT") on trading in A-Shares as a QFI on the Shanghai Stock Exchange through the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect as of November 17, 2014, and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange through the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect as of December 5, 2016. There is no indication as to how long the temporary exemption will remain in effect. Accordingly, a Fund may be subject to such taxes in the future. If Krane expects such CGT on trading in domestic Chinese equity securities to be re-imposed, the Fund reserves the right to establish a reserve for such tax. If a Fund establishes such a reserve but is not ultimately subject to the tax, shareholders who redeemed or sold their shares while the reserve was in place will effectively bear the tax and may not benefit from the later release, if any, of the reserve. Conversely, if a Fund does not establish such a reserve but ultimately is subject to the tax, shareholders who redeemed or sold their shares prior to the tax being withheld, reserved or paid will have effectively avoided the tax, even if they benefited from the trading that precipitated the Fund's payment of it. On October 27, 2021, the Chinese government extended an exemption from the corporate income tax withholding tax and value added tax for China-sourced bond interest derived by overseas institutional investors until December 31, 2025, but its application, such as with respect to the type of debt issuers covered by the exemption, and whether such taxes will be implemented again after December 31, 2025, remains unclear in certain respects.

The Funds reserve the right to establish a reserve for taxes which present uncertainty as to whether they will be assessed, although it currently does not do so. If a Fund establishes such a reserve but is not ultimately subject to these taxes, shareholders who redeemed or sold their shares while the reserve was in place will effectively bear the tax and may not benefit from the later release, if any, of the reserve. Conversely, if a Fund does not establish such a reserve but ultimately is subject to the tax, shareholders who redeemed or sold their shares prior to the tax being withheld, reserved or paid will have effectively avoided the tax. Investors should note that such provision, if any, may be excessive or inadequate to meet actual tax liabilities (which could include interest and penalties) on the Fund's investments. Any taxes imposed in connection with a Fund's activities will be borne by the Fund. To the extent Krane or a sub-adviser, through the use of a QFI license, pays any taxes in connection with a Fund's transactions in PRC securities, the Fund will repay them for such tax expenses. As a result, investors may be advantaged or disadvantaged depending on the final rules of the relevant tax authorities.

As discussed above under "— Foreign Investments," even if a Fund qualifies and elects to pass through foreign taxes to its shareholders, your ability to claim a credit for such taxes may be limited.

**<u>General Considerations</u>**

The U.S. federal income tax discussion and the discussion of Chinese tax considerations set forth above are for general information only. Prospective investors should consult their tax advisers regarding the specific federal income tax consequences of purchasing, holding and disposing of shares of a Fund, as well as the effect of state, local and foreign tax law and any proposed tax law changes.

**DETERMINATION OF NAV**

This information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled "Calculating NAV."

The NAV per share of each Fund is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of a Fund (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities and withholdings) by the total number of shares of a Fund outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent. Expenses and fees, including without limitation, the management, administration and distribution fees, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. The NAV per share for each Fund normally is calculated by the Administrator and determined as of the regularly scheduled close of normal trading on each day that the NYSE is scheduled to be open for business (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time). Any assets or liabilities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted into U.S. dollars at the current market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more sources.

Securities listed on a securities exchange (i.e., exchange-traded equity securities), market or automated quotation system for which quotations are readily available (except for securities traded on NASDAQ), including securities traded over the counter, are valued by independent pricing agents at the last reported sale price on the primary exchange or market (foreign or domestic) on which they are traded (or at the time as of which the Fund's NAV is calculated if a security's exchange is normally open at that time). If there is no such reported sale, such securities are valued at the most recently reported bid price. For securities traded on NASDAQ, the NASDAQ Official Closing Price will be used. If a security price cannot be obtained from an independent, third-party pricing agent, the Fund seeks to obtain bid and ask prices from two broker-dealers who make a market in the portfolio instrument and determines the average of the two.

If available, debt securities are priced based upon valuations provided by independent, third-party pricing agents. Such values generally reflect the last reported sales price if the security is actively traded. The third-party pricing agents may also value debt securities at an evaluated bid price by employing methodologies that utilize actual market transactions, broker-supplied valuations, or other methodologies designed to identify the market value for such securities. Debt obligations with remaining maturities of sixty days or less may be valued at their amortized cost, which approximates market value.

The prices for foreign securities are reported in local currency and converted to U.S. dollars using currency exchange rates. The exchange rates used for valuation are captured as of the close of the London Stock Exchange each day normally at 4:00 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time.

The value of a swap contract is equal to the obligation (or rights) under the swap contract, which will generally be equal to the net amounts to be paid or received under the contract based upon the relative values of the positions held by each party to the contract as determined by the applicable independent, third party pricing agent.

Swaps cleared through a central clearing house ("centrally cleared swaps") are valued at the settlement price established each day by the board of the exchange on which they are listed. The daily settlement prices for centrally cleared swaps are provided by an independent pricing agent. Swaps which are not centrally cleared are priced based on valuations provided by an independent pricing agent.

In a typical equity swap, one party agrees to pay another party the return on a stock, stock index, or basket of stocks (the "equity leg" of the swap) in return for interest payment(s) calculated based on the notional amount of the swap (the "financing leg" of the swap). Each leg of the swap is valued separately, and the net amount of the two legs is included in the Fund's net asset value. The value of the equity leg of the swap is provided by an independent pricing agent based on the value of the financial instrument underlying the swap. The value of the financing leg of the swap is systematically calculated by the Fund's accounting agent based on the details of the swap.

Exchange-traded options, except as discussed below for FLEX options, are valued at the mean of their most recent bid and asked price, if available, and otherwise, long positions will be valued at the most-recent bid price, and short positions will be valued at the most-recent ask price. Over-the-counter ("OTC") options are valued based upon prices determined by the applicable independent, third party pricing agent. FLEX (short for flexible) options are normally valued using a model-based price provided by a third-party pricing vendor. On days when a trade in a FLEX option occurs, the trade price will be used to value such FLEX options in lieu of the model price.

Futures are valued at the settlement price established by the board of trade on which they are traded. Foreign currency forward contracts are valued at the current day's interpolated foreign exchange rate, as calculated using the current day's spot rate and the 30-, 60-, 90- and 180-day forward rates provided by an independent pricing agent.

Securities issued by a wholly owned subsidiary of a Fund will be valued at the subsidiary's net asset value, which will be determined using the same pricing policies and procedures applicable to the Fund.

Investments in open-end investment companies that do not trade on an exchange are valued at the end of day NAV per share. Investments in open-end investment companies that trade on an exchange are valued in the same manner as other exchange-traded equity securities (described above).

On certain days, the settlement price for futures may not be available at the time the Fund calculates its NAV. On such days, the best available price (which is typically the last trade price) may be used to value futures.

Investments for which market prices are not "readily available," or are not deemed to reflect current market values, or are debt securities where no evaluated price is available from third-party pricing agents pursuant to established methodologies, are fair valued in accordance with the Adviser's valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. Some of the more common reasons that may necessitate that a security be valued using "fair value" pricing may include, but are not limited to: the security's trading has been halted or suspended; the security's primary trading market is temporarily closed; or the security has not been traded for an extended period of time.

In addition, a Fund may fair value its securities if an event that may materially affect the value of a Fund's securities that trade outside of the United States (a "Significant Event") has occurred between the time of the security's last close and the time that a Fund calculates its NAV. A Significant Event may relate to a single issuer or to an entire market sector, country or region. Events that may be Significant Events may include: government actions, natural disasters, armed conflict, acts of terrorism and significant market fluctuations.

If Krane becomes aware of a Significant Event that has occurred with respect to a portfolio instrument or group of portfolio instruments after the closing of the exchange or market on which the portfolio instrument or portfolio instruments principally trade, but before the time at which a Fund calculates its NAV, it will notify the Administrator and may request that an ad hoc meeting of the Fair Value Pricing Committee be called.

With respect to trade-halted securities, the Adviser typically will fair value a trade-halted security by adjusting the security's last market close price by the security's sector performance, as measured by a predetermined index, unless Krane's Fair Value Pricing Committee determines to make additional adjustments. Certain foreign securities exchanges have mechanisms in place that confine one day's price movement in an individual security to a pre-determined price range based on that day's opening price ("Collared Securities"). Fair value determinations for Collared Securities will generally be capped based on any applicable pre-determined "limit down" or "limit up" prices established by the relevant foreign securities exchange. As an example, China A-Shares can only be plus or minus ten percent in one day of trading in the relevant mainland China equity market. As a result, the fair value price determination on a given day will generally be capped plus or minus ten percent.

Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that a fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value that could actually be realized upon the sale of the security or that another fund that uses market quotations or its own fair value procedures to price the same securities. In addition, fair value pricing could result in a difference between the prices used to calculate a Fund's NAV and the prices used by its Underlying Index, if any. This may adversely affect a Fund's ability to track its Underlying Index.

Trading in securities on many foreign exchanges is normally completed before the close of business on each Business Day. In addition, securities trading in a particular country or countries may not take place on each Business Day or may take place on days that are not Business Days. Changes in valuations on certain securities may occur at times or on days on which a Fund's NAV is not calculated and on which Fund shares do not trade and sales and redemptions of shares do not occur. As a result, the value of a Fund's portfolio securities and the net asset value of its shares may change on days when share purchases or sales cannot occur.

Fund shares are purchased or sold on a national securities exchange at market prices, which may be higher or lower than NAV. Transactions in Fund shares will be priced at NAV only if shares are purchased or redeemed directly from a Fund in Creation Units. No secondary sales will be made to brokers or dealers at concession by the Distributor or by a Fund. Purchases and sales of shares in the secondary market, which will not involve a Fund, will be subject to customary brokerage commissions and charges.

With respect to the securities of private companies, the Administrator will obtain the price of private company securities from the Valuation Designee, who will determine their fair value using various inputs, including observable data such as cost basis, primary financing rounds, tender offers, and secondary market activity. The Valuation Designee will also consider pricing from independent pricing experts<sup>1</sup>, comparables of public and private companies, and relevant market news. While primary financing rounds, tender offers, and cost basis are expected to be the main drivers of fair value, all factors will be considered. A daily dashboard will be stored to record data being considered. In addition to conducting a pricing and trend analysis on the data received from the independent pricing experts, the Valuation Designee will take business cycle, market depth, transaction size and other relevant factors into consideration when reviewing observable data and will periodically assess the pricing methodology used by the independent pricing experts.

<sup>1</sup> It is currently expected that the Valuation Designee will get pricing from two independent pricing agents.

**DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS**

Each Fund, except for the KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF, KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF, KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF, KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF, KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF and KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF, intends to pay out dividends, if any, at least annually. Each of KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF, KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF and KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF intends to pay out dividends, if any, at least monthly, which may include return of capital. Each of KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF, KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, and KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF may pay out net investment income, if any, at least semi-annually in June and December, but may pay such income as frequently as quarterly. The KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF typically distributes any net investment income quarterly.

KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF currently intends to distribute on a monthly basis its option premium income so that the Fund's monthly distribution percentage does not exceed 2% of net asset value. The Fund's distribution in December may exceed this amount in order for the Fund to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company.

Each Fund also distributes its net realized capital gains, if any, to investors annually. Each Fund may make distributions on a more or less frequent basis. A Fund may occasionally be required to make supplemental distributions at some other time during the year. Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole shares only if the broker through whom you purchased shares makes such option available. Your broker is responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions to you. Each Fund reserves the right to declare special distributions, including if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the status of the Fund as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code, or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.

**OTHER INFORMATION**

**<u>Portfolio Holdings</u>**

The Board has approved portfolio holdings disclosure policies and procedures that govern the timing and circumstances of disclosure to shareholders and third parties of a Fund's portfolio holdings and the use of material non-public information about a Fund's holdings. These policies and procedures, as described below, are designed to ensure that disclosure of portfolio holdings is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, and address conflicts of interest between the interests of Fund shareholders and those of Krane, a sub-adviser, the Distributor, or any affiliated person of a Fund, Krane, a sub-adviser or the Distributor. The policies and procedures apply to all officers, employees, and agents of a Fund, including Krane and a sub-adviser.

Each Fund discloses on its website at the start of each Business Day the identities and quantities of the securities and other assets held by a Fund that will form the basis of a Fund's calculation of its NAV on that Business Day. The portfolio holdings so disclosed will be based on information as of the close of business on the prior Business Day. This information is generally used in connection with the creation and redemption process and is disseminated on a daily basis through the facilities of the Exchange, the National Securities Clearing Corporation ("NSCC") and/or other fee-based subscription services to NSCC members and/or subscribers to those other fee-based subscription services, including Authorized Participants, and to entities that publish and/or analyze such information in connection with the process of purchasing or redeeming Creation Units or trading shares of a Fund in the secondary market.

Daily access to non-public information concerning a Fund's portfolio holdings also is permitted (i) to certain personnel of those service providers that are involved in portfolio management and providing administrative, operational, risk management, or other support to portfolio management, including affiliated broker-dealers and/or Authorized Participants, and (ii) to other personnel of Krane and other service providers, such as a sub-adviser, the administrator, the custodian and the fund accountant, who deal directly with, or assist in, functions related to investment management, administration, custody and fund accounting, as may be necessary to conduct business in the ordinary course in a manner consistent with agreements with a Fund and/or the terms of a Fund's current registration statement.

From time to time, non-public information concerning Fund portfolio holdings also may be provided to other entities that provide services to a Fund, including, among others, rating or ranking organizations, in the ordinary course of business, no earlier than one business day following the date of the information. Portfolio holdings information made available in connection with the creation and redemption process may be provided to other entities that provide services to a Fund in the ordinary course of business after it has been disseminated to the NSCC.

A Fund's chief compliance officer, or a compliance manager designated by the chief compliance officer, also may grant exceptions to permit additional disclosure of Fund portfolio holdings information at differing times and with different lag times (the period from the date of the information to the date the information is made available), if any, in instances where a Fund has legitimate business purposes for doing so, it is in the best interests of shareholders, and the recipients are subject to a duty of confidentiality, including a duty not to trade on the nonpublic information and are required to execute an agreement to that effect. The Board will be informed of any such disclosures at its next regularly scheduled meeting or as soon as is reasonably practicable thereafter. In no event will a Fund, Krane, a sub-adviser, or any other party receive any direct or indirect compensation in connection with the disclosure of information about a Fund's portfolio holdings.

The Board exercises continuing oversight of the disclosure of a Fund's portfolio holdings by (1) overseeing the implementation and enforcement of the Trust's the portfolio holdings policies and procedures by a Fund's chief compliance officer and a Fund, (2) considering reports and recommendations by the chief compliance officer concerning any material compliance matters (as defined in Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act and Rule 206(4)-7 under the Advisers Act) that may arise in connection with any portfolio holdings policies and procedures, and (3) considering whether to approve or ratify any amendment to any of the portfolio holdings policies and procedures. The Board and a Fund reserve the right to amend the policies and procedures in their sole discretion at any time and from time to time without prior notice to shareholders. For purposes of the policies and procedures, the term "portfolio holdings" means investment positions held by a Fund that are not publicly disclosed.

In addition to the permitted disclosures described above, a Fund must publicly disclose its complete holdings quarterly in SEC filings. These reports are available, free of charge, on the EDGAR database on the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov.

No person is authorized to disclose a Fund's portfolio holdings or other investment positions except in accordance with the Trust's policies and procedures.

**<u>Voting Rights</u>**

Each share of a Fund is entitled to one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Shareholders receive one vote for every full Fund share owned. Shareholders of each Fund will vote separately on matters relating solely to that Fund. All shares of a Fund are freely transferable.

As a Delaware statutory trust, the Trust is not required to hold annual shareholder meetings unless otherwise required by the 1940 Act. However, for the purpose of considering removal of a Trustee as provided in Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act, a special meeting may be called by shareholders owning at least 10% of the outstanding shares of the Trust. Shareholder inquiries can be made by contacting the Trust at the number and website address provided under "Shareholder Inquiries" below.

**<u>Shareholder Inquiries</u>**

Shareholders may visit the Trust's web site at <u>www.kraneshares.com</u> or call 1.855.857.2638 or call to obtain information about account statements, procedures, and other related information.

**COUNSEL**

K&L Gates LLP, 1601 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20006, serves as counsel to the Trust.

**INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM**

KPMG LLP, 1735 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, the Trust's independent registered public accounting firm, provides audit and tax services with respect to the Funds.

**FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**

The Funds' audited financial statements, including the notes thereto and the report of KPMG LLP, the Funds' independent registered public accounting firm, are incorporated by reference into this SAI from the Funds' Form N-CSR for the year or period ending March 31, 2025.

Once available, KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF, KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF, KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF and KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF's financial statements will be incorporated by reference into this SAI.

**APPENDIX A - PROXY VOTING POLICY**

Form N-1A requires an investment company to describe the policies and procedures that it uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities. In connection with this requirement, the Trust's Board has delegated voting of the Fund's proxies to Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Adviser" or "KFA"), subject to the Board's oversight. The Board has directed that proxies be voted consistent with the Fund and its shareholders' best interests and in compliance with all applicable proxy voting rules and regulations. Below is a summary of the proxy voting policies and procedures adopted by the Adviser:

**Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures Summary**

***Background***

Investment advisers are fiduciaries that owe a duty of care and loyalty to each of their clients with respect to services undertaken on the client's behalf, including monitoring corporate events and exercising proxy authority. In the context of voting, the specific obligations that flow from the investment adviser's fiduciary duty depend upon the scope of voting authority assumed by the adviser. To satisfy its fiduciary duty in making any voting determination, an investment adviser must make the determination in the best interest of the client and must not place its own interests ahead of the interest of the client.

***Policies and Procedures***

**Proxy Voting Requirements**

Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act requires each registered investment adviser that exercises proxy voting authority with respect to client securities to:

● Adopt and implement written policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the adviser votes client securities in the best interest of clients, including sufficient ongoing oversight of any third party retained to assist with voting responsibilities;

● Disclose to clients how they may obtain information from the adviser about how the adviser voted proxies for their securities; and

● Describe the adviser's proxy voting policies and procedures to clients and furnish them with a copy of such policies and procedures on request.

Paragraph (c)(2) of Rule 204-2 under the Advisers Act imposes additional recordkeeping requirements on investment advisers that execute proxy voting authority, as described under "Recordkeeping" below and in the *Maintenance of Books and Records* section of this Manual.<sup>1</sup>

**Policy**

Each Adviser complies with Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act and all other applicable laws and regulations to the extent the Adviser votes proxies on behalf of Clients. KFA votes proxies for the securities in the KraneShares Trust, on behalf of each series of the Trust (the "Funds") for which it has been granted investment authority. KFA has retained Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. ("Broadridge") to track the Funds' proxy votes, the subsequent action taken by the Funds upon receipt of the vote, and where applicable, the issuer's management and shareholder recommendations (system name: ProxyEdge). KFA will provide ongoing oversight of Broadridge with respect to the ProxyEdge system which is used to assist in KFA's proxy voting duties.

Where KFA has responsibility for voting proxies, KFA will take reasonable steps under the circumstances so that proxies are received and voted in the best interest of its Clients, including the Funds, which generally means voting proxies in accordance with this policy. KFA may abstain from voting to the extent that KFA determines that such abstention is in the Client's best interest (based on a quantitative/qualitative materiality assessment). KFA generally does not vote proxies on behalf of separate account clients (if any). Separate account clients either vote their own proxies or designate an independent third party to vote proxies at the client's discretion.

<sup>1</sup> Each Adviser notes that the fiduciary duties described in Section 404(a)(1)(A) and (B) of ERISA require that, in voting proxies, the responsible fiduciary consider those factors that may affect the value of a plan's investment and not subordinate the interests of the plan's participants and beneficiaries in their retirement income to unrelated objectives. As such, to the extent that the one or both of the Advisers becomes an ERISA fiduciary, they will consider whether a plan's vote is expected to have an effect on the value of the plan's investment that warrants the additional cost of voting before making any proxy vote.

**Proxy Advisory Firm - General Guidelines and Oversight**

Where KFA has proxy voting authority, KFA generally votes in accordance with pre-determined proxy voting guidelines prepared by Glass Lewis & Co. ("GL Guidelines"), where Glass Lewis serves as an independent, unaffiliated third-party proxy advisory service firm.<sup>2</sup> KFA believes that utilizing an independent third party's framework and analysis to support KFA's assessments of proxy proposals assists KFA in making sure that all proxy voting decisions are made in the best interests of KFA's Clients and Funds. However, KFA may diverge from the GL Guidelines to the extent that KFA believes it is in the best interest of a Fund or Client account to vote differently. In determining whether to vote in accordance with the GL Guidelines, KFA will take into account all information received with respect to the particular proxy vote, including any information provided by the issuer. KFA will provide ongoing oversight of any proxy advisory firm engaged to ensure the proxy advisory firm has the capacity and competency to adequately analyze proxy issues, including but not limited to reviewing (1) the adequacy and quality of the proxy advisory firm's staffing and personnel; (2) the robustness of its policies and procedures regarding its ability to (i) ensure that its proxy voting recommendations are based on current and accurate information and (ii) identify and address any conflicts of interest and any other considerations that the investment adviser believes would be appropriate in considering the nature and quality of the services provided by the proxy advisory firm.

**Conflicts of Interests**

KFA has adopted these policies and procedures that are designed to identify conflicts (or potential conflicts) that could arise between its own interests and those of its Clients, including the Funds. For example, conflicts of interest may arise when:

● proxy votes where the issuer is an affiliate, or the subject of the proxy measure involved a material economic or business interest of an affiliate;

● proxy votes regarding non-routine matters are solicited by an issuer that has an institutional separate account relationship with KFA;<sup>3</sup>

● a proponent of a proxy proposal has a business relationship with KFA; or

● KFA has business relationships with participants in proxy contests, corporate directors or director candidates.

The Compliance Team and KFA's Investment Team are responsible for monitoring and resolving possible material conflicts of interest with respect to proxy voting. KFA will identify any conflicts that exist between its interests and those of a Client by reviewing KFA's relationship with the issuer of each security to determine if KFA or any of its employees has any financial, business, or personal relationship with the issuer. Any person with knowledge of a personal conflict of interest relating to a particular matter shall disclose that conflict to the Investment Team or the Compliance Team and may be required to recuse him or herself from the proxy voting process.

If it is determined that a conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest is material, the CCO will work with appropriate personnel to agree upon a method to resolve such conflict before voting proxies affected by the conflict. It is KFA's expectation that voting in accordance with the GL Guidelines will, in most cases, adequately address any possible conflicts of interest.

KFA will maintain a record of the resolution of any conflict of interest with respect to proxy voting.

<sup>2</sup> As of the dated of these policies and procedures, KFA relies on the 2024 Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Thematic Voting Policy ("GL ESG Policy Guidelines"). To the extent the GL ESG Policy Guidelines do not provide a specific approach to a ballot, or an ESG rule does not trigger for a particular ballot, the default vote will come from the In-House Glass Lewis Guidelines.

<sup>3</sup> For this purpose, KFA generally will consider as "non-routine" any matter listed in New York Stock Exchange Rule 452.11, relating to when a member adviser may not vote a proxy without instructions from its customer (for example, contested matters are deemed non-routine).

**Special Issues with Voting Foreign Proxies**

Although KFA has arrangements with BBH (custodian) and Broadridge to vote foreign proxies, voting proxies with respect to shares of foreign stocks may involve significantly greater effort and corresponding cost due to the variety of regulatory schemes and corporate practices in foreign countries with respect to proxy voting. Logistical problems in voting foreign proxies include the following:

● Each country has its own rules and practices regarding shareholder notification, voting restrictions, registration conditions and "share blocking" (as described in the following bullet point).

● To vote shares in some countries, the shares may be "blocked" by the custodian or depository (or bearer shares deposited with a specified financial institution) for a specified number of days (usually five or fewer but sometimes longer) before or after the shareholder meeting. When blocked, shares typically may not be traded until the day after the blocking period. KFA may refrain from voting shares of foreign stocks subject to blocking restrictions where, in KFA's judgment, the benefit from voting the shares is outweighed by the interest of maintaining liquidity in the shares. This decision generally is made on a case-by-case basis based on relevant factors, including the length of the blocking period, the significance of the holding, and whether the stock is considered a long-term holding.

● Often it is difficult to ascertain the date of a shareholder meeting because certain countries, such as France, do not require companies to publish announcements in any official stock exchange publication.

● Timeframes between shareholder notification, distribution of proxy materials, bookclosure and the actual meeting date may be too short to allow timely action.

● Language barriers will generally mean that an English translation of proxy information must be obtained or commissioned before the relevant shareholder meeting, if possible.

● Some companies and/or jurisdictions require that, in order to be eligible to vote, the shares of the beneficial holders be registered in the company's share registry.

● Lack of a "proxy voting service" by custodians in certain countries, which in certain cases may require KFA to have a power of attorney in place with the local custodian for voting.

● Lack of proxy statement information (where KFA is limited to what is available on Proxy Ballot and Issuer's website).

● Proxy votes for the issuer are suppressed or restricted due to operational constraints, including sanctions.

● Meetings are informational only and/or have to be attended in person.

Because the cost of voting on a particular proxy proposal, including lengthy operational processing, could exceed the expected benefit to a Fund or Client account, KFA may, after weighing the costs and benefits of voting on proxy proposals relating to foreign securities, make the decision not to vote a proxy proposal. At times, KFA may abstain from voting proxies of companies for the reasons stated above.

**Affiliated Entities**

For the avoidance of doubt, when required by contract or requested in writing, it is KFA's policy to generally abstain from voting proxies as they relate to affiliated entities of subadvisors who co-manage the portfolios of the Funds.

**Voting Contrary to Guidelines**

To the extent a proxy is voted contrary to the GL Guidelines for the reasons stated above (i.e. conflicts of interest, foreign proxies with special issues, affiliated entities), or otherwise (for example, proxy is a "case by case" under which the third-party proxy advisory service firm does not provide a recommendation or due to a sanction or operational restriction), such override must be made in the Client account's or Fund's best interest. In such cases, the reason for such decision must be agreed on by both the Compliance Team and the Investment Team and recorded. To the extent the contrary vote is determined during monthly reviews, Krane Compliance will communicate that to the Investment Team, if not previously identified.

**Proxy Voting Reporting**

Information regarding how KFA voted proxies on behalf of the Funds is available on the SEC's website at <u>http://sec.gov</u>. Information regarding how KFA voted proxies on behalf of Client accounts is available upon request.

KFA must provide the Funds' Board with a report that describes any significant issues that arose during the year as they relate to voting proxies, including any votes that were made inconsistent with this policy. Additionally, on at least an annual basis, any changes to this policy with respect to the Funds must be reported to the Board, which shall review and, in its discretion, approve the use of such amended policy.

KFA's CCO will meet with the Stewardship Committee periodically, but no less frequently than annually, to review compliance with this policy.

**Securities Subject to Lending Arrangements**

The investment policies of a Fund may permit the Fund to engage in securities lending transactions from time to time. Securities lending will be conducted in accordance with each Fund's investment policies, policies adopted by the Board, and the terms and conditions of various SEC interpretive positions.

Under the Securities Lending Policy approved by the Board, in the event that KFA determines that a loaned security would otherwise remain on loan on the proxy record date and the matters involved would have a material effect on the applicable Fund's investment in the loaned securities, KFA will exercise its best efforts to vote proxies on the securities loaned, either by terminating the loan or by entering into an alternative arrangement with the borrower of the securities in time to be able to cast such vote or to exercise such consent. This assessment would be based on a quantitative and qualitative materiality assessment conducted by the Compliance Team and reviewed by the Investment Team.

**Class Actions**

KFA does not commit to participate in all class actions that may arise with regard to Client account or Fund portfolio securities. Upon receipt of class action information, the Compliance Team and/or Investment Team will evaluate the costs versus the benefits of participation in the suit for each pertinent Client. Unless it is determined that it would be in the best interest of the Client or Fund, KFA will not participate in the class action on behalf of the Client or Fund. The Compliance Team or Investment Team will either return to the sender any documents inadvertently received by KFA regarding the class action, or forward the documents to the pertinent Client(s). If a determination is made that the benefits of participating in a class action outweigh the cost of participation, KFA will distribute any compensation received pro rata to the investors in the Funds(s) and/or to the Client based on the current percentage holdings in the Fund or Client account, or as otherwise appropriately arranged and disclosed to Clients.

Class Action Notices should be forwarded to the CCO upon receipt.

**Recordkeeping**

To the extent that KFA exercises proxy voting authority with respect to its Clients, it shall make and retain the following:

● a copy of this policy;

● a copy of each proxy statement that KFA receives regarding Client securities;

● a record of each vote cast by KFA on behalf of a Client;

● a copy of each written Client request for information on how KFA voted proxies on behalf of the Client, and a copy of any written response by KFA to any written or oral Client request for information on how KFA voted proxies on behalf of the requesting Client.

KFA shall retain these records in an easily accessible place for five years from the end of the fiscal year during which the last entry was made on such record, the first two years in KFA's principal office. The CCO will confirm that KFA complies with all applicable recordkeeping requirements associated with proxy voting.

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---

| |
|:---|
| ESG<br> Thematic Voting Policy Guidelines |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2025 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;www.glasslewis.com |

---

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---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| [About Glass Lewis](#egssai1_001) | 5 |
| [Summary of Changes for 2025](#egssai1_002) | 6 |
| [Introduction](#egssai1_005) | 7 |
| [Election of Directors](#egssai1_006) | 8 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board of Directors](#egssai1_007) | 8 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Composition](#egssai1_008) | 8 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Independence](#egssai1_009) | 10 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Committee Composition](#egssai1_010) | 10 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Diversity, Tenure and Refreshment](#egssai1_011) | 10 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Director Overboarding](#egssai1_012) | 11 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Size](#egssai1_013) | 11 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Classified Boards](#egssai1_014) | 12 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Controlled Companies](#egssai1_015) | 12 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Significant Shareholders](#egssai1_016) | 12 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Director Performance and Oversight](#egssai1_017) | 12 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Environmental and Social Oversight and Performance](#egssai1_018) | 13 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board-Level Oversight of Environmental and Social Risks](#egssai1_019) | 13 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Climate Risk](#egssai1_020) | 13 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Stakeholder Considerations](#egssai1_021) | 14 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Review of Risk Management Controls](#egssai1_022) | 14 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Slate Elections](#egssai1_023) | 14 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Responsiveness](#egssai1_024) | 14 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Separation of the Roles of CEO and Chair](#egssai1_025) | 15 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Governance Following an IPO or Spin-Off](#egssai1_026) | 15 |

---

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---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| [Financial Reporting](#egssai1_027) | 16 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Accounts and Reports](#egssai1_028) | 16 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Income Allocation (Distribution of Dividends)](#egssai1_029) | 16 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Appointment of Auditors and Authority to Set Fees](#egssai1_030) | 16 |
| [Compensation](#egssai1_031) | 17 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Compensation Reports and Compensation Policies](#egssai1_032) | 17 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Linking Compensation to Environmental and Social Issues](#egssai1_033) | 18 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Long-Term Incentive Plans](#egssai1_034) | 18 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Performance-Based Equity Compensation](#egssai1_035) | 18 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Director Compensation](#egssai1_036) | 19 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Retirement Benefits for Directors](#egssai1_037) | 19 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Limits on Executive Compensation](#egssai1_038) | 19 |
| [Governance Structure](#egssai1_039) | 20 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Amendments to the Articles of Association](#egssai1_040) | 20 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Anti-Takeover Measures](#egssai1_041) | 20 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Multi-Class Share Structures](#egssai1_042) | 20 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Cumulative Voting](#egssai1_043) | 20 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Fair Price Provision](#egssai1_044) | 21 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Supermajority Vote Requirements](#egssai1_045) | 21 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Poison Pills (Shareholder Rights Plan)](#egssai1_046) | 21 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Increase in Authorized Shares](#egssai1_047) | 22 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Issuance of Shares](#egssai1_048) | 23 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Repurchase of Shares](#egssai1_049) | 23 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Reincorporation](#egssai1_050) | 23 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Tax Havens](#egssai1_051) | 23 |

---

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---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Advance Notice Requirements](#egssai1_052) | 24 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Transaction of Other Business](#egssai1_053) | 24 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Anti-Greenmail Proposals](#egssai1_054) | 24 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Virtual-Only Shareholder Meetings](#egssai1_055) | 24 |
| [Mergers, Acquisitions & Contested Meetings](#egssai1_056) | 25 |
| [Shareholder Proposals](#egssai1_057) | 26 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Governance Proposals](#egssai1_058) | 26 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Environmental Proposals](#egssai1_059) | 26 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Say on Climate](#egssai1_060) | 27 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Shareholder Proposals](#egssai1_061) | 27 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Management Proposals](#egssai1_062) | 27 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Social Proposals](#egssai1_063) | 27 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Compensation Proposals](#egssai1_064) | 28 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Trojan Horse Proposals](#egssai1_065) | 28 |
| [Connect with Glass Lewis](#egssai1_066) | 30 |

---

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About Glass Lewis

Glass Lewis is the world's choice for governance solutions. We enable institutional investors and publicly listed companies to make informed decisions based on research and data. We cover 30,000+ meetings each year, across approximately 100 global markets. Our team has been providing in-depth analysis of companies since 2003, relying solely on publicly available information to inform its policies, research, and voting recommendations.

Our customers include the majority of the world's largest pension plans, mutual funds, and asset managers, collectively managing over $40 trillion in assets. We have teams located across the United States, Europe, and Asia-Pacific giving us global reach with a local perspective on the important governance issues.

Investors around the world depend on Glass Lewis' **<u>Viewpoint</u>** platform to manage their proxy voting, policy implementation, recordkeeping, and reporting. Our industry leading **<u>Proxy Paper</u>** product provides comprehensive environmental, social, and governance research and voting recommendations weeks ahead of voting deadlines. Public companies can also use our innovative **<u>Report Feedback Statement</u>** to deliver their opinion on our proxy research directly to the voting decision makers at every investor client in time for voting decisions to be made or changed.

The research team engages extensively with public companies, investors, regulators, and other industry stakeholders to gain relevant context into the realities surrounding companies, sectors, and the market in general. This enables us to provide the most comprehensive and pragmatic insights to our customers.

Join the Conversation

Glass Lewis is committed to ongoing engagement with all market participants.

<u>info@glasslewis.com</u>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <u>www.glasslewis.com</u>

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Summary of Changes for 2025

Board Diversity

The ESG Policy has updated its policy concerning gender diversity on boards. The policy has been updated to provide that, if less than 33% of the board is gender-diverse the ESG Policy will vote against all incumbent male nominating committee members for large- and mid-cap companies; however, where local market standards dictate a higher level of expected gender diversity, the ESG policy will follow the local market requirement. , Previously, the ESG Policy would vote against male members of the nominating committee in instances where large- and mid-cap companies did not have at least 30% gender diversity. The policy will continue to recommend against male members of the nominating committee when small-cap companies do not have at least one gender-diverse director on their boards.

Vote-No Campaigns

The ESG Policy will carefully review any "vote-no" campaigns launched by shareholders as a result of their concerns regarding a company's failure to adequately address environmental and social risks or those related to poor compensation or governance practices. When it is determined that such campaigns either address a failure of oversight on behalf of the company or broadly seek to promote more responsible corporate behavior, the ESG Policy may vote in line with the recommendations of the shareholder(s) running the vote-no campaign.

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Introduction

Institutional investors are increasingly recognizing the importance of incorporating material environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors into their investment processes. Active ownership on ESG issues will typically include also applying these considerations to proxy voting practices, and the ESG Policy allows clients to apply these enhanced ESG considerations when voting at the annual and special meetings of their portfolio companies.

The ESG Policy was designed for clients with a strong focus on environmental and social issues or as a supplemental voting policy for ESG-focused funds. This policy is also ideal for investors who would like to vote in a stakeholder-focused and progressive manner.

Implementation of the ESG Policy may vary market-to-market in accordance with regulatory requirements, corporate governance best practices, and other relevant standards in individual markets.

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Election of Directors

Board of Directors

Boards are established in order to represent shareholders and protect their interests. The ESG Policy seeks boards that have a record for protecting shareholders and delivering value over the medium- and long-term. For boards that wish to protect and enhance the interests of shareholders they must have sufficient levels of independence (the percentage varies by local market practice and regulations), boast a record of positive performance, have directors with diverse backgrounds, and appoint new directors that have a depth of relevant experience.

Board Composition

The ESG Policy examines a variety of elements to the board when voting on director elections. In terms of the directors, the policy looks at each individual on the board and explores their relationship with the company, the company's executives and with other board members. This is to ensure and determine whether a director has an existing relationship with the company that are likely to impact any decision processes of that board member.

The biographical information provided by the company on the individual director is essential for investors to understand the background and skills of the directors of the board. This information should be provided in the company's documents well in advance of the shareholder meeting, in order to give shareholders sufficient time to analyze the information. In cases where the company fails to disclose the names or backgrounds of director nominees, the ESG Policy may vote against or abstain from voting on the directors' elections.

The ESG Policy will vote in favor of governance structures that will drive positive performance and enhance shareholder value. The most crucial test of a board's commitment to the company and to its shareholders is the performance of the board and its members. The performance of directors in their capacity as board members and as executives of the company, when applicable, and in their roles at other companies where they serve is critical to this evaluation.

Directors are formed into three categories based on an examination of the type of relationship they have with the company. The table below includes a breakdown of how Glass Lewis classifies these director relationships with the company.

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Insider** | **Affiliate** | **Independent** |
| >Someone who serves as a director and as an employee of the Company | >A director who has a material financial, familial or other relationship with the company, or its executives, but is NOT an employee of the company | >No material financial, familial or other current relationships with the company, it's executives or other board members except for service |
| >May also include executive chairs (who act as an employee of the company or is paid as an employee of the company) | >A director who owns or controls, directly or indirectly 20% or more of the company's voting stock (except where local regulations or best practices set a different threshold). | >A director who owns, directly or indirectly less than 10% of the company's voting stock (local regulations and best practices may set a different threshold) |
|  | >A director who has been employed by the company within the past 5 calendar years | >A director who has not been employed by the company for a minimum of 5 calendar years |
|  | >A director who performs material consulting, legal, advisory, accounting or other professional services for the company | >A director who is not involved in any Related Party Transactions (RPT) with the company (most common RPT's - Consulting, Legal, and Accounting/Advisory services) |
|  | >A director who is involved in an "Interlocking Directorship" |  |

---

Common other reasons the ESG Policy will vote against a director:

(i) A director who attends less than 75% of the board and applicable committee meetings.

(ii) A director who is also the CEO of a company where a serious restatement has occurred after the CEO certified the pre-restatement financial statements.

(iii) An affiliated director when the board is not sufficiently independent in accordance with market best practice standards.

(iv) An affiliate or insider on any of the key committees (audit, compensation, nominating) or an affiliate or insider on any of the key committees and there is insufficient independence on that committee, both of the above can vary in accordance with the markets best practice standards.

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The following conflicts of interests may hinder a director's performance and may result in a vote against:

(i) A director who presently sits on an excessive number of public company boards (see the relevant market guidelines for confirmation of the excessive amount).

(ii) Director, or a director whose immediate family member, or the firm at which the director is employed, provides material professional services to the company at any time during the past five years.

(iii) Director, or a director whose immediate family member, engages in airplane, real estate or other similar deals, including perquisite type grants from the company.

(iv) Director with an interlocking directorship.

(v) All board members who served at a time when a poison pill with a term of longer than one year was adopted without shareholder approval within the prior twelve months.

(vi) A director who has received two against recommendations from Glass Lewis for identical reasons within the prior year at different companies.

Board Independence

A board composed of at least two-thirds independent is most effective in protecting shareholders' interests. Generally, the ESG Policy will vote against responsible directors if the board is less than two-thirds independent, however, this is also dependent on the market best practice standards.

Board Committee Composition

It is best practice to have independent directors serving on the audit, compensation, nominating and governance committees. As such, the ESG Policy will support boards with this structure and encourage change when this is not the case. However, board committee independence thresholds may vary depending on the market.

With respect to the creation of board committees and the composition thereof, the ESG Policy will generally support shareholder proposals requesting that companies create a committee to oversee material E&S issues, such as committees dedicated to climate change oversight or the oversight of public policy risks. The ESG Policy will also generally support shareholder proposals calling for the appointment of directors with specific expertise to the board, such as those requesting the appointment of an environmental expert or an individual with significant human rights expertise.

Board Diversity, Tenure and Refreshment

The ESG Policy acknowledges the importance of ensuring that the board is comprised of directors who have a diversity of skills, backgrounds, thoughts, and experiences. As such, having diverse boards benefits companies greatly by encompassing an array of different perspectives and insights.

In terms of board tenure and refreshment, the ESG Policy strongly supports routine director evaluations, including independent external reviews, and periodic board refreshment in order to enable the company to maintain a fresh set of ideas and business strategies in an ever-changing world and market. Having directors with diverse experiences and skills can strengthen the position of a company within the market. Therefore, the ESG Policy promotes refreshment within boards, as a lack of refreshment can lead to poor company performance. Thus, the ESG Policy may consider voting against directors with a lengthy tenure (e.g. over 12

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years) when we identify significant performance or governance concerns indicating that a fresh perspective would be beneficial and there is no evidence of any plans of future board refreshment.

The ESG Policy will also evaluate a company's policies and actions with respect to board refreshment and diversity. As a part of this evaluation, we will review the diversity of board members and support shareholder proposals to report on or increase board diversity. The nominating and governance committee, as an agent for the shareholders, is responsible for the governance by the board of the company and its executives. In performing this role, the committee is responsible and accountable for selection of objective and competent board members. To that end, the ESG Policy will: (i) vote against members of the nominating committee in the event that the board has an average tenure of over ten years and the board has not appointed a new nominee to the board in at least five years; (ii) vote against the incumbent male nominating committee members in instances where the board of a large- or mid-cap company is comprised of fewer than 33% gender-diverse directors, or the local market requirement for gender diversity where higher; or (iii) vote against the male members of the nominating committee where there is not at least one gender-diverse director on the board of a small-cap company.

The ESG Policy conducts a further level of analysis for U.S. companies included in the Russel 1000 index. For these companies, the ESG Policy will vote against members of the nominating and governance committee when they receive a "Poor" score in Glass Lewis' Diversity Disclosure Assessment. The Diversity Disclosure Assessment is an analysis of companies' proxy statement disclosure relating to board diversity, skills and the director nomination process. This assessment reflects how a company's proxy statement presents: (i) the board's current percentage of racial/ethnic diversity; (ii) whether the board's definition of diversity explicitly includes gender and/or race/ethnicity; (iii) whether the board has adopted a policy requiring women and minorities to be included in the initial pool of candidates when selecting new director nominees ("Rooney Rule"); and (iv) board skills disclosure.

Director Overboarding

The ESG Policy will generally recommend that shareholders vote against a director who serves as an executive officer (other than executive chair) of any public company while serving on more than one external public company board, a director who serves as an executive chair of any public company while serving on more than two external public company boards, and any other director who serves on more than five public company boards.

Board Size

Although there is not a universally acceptable optimum board size, boards should have a minimum of five directors to ensure sufficient diversity in decision making and to enable the establishment of key committees with independent directors. Further, boards should not be composed of more than 20 directors as the board may suffer as a result of too many voices to be heard and have difficulty reaching consensus on issues with this number of members. As a result, the ESG Policy will generally vote against the chair of the nominating committee at a board with fewer than five directors or more than 20 directors.

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Classified Boards

The ESG Policy favors the repeal of staggered boards in favor of the annual election of directors. Staggered boards are generally less accountable to shareholders than annually elected directors to the board. In addition, the annual election of directors encourages board members to focus on protecting the interests of shareholders. Further to this, if shareholders are unsatisfied with board members the annual election of directors allows them to voice these concerns.

Controlled Companies

The ESG Policy allows certain exceptions to the independence standards at controlled companies. The board's main function is to protect shareholder interests, however, when an individual, entity, or group own more than 50% of the voting shares, the interests of majority shareholders are the interests of that entity or individual. As a result, the ESG Policy does not apply the usual two-thirds independence threshold on controlled companies instead it includes the following guidelines:

(i) As long as insiders and/or affiliates are connected to the controlling entity, the ESG Policy will accept the presence of non-independent board members.

(ii) The compensation, nominating, and governance committees do not need to consist solely of independent directors. However, the compensation committee should not have any insider members, but affiliates are accepted.

(iii) The board does not need an independent chair or an independent lead or presiding director.

(iv) The audit committee should consist solely of independent directors, regardless of the controlled status of the company.

Significant Shareholders

Significant shareholders are either an individual or an entity which holds between 20-50% of a company's voting power, and the ESG Policy provides that shareholders should be allowed proportional representation on the board and in committees (excluding the audit committee) based on their percentage of ownership.

Director Performance and Oversight

Board members performance and their actions in regard to performance of the board is an essential element to understanding the board's commitment to the company and to shareholders. The ESG Policy will look at the performance of individuals as directors and executives of the company and of other companies where they have served. Often a director's past conduct is indicative of future conduct and performance.

The ESG Policy will typically vote against directors who have served on boards or as executives of companies with records of poor performance, inadequate risk oversight, excessive compensation, audit or accounting-related issues, and other actions or indicators of mismanagement. However, the ESG Policy will also reevaluate the directors based on factors such as the length of time that has passed since the incident, the director's role, and the severity of the issue.

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Environmental and Social Oversight and Performance

The ESG Policy considers the oversight afforded to environmental and social issues. The ESG Policy looks to ensure that companies maintain appropriate board-level oversight of material risks to their operations, including those that are environmental and social in nature. When it is clear that these risks have not been properly managed or mitigated, the ESG Policy may vote against members of the board who are responsible for the oversight of environmental and social risks. In the absence of explicit board oversight of environmental and social issues, the ESG Policy may vote against members of the audit committee. In making these determinations, the ESG Policy will take into account the situation at hand, its effect on shareholder value, as well as any corrective action or other response made by the company.

Board-Level Oversight of Environmental and Social Risks

The insufficient oversight of environmental and social issues can present direct legal, financial, regulatory and reputational risks that could serve to harm shareholder interests. As a result, the ESG Policy promotes oversight structures that ensure that companies are mitigating attendant risks ad capitalizing on related opportunities to the best extent possible.

To that end, the ESG Policy looks to boards to maintain clear oversight of material risks to their operations, including those that are environmental and social in nature. These risks could include, but are not limited to, matters related to climate change, human capital management, diversity, stakeholder relations, and health, safety & environment.

Glass Lewis will review a company's overall governance practices to identify which directors or board-level committees have been charged with oversight of environmental and/or social issues. Given the importance of the board's role in overseeing environmental and social risks, the ESG Policy will vote against members of the governance committee that fails to provide explicit disclosure concerning the board's role in overseeing these issues.

Climate Risk

Given the importance of companies mitigation and management of climate-related risks, the ESG Policy includes specific consideration for companies' disclosure of and policies concerning climate change. For companies included in the Climate Action 100+ focus list and those that operate in industries where the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) has determined that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions represent a financially material risk, the ESG Policy will vote against the chair of the board in instances where a company has not adopted a net zero emissions target or ambition. For all other companies, the ESG Policy will vote against the chair of the board in instances where companies have not established any forward-looking GHG emissions reduction targets. In both instances, if the chair of the board is also the company's CEO, the ESG Policy will vote against the chair of the audit committee.

The ESG Policy also takes into consideration investors' growing expectation for robust climate and sustainability disclosures. For Climate Action 100+ focus list companies, as well as those where SASB has determined that GHG emissions represent a material risk, the ESG Policy will vote against the chair of the board when the company has failed to produce reporting that is aligned with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures ("TCFD") or IFRS S2 framework . For all other companies, the ESG Policy may vote against the chair of the board when they have not produced sufficient sustainability reporting.

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Stakeholder Considerations

In order to drive long-term shareholder value, companies require a social license to operate. A lack of consideration for stakeholders can present legal, regulatory, and reputational risks. With this view, the ESG Policy will vote against the chair of the board in instances where companies in major blue chip indices are not signatories or participants in the United Nations Global Compact ("UNGC") or have not adopted a human rights policy that is aligned with the standards set forth by the International Labour Organization ("ILO") or the Universal Declaration on Human Rights ("UDHR").

For U.S. companies listed in the S&P 500 index, the ESG Policy will also evaluate whether companies have provided sufficient disclosure concerning their workforce diversity. In instances where these companies have not disclosed their full EEO-1 reports, the ESG Policy will vote against the nominating and governance chair.

Review of Risk Management Controls

The ESG Policy evaluates the risk management function of a public company on a case-by-case basis. Companies, particularly financial firms, should have a dedicated risk committee, or a committee on the board in charge of risk oversight, as well as a chief risk officer who reports directly to that committee, not to the CEO or another executive of the company. When analyzing the risk management practices of public companies the ESG Policy takes note of any significant losses or write-downs on financial assets and/or structured transactions. In cases where a company has disclosed a sizable loss or write-down, and where the company's board-level risk committee's poor oversight contributed to the loss, the ESG Policy will recommend that shareholders vote against such committee members on that basis. In addition, in cases where a company maintains a significant level of financial risk exposure but fails to disclose any explicit form of board-level risk oversight (committee or otherwise), the ESG Policy may vote against the chair of the board on that basis.

Slate Elections

In some countries, in particular Italy, companies elect their board members as a slate, whereby shareholders are unable to vote on the election of an individual director, but rather are limited to voting for or against the board as a whole. The ESG Policy will generally support the slate if no major governance or board-related concerns have been raised in the analysis, and the slate appears to support and protect the best interests of all shareholders.

Board Responsiveness

Majority-Supported Shareholder Proposals

We expect clear action from the board when shareholder proposals receive support from a majority of votes cast (excluding abstentions and broker non-votes). In our view, this may include fully implementing the request of the shareholder proposal and/or engaging with shareholders on the issue and providing sufficient disclosures to address shareholder concerns.

Significantly Supported Shareholder Proposals

When shareholder proposals receive significant support (generally more than 30% but less than majority of votes cast), we believe an initial level of board responsiveness is warranted. In instances where a shareholder

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proposal has received at least 30% shareholder support, we generally believe boards should engage with shareholders on the issue and provide disclosure addressing shareholder concerns and outreach initiatives.

Further, as discussed above, at controlled companies and companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will carefully examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders when determining whether board responsiveness is warranted.

Separation of the Roles of CEO and Chair

The separation of the positions of CEO and chair creates a better and more independent governance structure than a combined CEO/chair position. The role of executives is to manage the business based on the course charted by the board. Executives should be in the position of reporting and answering to the board for their performance in achieving their goals as set out by the board. This would become more complicated if they too held the position of chair as it would be difficult for them to fulfil the duty of being both the overseer and policy setter when they, the CEO/chair control both the agenda and boardroom.

The ESG Policy views an independent chair as better able to oversee the executives of the company and set a pro-shareholder agenda without the management conflicts that a CEO and other executive insiders often face. Such oversight and concern for shareholders allows for a more proactive and effective board of directors that is better able to look out for the interests of shareholders.

Furthermore, it is the board's responsibility to select a chief executive to best serve the company and its shareholders and to replace this person when his or her duties have not been appropriately fulfilled. Such a replacement becomes more difficult and happens less frequently when the chief executive is also in the position of overseeing the board.

However, even considering the above, the ESG Policy will not vote against CEOs who also chair the board. The ESG Policy will generally support separating the positions of CEO and chair whenever the question is posed in a shareholder proposal, as in the long-term it is in the best interests of the company.

In the absence of an independent chair, the ESG Policy will support the appointment of a presiding or lead independent director with authority to set the agenda for the meeting and to lead sessions. In the case where the company has neither an independent chair nor independent lead director, the ESG Policy may vote against the chair of the governance committee.

Governance Following an IPO or Spin-Off

Companies that have recently completed an initial public offering (IPO), or spin-off should be given adequate time to fully adjust and comply with marketplace listing requirements and meet basic corporate governance standards. The ESG Policy generally allows the company a one-year period following the IPO to comply with these requirements and as such refrains from voting based on governance standards (e.g., board independence, committee membership and structure, meeting attendance, etc.).

However, there are some cases that warrant shareholder action against the board of a company that have completed an IPO or spin-off in the past year. The ESG Policy will evaluate the terms of applicable governing documents when determining the recommendations and whether the shareholders rights will be severely restricted. In order to come to a conclusion the following points will be considered:

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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. The adoption of anti-takeover provisions such as a poison pill or classified board;

2. Supermajority vote requirements to amend governing documents;

3. The presence of exclusive forum or fee-shifting provisions;

4. Whether shareholders can call special meetings or act by written consent;

5. The voting standard provided for the election of directors;

6. The ability of shareholders to remove directors without cause;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;7. The presence of evergreen provisions in the company's equity compensation arrangements; and

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;8. The presence of a multi-class share structure which does not afford common shareholders voting power that is aligned with their economic interest.

Anti-takeover provisions can negatively impact future shareholders who (except for electing to buy or sell the stock) are unable to weigh in on matters that might negatively impact their ownership interest. In cases where the anti-takeover provision was adopted prior to the IPO, the ESG Policy may vote against the members of the board who served when it was adopted if the board:

(i) Did not also commit to submit the anti-takeover provision to a shareholder vote at the company's next shareholder meeting following the IPO; or

(ii) Did not provide a sound rationale or sunset provision for adopting the anti-takeover provision.

Financial Reporting

Accounts and Reports

Excluding situations where there are concerns surrounding the integrity of the statements/reports, the ESG Policy will generally vote for Accounts and Reports proposals.

Where the required documents have not been published at the time that the vote is cast, the ESG Policy will abstain from voting on this proposal.

Income Allocation (Distribution of Dividends)

The ESG Policy will generally vote for proposals concerning companies' distribution of dividends. However, particular scrutiny will be given to cases where the company's dividend payout ratio is exceptionally low or excessively high relative to its peers, and where the company has not provided a satisfactory explanation for this disparity.

Appointment of Auditors and Authority to Set Fees

The role of the auditor is crucial in protecting shareholder value. Like directors, auditors should be free from conflicts of interest and should assiduously avoid situations that require them to make choices between their own interests and the interests of the shareholders. Because of the importance of the role of the auditor, rotating auditors is an important safeguard against the relationship between the auditor and the company becoming too close, resulting in a lack of oversight due to complacency or conflicts of interest. Accordingly, the ESG Policy will vote against auditor ratification proposals in instances where it is clear that a company's auditor has not been changed for 20 or more years.

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In instances where a company has retained an auditor for fewer than 20 years, the ESG Policy will generally support management's recommendation for the selection of an auditor, as well as the board's authority to fix auditor fees. However, there are a number of exceptions to this policy, and the ESG Policy will vote against the appointment of the auditor and/or the authorization of the board to set auditor fees in the following scenarios:

● The independence of an incumbent auditor or the integrity of the audit has been compromised.

● Audit fees combined with audit-related fees total less than one-half of total fees.

● There have been any recent restatements or late filings by the company and responsibility for such can be attributed to the auditor (e.g., a restatement due to a reporting error).

● The company has aggressive accounting policies.

● The company has poor disclosure or lack of transparency in financial statements.

● There are other relationships, or issues of concern, with the auditor that might suggest a conflict of interest.

● The company is changing auditors as a result of a disagreement between the company and the auditor on a matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedures.

Compensation

Compensation Reports and Compensation Policies

Depending on the market, compensation report and policy vote proposals may be either advisory or binding, e.g. in the UK a non-binding compensation report based upon the most recent fiscal year is voted upon annually, and a forward-looking compensation policy will be subject to a binding vote every three years.

In all markets company filings are evaluated closely to determine how well information pertinent to Compensation practices has been disclosed, the extent to which overall compensation is tied to performance, which performance metrics have been employed, as well as how the company's remuneration practices compare to that of its peers.

The ESG Policy will vote against the approval of a compensation report or policy in the following scenarios:

● There is a significant disconnect between pay and performance;

● Performance goals and metrics are inappropriate or insufficiently challenging;

● There is a lack of disclosure regarding performance metrics as well as a lack of clarity surrounding the implementation of these metrics.

● Short-term (e.g., generally less than three year) performance measurement is weighted excessively in incentive plans;

● Excessive discretion is afforded to, or exercised by, management or the Compensation Committee to deviate from defined performance metrics and goals in determining awards;

● Ex gratia or other non-contractual payments have been made and the reasoning for this is inadequate.

● Guaranteed bonuses are established;

● Egregious or excessive bonuses, equity awards or severance payments have been granted;

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● Excessive increases (e.g. over 10%) in fixed payments, such as salary or pension entitlements, that are not adequately justified

● Where there is an absence of structural safeguarding mechanisms such as clawback and malus policies included in the Incentive plan.

Linking Compensation to Environmental and Social Issues

On top of Glass Lewis' robust evaluation of companies' compensation plans, the ESG Policy will evaluate if, and to what extent, a company has provided a link between compensation and environmental and social criteria. In most markets, should a company not provide any environmental or social considerations in its remuneration scheme, the ESG Policy will vote against the proposed plan. For companies with a greater degree of exposure to environmental and climate-related issues (i.e., Climate Action 100+ focus list companies and those where SASB has deemed GHG emissions to be financially material), the ESG Policy will vote against compensation proposals if the company has not adequately incentivized executives to act in ways that mitigate a company's climate impact. The ESG Policy will also support shareholder resolutions requesting the inclusion of sustainability metrics in executive compensation plans.

Long-Term Incentive Plans

The ESG Policy recognizes the value of equity-based incentive programs. When used appropriately, they provide a means of linking an employee's pay to a company's performance, thereby aligning their interests with those of shareholders. In addition, equity-based compensation is an effective way to attract, retain and motivate key employees.

In order to allow for meaningful shareholder review, incentive programs should generally include:

(i) specific and appropriate performance goals;

(ii) a maximum award pool; and

(iii) a maximum award amount per employee.

In addition, the payments made should be reasonable relative to the performance of the business and total compensation paid to those included under the plan should be in line with compensation paid by the company's peers.

Performance-Based Equity Compensation

The ESG Policy supports performance-based equity compensation plans for senior executives; where it is warranted by both their performance, and that of the company. While it is unnecessary to base equity-based compensation for all employees to company performance, placing such limitations on grants to senior executives is considered advisable (although in specific scenarios equity-based compensation granted to senior executives without performance criteria is acceptable under Glass Lewis guidelines, such as in the case of moderate incentive grants made in an initial offer of employment). While it is not uncommon for a board to state that tying equity compensation to performance goals may hinder them in attracting, and retaining, talented executives, the ESG Policy takes the stance that performance-based compensation aids in aligning executive interests to that of shareholders, and as such will support the company in achieving its objectives.

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The ESG Policy will generally vote in favor of all performance-based option or share schemes; with the exception of plans that include a provision to allow for the re-testing of performance conditions; for which a vote against is recommended.

Director Compensation

The ESG Policy supports non-employee directors receiving an appropriate form, and level, of compensation for the time and effort they spend serving on the board and its committees; and director fees being at a level that allows a company to retain and attract qualified individuals. The ESG Policy compares the cost of director compensation to that of peer companies with similar market capitalizations in the same country so that compensation plans may be evaluated thoroughly, and a fair vote outcome reached.

Retirement Benefits for Directors

The ESG Policy will typically vote against the granting of retirement benefits to non-executive directors. Such extended payments can impair the objectivity and independence of these board members. Initial, and annual fees should be of a level that provides appropriate compensation to directors throughout their service to the company.

Limits on Executive Compensation

As a general rule, shareholders should not seek to micromanage executive compensation programs. Such matters should be left to the board's compensation committee. The election of directors, and specifically those who sit on the compensation committee, is viewed as an appropriate mechanism for shareholders to express their support, or disapproval, of board policy on this issue. Further, companies whose pay-for-performance is in line with their peers should be granted the flexibility to compensate their executives in a manner that drives sustainable growth. However, the ESG Policy favors performance-based compensation as an effective means of motivating executives to act in the best interests of shareholders. Performance-based compensation may be limited if a chief executive's pay is capped at a low level rather than flexibly tied to the performance of the company.

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Governance Structure

Amendments to the Articles of Association

The ESG Policy will evaluate proposed amendments to a company's articles of association on a case-by-case basis. The ESG Policy is generally opposed to bundling several amendments under a single proposal as it prevents shareholders from evaluating each amendment on its own merits. In cases, where it is a bundled amendment, the ESG Policy will evaluate each amendment individually and only support the proposal if, in the aggregate, the amendments are in the best interests of shareholders.

Anti-Takeover Measures

Multi-Class Share Structures

The ESG Policy views multi-class share structures as not in the best interests of shareholders and instead is in favor of one vote per share. This structure operates as a safeguard for common shareholders by ensuring that those who hold a significant minority of shares are still able to weigh in on issues set forth by the board. The economic stake of each shareholder should match their voting power and that no small group of shareholders, family or otherwise, should have differing voting rights from those of all other shareholders.

The ESG Policy considers a multi-class share structure as having the potential to negatively impact the overall corporate governance of a company. Companies should have share class structures that protect the interests of non-controlling shareholders as well as any controlling entity. Therefore, the ESG Policy will generally vote in favor of recapitalization proposals to eliminate multi-class share structures. Similarly, the ESG Policy will typically vote against proposals to adopt a new class of common stock.

Cumulative Voting

When voting on cumulative voting proposals, the ESG Policy will factor in the independence of the board and the company's governance structure. Cumulative voting is often found on ballots at companies where independence is lacking and where the appropriate balances favoring the interests of shareholders are not in place. However, cumulative voting increases the ability of minority shareholders to elect a director by allowing shareholders to cast as many shares of stock they own multiplied by the number of directors to be elected. Cumulative voting allows shareholders to cast all their votes for one single nominee, or a smaller number of nominees than up for election, thereby raising the likelihood of electing one or more of their preferred nominees to the board. Accordingly, cumulative voting generally acts as a safeguard for shareholders by ensuring that those who hold a significant minority of shares can elect a candidate of their choosing to the board. As a result, the ESG Policy will typically vote in favor proposals concerning cumulative voting.

However, in the case where the company has adopted a true majority vote standard (i.e., where a director must receive a majority of votes cast to be elected, as opposed to a modified policy indicated by a resignation policy only), the ESG Policy will vote against cumulative voting proposals due to the incompatibility of the two election methods. For companies, that have not adopted the true majority vote standard but have some form of majority voting, the ESG Policy will also recommend voting against cumulative voting proposals if the company has also not adopted anti-takeover provisions and has been responsive to shareholders.

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In instances where a company has not adopted majority voting standards and is facing both an election on the adoption of majority voting and a proposal to adopt cumulative voting, the ESG Policy will support only the majority voting proposal.

Fair Price Provision

Fair price provisions, which are rare, require that certain minimum price and procedural requirements to be observed by any party that acquires more than a specified percentage of a corporation's common stock. The intention of this provision is to protect minority shareholder value when an acquirer seeks to accomplish a merger or other transaction which would eliminate or change the rights of the shareholder. Fair price provisions sometimes protecting the rights of shareholders in a takeover situation. However, more often than not they act as an impediment to takeovers, potentially limiting gains to shareholders from a variety of transactions that could potentially increase share price. As a result, the ESG Policy will generally vote to fair price provisions.

Supermajority Vote Requirements

The ESG Policy favors a simple majority voting structure except where a supermajority voting requirement is explicitly intended to protect the rights of minority shareholders in a controlled company. In the case of non-controlled companies, supermajority vote requirements act as impediments to shareholder action on ballot items that are critical to their interests. For example, supermajority vote requirements can strongly limit the voice of shareholders in making decisions on critical matters such as the selling of the business. Supermajority vote requirements can also allow small groups of shareholders to overrule and dictate the will of the majority of shareholders. Thus, having a simple majority is appropriate for protecting the rights of all shareholders.

Poison Pills (Shareholder Rights Plan)

The ESG Policy will generally oppose companies' adoption of poison pills, as they can reduce management accountability by substantially limiting opportunities for corporate takeovers. As a result, rights plans can prevent shareholders from receiving a buy-out premium for their stock. Generally, the ESG Policy will vote against these plans to protect their financial interests. While boards should be given wide latitude in directing the activities of the company and charting the company's course, on an issue such as this where the link between the financial interests of shareholders and their right to consider and accept buyout offers is so substantial, shareholders should be allowed to vote on whether or not they support such a plan's implementation. In certain limited circumstances, the ESG Policy will support a limited poison pill to accomplish a particular objective, such as the closing of an important merger, or a pill that contains what we believe to be a reasonable 'qualifying offer' clause.

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Increase in Authorized Shares

Adequate capital stock is important to a company's operation. When analyzing a request for additional shares, the ESG Policy will typically review four common reasons why a company may need additional capital stock:

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| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**1. Stock Split** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Three Metrics:<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(a) Historical stock pre-split price (if any)<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(b) Current price relative to the company's most common trading price over the past 52 weeks<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(c) Some absolute limits on stock price (that will either make the split appropriate or would produce an unreasonable price) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**2. Shareholder Defenses** | &nbsp;&nbsp; Additional authorized shares could be used to bolster takeover defenses such as a poison pill. The proxy filings often discuss the usefulness of additional shares in defending against a hostile takeover. |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**3. Financing for Acquisitions** | &nbsp;&nbsp; Examine whether the company has a history of using stock for acquisitions and attempts to determine what levels of stock have generally been required to accomplish such transactions. |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**4. Financing for Operations** | &nbsp;&nbsp; Review the company's cash position and its ability to secure financing through borrowing or other means. |

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The ESG Policy will generally support proposals when a company could reasonably use the requested shares for financing, stock splits and stock dividends, as having adequate shares to allow management to make quick decisions and effectively operate the business is critical. The ESG Policy favors that, when a company is undertaking significant transactions, management will justify its use of additional shares rather than providing a blank check in the form of large pools of unallocated shares available for any purpose.

Generally, the ESG Policy will support proposals to increase authorized shares up to 100% of the number of shares currently authorized unless, after the increase the company would be left with less than 30% of its authorized shares outstanding. In markets where such authorities typically also authorize the board to issue new shares without separate shareholder approval, the ESG Policy applies the policy described below on the issuance of shares.

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Issuance of Shares

The issuance of additional shares generally dilutes existing shareholders in most circumstances. Further, the availability of additional shares, where the board has discretion to implement a poison pill, can often serve as a deterrent to interested suitors. In cases where a company has not detailed a plan for use of the proposed shares, or where the number of shares far exceeds those needed to accomplish a detailed plan, the ESG Policy will typically vote against the authorization of additional shares. In the case of a private placement, the ESG Policy will also factor in whether the company is offering a discount to its share price.

Generally, the ESG Policy will support proposals to authorize the board to issue shares (with pre-emptive rights) when the requested increase is equal to or less than the current issued share capital. The authority of these shares should not exceed five years unless that is the market best practice. In accordance with the different market practices, the specific thresholds for share issuance can vary. And, as a result, the ESG Policy will vote on these proposals on a case-by-case basis.

The ESG Policy will also generally support proposals to suspend pre-emption rights for a maximum of 5-20% of the issued ordinary share capital of the company, depending on best practice in the country in which the company is located. This authority should not exceed five years, or less for some countries.

Repurchase of Shares

The ESG Policy typically supports proposals to repurchase shares when the plan includes the following provisions:

(i) A maximum number of shares which may be purchased (typically not more than 10-15% of the issued share capital); and

(ii) A maximum price which may be paid for each share (as a percentage of the market price).

Reincorporation

A company is in the best position to determine the appropriate jurisdiction of incorporation. The ESG Policy will factor in several elements when a management proposal to reincorporate the company is put to vote. These elements include reviewing the relevant financial benefits, generally related to incorporate tax treatment, as well as changes in corporate governance provisions, especially those related to shareholder rights, resulting from the change in domicile. In cases where the financial benefits are too small to be meaningful and there is a decrease in shareholder rights, the ESG Policy will vote against the transaction.

Tax Havens

The ESG Policy evaluates a company's potential exposure to risks related to a company's tax haven policies on an as-needed basis and will support shareholder proposals requesting that companies report on the risks associated with their use of tax havens or that request that companies adopt policies to discontinue operations or withdraw from tax havens. The ESG Policy will also vote against reincorporation proposals when companies have proposed to redomicile in known tax havens.

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Advance Notice Requirements

Typically, the ESG Policy will recommend vote against provisions that would require advance notice of shareholder proposals or of director nominees. Advance notice requirements typically range between three to six months prior to the annual meeting. These requirements often make it impossible for a shareholder who misses the deadline to present a shareholder proposal or director nominee that may be in the best interests of the company. Shareholders should be able to review and vote on all proposals and director nominees and are able to vote against proposals that appear with little prior notice. Therefore, by setting advance notice requirements it limits the opportunity for shareholders to raise issues that may arise after the window closes.

Transaction of Other Business

In general, the ESG Policy will vote against proposals that put the transaction of other business items proposal up for vote at an annual or special meeting, as granting unfettered discretion is unwise.

Anti-Greenmail Proposals

The ESG Policy will support proposals to adopt a provision preventing the payment of greenmail, which would serve to prevent companies from buying back company stock at significant premiums from a certain shareholder. The anti-greenmail provision helps to protect the company as it requires that a majority of shareholders other than the majority shareholder approve the buyback, thus, eliminating cases where a majority shareholder could attempt to charge a board a large premium for the shares.

Virtual-Only Shareholder Meetings

A growing number of companies have elected to hold shareholder meetings by virtual means only. The ESG Policy supports companies allowing a virtual option alongside an in-person meeting, so long as the shareholder interests are not compromised. Without proper controls, conducting a virtual-only meeting of shareholders could eliminate or significantly limit the rights of shareholders to confront, and ask management on any concerns they may have. When companies decide to only hold virtual-only meetings, the ESG Policy will examine the level of disclosure provided by the company on the virtual meeting procedures and may vote against members of the nominating and governance committee if the company does not provide disclosure assuring that shareholders will be afforded the same rights and opportunities to participate as they would at an in-person meeting.

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Mergers, Acquisitions & Contested Meetings

For merger and acquisition proposals, the ESG Policy undertakes a thorough examination of all elements of the transactions and determine the transaction's likelihood of maximizing shareholder return. In order to make a voting recommendation, the ESG Policy will examine the process conducted, the specific parties and individuals involved in negotiating an agreement, as well as the economic and governance terms of the proposal.

In the case of contested merger situations, or board proxy fights, the ESG Policy will evaluate the plan presented by the dissident party and how, if elected, it plans to enhance or protect shareholder value. The ESG Policy will also consider any concerns presented by the board, including any plans for improving the performance of the company, when making the ultimate recommendation. In addition, the ESG Policy will support shareholder proposals asking a company to consider the effects of a merger, spin-off, or other transaction on its employees and other stakeholders.

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Shareholder Proposals

The ESG Policy has a strong emphasis on enhancing the environmental, social and governance performance of companies. Accordingly, the ESG Policy will be broadly supportive of environmental and social shareholder proposals aimed at enhancing a company's policies and performance with respect to such issues. The ESG Policy will carefully examine each proposal's merits in order to ensure it seeks enhanced environmental disclosure and/or practices, and is not conversely aimed at limiting environmental or social disclosure or practices. Accordingly, the ESG Policy will not support proposals aimed at limiting or rescinding companies' ESG-related disclosures, goals or initiatives

Governance Proposals

The ESG Policy supports increased shareholder participation and access to a company and its board of directors. Accordingly, the ESG Policy will generally vote in favor of initiatives that seek to enhance shareholder rights, such as the introduction of majority voting to elect directors, the adoption and amendment of proxy access bylaws, the elimination/reduction of supermajority provisions, the declassification of the board, the submission of shareholder rights' plans to a shareholder vote, and the principle of one share, one vote.

The ESG Policy will also support proposals aimed at increasing the diversity of boards or management as well as those requesting additional information concerning workforce diversity and the adoption of more inclusive nondiscrimination policies. Further, the ESG Policy will support enhanced oversight of environmental and social issues at the board level by supporting resolutions calling for the creation of an environmental or social committee of the board or proposals requesting that the board adopt a subject-matter expert, such as one with deep knowledge and experience in human rights or climate change-related issues. The ESG Policy will also generally vote for proposals seeking to increase disclosure of a company's business ethics and code of conduct, as well as of its activities that relate to social welfare.

Environmental Proposals

The ESG Policy will generally support proposals regarding the environment, in particular, those seeking improved sustainability reporting and disclosure about company practices which impact the environment. The ESG Policy will vote in favor of increased disclosure of a company's environmental risk through company-specific disclosure as well as compliance with international environmental conventions and adherence to environmental principles. Similarly, the ESG Policy will support proposals requesting companies develop greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals, comprehensive recycling programs, and other proactive means to mitigate a company's environmental footprint.

The ESG Policy will also vote for proposals seeking that companies provide certain disclosures or adopt certain policies related to mitigating their climate change-related risks. For example, regardless of industry, the ESG Policy will support proposals requesting that companies disclose information concerning their scenario analyses or that request the company provide disclosure in line with certain globally-recognized environmental and social reporting recommendations. Further, the ESG Policy will support proposals requesting that a company consider energy efficiency and renewable energy sources in its project development and overall business strategy.

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The ESG Policy will also evaluate a company's impact on the environment, in addition to the regulatory risk a company may face by not adopting environmentally responsible policies.

Say on Climate

Shareholder Proposals

Beginning in 2021, companies began placing management proposals on their ballots that ask shareholders to vote on their climate transition plans, or a Say on Climate vote. The ESG Policy will generally recommend in favor of shareholder proposals requesting that companies adopt a Say on Climate vote.

Management Proposals

When evaluating management-sponsored votes seeking approval of climate transition plans the ESG Policy looks to the board to provide information concerning the governance of the Say on Climate vote. Specifically, the ESG Policy evaluates whether companies provide sufficient disclosure concerning the board's role in setting strategy in light of this vote, and how the board intends to interpret the vote results for the proposal. In instances where disclosure concerning the governance of the Say on Climate vote is not present, the ESG Policy will either abstain, or, depending on the quality of the plan presented, will vote against the proposal.

The ESG Policy also looks to companies to clearly articulate their climate plans in a distinct and easily understandable document, this disclosure, it is important that companies clearly explain their goals, how their GHG emissions targets support achievement of broader goals (i.e. net zero emissions goals), and any foreseeable obstacles that could hinder their progress on these initiatives.

When evaluating these proposals, the ESG Policy will take into account a variety of factors, including: (i) the request of the resolution (e.g., whether companies are asking shareholders to approve its disclosure or its strategy); (ii) the board's role in overseeing the company's climate strategy; (iii) the company's industry and size; (iv) whether the company's GHG emissions targets and the disclosure of these targets appear reasonable in light of its operations and risk profile; and (iv) where the company is on its climate reporting journey (e.g., whether the company has been reporting and engaging with shareholders on climate risk for a number of years or if this is a relatively new initiative). In addition, the ESG Policy will determine if sufficient disclosure has been made concerning a company's capital allocations and expenditures in the context of its strategy and will also evaluate any stated net zero ambitions or targets. If either of these are absent, the ESG Policy will generally vote against management Say on Climate proposals.

Social Proposals

The ESG Policy will support proposals requesting that a company develop sustainable business practices, such as animal welfare policies, human rights policies, and fair lending policies. Furthermore, the ESG Policy will support reporting and reviewing a company's political and charitable spending as well as its lobbying practices. In addition, the ESG Policy will support proposals requesting that companies cease political spending or associated activities.

The ESG Policy will also generally support enhancing the rights of workers, as well as considering the communities and broader constituents in the areas in which companies do business. Accordingly, the ESG Policy will generally vote for proposals requesting that companies provide greater disclosure regarding impact on local

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stakeholders, workers' rights and human rights in general. In addition, the ESG Policy will support proposals for companies to adopt or comply with certain codes of conduct relating to labor standards, human rights conventions, and corporate responsibility at large. The ESG Policy will also support proposals requesting independent verification of a company's contractors' compliance with labor and human rights standards. In addition, the ESG Policy supports the International Labor Organization standards and encourage companies to adopt such standards in its business operations.

The ESG Policy will provide for a review of the performance and oversight of certain directors in instances in which a company is found to have violated international human rights standards. Pursuant to the ESG Policy, if directors have not adequately overseen the overall business strategy of the company to ensure that basic human rights standards are met or if a company is subject to regulatory or legal action with a foreign government or entity due to human rights violations, the Policy may vote against directors taking into account the severity of the violations and the outcome of the claims.

The ESG Policy also generally votes in favor of proposals seeking increased disclosure regarding public health and safety issues, including those related to product responsibility. In particular, the ESG Policy supports proposals calling for the labeling of the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), the elimination or reduction of toxic emissions and use of toxic chemicals in manufacturing, and the prohibition of tobacco sales to minors. The ESG Policy also supports proposals seeking a report on a company's drug reimportation guidelines, as well as on a company's ethical responsibility as it relates to drug distribution and manufacture. The ESG Policy further supports proposals related to worker safety and companies' compliance with internationally recognized human rights or safety standards.

Compensation Proposals

The ESG Policy recognizes that ESG performance factors should be an important component of the overall consideration of proper levels of executive performance and compensation. Therefore, the ESG Policy generally votes in favor of proposals seeking to tie executive compensation to performance measures such as compliance with environmental regulations, health and safety regulations, nondiscrimination laws and compliance with international human rights standards. Furthermore, the ESG Policy will generally support proposals that seek to evaluate overall director performance based on environmental and social criteria.

The ESG Policy will support proposals seeking to prohibit or require more disclosure about stock hedging and pledging by executives. The ESG Policy will also generally support proposals requesting that companies adopt executive stock retention policies and prohibiting the accelerated vesting of equity awards. Furthermore, the ESG Policy will vote in favor of shareholder proposals to link pay with performance, to eliminate or require shareholder approval of golden coffins, and to clawback unearned bonuses. Finally, the ESG Policy will support proposals requesting disclosure from companies regarding gender pay inequity and company initiatives to reduce the gap in compensation paid to women compared to men.

Vote-No Campaigns

The ESG Policy will carefully review any "vote-no" campaigns launched by shareholders as a result of their concerns regarding a company's failure to adequately oversee environmental and social risks or those related to poor compensation or governance practices. When it is determined that such campaigns either address a failure

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of oversight on behalf of the company or that broadly seek to promote more responsible corporate behavior, the ESG Policy may vote in line with the recommendations of the shareholder(s) running the vote-no campaign.

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Connect with Glass Lewis

Corporate Website \| www.glasslewis.com

Email \| info@glasslewis.com

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|:---|:---|:---|
| Social | \| | ![](esgproxy_002.jpg)<u>@glasslewis</u>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;![](esgproxy_003.jpg) <u>Glass, Lewis & Co.</u> |

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Global Locations

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **North** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**United States** | **Europe** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**Ireland** |
| **America** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *Headquarters* <br> 255 California Street |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 15 Henry Street <br> Limerick V94 V9T4 |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Suite 1100 |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;+353 61 534 343 |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;San Francisco, CA 94111 |  |  |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;+1 415 678 4110 |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**United Kingdom** |
|  |  |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;80 Coleman Street |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;New York, NY |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Suite 4.02 |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;+1 646 606 2345 |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;London EC2R 5BJ |
|  |  |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;+44 20 7653 8800 |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2323 Grand Boulevard |  |  |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Suite 1125 |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**France** |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kansas City, MO 64108 |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;*Proxinvest* |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;+1 816 945 4525 |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;6 Rue d'Uzès |
|  |  |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;75002 Paris |
|  |  |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;+33 ()1 45 51 50 43 |
|  |  |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**Germany** |
|  |  |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;*IVOX Glass Lewis* |
| **Asia** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**Australia** |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kaiserallee 23a |
| **Pacific** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;*CGI Glass Lewis* |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;76133 Karlsruhe |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Suite 5.03, Level 5 |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;+49 721 35 49622 |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;255 George Street |  |  |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sydney NSW 2000 |  |  |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;+61 2 9299 9266 |  |  |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**Japan** |  |  |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Shinjuku Mitsui Building |  |  |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;11th floor |  |  |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2-1-1, Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, |  |  |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Tokyo 163-0411, Japan |  |  |

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DISCLAIMER© 2025 Glass, Lewis & Co., and/or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.

This document is intended to provide an overview of the Glass Lewis ESG thematic proxy voting policy. These guidelines are meant to be an option for institutional investors interested in aligning their proxy voting with the named theme and can be fully customized by clients to reflect their investment strategies and views.

The information included herein is not intended to be exhaustive and does not address all potential voting issues. Glass Lewis' proxy voting guidelines, as they generally apply to certain issues or types of proposals, are further explained in supplemental guidelines and reports that are made available on Glass Lewis' website – <u>http://www.glasslewis.com</u>. None of Glass Lewis' guidelines have been set or approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or any other regulatory body. Additionally, none of the information contained herein is or should be relied upon as investment advice. The content of this document has been developed based on Glass Lewis' experience with proxy voting and corporate governance issues, engagement with clients and issuers, and review of relevant studies and surveys, and has not been tailored to any specific person or entity. Glass Lewis' proxy voting guidelines are grounded in corporate governance best practices, which often exceed minimum legal requirements. Accordingly, unless specifically noted otherwise, a failure to meet these guidelines should not be understood to mean that the company or individual involved has failed to meet applicable legal requirements.

No representations or warranties express or implied, are made as to the accuracy or completeness of any information included herein. In addition, Glass Lewis shall not be liable for any losses or damages arising from or in connection with the information contained herein or the use, reliance on, or inability to use any such information. Glass Lewis expects its subscribers to possess sufficient experience and knowledge to make their own decisions entirely independent of any information contained in this document.

All information contained in this report is protected by law, including, but not limited to, copyright law, and none of such information may be copied or otherwise reproduced, repackaged, further transmitted, transferred, disseminated, redistributed or resold, or stored for subsequent use for any such purpose, in whole or in part, in any form or manner, or by any means whatsoever, by any person without Glass Lewis' prior written consent.

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United States

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| 2025 Benchmark Policy Guidelines |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;www.glasslewis.com |

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**Table of Contents**

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| [About Glass Lewis](#aa4_001) | 6 |
| [Guidelines Introduction](#aa4_002) | 7 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Summary of Changes for 2025](#aa4_003) | 7 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Clarifying Amendments](#aa4a_003) | 8 |
| [A Board of Directors that Serves Shareholder Interest](#aa4_004) | 9 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Election of Directors](#aa4_005) | 9 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Independence](#aa4_006) | 9 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Committee Independence](#aa4_007) | 12 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Independent Chair](#aa4_008) | 12 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Performance](#aa4_009) | 14 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Responsiveness](#aa4_010) | 15 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Responsiveness to Shareholder Proposals](#aa4a_010) | 16 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[The Role of a Committee Chair](#aa4_011) | 16 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Audit Committees and Performance](#aa4_012) | 17 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Standards for Assessing the Audit Committee](#aa4_013) | 17 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Material Weaknesses](#aa4a_013) | 20 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Compensation Committee Performance](#aa4_014) | 21 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Nominating and Governance Committee Performance](#aa4_015) | 23 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board-Level Risk Management Oversight](#aa4_016) | 26 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Oversight of Environmental and Social Issues](#aa4_017) | 27 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Oversight of Technology](#aa4_018) | 28 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Accountability for Environmental and Social Performance](#aa4_019) | 30 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Director Commitments](#aa4_020) | 31 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Other Considerations](#aa4_021) | 32 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Controlled Companies](#aa4_022) | 33 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Significant Shareholders](#aa4_023) | 34 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Governance Following an IPO, Spin-Off, or Direct Listing](#aa4_024) | 34 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Governance Following a Business Combination with a Special Purpose Acquisition Company](#aa4_025) | 36 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Dual-Listed or Foreign-Incorporated Companies](#aa4_026) | 36 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[OTC-listed Companies](#aa4_027) | 37 |

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| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Mutual Fund Boards](#aa4_028) | 37.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Declassified Boards](#aa4_029) | 38.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Composition and Refreshment](#aa4_030) | 39.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Diversity](#aa4_031) | 40.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Gender Diversity](#aa4_032) | 40.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Underrepresented Community Diversity](#aa4_033) | 41.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[State Laws on Diversity](#aa4_034) | 41.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Disclosure of Director Diversity and Skills](#aa4_035) | 42.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Stock Exchange Diversity Disclosure Requirements |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Proxy Access](#aa4_037) | 42.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Majority Vote for Election of Directors](#aa4_038) | 43.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[The Plurality Vote Standard](#aa4_039) | 43.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Advantages of a Majority Vote Standard](#aa4_040) | 43.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Conflicting and Excluded Proposals](#aa4_041) | 44.0 |
| [Transparency and Integrity in Financial Reporting](#aa4_042) | 45.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Auditor Ratification](#aa4_043) | 46.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Voting Recommendations on Auditor Ratification](#aa4_044) | 47.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Pension Accounting Issues](#aa4_045) | 48.0 |
| [The Link Between Compensation and Performance](#aa4_046) | 49.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation (Say-on-Pay)](#aa4_047) | 49.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Say-on-Pay Voting Recommendations](#aa4_048) | 50.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Company Responsiveness](#aa4_049) | 52.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Pay for Performance](#aa4_050) | 52.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Short-Term Incentives](#aa4_051) | 53.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Long-Term Incentives](#aa4_052) | 55.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Grants of Front-Loaded Awards](#aa4_053) | 56.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Linking Executive Pay to Environmental and Social Criteria](#aa4_054) | 57.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[One-Time Awards](#aa4_055) | 58.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Contractual Payments and Arrangements](#aa4_056) | 58.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Sign-on Awards and Severance Benefits](#aa4_057) | 58.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Change in Control](#aa4_058) | 59.0 |

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| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Excise Tax Gross-ups](#aa4_059) | 59 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Amended Employment Agreements](#aa4_060) | 60 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Recoupment Provisions (Clawbacks)](#aa4_061) | 60 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Hedging of Stock](#aa4_062) | 60 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Pledging of Stock](#aa4_063) | 61 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Executive Ownership Guidelines](#aa4a_063) | 61 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Compensation Consultant Independence](#aa4_064) | 62 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[CEO Pay Ratio](#aa4_065) | 62 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Frequency of Say-on-Pay](#aa4_066) | 62 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Vote on Golden Parachute Arrangements](#aa4_067) | 63 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Equity-Based Compensation Proposals](#aa4_068) | 63 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Option Exchanges and Repricing](#aa4_069) | 65 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Option Backdating, Spring-Loading and Bullet-Dodging](#aa4_070) | 65 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Director Compensation Plans](#aa4_071) | 67 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Employee Stock Purchase Plans](#aa4_072) | 67 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Executive Compensation Tax Deductibility — Amendment to IRC 162(M)](#aa4_073) | 67 |
| [Governance Structure and the Shareholder Franchise](#aa4_074) | 69 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Anti-Takeover Measures](#aa4_075) | 69 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Poison Pills (Shareholder Rights Plans)](#aa4_076) | 69 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[NOL Poison Pills](#aa4_077) | 69 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Fair Price Provisions](#aa4_078) | 71 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Control Share Statutes](#aa4a_078) | 71 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Quorum Requirements](#aa4_079) | 72 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Director and Officer Indemnification](#aa4_080) | 72 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Officer Exculpation](#aa4_081) | 72 |

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| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Reincorporation](#aa4_082) | 73 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Exclusive Forum and Fee-Shifting Bylaw Provisions](#aa4_083) | 74 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Authorized Shares](#aa4_084) | 75 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Advance Notice Requirements](#aa4_085) | 76 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Virtual Shareholder Meetings](#aa4_086) | 76 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Voting Structure](#aa4_087) | 77 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Multi-Class Share Structures](#aa4_088) | 77 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Cumulative Voting](#aa4_089) | 78 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Supermajority Vote Requirements](#aa4_090) | 79 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Transaction of Other Business](#aa4_091) | 79 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Anti-Greenmail Proposals](#aa4_092) | 79 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Mutual Funds: Investment Policies and Advisory Agreements](#aa4_093) | 79 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Real Estate Investment Trusts](#aa4_094) | 80 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Preferred Stock Issuances at REITs](#aa4_095) | 80 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Business Development Companies](#aa4_096) | 80 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Authorization to Sell Shares at a Price Below Net Asset Value](#aa4_097) | 81 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Auditor Ratification and Below-NAV Issuances](#aa4_098) | 81 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Special Purpose Acquisition Companies](#aa4_099) | 82 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Extension of Business Combination Deadline](#aa4_100) | 82 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[SPAC Board Independence](#aa4_101) | 82 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Director Commitments of SPAC Executives](#aa4_102) | 82 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Shareholder Proposals](#aa4_103) | 83 |
| [Overall Approach to Environmental, Social & Governance Issues](#aa4_104) | 84 |
| [Connect with Glass Lewis](#aa4_105) | 86 |

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About Glass Lewis

Glass Lewis is the world's choice for governance solutions. We enable institutional investors and publicly listed companies to make informed decisions based on research and data. We cover 30,000+ meetings each year, across approximately 100 global markets. Our team has been providing in-depth analysis of companies since 2003, relying solely on publicly available information to inform its policies, research, and voting recommendations.

Our customers include the majority of the world's largest pension plans, mutual funds, and asset managers, collectively managing over $40 trillion in assets. We have teams located across the United States, Europe, and Asia-Pacific giving us global reach with a local perspective on the important governance issues.

Investors around the world depend on Glass Lewis' **<u>Viewpoint</u>** platform to manage their proxy voting, policy implementation, recordkeeping, and reporting. Our industry leading **<u>Proxy Paper</u>** product provides comprehensive environmental, social, and governance research and voting recommendations weeks ahead of voting deadlines. Public companies can also use our innovative **<u>Report Feedback Statement</u>** to deliver their opinion on our proxy research directly to the voting decision makers at every investor client in time for voting decisions to be made or changed.

The research team engages extensively with public companies, investors, regulators, and other industry stakeholders to gain relevant context into the realities surrounding companies, sectors, and the market in general. This enables us to provide the most comprehensive and pragmatic insights to our customers.

Join the Conversation<br>Glass Lewis is committed to ongoing engagement with all market participants.<br><u>info@glasslewis.com</u>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; www.glasslewis.com<br>

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Guidelines Introduction

Summary of Changes for 2025

Glass Lewis evaluates these guidelines on an ongoing basis and formally updates them on an annual basis. This year we've made noteworthy revisions in the following areas, which are summarized below but discussed in greater detail in the relevant section of this document:

*Update: 10 March 2025. Glass Lewis has modified our approach to providing proxy voting guidance considering diversity factors at US companies under our Benchmark Policy. For more information, please see our <u>2025 Supplemental Statement on Diversity Considerations at US Companies</u>.*

*Update: 17 December 2024. We have removed our discussion on page 42 of stock exchange diversity disclosure requirements.*

Board Oversight of AI

We have included a new discussion on our approach to artificial intelligence (AI)-related risk oversight. In recent years, companies have rapidly begun to develop and adopt uses for artificial intelligence (AI) technologies throughout various aspects of their operations. Deployed and overseen effectively, AI technologies have the potential to make companies' operations and systems more efficient and productive. However, as the use of these technologies has grown, so have the potential risks associated with companies' development and use of AI. Given these potential risks, the benchmark policy takes the view that boards should be cognizant of, and take steps to mitigate exposure to, any material risks that could arise from their use or development of AI.

In the absence of material incidents related to a company's use or management of AI-related issues, our benchmark policy will generally not make voting recommendations on the basis of a company's oversight of, or disclosure concerning, AI-related issues. However, in instances where there is evidence that insufficient oversight and/or management of AI technologies has resulted in material harm to shareholders, Glass Lewis will review a company's overall governance practices and identify which directors or board-level committees have been charged with oversight of AI-related risks. We will also closely evaluate the board's response to, and management of, this issue as well as any associated disclosures and the benchmark policy may recommend against appropriate directors should we find the board's oversight, response or disclosure concerning AI-related issues to be insufficient.

Change-In-Control Provisions

We have updated our discussion of change-in-control provisions in the section "The Link Between Compensation and Performance" to define our benchmark policy view that companies that allow for committee discretion over the treatment of unvested awards should commit to providing clear rationale for how such awards are treated in the event a change in control occurs.

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Clarifying Amendments

The following clarifications of our existing policies are included this year:

Board Responsiveness to Shareholder Proposals

We have revised our discussion of board responsiveness to shareholder proposal to reflect that when shareholder proposals receive significant shareholder support (generally more than 30% but less than majority of votes cast), the benchmark policy generally takes the view that boards should engage with shareholders on the issue and provide disclosure addressing shareholder concerns and outreach initiatives.

Reincorporation

We have revised our discussion on reincorporations to reflect that we review all proposals to reincorporate to a different state or country on a case-by-case basis. Our review includes the changes in corporate governance provisions, especially those relating to shareholder rights,material differences in corporate statutes and legal precedents, and relevant financial benefits, among other factors, resulting from the change in domicile.

Approach to Executive Pay Program

We have provided some clarifying statements to the discussion of in the section titled "The Link Between Compensation and Performance" to emphasize Glass Lewis' holistic approach to analyzing executive compensation programs. There are few program features that, on their own, lead to an unfavorable recommendation from Glass Lewis for a say-on-pay proposal. Our analysis reviews pay programs on a case-by-case basis. We do not utilize a pre-determined scorecard approach when considering individual features such as the allocation of the long-term incentive between performance-based awards and time-based awards. Unfavorable factors in a pay program are reviewed in the context of rationale, overall structure, overall disclosure quality, the program's ability to align executive pay with performance and the shareholder experience and the trajectory of the pay program resulting from changes introduced by the compensation committee.

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A Board of Directors that Serves Shareholder Interest

Election of Directors

The purpose of Glass Lewis' proxy research and advice is to facilitate shareholder voting in favor of governance structures that will drive performance, create shareholder value and maintain a proper tone at the top. Glass Lewis looks for talented boards with a record of protecting shareholders and delivering value over the medium- and long-term. We believe that a board can best protect and enhance the interests of shareholders if it is sufficiently independent, has a record of positive performance, and consists of individuals with diverse backgrounds and a breadth and depth of relevant experience.

Independence

The independence of directors, or lack thereof, is ultimately demonstrated through the decisions they make. In assessing the independence of directors, we will take into consideration, when appropriate, whether a director has a track record indicative of making objective decisions. Likewise, when assessing the independence of directors we will also examine when a director's track record on multiple boards indicates a lack of objective decision-making. Ultimately, we believe the determination of whether a director is independent or not must take into consideration both compliance with the applicable independence listing requirements as well as judgments made by the director.

We look at each director nominee to examine the director's relationships with the company, the company's executives, and other directors. We do this to evaluate whether personal, familial, or financial relationships (not including director compensation) may impact the director's decisions. We believe that such relationships make it difficult for a director to put shareholders' interests above the director's or the related party's interests. We also believe that a director who owns more than 20% of a company can exert disproportionate influence on the board, and therefore believe such a director's independence may be hampered, in particular when serving on the audit committee.

Thus, we put directors into three categories based on an examination of the type of relationship they have with the company:

**Independent Director** — An independent director has no material financial, familial or other current relationships with the company, its executives, or other board members, except for board service and standard fees paid for that service. Relationships that existed within three to five years<sup>1</sup> before the

<sup>1</sup> NASDAQ originally proposed a five-year look-back period but both it and the NYSE ultimately settled on a three-year look-back prior to finalizing their rules. A five-year standard for former employment relationships is more appropriate, in our view, because we believe that the unwinding of conflicting relationships between former management and board members is more likely to be complete and final after five years. However, Glass Lewis does not apply the five-year look-back period to directors who have previously served as executives of the company on an interim basis for less than one year.

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inquiry are usually considered "current" for purposes of this test. For material financial relationships with the company, we apply a three-year look back, and for former employment relationships with the company, we apply a five-year look back.

**Affiliated Director** — An affiliated director has, (or within the past three years, had) a material financial, familial or other relationship with the company or its executives, but is not an employee of the company.<sup>2</sup> This includes directors whose employers have a material financial relationship with the company.<sup>3</sup> In addition, we view a director who either owns or controls 20% or more of the company's voting stock, or is an employee or affiliate of an entity that controls such amount, as an affiliate.<sup>4</sup>

We view 20% shareholders as affiliates because they typically have access to and involvement with the management of a company that is fundamentally different from that of ordinary shareholders. More importantly, 20% holders may have interests that diverge from those of ordinary holders, for reasons such as the liquidity (or lack thereof) of their holdings, personal tax issues, etc.

Glass Lewis applies a three-year look back period to all directors who have an affiliation with the company other than former employment, for which we apply a five-year look back.

Definition of **"Material"**: A material relationship is one in which the dollar value exceeds:

● $50,000 (or where no amount is disclosed) for directors who are paid for a service they have agreed to perform for the company, outside of their service as a director, including professional or other services. This threshold also applies to directors who are the majority or principal owner of a firm that receives such payments; or

● $120,000 (or where no amount is disclosed) for those directors employed by a professional services firm such as a law firm, investment bank, or consulting firm and the company pays the firm, not the individual, for services.<sup>5</sup> This dollar limit would also apply to charitable contributions to schools where a

<sup>2</sup> If a company does not consider a non-employee director to be independent, Glass Lewis will classify that director as an affiliate.

<sup>3</sup> We allow a five-year grace period for former executives of the company or merged companies who have consulting agreements with the surviving company. (We do not automatically recommend voting against directors in such cases for the first five years.) If the consulting agreement persists after this five-year grace period, we apply the materiality thresholds outlined in the definition of "material."

<sup>4</sup> This includes a director who serves on a board as a representative (as part of his or her basic responsibilities) of an investment firm with greater than 20% ownership. However, while we will generally consider him/her to be affiliated, we will not recommend voting against unless (i) the investment firm has disproportionate board representation or (ii) the director serves on the audit committee.

<sup>5</sup> We may deem such a transaction to be immaterial where the amount represents less than 1% of the firm's annual revenues and the board provides a compelling rationale as to why the director's independence is not affected by the relationship.

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 board member is a professor; or charities where a director serves on the board or is an executive;<sup>6</sup> and any aircraft and real estate dealings between the company and the director's firm; or

● 1% of either company's consolidated gross revenue for other business relationships (e.g., where the director is an executive officer of a company that provides services or products to or receives services or products from the company).<sup>7</sup>

Definition of **"Familial"** — Familial relationships include a person's spouse, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, in-laws, and anyone (other than domestic employees) who shares such person's home. A director is an affiliate if: i) he or she has a family member who is employed by the company and receives more than $120,000<sup>8</sup> in annual compensation; or, ii) he or she has a family member who is employed by the company and the company does not disclose this individual's compensation.

Definition of **"Company"** — A company includes any parent or subsidiary in a group with the company or any entity that merged with, was acquired by, or acquired the company.

**Inside Director** — An inside director simultaneously serves as a director and as an employee of the company. This category may include a board chair who acts as an employee of the company or is paid as an employee of the company. In our view, an inside director who derives a greater amount of income as a result of affiliated transactions with the company rather than through compensation paid by the company (i.e., salary, bonus, etc. as a company employee) faces a conflict between making decisions that are in the best interests of the company versus those in the director's own best interests. Therefore, we will recommend voting against such a director.

Additionally, we believe a director who is currently serving in an interim management position should be considered an insider, while a director who previously served in an interim management position for less than one year and is no longer serving in such capacity is considered independent. Moreover, a director who previously served in an interim management position for over one year and is no longer serving in such capacity is considered an affiliate for five years following the date of the director's resignation or departure from the interim management position.

Voting Recommendations on the Basis of Board Independence

Glass Lewis believes a board will be most effective in protecting shareholders' interests if it is at least two-thirds independent. We note that each of the Business Roundtable, the Conference Board, and the Council of Institutional Investors advocates that two-thirds of the board be independent. Where more than one-third of

<sup>6</sup> We will generally take into consideration the size and nature of such charitable entities in relation to the company's size and industry along with any other relevant factors such as the director's role at the charity. However, unlike for other types of related party transactions, Glass Lewis generally does not apply a look-back period to affiliated relationships involving charitable contributions; if the relationship between the director and the school or charity ceases, or if the company discontinues its donations to the entity, we will consider the director to be independent.

<sup>7</sup> This includes cases where a director is employed by, or closely affiliated with, a private equity firm that profits from an acquisition made by the company. Unless disclosure suggests otherwise, we presume the director is affiliated.

<sup>8</sup> Pursuant to SEC rule Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Exchange Act, compensation exceeding $120,000 is the minimum threshold deemed material for disclosure of transactions involving family members of directors.

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the members are affiliated or inside directors, we typically<sup>8</sup> recommend voting against some of the inside and/or affiliated directors in order to satisfy the two-thirds threshold.

In the case of a less than two-thirds independent board, Glass Lewis strongly supports the existence of a presiding or lead director with authority to set the meeting agendas and to lead sessions outside the insider chair's presence.

In addition, we scrutinize avowedly "independent" chairs and lead directors. We believe that they should be unquestionably independent, or the company should not tout them as such.

Committee Independence

We believe that only independent directors should serve on a company's audit, compensation, nominating, and governance committees.<sup>9</sup> We typically recommend that shareholders vote against any affiliated or inside director seeking appointment to an audit, compensation, nominating, or governance committee, or who has served in that capacity in the past year.

Pursuant to Section 952 of the Dodd-Frank Act, as of January 11, 2013, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved new listing requirements for both the NYSE and NASDAQ which require that boards apply enhanced standards of independence when making an affirmative determination of the independence of compensation committee members. Specifically, when making this determination, in addition to the factors considered when assessing general director independence, the board's considerations must include: (i) the source of compensation of the director, including any consulting, advisory or other compensatory fee paid by the listed company to the director (the "Fees Factor"); and (ii) whether the director is affiliated with the listing company, its subsidiaries, or affiliates of its subsidiaries (the "Affiliation Factor").

Glass Lewis believes it is important for boards to consider these enhanced independence factors when assessing compensation committee members. However, as discussed above in the section titled Independence, we apply our own standards when assessing the independence of directors, and these standards also take into account consulting and advisory fees paid to the director, as well as the director's affiliations with the company and its subsidiaries and affiliates. We may recommend voting against compensation committee members who are not independent based on our standards.

Independent Chair

Glass Lewis believes that separating the roles of CEO (or, more rarely, another executive position) and chair creates a better governance structure than a combined CEO/chair position. An executive manages the business

<sup>8</sup> With a staggered board, if the affiliates or insiders that we believe should not be on the board are not up for election, we will express our concern regarding those directors, but we will not recommend voting against the other affiliates or insiders who are up for election just to achieve two-thirds independence. However, we will consider recommending voting against the directors subject to our concern at their next election if the issue giving rise to the concern is not resolved.

<sup>9</sup> We will recommend voting against an audit committee member who owns 20% or more of the company's stock, and we believe that there should be a maximum of one director (or no directors if the committee is composed of less than three directors) who owns 20% or more of the company's stock on the compensation, nominating, and governance committees.

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according to a course the board charts. Executives should report to the board regarding their performance in achieving goals set by the board. This is needlessly complicated when a CEO chairs the board, since a CEO/chair presumably will have a significant influence over the board.

While many companies have an independent lead or presiding director who performs many of the same functions of an independent chair (e.g., setting the board meeting agenda), we do not believe this alternate form of independent board leadership provides as robust protection for shareholders as an independent chair.

It can become difficult for a board to fulfill its role of overseer and policy setter when a CEO/chair controls the agenda and the boardroom discussion. Such control can allow a CEO to have an entrenched position, leading to longer-than-optimal terms, fewer checks on management, less scrutiny of the business operation, and limitations on independent, shareholder-focused goal-setting by the board.

A CEO should set the strategic course for the company, with the board's approval, and the board should enable the CEO to carry out the CEO's vision for accomplishing the board's objectives. Failure to achieve the board's objectives should lead the board to replace that CEO with someone in whom the board has confidence.

Likewise, an independent chair can better oversee executives and set a pro-shareholder agenda without the management conflicts that a CEO and other executive insiders often face. Such oversight and concern for shareholders allows for a more proactive and effective board of directors that is better able to look out for the interests of shareholders.

Further, it is the board's responsibility to select a chief executive who can best serve a company and its shareholders and to replace this person when his or her duties have not been appropriately fulfilled. Such a replacement becomes more difficult and happens less frequently when the chief executive is also in the position of overseeing the board.

Glass Lewis believes that the installation of an independent chair is almost always a positive step from a corporate governance perspective and promotes the best interests of shareholders. Further, the presence of an independent chair fosters the creation of a thoughtful and dynamic board, not dominated by the views of senior management. Encouragingly, many companies appear to be moving in this direction — one study indicates that only 10 percent of incoming CEOs in 2014 were awarded the chair title, versus 48 percent in 2002.<sup>10</sup> Another study finds that 53 percent of S&P 500 boards now separate the CEO and chair roles, up from 37 percent in 2009, although the same study found that only 34 percent of S&P 500 boards have truly independent chairs.<sup>11</sup>

We do not recommend that shareholders vote against CEOs who chair the board. However, we typically recommend that our clients support separating the roles of chair and CEO whenever that question is posed in a proxy (typically in the form of a shareholder proposal), as we believe that it is in the long-term best interests of the company and its shareholders.

Further, where the company has neither an independent chair nor independent lead director, we will recommend voting against the chair of the governance committee.

<sup>10</sup> Ken Favaro, Per-Ola Karlsson and Gary L. Nelson. "The $112 Billion CEO Succession Problem." (*Strategy+Business*, Issue 79, Summer 2015).

<sup>11</sup> Spencer Stuart Board Index, 2019, p. 6.

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Performance

The most crucial test of a board's commitment to the company and its shareholders lies in the actions of the board and its members. We look at the performance of these individuals as directors and executives of the company and of other companies where they have served.

We find that a director's past conduct is often indicative of future conduct and performance. We often find directors with a history of overpaying executives or of serving on boards where avoidable disasters have occurred serving on the boards of companies with similar problems. Glass Lewis has a proprietary database of directors serving at over 8,000 of the most widely held U.S. companies. We use this database to track the performance of directors across companies.

Voting Recommendations on the Basis of Performance

We typically recommend that shareholders vote against directors who have served on boards or as executives of companies with records of poor performance, inadequate risk oversight, excessive compensation, audit- or accounting-related issues, and/or other indicators of mismanagement or actions against the interests of shareholders. We will reevaluate such directors based on, among other factors, the length of time passed since the incident giving rise to the concern, shareholder support for the director, the severity of the issue, the director's role (e.g., committee membership), director tenure at the subject company, whether ethical lapses accompanied the oversight lapse, and evidence of strong oversight at other companies.

Likewise, we examine the backgrounds of those who serve on key board committees to ensure that they have the required skills and diverse backgrounds to make informed judgments about the subject matter for which the committee is responsible.

We believe shareholders should avoid electing directors who have a record of not fulfilling their responsibilities to shareholders at any company where they have held a board or executive position. We typically recommend voting against:

● A director who fails to attend a minimum of 75% of board and applicable committee meetings, calculated in the aggregate.<sup>12</sup>

● A director who belatedly filed a significant form(s) 4 or 5, or who has a pattern of late filings if the late filing was the director's fault (we look at these late filing situations on a case-by-case basis).

● A director who is also the CEO of a company where a serious and material restatement has occurred after the CEO had previously certified the pre-restatement financial statements.

● A director who has received two against recommendations from Glass Lewis for identical reasons within the prior year at different companies (the same situation must also apply at the company being analyzed).

Furthermore, with consideration given to the company's overall corporate governance, pay-for-performance alignment and board responsiveness to shareholders, we may recommend voting against directors who served

<sup>12</sup> However, where a director has served for less than one full year, we will typically not recommend voting against for failure to attend 75% of meetings. Rather, we will note the poor attendance with a recommendation to track this issue going forward. We will also refrain from recommending to vote against directors when the proxy discloses that the director missed the meetings due to serious illness or other extenuating circumstances.

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throughout a period in which the company performed significantly worse than peers and the directors have not taken reasonable steps to address the poor performance.

Board Responsiveness

Glass Lewis believes that boards should be responsive to shareholders when a significant percentage of shareholders vote contrary to the recommendation of management, depending on the issue.

When 20% of more of shareholders vote contrary to management (which occurs when more than 20% of votes on the proposal are cast as AGAINST and/or ABSTAIN), we believe that boards should engage with shareholders on the issue and demonstrate some initial level of responsiveness. These include instances when 20% or more of shareholders:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(i) withhold votes from (or vote against) a director nominee; or

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(ii) vote against a management-sponsored proposal.

In our view, a 20% threshold is significant enough to warrant a close examination of the underlying issues and an evaluation of whether the board responded appropriately following the vote, particularly in the case of a compensation or director election proposal. While the 20% threshold alone will not automatically generate a negative vote recommendation from Glass Lewis on a future proposal (e.g., to recommend against a director nominee, against a say-on-pay proposal, etc.), it may be a contributing factor to our recommendation to vote against management's recommendation in the event we determine that the board did not respond appropriately.

When a majority of shareholders vote contrary to management, we believe that boards should engage with shareholders on the issue and provide a more robust response to fully address shareholder concerns. These include instances when a majority or more of shareholders:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(i) withhold votes from (or vote against) a director nominee;

(ii) vote against a management-sponsored proposal;

At controlled companies and companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will carefully examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders when determining whether board responsiveness is warranted. In the case of companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will generally examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders on a "one share, one vote" basis. At controlled and multi-class companies, when at least 20% or more of unaffiliated shareholders vote contrary to management, we believe that boards should engage with shareholders and demonstrate some initial level of responsiveness, and when a majority or more of unaffiliated shareholders vote contrary to management, we believe that boards should engage with shareholders and provide a more robust response to address shareholder concerns.

As a general framework, our evaluation of board responsiveness involves a review of publicly available disclosures (e.g., the proxy statement, annual report, 8-Ks, company website, etc.) released following the date of the company's last annual meeting up through the publication date of our most current Proxy Paper. Depending on the specific issue, our focus typically includes, but is not limited to, the following:

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● At the board level, any changes in directorships, committee memberships, disclosure of related party transactions, meeting attendance, or other responsibilities;

● Any revisions made to the company's articles of incorporation, bylaws or other governance documents;

● Any press or news releases indicating changes in, or the adoption of, new company policies, business practices or special reports; and

● Any modifications made to the design and structure of the company's compensation program, as well as an assessment of the company's engagement with shareholders on compensation issues as discussed in the Compensation Discussion & Analysis (CD&A), particularly following a material vote against a company's say-on-pay.

● Proxy statement disclosure discussing the board's efforts to engage with shareholders and the actions taken to address shareholder concerns.

Our Proxy Paper analysis will include a case-by-case assessment of the specific elements of board responsiveness that we examined along with an explanation of how that assessment impacts our current voting recommendations.

Board Responsiveness to Shareholder Proposals

Majority-Supported Shareholder Proposals

We expect clear action from the board when shareholder proposals receive support from a majority of votes cast (excluding abstentions and broker non-votes). In our view, this may include fully implementing the request of the shareholder proposal and/or engaging with shareholders on the issue and providing sufficient disclosures to address shareholder concerns.

Significantly Supported Shareholder Proposals

When shareholder proposals receive significant support (generally more than 30% but less than majority of votes cast), we believe an initial level of board responsiveness is warranted. In instances where a shareholder proposal has received at least 30% shareholder support, we generally believe boards should engage with shareholders on the issue and provide disclosure addressing shareholder concerns and outreach initiatives.

Further, as discussed above, at controlled companies and companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will carefully examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders when determining whether board responsiveness is warranted.

The Role of a Committee Chair

Glass Lewis believes that a designated committee chair maintains primary responsibility for the actions of his or her respective committee. As such, many of our committee-specific voting recommendations are against the applicable committee chair rather than the entire committee (depending on the seriousness of the issue). In cases where the committee chair is not up for election due to a staggered board, and where we have identified multiple concerns, we will generally recommend voting against other members of the committee who are up for election, on a case-by-case basis.

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In cases where we would ordinarily recommend voting against a committee chair but the chair is not specified, we apply the following general rules, which apply throughout our guidelines:

● If there is no committee chair, we recommend voting against the longest-serving committee member or, if the longest-serving committee member cannot be determined, the longest-serving board member serving on the committee (i.e., in either case, the "senior director"); and

● If there is no committee chair, but multiple senior directors serving on the committee, we recommend voting against both (or all) such senior directors.

In our view, companies should provide clear disclosure of which director is charged with overseeing each committee. In cases where that simple framework is ignored and a reasonable analysis cannot determine which committee member is the designated leader, we believe shareholder action against the longest serving committee member(s) is warranted. Again, this only applies if we would ordinarily recommend voting against the committee chair but there is either no such position or no designated director in such role.

Audit Committees and Performance

Audit committees play an integral role in overseeing the financial reporting process because stable capital markets depend on reliable, transparent, and objective financial information to support an efficient and effective capital market process. Audit committees play a vital role in providing this disclosure to shareholders.

When assessing an audit committee's performance, we are aware that an audit committee does not prepare financial statements, is not responsible for making the key judgments and assumptions that affect the financial statements, and does not audit the numbers or the disclosures provided to investors. Rather, an audit committee member monitors and oversees the process and procedures that management and auditors perform. The 1999 Report and Recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Committee on Improving the Effectiveness of Corporate Audit Committees stated it best:

*A proper and well-functioning system exists, therefore, when the three main groups responsible for financial reporting — the full board including the audit committee, financial management including the internal auditors, and the outside auditors — form a 'three legged stool' that supports responsible financial disclosure and active participatory oversight. However, in the view of the Committee, the audit committee must be 'first among equals' in this process, since the audit committee is an extension of the full board and hence the ultimate monitor of the process.*

Standards for Assessing the Audit Committee

For an audit committee to function effectively on investors' behalf, it must include members with sufficient knowledge to diligently carry out their responsibilities. In its audit and accounting recommendations, the Conference Board Commission on Public Trust and Private Enterprise said "members of the audit committee must be independent and have both knowledge and experience in auditing financial matters."<sup>13</sup>

<sup>13</sup> Commission on Public Trust and Private Enterprise. The Conference Board. 2003.

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We are skeptical of audit committees where there are members that lack expertise as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Chief Financial Officer (CFO) or corporate controller, or similar experience. While we will not necessarily recommend voting against members of an audit committee when such expertise is lacking, we are more likely to recommend voting against committee members when a problem such as a restatement occurs and such expertise is lacking.

Glass Lewis generally assesses audit committees against the decisions they make with respect to their oversight and monitoring role. The quality and integrity of the financial statements and earnings reports, the completeness of disclosures necessary for investors to make informed decisions, and the effectiveness of the internal controls should provide reasonable assurance that the financial statements are materially free from errors. The independence of the external auditors and the results of their work all provide useful information by which to assess the audit committee.

When assessing the decisions and actions of the audit committee, we typically defer to its judgment and generally recommend voting in favor of its members. However, we will consider recommending that shareholders vote against the following:

● All members of the audit committee when options were backdated, there is a lack of adequate controls in place, there was a resulting restatement, and disclosures indicate there was a lack of documentation with respect to the option grants.

● The audit committee chair, if the audit committee does not have a financial expert or the committee's financial expert does not have a demonstrable financial background sufficient to understand the financial issues unique to public companies.

● The audit committee chair, if the audit committee did not meet at least four times during the year.

● The audit committee chair, if the committee has less than three members.

● Any audit committee member who sits on more than three public company audit committees, unless the audit committee member is a retired CPA, CFO, controller or has similar experience, in which case the limit shall be four committees, taking time and availability into consideration including a review of the audit committee member's attendance at all board and committee meetings.<sup>14</sup>

● All members of an audit committee who are up for election and who served on the committee at the time of the audit, if audit and audit-related fees total one-third or less of the total fees billed by the auditor.

● The audit committee chair when tax and/or other fees are greater than audit and audit-related fees paid to the auditor for more than one year in a row (in which case we also recommend against ratification of the auditor).

● The audit committee chair when fees paid to the auditor are not disclosed.

● All members of an audit committee where non-audit fees include fees for tax services (including, but not limited to, such things as tax avoidance or shelter schemes) for senior executives of the company. Such services are prohibited by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB).

<sup>14</sup> Glass Lewis may exempt certain audit committee members from the above threshold if, upon further analysis of relevant factors such as the director's experience, the size, industry-mix and location of the companies involved and the director's attendance at all the companies, we can reasonably determine that the audit committee member is likely not hindered by multiple audit committee commitments.

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● All members of an audit committee that reappointed an auditor that we no longer consider to be independent for reasons unrelated to fee proportions.

● All members of an audit committee when audit fees are excessively low, especially when compared with other companies in the same industry.

● The audit committee chair if the committee failed to put auditor ratification on the ballot for shareholder approval. However, if the non-audit fees or tax fees exceed audit plus audit-related fees in either the current or the prior year, then Glass Lewis will recommend voting against the entire audit committee.

● All members of an audit committee where the auditor has resigned and reported that a section 10A<sup>15</sup>letter has been issued.

● All members of an audit committee at a time when material accounting fraud occurred at the company.<sup>16</sup>

● All members of an audit committee at a time when annual and/or multiple quarterly financial statements had to be restated, and any of the following factors apply:<sup>17</sup>

○ The restatement involves fraud or manipulation by insiders;

○ The restatement is accompanied by an SEC inquiry or investigation;

○ The restatement involves revenue recognition;

○ The restatement results in a greater than 5% adjustment to costs of goods sold, operating expense, or operating cash flows; or

○ The restatement results in a greater than 5% adjustment to net income, 10% adjustment to assets or shareholders equity, or cash flows from financing or investing activities.

● All members of an audit committee if the company repeatedly fails to file its financial reports in a timely fashion. For example, the company has filed two or more quarterly or annual financial statements late within the last five quarters.

● All members of an audit committee when it has been disclosed that a law enforcement agency has charged the company and/or its employees with a violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

● All members of an audit committee when the company has aggressive accounting policies and/or poor disclosure or lack of sufficient transparency in its financial statements.

<sup>15</sup> Auditors are required to report all potential illegal acts to management and the audit committee unless they are clearly inconsequential in nature. If the audit committee or the board fails to take appropriate action on an act that has been determined to be a violation of the law, the independent auditor is required to send a section 10A letter to the SEC. Such letters are rare and therefore we believe should be taken seriously.

<sup>16</sup> Research indicates that revenue fraud now accounts for over 60% of SEC fraud cases, and that companies that engage in fraud experience significant negative abnormal stock price declines—facing bankruptcy, delisting, and material asset sales at much higher rates than do non-fraud firms (Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. "Fraudulent Financial Reporting: 1998-2007." May 2010).

<sup>17</sup> The SEC issued guidance in March 2021 related to classification of warrants as liabilities at special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs). We will generally refrain from recommending against audit committee members when the restatement in question is solely as a result of the aforementioned SEC guidance.

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● All members of the audit committee when there is a disagreement with the auditor and the auditor resigns or is dismissed (e.g., the company receives an adverse opinion on its financial statements from the auditor).

● All members of the audit committee if the contract with the auditor specifically limits the auditor's liability to the company for damages.<sup>18</sup>

● All members of the audit committee who served since the date of the company's last annual meeting if, since the last annual meeting, the company has reported a material weakness that has not yet been corrected and the company has not disclosed a remediation plan; or when a material weakness has been ongoing for more than one year and the company has not disclosed an updated remediation plan that clearly outlines the company's progress toward remediating the material weakness.

Material Weaknesses

Effective internal controls over financial reporting should ensure the integrity of companies' accounting and financial reporting.

The SEC guidance regarding Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting requires that reports on internal control should include: (i) a statement of management's responsibility for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting for the company; (ii) management's assessment of the effectiveness of the company's internal control over financial reporting as of the end of the company's most recent fiscal year; (iii) a statement identifying the framework used by management to evaluate the effectiveness of the company's internal control over financial reporting; and (iv) a statement that the registered public accounting firm that audited the company's financial statements included in the annual report has issued an attestation report on management's assessment of the company's internal control over financial reporting.

A material weakness occurs when a company identifies a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal controls over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the company's annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Failure to maintain effective internal controls can create doubts regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP and may lead to companies publishing financial statements that are not free of errors or misstatements.

We believe it is the responsibility of audit committees to ensure that material weaknesses are remediated in a timely manner and that companies disclose remediation plans that include detailed steps to resolve a given material weakness. In cases where a material weakness has been ongoing for more than one fiscal year, we expect the company to disclose an updated remediation plan at least annually thereafter. Updates to existing remediation plans should state the progress the company has made toward remediating the material weakness and the remaining actions the company plans to take until the material weakness is fully remediated. As such, we are critical of audit committees when companies disclose remediation plans that remain unchanged from a prior period.

<sup>18</sup> The Council of Institutional Investors. "Corporate Governance Policies," p. 4, April 5, 2006; and "Letter from Council of Institutional Investors to the AICPA," November 8, 2006.

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When a material weakness is reported and the company has not disclosed a remediation plan, or when a material weakness has been ongoing for more than one year and the company has not disclosed an updated remediation plan that clearly outlines the company's progress toward remediating the material weakness, we will consider recommending that shareholders vote against all members of a company's audit committee who served on the committee during the time when the material weakness was identified.

We also take a dim view of audit committee reports that are boilerplate, and which provide little or no information or transparency to investors. When a problem such as a material weakness, restatement or late filings occurs, in forming our judgment with respect to the audit committee we take into consideration the transparency of the audit committee report.

Compensation Committee Performance

Compensation committees have a critical role in determining the compensation of executives. This includes deciding the basis on which compensation is determined, as well as the amounts and types of compensation to be paid. This process begins with the hiring and initial establishment of employment agreements, including the terms for such items as pay, pensions and severance arrangements. It is important in establishing compensation arrangements that compensation be consistent with, and based on the long-term economic performance of, the business's long-term shareholders returns.

Compensation committees are also responsible for the oversight of the transparency of compensation. This oversight includes disclosure of compensation arrangements, the matrix used in assessing pay for performance, and the use of compensation consultants. In order to ensure the independence of the board's compensation consultant, we believe the compensation committee should only engage a compensation consultant that is not also providing any services to the company or management apart from their contract with the compensation committee. It is important to investors that they have clear and complete disclosure of all the significant terms of compensation arrangements in order to make informed decisions with respect to the oversight and decisions of the compensation committee.

Finally, compensation committees are responsible for oversight of internal controls over the executive compensation process. This includes controls over gathering information used to determine compensation, establishment of equity award plans, and granting of equity awards. For example, the use of a compensation consultant who maintains a business relationship with company management may cause the committee to make decisions based on information that is compromised by the consultant's conflict of interests. Lax controls can also contribute to improper awards of compensation such as through granting of backdated or spring- loaded options, or granting of bonuses when triggers for bonus payments have not been met.

Central to understanding the actions of compensation committee is a careful review of the CD&A report included in each company's proxy. We review the CD&A in our evaluation of the overall compensation practices of a company, as overseen by the compensation committee. The CD&A is also integral to the evaluation of compensation proposals at companies, such as advisory votes on executive compensation, which allow shareholders to vote on the compensation paid to a company's top executives.

When assessing the performance of compensation committees, we will consider recommending that shareholders vote against the following:

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● All members of a compensation committee during whose tenure the committee failed to address shareholder concerns following majority shareholder rejection of the say-on-pay proposal in the previous year. Where the proposal was approved but there was a significant shareholder vote (i.e., greater than 20% of votes cast) against the say-on-pay proposal in the prior year, if the board did not respond sufficiently to the vote including actively engaging shareholders on this issue, we will also consider recommending voting against the chair of the compensation committee or all members of the compensation committee, depending on the severity and history of the compensation problems and the level of shareholder opposition.

● All members of the compensation committee who are up for election and served when the company failed to align pay with performance if shareholders are not provided with an advisory vote on executive compensation at the annual meeting.<sup>19</sup>

● Any member of the compensation committee who has served on the compensation committee of at least two other public companies that have consistently failed to align pay with performance and whose oversight of compensation at the company in question is suspect.

● All members of the compensation committee (during the relevant time period) if the company entered into excessive employment agreements and/or severance agreements.

● All members of the compensation committee when performance goals were changed (i.e., lowered) when employees failed or were unlikely to meet original goals, or performance-based compensation was paid despite goals not being attained.

● All members of the compensation committee if excessive employee perquisites and benefits were allowed.

● The compensation committee chair if the compensation committee did not meet during the year.

● All members of the compensation committee when the company repriced options or completed a "self tender offer" without shareholder approval within the past two years.

● All members of the compensation committee when vesting of in-the-money options is accelerated.

● All members of the compensation committee when option exercise prices were backdated. Glass Lewis will recommend voting against an executive director who played a role in and participated in option backdating.

● All members of the compensation committee when option exercise prices were spring-loaded or otherwise timed around the release of material information.

● All members of the compensation committee when a new employment contract is given to an executive that does not include a clawback provision and the company had a material restatement, especially if the restatement was due to fraud.

● The chair of the compensation committee where the CD&A provides insufficient or unclear information about performance metrics and goals, where the CD&A indicates that pay is not tied to performance, or where the compensation committee or management has excessive discretion to alter performance terms or increase amounts of awards in contravention of previously defined targets.

<sup>19</sup> If a company provides shareholders with a say-on-pay proposal, we will initially only recommend voting against the company's say-on-pay proposal and will not recommend voting against the members of the compensation committee unless there is a pattern of failing to align pay and performance and/or the company exhibits egregious compensation practices. For cases in which the disconnect between pay and performance is marginal and the company has outperformed its peers, we will consider not recommending against compensation committee members.

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● All members of the compensation committee during whose tenure the committee failed to implement a shareholder proposal regarding a compensation-related issue, where the proposal received the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting shares at a shareholder meeting, and when a reasonable analysis suggests that the compensation committee (rather than the governance committee) should have taken steps to implement the request.<sup>20</sup>

● All members of the compensation committee when the board has materially decreased proxy statement disclosure regarding executive compensation policies and procedures in a manner which substantially impacts shareholders' ability to make an informed assessment of the company's executive pay practices.

● All members of the compensation committee when new excise tax gross-up provisions are adopted in employment agreements with executives, particularly in cases where the company previously committed not to provide any such entitlements in the future.

● All members of the compensation committee when the board adopts a frequency for future advisory votes on executive compensation that differs from the frequency approved by shareholders.

● The chair of the compensation committee when" mega-grants" have been granted and the awards present concerns such as excessive quantum, lack of sufficient performance conditions, and/or are excessively dilutive, among others.

Nominating and Governance Committee Performance

The nominating and governance committee is responsible for the governance by the board of the company and its executives. In performing this role, the committee is responsible and accountable for selection of objective and competent board members. It is also responsible for providing leadership on governance policies adopted by the company, such as decisions to implement shareholder proposals that have received a majority vote. At most companies, a single committee is charged with these oversight functions; at others, the governance and nominating responsibilities are apportioned among two separate committees.

Consistent with Glass Lewis' philosophy that boards should have diverse backgrounds and members with a breadth and depth of relevant experience, we believe that nominating and governance committees should consider diversity when making director nominations within the context of each specific company and its industry. In our view, shareholders are best served when boards make an effort to ensure a constituency that is not only reasonably diverse on the basis of age, race, gender and ethnicity, but also on the basis of geographic knowledge, industry experience, board tenure and culture.

Regarding the committee responsible for governance, we will consider recommending that shareholders vote against the following:

● All members of the governance committee<sup>21</sup> during whose tenure a shareholder proposal relating to important shareholder rights received support from a majority of the votes cast (excluding abstentions

<sup>20</sup> In all other instances (i.e., a non-compensation-related shareholder proposal should have been implemented) we recommend that shareholders vote against the members of the governance committee.

<sup>21</sup> If the board does not have a committee responsible for governance oversight and the board did not implement a shareholder proposal that received the requisite support, we will recommend voting against the entire board. If the

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and broker non-votes) and the board has not begun to implement or enact the proposal's subject matter.<sup>22</sup> Examples of such shareholder proposals include those seeking a declassified board structure, a majority vote standard for director elections, or a right to call a special meeting. In determining whether a board has sufficiently implemented such a proposal, we will examine the quality of the right enacted or proffered by the board for any conditions that may unreasonably interfere with the shareholders' ability to exercise the right (e.g., overly restrictive procedural requirements for calling a special meeting).

● All members of the governance committee when a shareholder resolution is excluded from the meeting agenda but the SEC has declined to state a view on whether such resolution should be excluded, or when the SEC has verbally permitted a company to exclude a shareholder proposal but there is no written record provided by the SEC about such determination and the company has not provided any disclosure concerning this no-action relief.

● The governance committee chair when the chair is not independent and an independent lead or presiding director has not been appointed.<sup>23</sup>

● The governance committee chair at companies with a multi-class share structure and unequal voting rights when the company does not provide for a reasonable sunset of the multi-class share structure (generally seven years or less).

● In the absence of a nominating committee, the governance committee chair when there are fewer than five, or the whole governance committee when there are more than 20 members on the board.

● The governance committee chair when the committee fails to meet at all during the year.

● The governance committee chair, when for two consecutive years the company provides what we consider to be "inadequate" related party transaction disclosure (i.e., the nature of such transactions and/or the monetary amounts involved are unclear or excessively vague, thereby preventing a share- holder from being able to reasonably interpret the independence status of multiple directors above and beyond what the company maintains is compliant with SEC or applicable stock exchange listing requirements).

● The governance committee chair, when during the past year the board adopted a forum selection clause (i.e., an exclusive forum provision)<sup>24</sup>designating either a state's courts for intra-corporate disputes, shareholder proposal at issue requested that the board adopt a declassified structure, we will recommend voting against all director nominees up for election.

<sup>22</sup> Where a compensation-related shareholder proposal should have been implemented, and when a reasonable analysis suggests that the members of the compensation committee (rather than the governance committee) bear the responsibility for failing to implement the request, we recommend that shareholders only vote against members of the compensation committee.

<sup>23</sup> We believe that one independent individual should be appointed to serve as the lead or presiding director. When such a position is rotated among directors from meeting to meeting, we will recommend voting against the governance committee chair as we believe the lack of fixed lead or presiding director means that, effectively, the board does not have an independent board leader.

<sup>24</sup> A forum selection clause is a bylaw provision stipulating that a certain state or federal jurisdiction is the exclusive forum for specified legal matters. Such a clause effectively limits a shareholder's legal remedy regarding appropriate choice of venue and related relief.

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and/or federal courts for matters arising under the Securities Act of 1933 without shareholder approval,<sup>25</sup> or if the board is currently seeking shareholder approval of a forum selection clause pursuant to a bundled bylaw amendment rather than as a separate proposal.

● All members of the governance committee during whose tenure the board adopted, without shareholder approval, provisions in its charter or bylaws that, through rules on director compensation, may inhibit the ability of shareholders to nominate directors.

● The governance committee chair when the board takes actions to limit shareholders' ability to vote on matters material to shareholder rights (e.g., through the practice of excluding a shareholder proposal by means of ratifying a management proposal that is materially different from the shareholder proposal).

● The governance committee chair when directors' records for board and committee meeting attendance are not disclosed, or when it is indicated that a director attended less than 75% of board and committee meetings but disclosure is sufficiently vague that it is not possible to determine which specific director's attendance was lacking.

● The governance committee chair when a detailed record of proxy voting results from the prior annual meeting has not been disclosed.

● The governance committee chair when a company does not clearly disclose the identity of a shareholder proponent (or lead proponent when there are multiple filers) in their proxy statement. For a detailed explanation of this policy, please refer to our comprehensive *Proxy Paper Guidelines for Shareholder Proposals & ESG-Related Issues*, available at www.glasslewis.com/voting-policies-current/ .

In addition, we may recommend that shareholders vote against the chair of the governance committee, or the entire committee, where the board has amended the company's governing documents to reduce or remove important shareholder rights, or to otherwise impede the ability of shareholders to exercise such right, and has done so without seeking shareholder approval. Examples of board actions that may cause such a recommendation include: the elimination of the ability of shareholders to call a special meeting or to act by written consent; an increase to the ownership threshold required for shareholders to call a special meeting; an increase to vote requirements for charter or bylaw amendments; the adoption of provisions that limit the ability of shareholders to pursue full legal recourse — such as bylaws that require arbitration of shareholder claims or that require shareholder plaintiffs to pay the company's legal expenses in the absence of a court victory (i.e., "fee-shifting" or "loser pays" bylaws); the adoption of a classified board structure; and the elimination of the ability of shareholders to remove a director without cause.

Regarding the nominating committee, we will consider recommending that shareholders vote against the following:

● All members of the nominating committee, when the committee nominated or renominated an individual who had a significant conflict of interest or whose past actions demonstrated a lack of integrity or inability to represent shareholder interests.

● The nominating committee chair, if the nominating committee did not meet during the year.

<sup>25</sup> Glass Lewis will evaluate the circumstances surrounding the adoption of any forum selection clause as well as the general provisions contained therein. Where it can be reasonably determined that a forum selection clause is narrowly crafted to suit the particular circumstances facing the company and/or a reasonable sunset provision is included, we may make an exception to this policy.

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● In the absence of a governance committee, the nominating committee chair when the chair is not independent, and an independent lead or presiding director has not been appointed.

● The nominating committee chair, when there are fewer than five, or the whole nominating committee when there are more than 20 members on the board.

● The nominating committee chair, when a director received a greater than 50% against vote the prior year and not only was the director not removed, but the issues that raised shareholder concern were not corrected.<sup>26</sup>

● The chair of the nominating committee of a board that is not at least 30 percent gender diverse,<sup>27</sup>or all members of the nominating committee of a board with no gender diverse directors, at companies within the Russell 3000 index. For companies outside of the Russell 3000 index, we will recommend voting against the chair of the nominating committee if there are no gender diverse directors.

● The chair of the nominating committee of a board with fewer than one director from an underrepresented community on the board, at companies within the Russell 1000 index.

● The nominating committee chair when, alongside other governance or board performance concerns, the average tenure of non-executive directors is 10 years or more and no new independent directors have joined the board in the past five years. We will not be making voting recommendations solely on this basis; rather, insufficient board refreshment may be a contributing factor in our recommendations when additional board-related concerns have been identified.

In addition, we may consider recommending shareholders vote against the chair of the nominating committee where the board's failure to ensure the board has directors with relevant experience, either through periodic director assessment or board refreshment, has contributed to a company's poor performance. Where these issues warrant an against vote in the absence of both a governance and a nominating committee, we will recommend voting against the board chair, unless the chair also serves as the CEO, in which case we will recommend voting against the longest-serving director.

Board-Level Risk Management Oversight

Glass Lewis evaluates the risk management function of a public company board on a strictly case-by-case basis. Sound risk management, while necessary at all companies, is particularly important at financial firms which inherently maintain significant exposure to financial risk. We believe such financial firms should have a chief risk officer reporting directly to the board and a dedicated risk committee or a committee of the board charged with risk oversight. Moreover, many non-financial firms maintain strategies which involve a high level of exposure to financial risk. Similarly, since many non-financial firms have complex hedging or trading strategies, those firms should also have a chief risk officer and a risk committee.

<sup>26</sup> Considering that shareholder disapproval clearly relates to the director who received a greater than 50% against vote rather than the nominating chair, we review the severity of the issue(s) that initially raised shareholder concern as well as company responsiveness to such matters, and will only recommend voting against the nominating chair if a reasonable analysis suggests that it would be most appropriate. In rare cases, we will consider recommending against the nominating chair when a director receives a substantial (i.e., 20% or more) vote against based on the same analysis.

<sup>27</sup> Women and directors that identify with a gender other than male or female.

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Our views on risk oversight are consistent with those expressed by various regulatory bodies. In its December 2009 Final Rule release on Proxy Disclosure Enhancements, the SEC noted that risk oversight is a key competence of the board and that additional disclosures would improve investor and shareholder understanding of the role of the board in the organization's risk management practices. The final rules, which became effective on February 28, 2010, now explicitly require companies and mutual funds to describe (while allowing for some degree of flexibility) the board's role in the oversight of risk.

When analyzing the risk management practices of public companies, we take note of any significant losses or writedowns on financial assets and/or structured transactions. In cases where a company has disclosed a sizable loss or writedown, and where we find that the company's board-level risk committee's poor oversight contributed to the loss, we will recommend that shareholders vote against such committee members on that basis. In addition, in cases where a company maintains a significant level of financial risk exposure but fails to disclose any explicit form of board-level risk oversight (committee or otherwise),<sup>28</sup> we will consider recommending to vote against the board chair on that basis. However, we generally would not recommend voting against a combined chair/CEO, except in egregious cases.

Board Oversight of Environmental and Social Issues

Glass Lewis recognizes the importance of ensuring the sustainability of companies' operations. We believe that insufficient oversight of material environmental and social issues can present direct legal, financial, regulatory and reputational risks that could serve to harm shareholder interests. Therefore, we believe that these issues should be carefully monitored and managed by companies, and that all companies should have an appropriate oversight structure in place to ensure that they are mitigating attendant risks and capitalizing on related opportunities to the best extent possible.

To that end, Glass Lewis believes that companies should ensure that boards maintain clear oversight of material risks to their operations, including those that are environmental and social in nature. These risks could include, but are not limited to, matters related to climate change,human capital management, diversity, stakeholder relations, and health, safety & environment. Given the importance of the board's role in overseeing environmental and social risks, we believe this responsibility should be formally designated and codified in the appropriate committee charters or other governing documents.

While we believe that it is important that these issues are overseen at the board level and that shareholders are afforded meaningful disclosure of these oversight responsibilities, we believe that companies should determine the best structure for this oversight. In our view, this oversight can be effectively conducted by specific directors, the entire board, a separate committee, or combined with the responsibilities of a key committee.

For companies in the Russell 3000 index and in instances where we identify material oversight concerns, Glass Lewis will review a company's overall governance practices and identify which directors or board-level committees have been charged with oversight of environmental and/or social issues. Furthermore, given the importance of the board's role in overseeing environmental and social risks, Glass Lewis will generally

<sup>28</sup> A committee responsible for risk management could be a dedicated risk committee, the audit committee, or the finance committee, depending on a given company's board structure and method of disclosure. At some companies, the entire board is charged with risk management.

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recommend voting against the governance committee chair of a company in the Russell 1000 index that fails to provide explicit disclosure concerning the board's role in overseeing these issues.

When evaluating the board's role in overseeing environmental and/or social issues, we will examine a company's committee charters and governing documents to determine if the company has codified and maintained a meaningful level of oversight of and accountability for a company's material environmental and social impacts.

Board Oversight of Technology

Cyber Risk Oversight

Companies and consumers are exposed to a growing risk of cyber-attacks. These attacks can result in customer or employee data breaches, harm to a company's reputation, significant fines or penalties, and interruption to a company's operations. Further, in some instances, cyber breaches can result in national security concerns, such as those impacting companies operating as utilities, defense contractors, and energy companies.

In response to these issues, regulators have increasingly been focused on ensuring companies are providing appropriate and timely disclosures and protections to stakeholders that could have been adversely impacted by a breach in a company's cyber infrastructure.

On July 26, 2023, the SEC approved final rules requiring public companies to report cybersecurity incidents deemed material within four days of identifying them, detailing their nature, scope, timing, and material impact under Item 1.05 on Form 8-K.

Furthermore, in annual reports, companies must disclose their processes for assessing, identifying, and managing material cybersecurity risks, along with their material effects; and describe whether any risks from prior incidents have materially affected its business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition (or are reasonably likely to), pursuant to Regulation S-K Item 106. Item 106 will also require registrants to describe the board of directors' oversight of risks from cybersecurity threats and management's role and expertise in assessing and managing material risks from cybersecurity threats. Similar rules were also adopted for foreign private issuers. The final rules became effective on September 5, 2023.

Given the regulatory focus on, and the potential adverse outcomes from, cyber-related issues, it is our view that cyber risk is material for all companies. We therefore believe that it is critical that companies evaluate and mitigate these risks to the greatest extent possible. With that view, we encourage all issuers to provide clear disclosure concerning the role of the board in overseeing issues related to cybersecurity, including how companies are ensuring directors are fully versed on this rapidly evolving and dynamic issue. We believe such disclosure can help shareholders understand the seriousness with which companies take this issue.

In the absence of material cyber incidents, we will generally not make voting recommendations on the basis of a company's oversight or disclosure concerning cyber-related issues. However, in instances where cyber-attacks have caused significant harm to shareholders we will closely evaluate the board's oversight of cybersecurity as well as the company's response and disclosures.

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resolving and remediating the impact of the cyber-attack. We generally believe shareholders are best served when such updates include (but are not necessarily limited to) details such as when the company has fully restored its information systems, when the company has returned to normal operations, what resources the company is providing for affected stakeholders, and any other potentially relevant information, until the company considers the impact of the cyber-attack to be fully remediated. These disclosures should focus on the company's response to address the impacts to affected stakeholders and should not reveal specific and/or technical details that could impede the company's response or remediation of the incident or that could assist threat actors.

In such instances, we may recommend against appropriate directors should we find the board's oversight, response or disclosure concerning cybersecurity-related issues to be insufficient, or are not provided to shareholders.

Board Oversight of Artificial Intelligence

In recent years, companies have rapidly begun to develop and adopt uses for artificial intelligence (AI) technologies throughout various aspects of their operations. Deployed and overseen effectively, AI technologies have the potential to make companies' operations and systems more efficient and productive. However, as the use of these technologies has grown, so have the potential risks associated with companies' development and use of AI. Given these potential risks, we believe that boards should be cognizant of, and take steps to mitigate exposure to, any material risks that could arise from their use or development of AI.

Companies that use or develop AI technologies should consider adopting strong internal frameworks that include ethical considerations and ensure they have provided a sufficient level of oversight of AI. As such, boards may seek to ensure effective oversight and address skills gaps by engaging in continued board education and/or appointing directors with AI expertise. With that view, we believe that all companies that develop or employ the use of AI in their operations should provide clear disclosure concerning the role of the board in overseeing issues related to AI, including how companies are ensuring directors are fully versed on this rapidly evolving and dynamic issue. We believe such disclosure can help shareholders understand the seriousness with which companies take this issue.

While we believe that it is important that these issues are overseen at the board level and that shareholders are afforded meaningful disclosure of these oversight responsibilities, we believe that companies should determine the best structure for this oversight. In our view, this oversight can be effectively conducted by specific directors, the entire board, a separate committee, or combined with the responsibilities of a key committee.

In the absence of material incidents related to a company's use or management of AI-related issues, we will generally not make voting recommendations on the basis of a company's oversight of, or disclosure concerning, AI-related issues. However, in instances where there is evidence that insufficient oversight and/or management of AI technologies has resulted in material harm to shareholders, Glass Lewis will review a company's overall governance practices and identify which directors or board-level committees have been charged with oversight of AI-related risks. We will also closely evaluate the board's response to, and management of, this issue as well as any associated disclosures and may recommend against appropriate directors should we find the board's oversight, response or disclosure concerning AI-related issues to be insufficient.

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Board Accountability for Environmental and Social Performance

Glass Lewis carefully monitors companies' performance with respect to environmental and social issues, including those related to climate and human capital management. In situations where we believe that a company has not properly managed or mitigated material environmental or social risks to the detriment of shareholder value, or when such mismanagement has threatened shareholder value, Glass Lewis may recommend that shareholders vote against the members of the board who are responsible for oversight of environmental and social risks. In the absence of explicit board oversight of environmental and social issues, Glass Lewis may recommend that shareholders vote against members of the audit committee. In making these determinations, Glass Lewis will carefully review the situation, its effect on shareholder value, as well as any corrective action or other response made by the company.

For more information on how Glass Lewis evaluates environmental and social issues, please see Glass Lewis' Overall Approach to ESG as well as our comprehensive *Proxy Paper Guidelines for Shareholder Proposals &ESG- Related Issues,* available at www.glasslewis.com/voting-policies-current/.

Board Accountability for Climate-related Issues

Given the exceptionally broad impacts of a changing climate on companies, the economy, and society in general, we view climate risk as a material risk for all companies. We therefore believe that boards should be considering and evaluating their operational resilience under lower-carbon scenarios. While all companies maintain exposure to climate-related risks, we believe that additional consideration should be given to, and that disclosure should be provided by those companies whose GHG emissions represent a financially material risk.

We believe that companies with this increased risk exposure should provide clear and comprehensive disclosure regarding these risks, including how they are being mitigated and overseen. We believe such information is crucial to allow investors to understand the company's management of this issue, as well as the impact of a lower carbon future on the company's operations.

In line with this view, Glass Lewis will carefully examine the climate-related disclosures provided by companies in the S&P 500 index with material exposure to climate risk stemming from their own operations<sup>29</sup>, as well as companies where we believe emissions or climate impacts, or stakeholder scrutiny thereof, represent an outsized, financially material risk, in order to assess whether they have produced disclosures in line with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) or IFRS S2 Climate-related Disclosures. We will also assess whether these companies have disclosed explicit and clearly defined board-level oversight responsibilities for climate-related issues. In instances where we find either (or both)of these disclosures to be absent or significantly lacking, we may recommend voting against the chair of the committee (or board) charged with oversight of climate-related issues, or if no committee has been charged with such oversight, the chair of the governance committee. Further, we may extend our recommendation on this basis to additional members of the responsible committee in cases where the committee chair is not standing for

<sup>29</sup> This policy will generally apply to companies in the following SASB-defined industries: agricultural products, air freight & logistics, airlines, chemicals, construction materials, containers & packaging, cruise lines, electric utilities & power generators, food retailers & distributors, health care distributors, iron & steel producers, marine transportation, meat, poultry & dairy, metals & mining, non-alcoholic beverages, oil & gas, pulp & paper products, rail transportation, road transportation, semiconductors, waste management.

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election due to a classified board, or based on other factors, including the company's size, industry and its overall governance profile.

Director Commitments

We believe that directors should have the necessary time to fulfill their duties to shareholders. In our view, an overcommitted director can pose a material risk to a company's shareholders, particularly during periods of crisis. In addition, recent research indicates that the time commitment associated with being a director has been on a significant upward trend in the past decade.<sup>30</sup> As a result, we generally recommend that shareholders vote against a director who serves as an executive officer (other than executive chair) of any public company<sup>31</sup> while serving on more than one external public company board, a director who serves as an executive chair of any public company while serving on more than two external public company boards, and any other director who serves on more than five public company boards.

Because we believe that executives will primarily devote their attention to executive duties, we generally will not recommend that shareholders vote against overcommitted directors at the companies where they serve as an executive.

When determining whether a director's service on an excessive number of boards may limit the ability of the director to devote sufficient time to board duties, we may consider relevant factors such as the size and location of the other companies where the director serves on the board, the director's board roles at the companies in question, whether the director serves on the board of any large privately-held companies, the director's tenure on the boards in question, and the director's attendance record at all companies. In the case of directors who serve in executive roles other than CEO (e.g., executive chair), we will evaluate the specific duties and responsibilities of that role in determining whether an exception is warranted.

We may also refrain from recommending against certain directors if the company provides sufficient rationale for their continued board service. The rationale should allow shareholders to evaluate the scope of the directors' other commitments, as well as their contributions to the board including specialized knowledge of the company's industry, strategy or key markets, the diversity of skills, perspective and background they provide, and other relevant factors. We will also generally refrain from recommending to vote against a director who serves on an excessive number of boards within a consolidated group of companies in related industries, or a director that represents a firm whose sole purpose is to manage a portfolio of investments which include the company.

<sup>30</sup> For example, the 2015-2016 NACD Public Company Governance Survey states that, on average, directors spent a total of 248.2 hours annual on board-related matters during the past year, which it describes as a "historically high level" that is significantly above the average hours recorded in 2006. Additionally, the 2020 Spencer Stuart Board Index indicates that, while 39% of S&P 500 CEOs serve on one additional public board, just 2% of S&P 500 CEOs serve on two additional public boards and only one CEO serves on three.

<sup>31</sup> When the executive officer in question serves only as an executive at a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) we will generally apply the higher threshold of five public company directorships.

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Other Considerations

In addition to the three key characteristics — independence, performance, experience — that we use to evaluate board members, we consider conflict-of-interest issues as well as the size of the board of directors when making voting recommendations.

Conflicts of Interest

We believe board members should be wholly free of identifiable and substantial conflicts of interest, regardless of the overall level of independent directors on the board. Accordingly, we recommend that shareholders vote against the following types of directors:

● A CFO who is on the board: In our view, the CFO holds a unique position relative to financial reporting and disclosure to shareholders. Due to the critical importance of financial disclosure and reporting, we believe the CFO should report to the board and not be a member of it.

● A director who provides — or a director who has an immediate family member who provides — material consulting or other material professional services to the company. These services may include legal, consulting,<sup>32</sup> or financial services. We question the need for the company to have consulting relationships with its directors. We view such relationships as creating conflicts for directors, since they may be forced to weigh their own interests against shareholder interests when making board decisions. In addition, a company's decisions regarding where to turn for the best professional services may be compromised when doing business with the professional services firm of one of the company's directors.

● A director, or a director who has an immediate family member, engaging in airplane, real estate, or similar deals, including perquisite-type grants from the company, amounting to more than $50,000. Directors who receive these sorts of payments from the company will have to make unnecessarily complicated decisions that may pit their interests against shareholder interests.

● Interlocking directorships: CEOs or other top executives who serve on each other's boards create an interlock that poses conflicts that should be avoided to ensure the promotion of shareholder interests above all else.<sup>33</sup>

● All board members who served at a time when a poison pill with a term of longer than one year was adopted without shareholder approval within the prior twelve months.<sup>34</sup> In the event a board is classified and shareholders are therefore unable to vote against all directors, we will recommend voting against the remaining directors the next year they are up for a shareholder vote. If a poison pill with a

<sup>32</sup> We will generally refrain from recommending against a director who provides consulting services for the company if the director is excluded from membership on the board's key committees and we have not identified significant governance concerns with the board.

<sup>33</sup> We do not apply a look-back period for this situation. The interlock policy applies to both public and private companies. On a case-by-case basis, we evaluate other types of interlocking relationships, such as interlocks with close family members of executives or within group companies. Further, we will also evaluate multiple board interlocks among non-insiders (i.e., multiple directors serving on the same boards at other companies), for evidence of a pattern of poor oversight.

<sup>34</sup> Refer to the "Governance Structure and the Shareholder Franchise" section for further discussion of our policies regarding anti-takeover measures, including poison pills.

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term of one year or less was adopted without shareholder approval, and without adequate justification, we will consider recommending that shareholders vote against all members of the governance committee. If the board has, without seeking shareholder approval, and without adequate justification, extended the term of a poison pill by one year or less in two consecutive years, we will consider recommending that shareholders vote against the entire board.

Size of the Board of Directors

While we do not believe there is a universally applicable optimal board size, we do believe boards should have at least five directors to ensure sufficient diversity in decision-making and to enable the formation of key board committees with independent directors. Conversely, we believe that boards with more than 20 members will typically suffer under the weight of "too many cooks in the kitchen" and have difficulty reaching consensus and making timely decisions. Sometimes the presence of too many voices can make it difficult to draw on the wisdom and experience in the room by virtue of the need to limit the discussion so that each voice may be heard.

To that end, we typically recommend voting against the chair of the nominating committee (or the governance committee, in the absence of a nominating committee) at a board with fewer than five directors or more than 20 directors.

Controlled Companies

We believe controlled companies warrant certain exceptions to our independence standards. The board's function is to protect shareholder interests; however, when an individual, entity (or group of shareholders party to a formal agreement) owns more than 50% of the voting shares, the interests of the majority of shareholders are the interests of that entity or individual. Consequently, Glass Lewis does not apply our usual two-thirds board independence rule and therefore we will not recommend voting against boards whose composition reflects the makeup of the shareholder population.

Independence Exceptions

The independence exceptions that we make for controlled companies are as follows:

● We do not require that controlled companies have boards that are at least two-thirds independent. So long as the insiders and/or affiliates are connected with the controlling entity, we accept the presence of non-independent board members.

● The compensation committee and nominating and governance committees do not need to consist solely of independent directors.

○ We believe that standing nominating and corporate governance committees at controlled companies are unnecessary. Although having a committee charged with the duties of searching for, selecting, and nominating independent directors can be beneficial, the unique composition of a controlled company's shareholder base makes such committees weak and irrelevant.

○ Likewise, we believe that independent compensation committees at controlled companies are unnecessary. Although independent directors are the best choice for approving and monitoring senior executives' pay, controlled companies serve a unique shareholder population whose voting power ensures the protection of its interests. As such, we believe that having affiliated directors on a controlled company's compensation committee is acceptable. However, given

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that a controlled company has certain obligations to minority shareholders we feel that an insider should not serve on the compensation committee. Therefore, Glass Lewis will recommend voting against any insider (the CEO or otherwise) serving on the compensation committee.

● Controlled companies do not need an independent chair or an independent lead or presiding director. Although an independent director in a position of authority on the board — such as chair or presiding director — can best carry out the board's duties, controlled companies serve a unique shareholder population whose voting power ensures the protection of its interests.

Size of the Board of Directors

We have no board size requirements for controlled companies.

Audit Committee Independence

Despite a controlled company's status, unlike for the other key committees, we nevertheless believe that audit committees should consist solely of independent directors. Regardless of a company's controlled status, the interests of all shareholders must be protected by ensuring the integrity and accuracy of the company's financial statements. Allowing affiliated directors to oversee the preparation of financial reports could create an insurmountable conflict of interest.

Board Responsiveness at Multi-Class Companies

At controlled companies and companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will carefully examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders when determining whether board responsiveness is warranted. In the case of companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will generally examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders on a "one share, one vote" basis. At controlled and multi-class companies, when at least 20% or more of unaffiliated shareholders vote contrary to management, we believe that boards should engage with shareholders and demonstrate some initial level of responsiveness, and when a majority or more of unaffiliated shareholders vote contrary to management we believe that boards should engage with shareholders and provide a more robust response to fully address shareholder concerns.

Significant Shareholders

Where an individual or entity holds between 20-50% of a company's voting power, we believe it is reasonable to allow proportional representation on the board and committees (excluding the audit committee) based on the individual or entity's percentage of ownership.

Governance Following an IPO, Spin-Off, or Direct Listing

We believe companies that have recently completed an initial public offering (IPO), spin-off, or direct listing should be allowed adequate time to fully comply with marketplace listing requirements and meet basic corporate governance standards. Generally speaking, we refrain from making recommendations on the basis of governance standards (e.g., board independence, committee membership and structure, meeting attendance, etc.) during the one-year period following an IPO.

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However, some cases warrant shareholder action against the board of a company that have completed an IPO, spin-off, or direct listing within the past year. When evaluating companies that have recently gone public, Glass Lewis will review the terms of the applicable governing documents in order to determine whether shareholder rights are being severely restricted indefinitely. We believe boards that approve highly restrictive governing documents have demonstrated that they may subvert shareholder interests following the IPO. In conducting this evaluation, Glass Lewis will consider:

● The adoption of anti-takeover provisions such as a poison pill or classified board

● Supermajority vote requirements to amend governing documents

● The presence of exclusive forum or fee-shifting provisions

● Whether shareholders can call special meetings or act by written consent

● The voting standard provided for the election of directors

● The ability of shareholders to remove directors without cause

● The presence of evergreen provisions in the company's equity compensation arrangements

● The presence of a multi-class share structure which does not afford common shareholders voting power that is aligned with their economic interest

In cases where Glass Lewis determines that the board has approved overly restrictive governing documents, we will generally recommend voting against members of the governance committee. If there is no governance committee, or if a portion of such committee members are not standing for election due to a classified board structure, we will expand our recommendations to additional director nominees, based on who is standing for election.

In cases where, preceding an IPO, the board adopts a multi-class share structure where voting rights are not aligned with economic interest, or an anti-takeover provision, such as a poison pill or classified board, we will generally recommend voting against all members of the board who served at the time of the IPO if the board: (i) did not also commit to submitting these provisions to a shareholder vote at the company's first shareholder meeting following the IPO; or (ii) did not provide for a reasonable sunset of these provisions (generally three to five years in the case of a classified board or poison pill; or seven years or less in the case of a multi-class share structure). In the case of a multi-class share structure, if these provisions are put to a shareholder vote, we will examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders when determining the vote outcome.

In our view, adopting an anti-takeover device unfairly penalizes future shareholders who (except for electing to buy or sell the stock) are unable to weigh in on a matter that could potentially negatively impact their ownership interest. This notion is strengthened when a board adopts a classified board with an infinite duration or a poison pill with a five- to ten-year term immediately prior to going public, thereby insulating management for a substantial amount of time.

In addition, shareholders should also be wary of companies that adopt supermajority voting requirements before their IPO. Absent explicit provisions in the articles or bylaws stipulating that certain policies will be phased out over a certain period of time, long-term shareholders could find themselves in the predicament of having to attain a supermajority vote to approve future proposals seeking to eliminate such policies.

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Governance Following a Business Combination with a Special Purpose Acquisition Company

The business combination of a private company with a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) facilitates the private entity becoming a publicly traded corporation. Thus, the business combination represents the private company's de-facto IPO. We believe that some cases warrant shareholder action against the board of a company that have completed a business combination with a SPAC within the past year.

At meetings where shareholders vote on the business combination of a SPAC with a private company, shareholders are generally voting on a new corporate charter for the post-combination company as a condition to approval of the business combination. In many cases, shareholders are faced with the dilemma of having to approve corporate charters that severely restrict shareholder rights to facilitate the business combination. Therefore, when shareholders are required to approve binding charters as a condition to approval of a business combination with a SPAC, we believe shareholders should also be provided with advisory votes on material charter amendments as a means to voice their opinions on such restrictive governance provisions.

When evaluating companies that have recently gone public via business combination with a SPAC, Glass Lewis will review the terms of the applicable governing documents to determine whether shareholder rights are being severely restricted indefinitely and whether these restrictive provisions were put forth for a shareholder vote on an advisory basis at the prior meeting where shareholders voted on the business combination.

In cases where, prior to the combined company becoming publicly traded, the board adopts a multi-class share structure where voting rights are not aligned with economic interest, or an anti-takeover provision, such as a poison pill or classified board, we will generally recommend voting against all members of the board who served at the time of the combined company becoming publicly traded if the board: (i) did not also submit these provisions to a shareholder vote on an advisory basis at the prior meeting where shareholders voted on the business combination; (ii) did not also commit to submitting these provisions to a shareholder vote at the company's first shareholder meeting following the company becoming publicly traded; or (iii) did not provide for a reasonable sunset of these provisions (generally three to five years in the case of a classified board or poison pill; or seven years or less in the case of a multi-class share structure).

Consistent with our view on IPOs, adopting an anti-takeover device unfairly penalizes future shareholders who (except for electing to buy or sell the stock) are unable to weigh in on a matter that could potentially negatively impact their ownership interest.

Dual-Listed or Foreign-Incorporated Companies

For companies that trade on multiple exchanges or are incorporated in foreign jurisdictions but trade only in the U.S., we will apply the governance standard most relevant in each situation. We will consider a number of factors in determining which Glass Lewis country-specific policy to apply, including but not limited to: (i) the corporate governance structure and features of the company including whether the board structure is unique to a particular market; (ii) the nature of the proposals; (iii) the location of the company's primary listing, if one can be determined; (iv) the regulatory/governance regime that the board is reporting against; and (v) the availability and completeness of the company's SEC filings.

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OTC-listed Companies

Companies trading on the OTC Bulletin Board are not considered "listed companies" under SEC rules and therefore not subject to the same governance standards as listed companies. However, we believe that more stringent corporate governance standards should be applied to these companies given that their shares are still publicly traded.

When reviewing OTC companies, Glass Lewis will review the available disclosure relating to the shareholder meeting to determine whether shareholders are able to evaluate several key pieces of information, including: (i) the composition of the board's key committees, if any; (ii) the level of share ownership of company insiders or directors; (iii) the board meeting attendance record of directors; (iv) executive and non-employee director compensation; (v) related-party transactions conducted during the past year; and (vi) the board's leadership structure and determinations regarding director independence.

We are particularly concerned when company disclosure lacks any information regarding the board's key committees. We believe that committees of the board are an essential tool for clarifying how the responsibilities of the board are being delegated, and specifically for indicating which directors are accountable for ensuring: (i) the independence and quality of directors, and the transparency and integrity of the nominating process; (ii) compensation programs that are fair and appropriate; (iii) proper oversight of the company's accounting, financial reporting, and internal and external audits; and (iv) general adherence to principles of good corporate governance.

In cases where shareholders are unable to identify which board members are responsible for ensuring oversight of the above-mentioned responsibilities, we may consider recommending against certain members of the board. Ordinarily, we believe it is the responsibility of the corporate governance committee to provide thorough disclosure of the board's governance practices. In the absence of such a committee, we believe it is appropriate to hold the board's chair or, if such individual is an executive of the company, the longest-serving non-executive board member accountable.

Mutual Fund Boards

Mutual funds, or investment companies, are structured differently from regular public companies (i.e., operating companies). Typically, members of a fund's advisor are on the board and management takes on a different role from that of regular public companies. Thus, we focus on a short list of requirements, although many of our guidelines remain the same.

The following mutual fund policies are similar to the policies for regular public companies:

● **Size of the board of directors** — The board should be made up of between five and twenty directors.

● **The CFO on the board** — Neither the CFO of the fund nor the CFO of the fund's registered investment advisor should serve on the board.

● **Independence of the audit committee** — The audit committee should consist solely of independent directors.

● **Audit committee financial expert** — At least one member of the audit committee should be designated as the audit committee financial expert.

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The following differences from regular public companies apply at mutual funds:

● **Independence of the board** — We believe that three-fourths of an investment company's board should be made up of independent directors. This is consistent with a proposed SEC rule on investment company boards. The Investment Company Act requires 40% of the board to be independent, but in 2001, the SEC amended the Exemptive Rules to require that a majority of a mutual fund board be independent. In 2005, the SEC proposed increasing the independence threshold to 75%. In 2006, a federal appeals court ordered that this rule amendment be put back out for public comment, putting it back into "proposed rule" status. Since mutual fund boards play a vital role in overseeing the relationship between the fund and its investment manager, there is greater need for independent oversight than there is for an operating company board.

● **When the auditor is not up for ratification** — We do not recommend voting against the audit committee if the auditor is not up for ratification. Due to the different legal structure of an investment company compared to an operating company, the auditor for the investment company (i.e., mutual fund) does not conduct the same level of financial review for each investment company as for an operating company.

● **Non-independent chair** — The SEC has proposed that the chair of the fund board be independent. We agree that the roles of a mutual fund's chair and CEO should be separate. Although we believe this would be best at all companies, we recommend voting against the chair of an investment company's nominating committee as well as the board chair if the chair and CEO of a mutual fund are the same person and the fund does not have an independent lead or presiding director. Seven former SEC commissioners support the appointment of an independent chair and we agree with them that "an independent board chair would be better able to create conditions favoring the long-term interests of fund shareholders than would a chair who is an executive of the advisor." (See the comment letter sent to the SEC in support of the proposed rule at http://www.sec.gov/news/studies/indchair.pdf .)

● **Multiple funds overseen by the same director** — Unlike service on a public company board, mutual fund boards require much less of a time commitment. Mutual fund directors typically serve on dozens of other mutual fund boards, often within the same fund complex. The Investment Company Institute's (ICI) Overview of Fund Governance Practices, 1994-2012, indicates that the average number of funds served by an independent director in 2012 was 53. Absent evidence that a specific director is hindered from being an effective board member at a fund due to service on other funds' boards, we refrain from maintaining a cap on the number of outside mutual fund boards that we believe a director can serve on.

Declassified Boards

Glass Lewis favors the repeal of staggered boards and the annual election of directors. We believe staggered boards are less accountable to shareholders than boards that are elected annually. Furthermore, we feel the annual election of directors encourages board members to focus on shareholder interests.

Empirical studies have shown: (i) staggered boards are associated with a reduction in a firm's valuation; and (ii) in the context of hostile takeovers, staggered boards operate as a takeover defense, which entrenches management, discourages potential acquirers, and delivers a lower return to target shareholders.

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In our view, there is no evidence to demonstrate that staggered boards improve shareholder returns in a takeover context. Some research has indicated that shareholders are worse off when a staggered board blocks a transaction; further, when a staggered board negotiates a friendly transaction, no statistically significant difference in premium occurs.<sup>35</sup> Additional research found that charter-based staggered boards "reduce the market value of a firm by 4% to 6% of its market capitalization" and that "staggered boards bring about and not merely reflect this reduction in market value."<sup>36</sup> A subsequent study reaffirmed that classified boards reduce shareholder value, finding "that the ongoing process of dismantling staggered boards, encouraged by institutional investors, could well contribute to increasing shareholder wealth." <sup>37</sup>

Shareholders have increasingly come to agree with this view. In 2019, 90% of S&P 500 companies had declassified boards, up from 68% in 2009.<sup>38</sup> Management proposals to declassify boards are approved with near unanimity and shareholder proposals on the topic also receive strong shareholder support; in 2014, shareholder proposals requesting that companies declassify their boards received average support of 84% (excluding abstentions and broker non-votes), whereas in 1987, only 16.4% of votes cast favored board declassification.<sup>39</sup> Further, a growing number of companies, nearly half of all those targeted by shareholder proposals requesting that all directors stand for election annually, either recommended shareholders support the proposal or made no recommendation, a departure from the more traditional management recommendation to vote against shareholder proposals.

Given our belief that declassified boards promote director accountability, the empirical evidence suggesting staggered boards reduce a company's value and the established shareholder opposition to such a structure, Glass Lewis supports the declassification of boards and the annual election of directors.

Board Composition and Refreshment

Glass Lewis strongly supports routine director evaluation, including independent external reviews, and periodic board refreshment to foster the sharing of diverse perspectives in the boardroom and the generation of new ideas and business strategies. Further, we believe the board should evaluate the need for changes to board composition based on an analysis of skills and experience necessary for the company, as well as the results of the director evaluations, as opposed to relying solely on age or tenure limits. When necessary, shareholders can address concerns regarding proper board composition through director elections.

<sup>35</sup> Lucian Bebchuk, John Coates IV, Guhan Subramanian, "The Powerful Antitakeover Force of Staggered Boards: Further Findings and a Reply to Symposium Participants," 55 Stanford Law Review 885-917 (2002).

<sup>36</sup> Lucian Bebchuk, Alma Cohen, "The Costs of Entrenched Boards" (2004).

<sup>37</sup> Lucian Bebchuk, Alma Cohen and Charles C.Y. Wang, "Staggered Boards and the Wealth of Shareholders: Evidence from a Natural Experiment," SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1706806 (2010), p. 26.

<sup>38</sup> Spencer Stuart Board Index, 2019, p. 15.

<sup>39</sup> Lucian Bebchuk, John Coates IV and Guhan Subramanian, "The Powerful Antitakeover Force of Staggered Boards: Theory, Evidence, and Policy".

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In our view, a director's experience can be a valuable asset to shareholders because of the complex, critical issues that boards face. This said, we recognize that in rare circumstances, a lack of refreshment can contribute to a lack of board responsiveness to poor company performance.

We will note as a potential concern instances where the average tenure of non-executive directors is 10 years or more and no new directors have joined the board in the past five years. While we will be highlighting this as a potential area of concern, we will not be making voting recommendations strictly on this basis, unless we have identified other governance or board performance concerns.

On occasion, age or term limits can be used as a means to remove a director for boards that are unwilling to police their membership and enforce turnover. Some shareholders support term limits as a way to force change in such circumstances.

While we understand that age limits can aid board succession planning, the long-term impact of age limits restricts experienced and potentially valuable board members from service through an arbitrary means. We believe that shareholders are better off monitoring the board's overall composition, including the diversity of its members, the alignment of the board's areas of expertise with a company's strategy, the board's approach to corporate governance, and its stewardship of company performance, rather than imposing inflexible rules that don't necessarily correlate with returns or benefits for shareholders.

However, if a board adopts term/age limits, it should follow through and not waive such limits. In cases where the board waives its term/age limits for two or more consecutive years, Glass Lewis will generally recommend that shareholders vote against the nominating and/or governance committee chair, unless a compelling rationale is provided for why the board is proposing to waive this rule, such as consummation of a corporate transaction.

Board Diversity

*Update: 10 March 2025. Glass Lewis has modified our approach to providing proxy voting guidance considering diversity factors at US companies under our Benchmark Policy. For more information, please see our <u>2025 Supplemental Statement on Diversity Considerations at US Companies</u>.*

Glass Lewis recognizes the importance of ensuring that the board is composed of directors who have a diversity of skills, thought and experience, as such diversity benefits companies by providing a broad range of perspectives and insights. Glass Lewis closely reviews the composition of the board for representation of diverse director candidates.

Board Gender Diversity

We consider the nominating and governance committee to be responsible for ensuring sufficient board diversity, or for publicly communicating its rationale or a plan for increasing diversity. As such, we will generally recommend voting against the chair of the nominating committee of a board that is not at least 30 percent gender diverse, or all members of the nominating committee of a board with no gender diverse directors, at companies within the Russell 3000 index. For companies outside the Russell 3000 index, our policy requires a minimum of one gender diverse director.

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When making these voting recommendations, we will carefully review a company's disclosure of its diversity considerations and may refrain from recommending that shareholders vote against directors when boards have provided sufficient rationale for the lack of diversity or a plan to address the lack of diversity, including a timeline of when the board intends to appoint additional gender diverse directors (generally by the next annual meeting or as soon as reasonably practicable).

We may extend our gender diversity recommendations to additional members of the nominating committee in cases where the committee chair is not standing for election due to a classified board, or based on other factors, including the company's size and industry, applicable laws in its state of headquarters, and its overall governance profile.

Board Underrepresented Community Diversity

We will generally recommend against the chair of the nominating committee of a board with fewer than one director from an underrepresented community on the board at companies within the Russell 1000 index.

We define "underrepresented community director" as an individual who self-identifies as Black, African American, North African, Middle Eastern, Hispanic, Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander, Native American, Native Hawaiian, or Alaskan Native, or who self-identifies as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. For the purposes of this evaluation, we will rely solely on self-identified demographic information as disclosed in company proxy statements.

When making these voting recommendations, we will carefully review a company's disclosure of its diversity considerations and may refrain from recommending that shareholders vote against directors when boards have provided a sufficient rationale or plan to address the lack of diversity on the board, including a timeline to appoint additional directors from an underrepresented community (generally by the next annual meeting or as soon as reasonably practicable).

We may extend our underrepresented community diversity recommendations to additional members of the nominating committee in cases where the committee chair is not standing for election due to a classified board, or based on other factors, including the company's size and industry, applicable laws in its state of headquarters, and its overall governance profile.

State Laws on Diversity

Several states have begun to encourage board diversity through legislation. Some state laws imposed mandatory board composition requirements, while other states have enacted or are considering legislation that encourages companies to diversify their boards but does not mandate board composition requirements. Furthermore, several states have enacted or are considering enacting certain disclosure or reporting requirements in filings made with each respective state annually.

Glass Lewis will recommend in accordance with mandatory board composition requirements set forth in applicable state laws when they come into effect. We will generally refrain from recommending against directors when applicable state laws do not mandate board composition requirements, are non-binding, or solely impose disclosure or reporting requirements.

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We note that during 2022, California's Senate Bill 826 and Assembly Bill 979 regarding board gender and "underrepresented community" diversity, respectively, were both deemed to violate the equal protection clause of the California state constitution. These laws are currently in the appeals process.

Accordingly, where we previously recommended in accordance with mandatory board composition requirements set forth in California's SB 826 and AB 979, we will refrain from providing recommendations pursuant to these state board composition requirements until further notice while we continue to monitor the appeals process. However, we will continue to monitor compliance with these requirements.

Disclosure of Director Diversity and Skills

Because company disclosure is critical when measuring the mix of diverse attributes and skills of directors, Glass Lewis assesses the quality of such disclosure in companies' proxy statements. Accordingly, we reflect how a company's proxy statement presents: (i) the board's current percentage of racial/ethnic diversity; (ii) whether the board's definition of diversity explicitly includes gender and/or race/ethnicity; (iii) whether the board has adopted a policy requiring women and minorities to be included in the initial pool of candidates when selecting new director nominees (aka "Rooney Rule"); and (iv) board skills disclosure. Such ratings will help inform our assessment of a company's overall governance and may be a contributing factor in our recommendations when additional board-related concerns have been identified.

At companies in the Russell 1000 index that have not provided any disclosure in any of the above categories, we will generally recommend voting against the chair of the nominating and/or governance committee. Further, when companies in the Russell 1000 index have not provided any disclosure of individual or aggregate racial/ethnic minority board demographic information, we will generally recommend voting against the chair of the nominating and/or governance committee.

Proxy Access

In lieu of running their own contested election, proxy access would not only allow certain shareholders to nominate directors to company boards but the shareholder nominees would be included on the company's ballot, significantly enhancing the ability of shareholders to play a meaningful role in selecting their representatives. Glass Lewis generally supports affording shareholders the right to nominate director candidates to management's proxy as a means to ensure that significant, long-term shareholders have an ability to nominate candidates to the board.

Companies generally seek shareholder approval to amend company bylaws to adopt proxy access in response to shareholder engagement or pressure, usually in the form of a shareholder proposal requesting proxy access, although some companies may adopt some elements of proxy access without prompting. Glass Lewis considers several factors when evaluating whether to support proposals for companies to adopt proxy access including the specified minimum ownership and holding requirement for shareholders to nominate one or more directors, as well as company size, performance and responsiveness to shareholders.

For a discussion of recent regulatory events in this area, along with a detailed overview of the Glass Lewis approach to shareholder proposals regarding Proxy Access, refer to Glass Lewis' *Proxy Paper Guidelines for Shareholder Proposals & ESG-Related Issues*, available at www.glasslewis.com.

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Majority Vote for Election of Directors

Majority voting for the election of directors is fast becoming the de facto standard in corporate board elections. In our view, the majority voting proposals are an effort to make the case for shareholder impact on director elections on a company-specific basis.

While this proposal would not give shareholders the opportunity to nominate directors or lead to elections where shareholders have a choice among director candidates, if implemented, the proposal would allow shareholders to have a voice in determining whether the nominees proposed by the board should actually serve as the overseer-representatives of shareholders in the boardroom. We believe this would be a favorable outcome for shareholders.

The number of shareholder proposals requesting that companies adopt a majority voting standard has declined significantly during the past decade, largely as a result of widespread adoption of majority voting or director resignation policies at U.S. companies. In 2019, 89% of the S&P 500 Index had implemented a resignation policy for directors failing to receive majority shareholder support, compared to 65% in 2009.<sup>40</sup>

The Plurality Vote Standard

Today, most U.S. companies still elect directors by a plurality vote standard. Under that standard, if one shareholder holding only one share votes in favor of a nominee (including that director, if the director is a shareholder), that nominee "wins" the election and assumes a seat on the board. The common concern among companies with a plurality voting standard is the possibility that one or more directors would not receive a majority of votes, resulting in "failed elections."

Advantages of a Majority Vote Standard

If a majority vote standard were implemented, a nominee would have to receive the support of a majority of the shares voted in order to be elected. Thus, shareholders could collectively vote to reject a director they believe will not pursue their best interests. Given that so few directors (less than 100 a year) do not receive majority support from shareholders, we think that a majority vote standard is reasonable since it will neither result in many failed director elections nor reduce the willingness of qualified, shareholder-focused directors to serve in the future. Further, most directors who fail to receive a majority shareholder vote in favor of their election do not step down, underscoring the need for true majority voting.

We believe that a majority vote standard will likely lead to more attentive directors. Although shareholders only rarely fail to support directors, the occasional majority vote against a director's election will likely deter the election of directors with a record of ignoring shareholder interests. Glass Lewis will therefore generally support proposals calling for the election of directors by a majority vote, excepting contested director elections.

In response to the high level of support majority voting has garnered, many companies have voluntarily taken steps to implement majority voting or modified approaches to majority voting. These steps range from a

<sup>40</sup> Spencer Stuart Board Index, 2019, p. 15.

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modified approach requiring directors that receive a majority of withheld votes to resign (i.e., a resignation policy) to actually requiring a majority vote of outstanding shares to elect directors.

We feel that the modified approach does not go far enough because requiring a director to resign is not the same as requiring a majority vote to elect a director and does not allow shareholders a definitive voice in the election process. Further, under the modified approach, the corporate governance committee could reject a resignation and, even if it accepts the resignation, the corporate governance committee decides on the director's replacement. And since the modified approach is usually adopted as a policy by the board or a board committee, it could be altered by the same board or committee at any time.

Conflicting and Excluded Proposals

SEC Rule 14a-8(i)(9) allows companies to exclude shareholder proposals "if the proposal directly conflicts with one of the company's own proposals to be submitted to shareholders at the same meeting." On October 22, 2015, the SEC issued Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14H (SLB 14H) clarifying its rule concerning the exclusion of certain shareholder proposals when similar items are also on the ballot. SLB 14H increased the burden on companies to prove to SEC staff that a conflict exists; therefore, many companies still chose to place management proposals alongside similar shareholder proposals in many cases.

During the 2018 proxy season, a new trend in the SEC's interpretation of this rule emerged. Upon submission of shareholder proposals requesting that companies adopt a lower special meeting threshold, several companies petitioned the SEC for no-action relief under the premise that the shareholder proposals conflicted with management's own special meeting proposals, even though the management proposals set a higher threshold than those requested by the proponent. No-action relief was granted to these companies; however, the SEC stipulated that the companies must state in the rationale for the management proposals that a vote in favor of management's proposal was tantamount to a vote against the adoption of a lower special meeting threshold. In certain instances, shareholder proposals to lower an existing special meeting right threshold were excluded on the basis that they conflicted with management proposals seeking to ratify the existing special meeting rights. We find the exclusion of these shareholder proposals to be especially problematic as, in these instances, shareholders are not offered any enhanced shareholder right, nor would the approval (or rejection) of the ratification proposal initiate any type of meaningful change to shareholders' rights.

In instances where companies have excluded shareholder proposals, such as those instances where special meeting shareholder proposals are excluded as a result of "conflicting" management proposals, Glass Lewis will take a case-by-case approach, taking into account the following issues:

● The threshold proposed by the shareholder resolution;

● The threshold proposed or established by management and the attendant rationale for the threshold;

● Whether management's proposal is seeking to ratify an existing special meeting right or adopt a bylaw that would establish a special meeting right; and

● The company's overall governance profile, including its overall responsiveness to and engagement with shareholders.

Glass Lewis generally favors a 10-15% special meeting right. Accordingly, Glass Lewis will generally recommend voting for management or shareholder proposals that fall within this range. When faced with conflicting

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proposals, Glass Lewis will generally recommend in favor of the lower special meeting right and will recommend voting against the proposal with the higher threshold. However, in instances where there are conflicting management and shareholder proposals and a company has not established a special meeting right, Glass Lewis may recommend that shareholders vote in favor of the shareholder proposal and that they abstain from a management-proposed bylaw amendment seeking to establish a special meeting right. We believe that an abstention is appropriate in this instance in order to ensure that shareholders are sending a clear signal regarding their preference for the appropriate threshold for a special meeting right, while not directly opposing the establishment of such a right.

In cases where the company excludes a shareholder proposal seeking a reduced special meeting right by means of ratifying a management proposal that is materially different from the shareholder proposal, we will generally recommend voting against the chair or members of the governance committee.

In other instances of conflicting management and shareholder proposals, Glass Lewis will consider the following:

● The nature of the underlying issue;

● The benefit to shareholders of implementing the proposal;

● The materiality of the differences between the terms of the shareholder proposal and management proposal;

● The context of a company's shareholder base, corporate structure and other relevant circumstances; and

● A company's overall governance profile and, specifically, its responsiveness to shareholders as evidenced by a company's response to previous shareholder proposals and its adoption of progressive shareholder rights provisions.

In recent years, we have seen the dynamic nature of the considerations given by the SEC when determining whether companies may exclude certain shareholder proposals. We understand that not all shareholder proposals serve the long-term interests of shareholders, and value and respect the limitations placed on shareholder proponents, as certain shareholder proposals can unduly burden companies. However, Glass Lewis believes that shareholders should be able to vote on issues of material importance.

We view the shareholder proposal process as an important part of advancing shareholder rights and encouraging responsible and financially sustainable business practices. While recognizing that certain proposals cross the line between the purview of shareholders and that of the board, we generally believe that companies should not limit investors' ability to vote on shareholder proposals that advance certain rights or promote beneficial disclosure. Accordingly, Glass Lewis will make note of instances where a company has successfully petitioned the SEC to exclude shareholder proposals. If after review we believe that the exclusion of a shareholder proposal is detrimental to shareholders, we may, in certain very limited circumstances, recommend against members of the governance committee.

Transparency and Integrity in Financial Reporting

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Auditor Ratification

The auditor's role as gatekeeper is crucial in ensuring the integrity and transparency of the financial information necessary for protecting shareholder value. Shareholders rely on the auditor to ask tough questions and to do a thorough analysis of a company's books to ensure that the information provided to shareholders is complete, accurate, fair, and that it is a reasonable representation of a company's financial position. The only way shareholders can make rational investment decisions is if the market is equipped with accurate information about a company's fiscal health. As stated in the October 6, 2008 Final Report of the Advisory Committee on the Auditing Profession to the U.S. Department of the Treasury:

*"The auditor is expected to offer critical and objective judgment on the financial matters under consideration, and actual and perceived absence of conflicts is critical to that expectation. The Committee believes that auditors, investors, public companies, and other market participants must understand the independence requirements and their objectives, and that auditors must adopt a mindset of skepticism when facing situations that may compromise their independence."*

As such, shareholders should demand an objective, competent and diligent auditor who performs at or above professional standards at every company in which the investors hold an interest. Like directors, auditors should be free from conflicts of interest and should avoid situations requiring a choice between the auditor's interests and the public's interests. Almost without exception, shareholders should be able to annually review an auditor's performance and to annually ratify a board's auditor selection. Moreover, in October 2008, the Advisory Committee on the Auditing Profession went even further, and recommended that "to further enhance audit committee oversight and auditor accountability... disclosure in the company proxy statement regarding shareholder ratification [should] include the name(s) of the senior auditing partner(s) staffed on the engagement."<sup>41</sup>

On August 16, 2011, the PCAOB issued a Concept Release seeking public comment on ways that auditor independence, objectivity and professional skepticism could be enhanced, with a specific emphasis on mandatory audit firm rotation. The PCAOB convened several public roundtable meetings during 2012 to further discuss such matters. Glass Lewis believes auditor rotation can ensure both the independence of the auditor and the integrity of the audit; we will typically recommend supporting proposals to require auditor rotation when the proposal uses a reasonable period of time (usually not less than 5-7 years), particularly at companies with a history of accounting problems.

On June 1, 2017, the PCAOB adopted new standards to enhance auditor reports by providing additional important information to investors. For companies with fiscal year end dates on or after December 15, 2017, reports were required to include the year in which the auditor began serving consecutively as the company's auditor. For large accelerated filers with fiscal year ends of June 30, 2019 or later, and for all other companies with fiscal year ends of December 15, 2020 or later, communication of critical audit matters (CAMs) will also be required. CAMs are matters that have been communicated to the audit committee, are related to accounts or

<sup>41</sup> "Final Report of the Advisory Committee on the Auditing Profession to the U.S. Department of the Treasury." p. VIII:20, October 6, 2008.

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disclosures that are material to the financial statements, and involve especially challenging, subjective, or complex auditor judgment.

Glass Lewis believes the additional reporting requirements are beneficial for investors. The additional disclosures can provide investors with information that is critical to making an informed judgment about an auditor's independence and performance. Furthermore, we believe the additional requirements are an important step toward enhancing the relevance and usefulness of auditor reports, which too often are seen as boilerplate compliance documents that lack the relevant details to provide meaningful insight into a particular audit.

Voting Recommendations on Auditor Ratification

We generally support management's choice of auditor except when we believe the auditor's independence or audit integrity has been compromised. Where a board has not allowed shareholders to review and ratify an auditor, we typically recommend voting against the audit committee chair. When there have been material restatements of annual financial statements or material weaknesses in internal controls, we usually recommend voting against the entire audit committee.

Reasons why we may not recommend ratification of an auditor include:

● When audit fees plus audit-related fees total less than the tax fees and/or other non-audit fees.

● Recent material restatements of annual financial statements, including those resulting in the reporting of material weaknesses in internal controls and including late filings by the company where the auditor bears some responsibility for the restatement or late filing.<sup>42</sup>

● When the auditor performs prohibited services such as tax-shelter work, tax services for the CEO or CFO, or contingent-fee work, such as a fee based on a percentage of economic benefit to the company.

● When audit fees are excessively low, especially when compared with other companies in the same industry.

● When the company has aggressive accounting policies.

● When the company has poor disclosure or lack of transparency in its financial statements.

● Where the auditor limited its liability through its contract with the company or the audit contract requires the corporation to use alternative dispute resolution procedures without adequate justification.

● We also look for other relationships or concerns with the auditor that might suggest a conflict between the auditor's interests and shareholder interests.

● In determining whether shareholders would benefit from rotating the company's auditor, where relevant we will consider factors that may call into question an auditor's effectiveness, including auditor tenure, a pattern of inaccurate audits, and any ongoing litigation or significant controversies. When Glass Lewis considers ongoing litigation and significant controversies, it is mindful that such matters may involve unadjudicated allegations. Glass Lewis does not assume the truth of such allegations or that the

<sup>42</sup> An auditor does not audit interim financial statements. Thus, we generally do not believe that an auditor should be opposed due to a restatement of interim financial statements unless the nature of the misstatement is clear from a reading of the incorrect financial statements.

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law has been violated. Instead, Glass Lewis focuses more broadly on whether, under the particular facts and circumstances presented, the nature and number of such lawsuits or other significant controversies reflects on the risk profile of the company or suggests that appropriate risk mitigation measures may be warranted."

Pension Accounting Issues

A pension accounting question occasionally raised in proxy proposals is what effect, if any, projected returns on employee pension assets should have on a company's net income. This issue often arises in the executive- compensation context in a discussion of the extent to which pension accounting should be reflected in business performance for purposes of calculating payments to executives.

Glass Lewis believes that pension credits should not be included in measuring income that is used to award performance-based compensation. Because many of the assumptions used in accounting for retirement plans are subject to the company's discretion, management would have an obvious conflict of interest if pay were tied to pension income. In our view, projected income from pensions does not truly reflect a company's performance.

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The Link Between Compensation and Performance

Glass Lewis carefully reviews the compensation awarded to senior executives, as we believe that this is an important area in which the board's priorities are revealed. Glass Lewis strongly believes executive compensation should be linked directly with the performance of the business the executive is charged with managing. We believe the most effective compensation arrangements provide for an appropriate mix of performance-based short- and long-term incentives in addition to fixed pay elements while promoting a prudent and sustainable level of risk-taking.

Glass Lewis believes that comprehensive, timely and transparent disclosure of executive pay is critical to allowing shareholders to evaluate the extent to which pay is aligned with company performance. When reviewing proxy materials, Glass Lewis examines whether the company discloses the performance metrics used to determine executive compensation. We recognize performance metrics must necessarily vary depending on the company and industry, among other factors, and may include a wide variety of financial measures as well as industry-specific performance indicators. However, we believe companies should disclose why the specific performance metrics were selected and how the actions they are designed to incentivize will lead to better corporate performance.

Moreover, it is rarely in shareholders' interests to disclose competitive data about individual salaries below the senior executive level. Such disclosure could create internal personnel discord that would be counterproductive for the company and its shareholders. We do not believe shareholders need or will benefit from detailed reports about individual management employees other than the most senior executives.

Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation (Say-on-Pay)

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the "Dodd-Frank Act") required most companies to hold an advisory vote on executive compensation at the first shareholder meeting that occurs six months after enactment of the bill (January 21, 2011).

This practice of allowing shareholders a non-binding vote on a company's compensation report is standard practice in many non-U.S. countries, and has been a requirement for most companies in the United Kingdom since 2003 and in Australia since 2005. Although say-on-pay proposals are non-binding, a high level of "against" or "abstain" votes indicates substantial shareholder concern about a company's compensation policies and procedures.

Given the complexity of most companies' compensation programs, Glass Lewis applies a highly nuanced approach when analyzing advisory votes on executive compensation. We review each company's compensation on a case-by-case basis, recognizing that each company must be examined in the context of industry, size, maturity, performance, financial condition, its historic pay for performance practices, and any other relevant internal or external factors.

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We believe that each company should design and apply specific compensation policies and practices that are appropriate to the circumstances of the company and, in particular, will attract and retain competent executives and other staff, while motivating them to grow the company's long-term shareholder value.

Where we find those specific policies and practices serve to reasonably align compensation with performance, and such practices are adequately disclosed, Glass Lewis will recommend supporting the company's approach. If, however, those specific policies and practices fail to demonstrably link compensation with performance, Glass Lewis will generally recommend voting against the say-on-pay proposal.

Glass Lewis reviews say-on-pay proposals on both a qualitative basis and a quantitative basis, with a focus on several main areas:

● The overall design and structure of the company's executive compensation programs including selection and challenging nature of performance metrics;

● The implementation and effectiveness of the company's executive compensation programs including pay mix and use of performance metrics in determining pay levels;

● The quality and content of the company's disclosure;

● The quantum paid to executives; and

● The link between compensation and performance as indicated by the company's current and past pay- for-performance grades.

We also review any significant changes or modifications, including post fiscal year-end changes and one-time awards, particularly where the changes touch upon issues that are material to Glass Lewis recommendations. Additionally, while we recognize their rarity in the U.S. market, beneficial features such as but not limited to post-vesting and/or post-retirement holding requirements may be viewed positively in our holistic analysis.

Say-on-Pay Voting Recommendations

In cases where we find deficiencies in a company's compensation program's design, implementation or management, we will recommend that shareholders vote against the say-on-pay proposal. Generally, such instances include:

● Evidence of a pattern of poor pay-for-performance practices (e.g., deficient or failing pay-for-performance grades or a misalignment between incentive payouts and the shareholder experience),

● Unclear or questionable disclosure regarding the overall compensation structure (e.g., limited information regarding benchmarking processes, limited rationale for bonus performance metrics and targets, etc.),

● Questionable adjustments to certain aspects of the overall compensation structure (e.g., limited rationale for significant changes to performance targets or metrics, the payout of guaranteed bonuses or sizable retention grants, etc.), and/or

● Other egregious compensation practices.

Glass Lewis approaches its analysis of executive compensation programs on a case-by-case basis. Glass Lewis reviews all factors related to named executive officer compensation, including quantitative analyses, structural features, the presence of effective best practice policies,disclosure quality and trajectory-related factors. Except for particularly egregious pay decisions and practices, no one factor would ordinarily lead to an unfavorable

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recommendation without a review of the company's rationale and/or the influence of such decisions or practices on other aspects of the pay program, most notably the company's ability to align executive pay with performance and the shareholder experience.

Although not an exhaustive list, the following factors are viewed negatively. When weighed together, they may cause Glass Lewis to recommend voting against a say-on-pay vote:

● Inappropriate or outsized self-selected peer groups and/or benchmarking issues such as compensation targets set well above the median without adequate justification;

● Egregious or excessive bonuses, equity awards, perquisites or severance payments, including golden handshakes and golden parachutes;

● Insufficient response to low shareholder support;

● Problematic contractual payments, such as guaranteed bonuses;

● Adjustments to performance results that lead to problematic pay outcomes;

● Insufficiently challenging performance targets and/or high potential payout opportunities;

● Performance targets lowered without justification;

● Discretionary bonuses paid when short- or long-term incentive plan targets were not met;

● High executive pay relative to peers that is not justified by outstanding company performance; and

● The terms of the long-term incentive plans are inappropriate (please see "Long-Term Incentives").

The aforementioned issues influence Glass Lewis' assessment of the structure of a company's compensation program. We evaluate structure on a "Good, Fair, Poor" rating scale whereby a "Good" rating represents a compensation program with little to no concerns and market-leading practices, a "Fair" rating represents a compensation program with some concerns but general adherence to best practices and a "Poor" rating represents a compensation program that deviates significantly from best practice or contains one or more egregious compensation practices.

We believe that it is important for companies to provide investors with clear and complete disclosure of all the significant terms of compensation arrangements. Similar to structure, we evaluate disclosure on a "Good, Fair, Poor" rating scale. A "Good" rating represents a thorough discussion of all elements of compensation with rationale. A "Fair" rating represents an adequate discussion of all or most elements of compensation with rationale. A "Poor" rating represents an incomplete or absent discussion of compensation. In instances where a company has simply failed to provide sufficient disclosure of its policies, we may recommend shareholders vote against this proposal solely on this basis, regardless of the appropriateness of compensation levels. Glass Lewis understands that regulatory disclosure rules such as smaller reporting company disclosure standards may condone the omission of key executive compensation information. However, we believe that companies should provide sufficient information in the proxy statement to enable shareholders to vote in an informed manner.

In general, most companies will fall within the "Fair" range for both structure and disclosure, and Glass Lewis largely uses the "Good" and "Poor" ratings to highlight outliers.

Where we identify egregious compensation practices, we may also recommend voting against the compensation committee based on the practices or actions of its members during the year. Such practices may include approving large one-off payments, the inappropriate, unjustified use of discretion, or sustained poor pay for performance practices. (Refer to the section on "Compensation Committee Performance" for more information.)

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Company Responsiveness

When companies receive a significant level of shareholder opposition to a say-on-pay proposal, which occurs when more than 20% of votes on the proposal are cast as AGAINST and/or ABSTAIN, we believe the board should demonstrate a commensurate level of engagement and responsiveness to the concerns behind the disapproval, with a particular focus on responding to shareholder feedback. When assessing the level of opposition to say-on-pay proposals, we may further examine the level of opposition among disinterested shareholders as an independent group. While we recognize that sweeping changes cannot be made to a compensation program without due consideration, and that often a majority of shareholders may have voted in favor of the proposal, given that the average approval rate for say-on-pay proposals is about 90%, we believe the compensation committee should demonstrate in its proxy statement a level of response to a significant vote against. In general, our expectations regarding the minimum appropriate levels of responsiveness will correspond with the level of shareholder opposition, as expressed both through the magnitude of opposition in a single year, and through the persistence of shareholder disapproval over time.

Responses we consider appropriate include engaging with large shareholders, especially dissenting shareholders, to identify their concerns, and, where reasonable, implementing changes and/or making commitments that directly address those concerns within the company's compensation program. In cases where particularly egregious pay decisions caused the say on pay proposal to fail, Glass Lewis will closely consider whether any changes were made directly relating to the pay decision that may address structural concerns that shareholders have. In the absence of any evidence in the disclosure that the board is actively engaging shareholders on these issues and responding accordingly, we may recommend holding compensation committee members accountable for failing to adequately respond to shareholder opposition. Regarding such recommendations, careful consideration will be given to the level of shareholder protest and the severity and history of compensation practices.

Pay for Performance

Glass Lewis believes an integral part of a well-structured compensation package is a successful link between pay and performance. Our proprietary pay-for-performance model, which serves as our primary quantitative analysis, was developed to better evaluate the link between pay and performance. Generally, compensation and performance are measured against a peer group of appropriate companies that may overlap, to a certain extent, with a company's self-disclosed peers. This quantitative analysis provides a consistent framework and historical context for our clients to determine how well companies link executive compensation to relative performance. Companies that demonstrate a weaker link are more likely to receive a negative recommendation; however, other qualitative factors such as overall incentive structure, significant forthcoming changes to the compensation program or reasonable long-term payout levels may mitigate our concerns to a certain extent.

While we assign companies a letter grade of A, B, C, D or F based on the alignment between pay and performance under our primary model, the grades derived from the Glass Lewis pay-for-performance analysis do not follow the traditional U.S. school letter grade system. Rather, the grades are generally interpreted as follows:

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| **Grade of A**: | The company's percentile rank for pay is significantly less than its percentile rank for performance |
| **Grade of B**: | The company's percentile rank for pay is moderately less than its percentile rank for performance |

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| **Grade of C**: | The company's percentile rank for pay is approximately aligned with its percentile rank for performance |
| **Grade of D**: | The company's percentile rank for pay is higher than its percentile rank for performance |
| **Grade of F**: | The company's percentile rank for pay is significantly higher than its percentile rank for performance |

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Separately, a specific comparison between the company's executive pay and its peers' executive pay levels may be discussed in the analysis for additional insight into the grade. Likewise, a specific comparison between the company's performance and its peers' performance is reflected in the analysis for further context.

We use this analysis to inform our voting decisions on say-on-pay proposals. If a company receives a "D" or "F" from our proprietary model, we are more likely to recommend that shareholders vote against the say-on-pay proposal. However, important supplemental quantitative factors like analyses of realized pay levels and the "compensation actually paid" data mandated by the SEC's 2022 final rule regarding pay versus performance may be considered, and other qualitative factors such as an effective overall incentive structure, the relevance of selected performance metrics, significant forthcoming enhancements or reasonable long-term payout levels may give us cause to recommend in favor of a proposal even when we have identified a disconnect between pay and performance.

In determining the peer groups used in our pay-for-performance letter grades, Glass Lewis utilizes a proprietary methodology that considers both market and industry peers, along with each company's self-disclosed peers and peers of those company-disclosed peers. Each component is considered on a weighted basis and is subject to size-based ranking and screening. Since the peer group used is based on an independent, proprietary technique, it will often differ from the one used by the company which, in turn, will affect the resulting analyses. While Glass Lewis believes that the independent, rigorous methodology it uses provides a valuable perspective on the company's compensation program, the company's self-selected peer group may also presented in the Proxy Paper for comparative purposes and for supplemental analyses.

Short-Term Incentives

A short-term bonus or incentive (STI)should be demonstrably tied to performance. Whenever possible, we believe a mix of corporate and individual performance measures is appropriate. We would normally expect performance measures for STI plans to be based on company-wide or divisional financial measures as well as non-financial, qualitative or non-formulaic factors such as those related to safety, environmental issues, and customer satisfaction when they are material to the company's overall health. While we recognize that companies operating in different sectors or markets may seek to utilize a wide range of metrics, we expect such measures to be appropriately tied to a company's business drivers.

Further, the threshold, target and maximum performance goals and corresponding payout levels that can be achieved under STI plans should be disclosed. Shareholders should expect stretching performance targets for the maximum award to be achieved. Any increase in the potential target and maximum award should be clearly justified to shareholders, as should any decrease in target and maximum performance levels from the previous year.

Glass Lewis recognizes that disclosure of some measures or performance targets may include commercially confidential information. Therefore, we believe it may be reasonable to exclude such information in some cases

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as long as the company provides sufficient justification for non-disclosure. However, where a short-term bonus has been paid, companies should disclose the extent to which performance has been achieved against relevant targets, including disclosure of the actual target achieved.

Where management has received significant short-term incentive payments but overall performance and/or the shareholder experience over the measurement year prima facie appears to be poor or negative, we believe the company should provide a clear explanation of why these significant short-term payments were made. We also believe any significant changes to the program structure should be accompanied by rationalizing disclosure. Further, where a company has applied upward discretion, which includes lowering goals mid-year, increasing calculated payouts or retroactively pro-rating performance periods, we expect a robust discussion of why the decision was necessary.

Adjustments to GAAP figures may be considered in Glass Lewis' assessment of the effectiveness of the incentive at tying executive pay with performance. We believe that where companies use non-GAAP or bespoke metrics, clear reconciliations between these figures and GAAP figures in audited financial statements should be provided. Moreover, Glass Lewis believes that in circumstances where significant adjustments were applied to performance results, thorough, detailed discussion of adjustments akin to a GAAP-to-non-GAAP reconciliation and their impact on payouts within the proxy statement is warranted. The absence of such enhanced disclosure for significant adjustments will impact Glass Lewis' assessment of the quality of disclosure and, in turn, may play a role in the overall recommendation for the advisory vote on executive compensation.

Glass Lewis recognizes the importance of the compensation committee's prudent and responsible exercise of discretion over incentive pay outcomes to account for significant, material events that would otherwise be excluded from performance results of selected metrics of incentive programs. For instance, litigation settlement charges are typically removed from non-GAAP results before the determination of formulaic incentive payouts, or health and safety failures may not be reflected in performance results where companies do not expressly include health and safety metrics in incentive plans. Such events may nevertheless be consequential to corporate performance results, impact the shareholder experience, and, in some cases, may present material risks. Conversely, certain events may adversely impact formulaic payout results despite being outside executives' control. We believe that companies should provide thorough discussion of how such events were considered in the committee's decisions to exercise discretion over incentive payouts.

We do not generally recommend against a pay program due to the use of a non-formulaic plan. If a company has chosen to rely primarily on a subjective assessment or the board's discretion in determining short-term bonuses, we believe that the proxy statement should provide a meaningful discussion of the board's rationale in determining the bonuses paid as well as a rationale for the use of a non-formulaic mechanism. Particularly where the aforementioned disclosures are substantial and satisfactory, such a structure will not provoke serious concern in our analysis on its own. However, in conjunction with other significant issues in a program's design or operation, such as a disconnect between pay and performance, the absence of a cap on payouts, or a lack of performance-based long-term awards, the use of a non-formulaic bonus may help drive a negative recommendation.

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Long-Term Incentives

Glass Lewis recognizes the value of equity-based incentive programs, which are often the primary long-term incentive for executives. When used appropriately, they can provide a vehicle for linking an executive's pay to company performance, thereby aligning their interests with those of shareholders. In addition, equity-based compensation can be an effective way to attract, retain and motivate key employees.

There are certain elements that Glass Lewis believes are common to most well-structured long-term incentive (LTI) plans. These include:

● No re-testing or lowering of performance conditions;

● Performance metrics that cannot be easily manipulated by management;

● Two or more performance metrics;

● At least one relative performance metric that compares the company's performance to a relevant peer group or index;

● Performance periods of at least three years;

● Stretching metrics that incentivize executives to strive for outstanding performance while not encouraging excessive risk-taking;

● Reasonable individual award limits;

● Equity granting practices that are clearly disclosed and

● Additional post-vesting holding periods to encourage long-term executive share ownership.

In evaluating long-term incentive grants, Glass Lewis generally believes that at least half of the grant should consist of performance-based awards, putting a material portion of executive compensation at-risk and demonstrably linked to the performance of the company. While we will consistently raise concern with programs that do not meet this criterion, we may refrain from a negative recommendation in the absence of other significant issues with the program's design or operation. However, in cases where performance-based awards are significantly rolled back or eliminated from a company's long-term incentive plan, such decisions will generally be viewed negatively outside of exceptional circumstances. Given the reduction in rigor and accountability in the pay program, Glass Lewis will assess the revision's impact on the pay program's ability to align executive pay with performance and shareholder experience; programs that fail our assessment may receive an unfavorable recommendation. They may also lead to an unfavorable recommendation from Glass Lewis if the change is not offset by meaningful revisions such as to pay quantum and vesting periods, particularly in the absence of cogent rationale.

As with the short-term incentive, Glass Lewis recognizes the importance of the compensation committee's judicious and responsible exercise of discretion over incentive pay outcomes to account for significant events that would otherwise be excluded from performance results of selected metrics of incentive programs. We believe that companies should provide thorough discussion of how such events were considered in the committee's decisions to exercise discretion or refrain from applying discretion over incentive pay outcomes. Furthermore, considerations related to the use of non-GAAP metrics under the STI plan similarly apply to the long-term incentive program.

Performance measures should be carefully selected and should relate to the specific business/industry in which the company operates and, especially, to the key value drivers of the company's business. As with short-term

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incentive plans, the basis for any adjustments to metrics or results should be clearly explained, as should the company's judgment on the use of discretion and any significant changes to the performance program structure.

While cognizant of the inherent complexity of certain performance metrics, Glass Lewis generally believes that measuring a company's performance with multiple metrics serves to provide a more complete picture of the company's performance than a single metric. Further, reliance on just one metric may focus too much management attention on a single target and is therefore more susceptible to manipulation. When utilized for relative measurements, external benchmarks such as a sector index or peer group should be disclosed and transparent. The rationale behind the selection of a specific index or peer group should also be disclosed. Internal performance benchmarks should also be disclosed and transparent, unless a cogent case for confidentiality is made and fully explained. Similarly, actual performance and vesting levels for previous grants earned during the fiscal year should be disclosed.

We also believe shareholders should evaluate the relative success of a company's compensation programs, particularly with regard to existing equity-based incentive plans, in linking pay and performance when evaluating potential changes to LTI plans and determining the impact of additional stock awards. We will therefore review the company's pay-for-performance analyses (see above for more information) and specifically the proportion of total compensation that is stock-based.

Grants of Front-Loaded Awards

Many U.S. companies have chosen to provide large grants, usually in the form of equity awards, that are intended to serve as compensation for multiple years. This practice, often called front-loading, is taken up either in the regular course of business or as a response to specific business conditions and with a predetermined objective. The so-called "mega-grant", an outsized award to one individual sometimes valued at over $100 million is sometimes but not always provided as a front-loaded award. We believe shareholders should generally be wary of this granting approach, and we accordingly weigh these grants with particular scrutiny.

While the use of front-loaded awards is intended to lock-in executive service and incentives, the same rigidity also raises the risk of effectively tying the hands of the compensation committee. As compared with a more responsive annual granting schedule program, front-loaded awards may preclude improvements or changes to reflect evolving business strategies or to respond to other unforeseen factors. Additionally, if structured poorly, early vesting of such awards may reduce or eliminate the retentive power at great cost to shareholders. The considerable emphasis on a single grant can place intense pressures on every facet of its design, amplifying any potential perverse incentives and creating greater room for unintended consequences. In particular, provisions around changes of control or separations of service must ensure that executives do not receive excessive payouts that do not reflect shareholder experience or company performance.

We consider a company's rationale for granting awards under this structure and also expect any front-loaded awards to include a firm commitment not to grant additional awards for a defined period, as is commonly associated with this practice. Even when such a commitment is provided, unexpected circumstances may lead the board to make additional payments or awards for retention purposes, or to incentivize management towards more realistic goals or a revised strategy. If a company breaks its commitment not to grant further awards, we may recommend against the pay program unless a convincing rationale is provided. The multiyear nature of these awards generally lends itself to significantly higher compensation figures in the year of grant

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than might otherwise be expected. In our qualitative analysis of the grants of front-loaded awards to executives, Glass Lewis considers the quantum of the award on an annualized basis and may compare this result to the prior practice and peer data, among other benchmarks. Additionally, for awards that are granted in the form of equity, Glass Lewis may consider the total potential dilutive effect of such award on shareholders.

In situations where the front-loaded award was meant to cover a certain portion of the regular long-term incentive grant for each year during the covered period, our analysis of the value of the remaining portion of the regular long-term incentives granted during the period covered by the award will account for the annualized value of the front-loaded portion, and we expect no supplemental grant be awarded during the vesting period of the front-loaded portion.

Linking Executive Pay to Environmental and Social Criteria

Glass Lewis believes that explicit environmental and/or social (E&S) criteria in executive incentive plans, when used appropriately, can serve to provide both executives and shareholders a clear line of sight into a company's ESG strategy, ambitions, and targets. Although we are strongly supportive of companies' incorporation of material E&S risks and opportunities in their long-term strategic planning, we believe that the inclusion of E&S metrics in compensation programs should be predicated on each company's unique circumstances. In order to establish a meaningful link between pay and performance, companies must consider factors including their industry, size, risk profile, maturity, performance, financial condition, and any other relevant internal or external factors.

When a company is introducing E&S criteria into executive incentive plans, we believe it is important that companies provide shareholders with sufficient disclosure to allow them to understand how these criteria align with their strategies. Additionally, Glass Lewis recognizes that there may be situations where certain E&S performance criteria are reasonably viewed as prerequisites for executive performance, as opposed to behaviors and conditions that need to be incentivized. For example, we believe that shareholders should interrogate the use of metrics that award executives for ethical behavior or compliance with policies and regulations. It is our view that companies should provide shareholders with disclosures that clearly lay out the rationale for selecting specific E&S metrics, the target-setting process, and corresponding payout opportunities. Further, particularly in the case of qualitative metrics, we believe that shareholders should be provided with a clear understanding of the basis on which the criteria will be assessed. Where quantitative targets have been set, we believe that shareholders are best served when these are disclosed on an ex-ante basis, or the board should outline why it believes it is unable to do so.

While we believe that companies should generally set long-term targets for their environmental and social ambitions, we are mindful that not all compensation schemes lend themselves to the inclusion of E&S metrics. We also are of the view that companies should retain flexibility in not only choosing to incorporate E&S metrics in their compensation plans, but also in the placement of these metrics. For example, some companies may resolve that including E&S criteria in the annual bonus may help to incentivize the achievement of short-term milestones and allow for more maneuverability in strategic adjustments to long-term goals. Other companies may determine that their long-term sustainability targets are best achieved by incentivizing executives through metrics included in their long-term incentive plans.

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One-Time Awards

Glass Lewis believes shareholders should generally be wary of awards granted outside of the standard incentive schemes, as such awards have the potential to undermine the integrity of a company's regular incentive plans or the link between pay and performance, or both. We generally believe that if the existing incentive programs fail to provide adequate incentives to executives, companies should redesign their compensation programs rather than make additional grants.

However, Glass Lewis reviews grants of supplemental awards on a case-by-case, company-by-company basis to give adequate consideration for unique circumstances. Companies should provide a thorough description of the awards, including a cogent and convincing explanation of their necessity and why existing awards do not provide sufficient motivation and a discussion of how the quantum of the award and its structure were determined. Further, such awards should be tied to future service and performance whenever possible.

Additionally, we believe companies making supplemental or one-time awards should also describe if and how the regular compensation arrangements will be affected by these additional grants. In reviewing a company's use of supplemental awards, Glass Lewis will evaluate the terms and size of the grants in the context of the company's overall incentive strategy and granting practices, as well as the current operating environment.

Contractual Payments and Arrangements

Beyond the quantum of contractual payments, Glass Lewis will also consider the design of any entitlements. Certain executive employment terms may help to drive a negative recommendation, including, but not limited to:

● Excessively broad change in control triggers;

● Inappropriate severance entitlements;

● Inadequately explained or excessive sign-on arrangements;

● Guaranteed bonuses (especially as a multiyear occurrence); and

● Failure to address any concerning practices in amended employment agreements.

In general, we are wary of terms that are excessively restrictive in favor of the executive, or that could potentially incentivize behaviors that are not in a company's best interest.

Sign-on Awards and Severance Benefits

We acknowledge that there may be certain costs associated with transitions at the executive level. In evaluating the size of severance and sign-on arrangements, we may consider the executive's regular target compensation level, or the sums paid to other executives (including the recipient's predecessor, where applicable) in evaluating the appropriateness of such an arrangement.

We believe sign-on arrangements should be clearly disclosed and accompanied by a meaningful explanation of the payments and the process by which the amounts were reached. Further, the details of and basis for any "make-whole" payments (paid as compensation for awards forfeited from a previous employer) should be provided.

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With respect to severance, we believe companies should abide by predetermined payouts in most circumstances. While in limited circumstances some deviations may not be inappropriate, we believe shareholders should be provided with a meaningful explanation of any additional or increased benefits agreed upon outside of regular arrangements. However, where Glass Lewis determines that such predetermined payouts are particularly problematic or unfavorable to shareholders, we may consider the execution of such payments in a negative recommendation for the advisory vote on executive compensation.

In the U.S. market, most companies maintain severance entitlements based on a multiple of salary and, in many cases, bonus. In almost all instances we see, the relevant multiple is three or less, even in the case of a change in control. We believe the basis and total value of severance should be reasonable and should not exceed the upper limit of general market practice. We consider the inclusion of long-term incentives in cash severance calculations to be inappropriate, particularly given the commonality of accelerated vesting and the proportional weight of long-term incentives as a component of total pay. Additional considerations, however, will be accounted for when reviewing atypically structured compensation approaches.

Change in Control

Glass Lewis considers double-trigger change in control arrangements, which require both a change in control and termination or constructive termination, to be best practice. Any arrangement that is not explicitly double- trigger may be considered a single-trigger or modified single-trigger arrangement. Companies that allow for committee discretion over the treatment of unvested awards should commit to providing clear rationale for the committee's ultimate decision as to how such awards should be treated in the event a change in control occurs.

Further, we believe that excessively broad definitions of change in control are potentially problematic as they may lead to situations where executives receive additional compensation where no meaningful change in status or duties has occurred.

Excise Tax Gross-ups

Among other entitlements, Glass Lewis is strongly opposed to excise tax gross-ups related to IRC § 4999 and their expansion, especially where no consideration is given to the safe harbor limit. We believe that under no normal circumstance is the inclusion of excise tax gross-up provisions in new agreements or the addition of such provisions to amended agreements acceptable. In consideration of the fact that minor increases in change-in- control payments can lead to disproportionately large excise taxes, the potential negative impact of tax gross- ups far outweighs any retentive benefit.

Depending on the circumstances, the addition of new gross-ups around this excise tax may lead to negative recommendations for a company's say-on-pay proposal, the chair of the compensation committee, or the entire committee, particularly in cases where a company had committed not to provide any such entitlements in the future. For situations in which the addition of new excise tax gross ups will be provided in connection with a specific change-in-control transaction, this policy may be applied to the say-on-pay proposal, the golden parachute proposal and recommendations related to the compensation committee for all involved corporate parties, as appropriate.

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Amended Employment Agreements

Any contractual arrangements providing for problematic pay practices which are not addressed in materially amended employment agreements will potentially be viewed by Glass Lewis as a missed opportunity on the part of the company to align its policies with current best practices. Such problematic pay practices include, but are not limited to, excessive change in control entitlements, modified single-trigger change in control entitlements, excise tax gross-ups, and multi-year guaranteed awards.

Recoupment Provisions (Clawbacks)

On October 26, 2022, the SEC adopted Rule 10D-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The rule mandates national securities exchanges and associations to promulgate new listing standards requiring companies to maintain recoupment policies ("clawback provisions"). The final clawback listing standards were approved by the SEC, effective October 2, 2023 and required listed companies to adopt a compliant policy by December 1, 2023. Glass Lewis believes that clawback provisions play an important role in mitigating excessive risk-taking that may be encouraged by poorly structured variable incentive programs. Current listing standards require recoupment of erroneously awarded payouts to current and former executive officers in the event of an accounting restatement or correction to previous financial statements that is material to the current period, regardless of fault or misconduct.

Glass Lewis recognizes that excessive risk-taking that can materially and adversely impact shareholders may not necessarily result in such restatements. We believe that clawback policies should allow recovery from current and former executive officers in the event of a restatement of financial results or similar revision of performance indicators upon which the awards were based. Additionally, recoupment policies should provide companies with the ability to claw back variable incentive payments (whether time-based or performance-based) when there is evidence of problematic decisions or actions, such as material misconduct, a material reputational failure, material risk management failure, or a material operational failure, the consequences of which have not already been reflected in incentive payments and where recovery is warranted.

In situations where the company ultimately determines not to follow through with recovery, Glass Lewis will assess the appropriateness of such determination for each case. A thorough, detailed discussion of the company's decision to not pursue recoupment and, if applicable, how the company has otherwise rectified the disconnect between executive pay outcomes and negative impacts of their actions on the company and the shareholder experience will be considered. The absence of such enhanced disclosure may impact Glass Lewis' assessment of the quality of disclosure and, in turn, may play a role in Glass Lewis' overall recommendation for the advisory vote on executive compensation. The clawback policy should provide recoupment authority regardless of whether the employment of the executive officer was terminated with or without cause.

Hedging of Stock

Glass Lewis believes that the hedging of shares by executives in the shares of the companies where they are employed severs the alignment of interests of the executive with shareholders. We believe companies should adopt strict policies to prohibit executives from hedging the economic risk associated with their share ownership in the company.

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Pledging of Stock

Glass Lewis believes that shareholders should examine the facts and circumstances of each company rather than apply a one-size-fits-all policy regarding employee stock pledging. Glass Lewis believes that shareholders benefit when employees, particularly senior executives, have meaningful financial interest in the success of the company under their management, and therefore we recognize the benefits of measures designed to encourage employees to both buy shares out of their own pocket and to retain shares they have been granted; blanket policies prohibiting stock pledging may discourage executives and employees from doing either.

However, we also recognize that the pledging of shares can present a risk that, depending on a host of factors, an executive with significant pledged shares and limited other assets may have an incentive to take steps to avoid a forced sale of shares in the face of a rapid stock price decline. Therefore, to avoid substantial losses from a forced sale to meet the terms of the loan, the executive may have an incentive to boost the stock price in the short term in a manner that is unsustainable, thus hurting shareholders in the long-term. We also recognize concerns regarding pledging may not apply to less senior employees, given the latter group's significantly more limited influence over a company's stock price. Therefore, we believe that the issue of pledging shares should be reviewed in that context, as should policies that distinguish between the two groups.

Glass Lewis believes that the benefits of stock ownership by executives and employees may outweigh the risks of stock pledging, depending on many factors. As such, Glass Lewis reviews all relevant factors in evaluating proposed policies, limitations and prohibitions on pledging stock, including:

● The number of shares pledged;

● The percentage executives' pledged shares are of outstanding shares;

● The percentage executives' pledged shares are of each executive's shares and total assets;

● Whether the pledged shares were purchased by the employee or granted by the company;

● Whether there are different policies for purchased and granted shares;

● Whether the granted shares were time-based or performance-based;

● The overall governance profile of the company;

● The volatility of the company's stock (in order to determine the likelihood of a sudden stock price drop);

● The nature and cyclicality, if applicable, of the company's industry;

● The participation and eligibility of executives and employees in pledging;

● The company's current policies regarding pledging and any waiver from these policies for employees and executives; and

● Disclosure of the extent of any pledging, particularly among senior executives.

Executive Ownership Guidelines

The alignment between shareholder interests and those of executives helps to ensure that executives are acting in the best long-term interests of disinterested shareholders. Companies should facilitate this relationship through the adoption and enforcement of meaningful minimum executive share ownership requirements. Companies should clearly disclose their executive ownership requirements in their Compensation Discussion and Analysis section and how the various types of outstanding equity awards are counted or excluded from the ownership level calculation.

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In determining whether executives have met the requirements or not, the inclusion of unearned performance- based full value awards and/or unexercised stock options without cogent rationale may be viewed as problematic. While Glass Lewis views the inclusion of unearned performance-based equity in the ownership determination renders executive share ownership policies less effective, we continue to believe that performance-based equity compensation plays an important role in the separate issue of aligning executive pay with performance.

Compensation Consultant Independence

As mandated by Section 952 of the Dodd-Frank Act, as of January 11, 2013, the SEC approved listing requirements for both the NYSE and NASDAQ which require compensation committees to consider six factors (https://www.sec.gov/rules/final/2012/33-9330.pdf, p.31-32) in assessing compensation advisor independence. According to the SEC, "no one factor should be viewed as a determinative factor." Glass Lewis believes this six- factor assessment is an important process for every compensation committee to undertake but believes companies employing a consultant for board compensation, consulting and other corporate services should provide clear disclosure beyond just a reference to examining the six points, in order to allow shareholders to review the specific aspects of the various consultant relationships.

We believe compensation consultants are engaged to provide objective, disinterested, expert advice to the compensation committee. When the consultant or its affiliates receive substantial income from providing other services to the company, we believe the potential for a conflict of interest arises and the independence of the consultant may be jeopardized. Therefore, Glass Lewis will, when relevant, note the potential for a conflict of interest when the fees paid to the advisor or its affiliates for other services exceed those paid for compensation consulting.

CEO Pay Ratio

As mandated by Section 953(b) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Consumer and Protection Act, beginning in 2018, issuers will be required to disclose the median annual total compensation of all employees except the CEO, the total annual compensation of the CEO or equivalent position, and the ratio between the two amounts. Glass Lewis will display the pay ratio as a data point in our Proxy Papers, as available. While we recognize that the pay ratio has the potential to provide additional insight when assessing a company's pay practices, at this time it will not be a determinative factor in our voting recommendations. On the other hand, we believe the underlying data may help shareholders evaluate the rationale for certain executive pay decisions such as increases in fixed pay levels.

Frequency of Say-on-Pay

The Dodd-Frank Act also requires companies to allow shareholders a non-binding vote on the frequency of say- on-pay votes (i.e., every one, two or three years). Additionally, Dodd-Frank requires companies to hold such votes on the frequency of say-on-pay votes at least once every six years.

We believe companies should submit say-on-pay votes to shareholders every year. We believe that the time and financial burdens to a company with regard to an annual vote are relatively small and incremental and are

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outweighed by the benefits to shareholders through more frequent accountability. Implementing biannual or triennial votes on executive compensation limits shareholders' ability to hold the board accountable for its compensation practices through means other than voting against the compensation committee. Unless a company provides a compelling rationale or unique circumstances for say-on-pay votes less frequent than annually, we will generally recommend that shareholders support annual votes on compensation.

Vote on Golden Parachute Arrangements

The Dodd-Frank Act also requires companies to provide shareholders with a separate non-binding vote on approval of golden parachute compensation arrangements in connection with certain change-in-control transactions. However, if the golden parachute arrangements have previously been subject to a say-on-pay vote which shareholders approved, then this required vote is waived.

Glass Lewis believes the narrative and tabular disclosure of golden parachute arrangements benefits all shareholders. Glass Lewis analyzes each golden parachute arrangement on a case-by-case basis, taking into account, among other items: the nature of the change-in-control transaction, the ultimate value of the payments particularly compared to the value of the transaction, any excise tax gross-up obligations, the tenure and position of the executives in question before and after the transaction, any new or amended employment agreements entered into in connection with the transaction, and the type of triggers involved (i.e., single vs. double). In cases where new problematic features, such as excise tax gross-up obligations or new and excessive single-trigger entitlements, are introduced in a golden parachute proposal, such features may contribute to a negative recommendation not only for the golden parachute proposal under review, but for the next say-on-pay proposal of any involved corporate parties, as well as recommendations against their compensation committee as appropriate.

Equity-Based Compensation Proposals

We believe that equity compensation awards, when not abused, are useful for retaining employees and providing an incentive for them to act in a way that will improve company performance. Glass Lewis recognizes that equity-based compensation plans are critical components of a company's overall compensation program, and we analyze such plans accordingly based on both quantitative and qualitative factors.

Our quantitative analysis assesses the plan's cost and the company's pace of granting utilizing a number of different analyses, comparing the program with absolute limits we believe are key to equity value creation and with a carefully chosen peer group. In general, our model seeks to determine whether the proposed plan is either absolutely excessive or is more than one standard deviation away from the average plan for the peer group on a range of criteria, including dilution to shareholders and the projected annual cost relative to the company's financial performance. Each of the analyses (and their constituent parts) is weighted and the plan is scored in accordance with that weight.

We compare the program's expected annual expense with the business's operating metrics to help determine whether the plan is excessive in light of company performance. We also compare the plan's expected annual cost to the enterprise value of the firm rather than to market capitalization because the employees, managers and directors of the firm contribute to the creation of enterprise value but not necessarily market capitalization

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(the biggest difference is seen where cash represents the vast majority of market capitalization). Finally, we do not rely exclusively on relative comparisons with averages because, in addition to creeping averages serving to inflate compensation, we believe that some absolute limits are warranted.

We then consider qualitative aspects of the plan such as plan administration, the method and terms of exercise, repricing history, express or implied rights to reprice, and the presence of evergreen provisions. We also closely review the choice and use of, and difficulty in meeting, the awards' performance metrics and targets, if any. We believe significant changes to the terms of a plan should be explained for shareholders and clearly indicated. Other factors such as a company's size and operating environment may also be relevant in assessing the severity of concerns or the benefits of certain changes. Finally, we may consider a company's executive compensation practices in certain situations, as applicable.

We evaluate equity plans based on certain overarching principles:

● Companies should seek more shares only when needed;

● Requested share amounts or share reserves should be conservative in size so that companies must seek shareholder approval every three to four years (or more frequently);

● If a plan is relatively expensive, it should not grant options solely to senior executives and board members;

● Dilution of annual net share count or voting power, along with the "overhang" of incentive plans, should be limited;

● Annual cost of the plan (especially if not shown on the income statement) should be reasonable as a percentage of financial results and should be in line with the peer group;

● The expected annual cost of the plan should be proportional to the business's value;

● The intrinsic value that option grantees received in the past should be reasonable compared with the business's financial results;

● Plans should not permit repricing of stock options without shareholder approval;

● Plans should not contain excessively liberal administrative or payment terms;

● Plans should not count shares in ways that understate the potential dilution, or cost, to common shareholders. This refers to "inverse" full-value award multipliers;

● Selected performance metrics should be challenging and appropriate, and should be subject to relative performance measurements; and

● Stock grants should be subject to minimum vesting and/or holding periods sufficient to ensure sustainable performance and promote retention.

Meanwhile, for individual equity award proposals where the recipient of the proposed grant is also a large shareholder of the company whose vote can materially affect the passage of the proposal, we believe that the company should strongly consider the level of approval from disinterested shareholders before proceeding with the proposed grant. Glass Lewis recognizes potential conflicts of interests when vote outcomes can be heavily influenced by the recipient of the grant. A required abstention vote or non-vote from the recipient for an equity award proposal in these situations can help to avoid such conflicts. This favorable feature will be weighed alongside the structure, disclosure, dilution, provided rationale, and other provisions related to the individual award to assess the award's alignment with long-term shareholder interests.

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Option Exchanges and Repricing

Glass Lewis is generally opposed to the repricing of employee and director options regardless of how it is accomplished. Employees should have some downside risk in their equity-based compensation program and repricing eliminates any such risk. As shareholders have substantial risk in owning stock, we believe that the equity compensation of employees and directors should be similarly situated to align their interests with those of shareholders. We believe this will facilitate appropriate risk- and opportunity-taking for the company by employees.

We are concerned that option grantees who believe they will be "rescued" from underwater options will be more inclined to take unjustifiable risks. Moreover, a predictable pattern of repricing or exchanges substantially alters a stock option's value because options that will practically never expire deeply out of the money are worth far more than options that carry a risk of expiration.

In short, repricings and option exchange programs change the bargain between shareholders and employees after the bargain has been struck.

There is one circumstance in which a repricing or option exchange program may be acceptable: if macroeconomic or industry trends, rather than specific company issues, cause a stock's value to decline dramatically and the repricing is necessary to motivate and retain employees. In viewing the company's stock decline as part of a larger trend, we would expect the impact to approximately reflect the market or industry price decline in terms of timing and magnitude. In this circumstance, we think it fair to conclude that option grantees may be suffering from a risk that was not foreseeable when the original "bargain" was struck. In such a scenario, we may opt to support a repricing or option exchange program only if sufficient conditions are met. We look for the following features in a repricing or exchange proposal:

● Officers and board members cannot participate in the program; and

● The exchange is value-neutral or value-creative to shareholders using very conservative assumptions.

In our evaluation of the appropriateness of the program design, we also consider the inclusion of the following features:

● The vesting requirements on exchanged or repriced options are extended beyond one year;

● Shares reserved for options that are reacquired in an option exchange will permanently retire (i.e., will not be available for future grants) so as to prevent additional shareholder dilution in the future; and

● Management and the board make a cogent case for needing to motivate and retain existing employees, such as being in a competitive employment market.

Option Backdating, Spring-Loading and Bullet-Dodging

Glass Lewis views option backdating, and the related practices of spring-loading and bullet-dodging, as egregious actions that warrant holding the appropriate management and board members responsible. These practices are similar to repricing options and eliminate much of the downside risk inherent in an option grant that is designed to induce recipients to maximize shareholder return.

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past studies, Glass Lewis identified over 270 companies that have disclosed internal or government investigations into their past stock-option grants.

Spring-loading is granting stock options while in possession of material, positive information that has not been disclosed publicly. Bullet-dodging is delaying the grants of stock options until after the release of material, negative information. This can allow option grants to be made at a lower price either before the release of positive news or following the release of negative news, assuming the stock's price will move up or down in response to the information. This raises a concern similar to that of insider trading, or the trading on material non-public information.

The exercise price for an option is determined on the day of grant, providing the recipient with the same market risk as an investor who bought shares on that date. However, where options were backdated, the executive or the board (or the compensation committee) changed the grant date retroactively. The new date may be at or near the lowest price for the year or period. This would be like allowing an investor to look back and select the lowest price of the year at which to buy shares.

A 2006 study of option grants made between 1996 and 2005 at 8,000 companies found that option backdating can be an indication of poor internal controls. The study found that option backdating was more likely to occur at companies without a majority independent board and with a long-serving CEO; both factors, the study concluded, were associated with greater CEO influence on the company's compensation and governance practices.<sup>43</sup>

Where a company granted backdated options to an executive who is also a director, Glass Lewis will recommend voting against that executive/director, regardless of who decided to make the award. In addition, Glass Lewis will recommend voting against those directors who either approved or allowed the backdating. Glass Lewis feels that executives and directors who either benefited from backdated options or authorized the practice have failed to act in the best interests of shareholders.

Given the severe tax and legal liabilities to the company from backdating, Glass Lewis will consider recommending voting against members of the audit committee who served when options were backdated, a restatement occurs, material weaknesses in internal controls exist and disclosures indicate there was a lack of documentation. These committee members failed in their responsibility to ensure the integrity of the company's financial reports.

When a company has engaged in spring-loading or bullet-dodging, Glass Lewis will consider recommending voting against the compensation committee members where there has been a pattern of granting options at or near historic lows. Glass Lewis will also recommend voting against executives serving on the board who benefited from the spring-loading or bullet-dodging.

<sup>43</sup> Lucian Bebchuk, Yaniv Grinstein and Urs Peyer. "LUCKY CEOs." November, 2006.

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Director Compensation Plans

Glass Lewis believes that non-employee directors should receive reasonable and appropriate compensation for the time and effort they spend serving on the board and its committees. However, a balance is required. Fees should be competitive in order to retain and attract qualified individuals, but excessive fees represent a financial cost to the company and potentially compromise the objectivity and independence of non-employee directors. We will consider recommending support for compensation plans that include option grants or other equity- based awards that help to align the interests of outside directors with those of shareholders. However, to ensure directors are not incentivized in the same manner as executives but rather serve as a check on imprudent risk-taking in executive compensation plan design, equity grants to directors should not be performance-based. Where an equity plan exclusively or primarily covers non-employee directors as participants, we do not believe that the plan should provide for performance-based awards in any capacity.

When non-employee director equity grants are covered by the same equity plan that applies to a company's broader employee base, we will use our proprietary model and analyst review of this model to guide our voting recommendations. If such a plan broadly allows for performance-based awards to directors or explicitly provides for such grants, we may recommend against the overall plan on this basis, particularly if the company has granted performance-based awards to directors in past.

Employee Stock Purchase Plans

Glass Lewis believes that employee stock purchase plans (ESPPs) can provide employees with a sense of ownership in their company and help strengthen the alignment between the interests of employees and shareholders. We evaluate ESPPs by assessing the expected discount, purchase period, expected purchase activity (if previous activity has been disclosed) and whether the plan has a "lookback" feature. Except for the most extreme cases, Glass Lewis will generally support these plans given the regulatory purchase limit of $25,000 per employee per year, which we believe is reasonable. We also look at the number of shares requested to see if a ESPP will significantly contribute to overall shareholder dilution or if shareholders will not have a chance to approve the program for an excessive period of time. As such, we will generally recommend against ESPPs that contain "evergreen" provisions that automatically increase the number of shares available under the ESPP each year.

Executive Compensation Tax Deductibility — Amendment to IRC 162(M)

The "Tax Cut and Jobs Act" had significant implications on Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, a provision that allowed companies to deduct compensation in excess of $1 million for the CEO and the next three most highly compensated executive officers, excluding the CFO, if the compensation is performance-based and is paid under shareholder-approved plans. Glass Lewis does not generally view amendments to equity plans and changes to compensation programs in response to the elimination of tax deductions under 162(m) as problematic. This specifically holds true if such modifications contribute to the maintenance of a sound performance-based compensation program.

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As grandfathered contracts may continue to be eligible for tax deductions under the transition rule for Section 162(m), companies may therefore submit incentive plans for shareholder approval to take of advantage of the tax deductibility afforded under 162(m) for certain types of compensation.

We believe the best practice for companies is to provide robust disclosure to shareholders so that they can make fully informed judgments about the reasonableness of the proposed compensation plan. To allow for meaningful shareholder review, we prefer that disclosure should include specific performance metrics, a maximum award pool, and a maximum award amount per employee. We also believe it is important to analyze the estimated grants to see if they are reasonable and in line with the company's peers.

We typically recommend voting against a 162(m) proposal where: (i) a company fails to provide at least a list of performance targets; (ii) a company fails to provide one of either a total maximum or an individual maximum; or (iii) the proposed plan or individual maximum award limit is excessive when compared with the plans of the company's peers.

The company's record of aligning pay with performance (as evaluated using our proprietary pay-for- performance model) also plays a role in our recommendation. Where a company has a record of setting reasonable pay relative to business performance, we generally recommend voting in favor of a plan even if the plan caps seem large relative to peers because we recognize the value in special pay arrangements for continued exceptional performance.

As with all other issues we review, our goal is to provide consistent but contextual advice given the specifics of the company and ongoing performance. Overall, we recognize that it is generally not in shareholders' best interests to vote against such a plan and forgo the potential tax benefit since shareholder rejection of such plans will not curtail the awards; it will only prevent the tax deduction associated with them.

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Governance Structure and the Shareholder Franchise

Anti-Takeover Measures

Poison Pills (Shareholder Rights Plans)

Glass Lewis believes that poison pill plans are not generally in shareholders' best interests. They can reduce management accountability by substantially limiting opportunities for corporate takeovers. Rights plans can thus prevent shareholders from receiving a buy-out premium for their stock. Typically we recommend that shareholders vote against these plans to protect their financial interests and ensure that they have an opportunity to consider any offer for their shares, especially those at a premium.

We believe boards should be given wide latitude in directing company activities and in charting the company's course. However, on an issue such as this, where the link between the shareholders' financial interests and their right to consider and accept buyout offers is substantial, we believe that shareholders should be allowed to vote on whether they support such a plan's implementation. This issue is different from other matters that are typically left to board discretion. Its potential impact on and relation to shareholders is direct and substantial. It is also an issue in which management interests may be different from those of shareholders; thus, ensuring that shareholders have a voice is the only way to safeguard their interests.

In certain circumstances, we will support a poison pill that is limited in scope to accomplish a particular objective, such as the closing of an important merger, or a pill that contains what we believe to be a reasonable qualifying offer clause. We will consider supporting a poison pill plan if the qualifying offer clause includes each of the following attributes:

● The form of offer is not required to be an all-cash transaction;

● The offer is not required to remain open for more than 90 business days;

● The offeror is permitted to amend the offer, reduce the offer, or otherwise change the terms;

● There is no fairness opinion requirement; and

● There is a low to no premium requirement.

Where these requirements are met, we typically feel comfortable that shareholders will have the opportunity to voice their opinion on any legitimate offer.

NOL Poison Pills

Similarly, Glass Lewis may consider supporting a limited poison pill in the event that a company seeks shareholder approval of a rights plan for the express purpose of preserving Net Operating Losses (NOLs). While companies with NOLs can generally carry these losses forward to offset future taxable income, Section 382

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of the Internal Revenue Code limits companies' ability to use NOLs in the event of a "change of ownership."<sup>44</sup> In this case, a company may adopt or amend a poison pill (NOL pill) in order to prevent an inadvertent change of ownership by multiple investors purchasing small chunks of stock at the same time, and thereby preserve the ability to carry the NOLs forward. Often such NOL pills have trigger thresholds much lower than the common 15% or 20% thresholds, with some NOL pill triggers as low as 5%.

In many cases, companies will propose the adoption of bylaw amendments specifically restricting certain share transfers, in addition to proposing the adoption of a NOL pill. In general, if we support the terms of a particular NOL pill, we will generally support the additional protective amendment in the absence of significant concerns with the specific terms of that proposal.

As with traditional poison pills, NOL pills may deter shareholders and potentially serve as entrenchment mechanisms. Certain features such as low thresholds combined with acting in concert provisions, among other concerning terms, may disempower shareholders and insulate the board and management. When acting in concert provisions are present within the terms of a NOL pill, we believe this may raise concerns as to the true objective of the pill.

Acting in concert provisions broaden the definition of beneficial ownership to prohibit parallel conduct, or multiple shareholders party to a formal or informal agreement collaborating to influence the board and management of a company, and aggregate the ownership of such shareholders towards the triggering threshold. In our view, acting in concert provisions broadly limit the voice of shareholders and may diminish their ability to engage in a productive dialogue with the company and with other shareholders. When a board adopts defensive measures without engaging with shareholders, we take a dim view of the board and the overall governance of the company.

As such, Glass Lewis evaluates NOL pills on a strictly case-by-case basis, taking into consideration, among other factors: (i) the value of the NOLs to the company; (ii) the likelihood of a change of ownership based on the size of the holdings and the nature of the larger shareholders; (iii) the trigger threshold; (iv) the duration of the plan (i.e., whether it contains a reasonable "sunset" provision, generally one year or less); (v) the inclusion of an acting in concert provision; (vi) whether the pill is implemented following the filing of a Schedule 13D by a shareholder or there is evidence of hostile activity or shareholder activism; and (vii) if the pill is subject to periodic board review and/or shareholder ratification.

We believe that shareholders should be offered the opportunity to vote on any adoption or renewal of a NOL pill regardless of any potential tax benefit that it offers a company. As such, we will consider recommending voting against those members of the board who served at the time when an NOL pill was adopted without shareholder approval within the prior twelve months and where the NOL pill is not subject to shareholder ratification.

<sup>44</sup> Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code refers to a "change of ownership" of more than 50 percentage points by one or more 5% shareholders within a three-year period. The statute is intended to deter the "trafficking" of net operating losses.

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Fair Price Provisions

Fair price provisions, which are rare, require that certain minimum price and procedural requirements be observed by any party that acquires more than a specified percentage of a corporation's common stock. The provision is intended to protect minority shareholder value when an acquirer seeks to accomplish a merger or other transaction which would eliminate or change the interests of the minority shareholders. The provision is generally applied against the acquirer unless the takeover is approved by a majority of "continuing directors" and holders of a majority, in some cases a supermajority as high as 80%, of the combined voting power of all stock entitled to vote to alter, amend, or repeal the above provisions.

The effect of a fair price provision is to require approval of any merger or business combination with an "interested shareholder" by 51% of the voting stock of the company, excluding the shares held by the interested shareholder. An interested shareholder is generally considered to be a holder of 10% or more of the company's outstanding stock, but the trigger can vary.

Generally, provisions are put in place for the ostensible purpose of preventing a back-end merger where the interested shareholder would be able to pay a lower price for the remaining shares of the company than he or she paid to gain control. The effect of a fair price provision on shareholders, however, is to limit their ability to gain a premium for their shares through a partial tender offer or open market acquisition which typically raise the share price, often significantly. A fair price provision discourages such transactions because of the potential costs of seeking shareholder approval and because of the restrictions on purchase price for completing a merger or other transaction at a later time.

Glass Lewis believes that fair price provisions, while sometimes protecting shareholders from abuse in a takeover situation, more often act as an impediment to takeovers, potentially limiting gains to shareholders from a variety of transactions that could significantly increase share price. In some cases, even the independent directors of the board cannot make exceptions when such exceptions may be in the best interests of shareholders. Given the existence of state law protections for minority shareholders such as Section 203 of the Delaware Corporations Code, we believe it is in the best interests of shareholders to remove fair price provisions.

Control Share Statutes

Certain states, including Delaware, have adopted control share acquisition statutes as an anti-takeover defense for certain closed-end investment companies and business development companies. Control share statutes may prevent changes in control by limiting voting rights of a person that acquires the ownership of "control shares." Control shares are shares of stock equal to or exceeding specified percentages of company voting power, and a control share statute prevents shares in excess of the specified percentage from being voted, unless: (i) the board approves them to be voted; or (ii) the holder of the "control shares"receives approval from a supermajority of "non-interested" shareholders.

Depending on the state of incorporation, companies may automatically rely on control share statutes unless the fund's board of trustees eliminates the application of the control share statute to any or all fund share acquisitions, through adoption of a provision in the fund's governing instrument or by fund board action alone. In certain other states, companies must adopt control share statutes.

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In our view, control share statues disenfranchise shareholders by reducing their voting power to a level less than their economic interest and effectively function as an anti-takeover device. We believe all shareholders should have an opportunity to vote all of their shares. Moreover, anti-takeover measures may prevent shareholders from receiving a buy-out premium for their stock.

As such, we will generally recommend voting for proposals to opt out of control share acquisition statutes, unless doing so would allow the completion of a takeover that is not in the best interests of shareholders; and against proposals to amend the charter to include control share acquisition provisions.

Further, in cases where a closed-end fund or business development company has received a public buyout offer and has relied on a control share statute as a defense mechanism in the prior year, we will generally recommend shareholders vote against the chair of the nominating and governance committee, absent a compelling rationale as to why a rejected acquisition was not in the best interests of shareholders.

Quorum Requirements

Glass Lewis believes that a company's quorum requirement should be set at a level high enough to ensure that a broad range of shareholders are represented in person or by proxy, but low enough that the company can transact necessary business. Companies in the U.S. are generally subject to quorum requirements under the laws of their specific state of incorporation. Additionally, those companies listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market are required to specify a quorum in their bylaws, provided however that such quorum may not be less than one- third of outstanding shares. Prior to 2013, the New York Stock Exchange required a quorum of 50% for listed companies, although this requirement was dropped in recognition of individual state requirements and potential confusion for issuers. Delaware, for example, required companies to provide for a quorum of no less than one-third of outstanding shares; otherwise such quorum shall default to a majority.

We generally believe a majority of outstanding shares entitled to vote is an appropriate quorum for the transaction of business at shareholder meetings. However, should a company seek shareholder approval of a lower quorum requirement we will generally support a reduced quorum of at least one-third of shares entitled to vote, either in person or by proxy. When evaluating such proposals, we also consider the specific facts and circumstances of the company, such as size and shareholder base.

Director and Officer Indemnification

While Glass Lewis strongly believes that directors and officers should be held to the highest standard when carrying out their duties to shareholders, some protection from liability is reasonable to protect them against certain suits so that these officers feel comfortable taking measured risks that may benefit shareholders. As such, we find it appropriate for a company to provide indemnification and/or enroll in liability insurance to cover its directors and officers so long as the terms of such agreements are reasonable.

Officer Exculpation

In August 2022, the Delaware General Assembly amended Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law ("DGCL") to authorize corporations to adopt a provision in their certificate of incorporation to

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eliminate or limit monetary liability of certain corporate officers for breach of fiduciary duty of care. Previously, the DGCL allowed only exculpation of corporate directors from breach of fiduciary duty of care claims if the corporation's certificate of incorporation includes an exculpation provision.

The amendment authorizes corporations to provide for exculpation of the following officers: (i) the corporation's president, chief executive officer, chief operating officer, chief financial officer, chief legal officer, controller, treasurer or chief accounting officer, (ii) "named executive officers" identified in the corporation's SEC filings, and (iii) individuals who have agreed to be identified as officers of the corporation.

Corporate exculpation provisions under the DGCL only apply to claims for breach of the duty of care, and not to breaches of the duty of loyalty. Exculpation provisions also do not apply to acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct, knowing violations of the law, or transactions involving the receipt of any improper personal benefits. Furthermore, officers may not be exculpated from claims brought against them by, or in the right of, the corporation (i.e., derivative actions).

Under Section 102(b)(7), a corporation must affirmatively elect to include an exculpation provision in its certificate of incorporation. We will closely evaluate proposals to adopt officer exculpation provisions on a case- by-case basis. We will generally recommend voting against such proposals eliminating monetary liability for breaches of the duty of care for certain corporate officers, unless compelling rationale for the adoption is provided by the board, and the provisions are reasonable.

Reincorporation

In general, Glass Lewis believes that the board is in the best position to determine the appropriate jurisdiction of incorporation for the company. We review all proposals to reincorporate to a different state or country on a case-by-case basis. Our review includes the changes in corporate governance provisions, especially those relating to shareholder rights, material differences in corporate statutes and legal precedents,and relevant financial benefits, among other factors, resulting from the change in domicile.

Glass Lewis closely examines the impact on shareholder rights arising from a change in domicile and governing law, including the following:

● Will shareholders gain/retain certain rights (i.e. the right to call special meetings, the right to act by written consent, the ability to remove directors)?

● Does the proposed new jurisdiction allow for director and officer exculpation and/or exclusive forum provisions?

● What are the fiduciary duties (if any) of directors, officers, and majority shareholders under the new jurisdiction's statutes?

● What are the material differences in corporate statutes, case law, and judicial systems?

● Is the company proposing to reincorporate to a jurisdiction considered to be a "tax haven"?

In addition, when examining a proposal to reincorporate, we will also consider the overall governance of the company, including, but not limited to, the following:

● Does the company have anti-takeover protections such as a poison pill or classified board in place?

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● Does the company have a significant shareholder or is the company otherwise considered controlled?<sup>45</sup>

● Has the board been previously unresponsive to shareholders (such as failing to implement a shareholder proposal that received majority shareholder support)?

● Does the company have an independent chair and is the board sufficiently independent?

● Are there other material governance issues of concern at the company? Has the company's performance matched or exceeded its peers in the past one and three years?

● How has the company ranked in Glass Lewis' pay-for-performance analysis during the last three years?

Where there is a decline in shareholder rights, the financial benefits are de minimis, and the proposed jurisdiction has significantly worse shareholder protections, we will generally recommend voting against the transaction.

In addition, costly, shareholder-initiated reincorporations are typically not the best route to achieve the furtherance of shareholder rights. We believe shareholders are generally better served by proposing specific shareholder resolutions addressing pertinent issues which may be implemented at a lower cost, and perhaps even with board approval. However, when shareholders propose a shift into a jurisdiction with enhanced shareholder rights, Glass Lewis examines the significant ways the company would benefit from shifting jurisdictions including an evaluation of the criteria listed above. We note, however, that we will only support shareholder proposals to change a company's place of incorporation in exceptional circumstances.

Exclusive Forum and Fee-Shifting Bylaw Provisions

Glass Lewis recognizes that companies may be subject to frivolous and opportunistic lawsuits, particularly in conjunction with a merger or acquisition, that are expensive and distracting. In response, companies have sought ways to prevent or limit the risk of such suits by adopting bylaws regarding where the suits must be brought or shifting the burden of the legal expenses to the plaintiff, if unsuccessful at trial.

Glass Lewis believes that charter or bylaw provisions limiting a shareholder's choice of legal venue are not in the best interests of shareholders. Such clauses may effectively discourage the use of shareholder claims by increasing their associated costs and making them more difficult to pursue. As such, shareholders should be wary about approving any limitation on their legal recourse including limiting themselves to a single jurisdiction (e.g., Delaware or federal courts for matters arising under the Securities Act of 1933) without compelling evidence that it will benefit shareholders.

For this reason, we recommend that shareholders vote against any bylaw or charter amendment seeking to adopt an exclusive forum provision unless the company: (i) provides a compelling argument on why the provision would directly benefit shareholders; (ii) provides evidence of abuse of legal process in other, non- favored jurisdictions; (iii) narrowly tailors such provision to the risks involved; and (iv) maintains a strong record of good corporate governance practices.

<sup>45</sup> In cases where a controlled company is seeking to change its domicile, we will closely evaluate how the independent members of the board came to its recommendation, if the controlling shareholder had any ability to influence the board, and if the proposal is also put to a vote of disinterested shareholders.

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Moreover, in the event a board seeks shareholder approval of a forum selection clause pursuant to a bundled bylaw amendment rather than as a separate proposal, we will weigh the importance of the other bundled provisions when determining the vote recommendation on the proposal. We will nonetheless recommend voting against the chair of the governance committee for bundling disparate proposals into a single proposal (refer to our discussion of nominating and governance committee performance in Section I of the guidelines).

Similarly, some companies have adopted bylaws requiring plaintiffs who sue the company and fail to receive a judgment in their favor pay the legal expenses of the company. These bylaws, also known as "fee-shifting" or "loser pays" bylaws, will likely have a chilling effect on even meritorious shareholder lawsuits as shareholders would face an strong financial disincentive not to sue a company. Glass Lewis therefore strongly opposes the adoption of such fee-shifting bylaws and, if adopted without shareholder approval, will recommend voting against the governance committee. While we note that in June of 2015 the State of Delaware banned the adoption of fee-shifting bylaws, such provisions could still be adopted by companies incorporated in other states.

Authorized Shares

Glass Lewis believes that adequate capital stock is important to a company's operation. When analyzing a request for additional shares, we typically review four common reasons why a company might need additional capital stock:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. **Stock Split** — We typically consider three metrics when evaluating whether we think a stock split is likely or necessary: The historical stock pre-split price, if any; the current price relative to the company's most common trading price over the past 52 weeks; and some absolute limits on stock price that, in our view, either always make a stock split appropriate if desired by management or would almost never be a reasonable price at which to split a stock.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. **Shareholder Defenses** — Additional authorized shares could be used to bolster takeover defenses such as a poison pill. Proxy filings often discuss the usefulness of additional shares in defending against or discouraging a hostile takeover as a reason for a requested increase. Glass Lewis is typically against such defenses and will oppose actions intended to bolster such defenses.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. **Financing for Acquisitions** — We look at whether the company has a history of using stock for acquisitions and attempt to determine what levels of stock have typically been required to accomplish such transactions. Likewise, we look to see whether this is discussed as a reason for additional shares in the proxy.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4. **Financing for Operations** — We review the company's cash position and its ability to secure financing through borrowing or other means. We look at the company's history of capitalization and whether the company has had to use stock in the recent past as a means of raising capital.

Issuing additional shares generally dilutes existing holders in most circumstances. Further, the availability of additional shares, where the board has discretion to implement a poison pill, can often serve as a deterrent to interested suitors. Accordingly, where we find that the company has not detailed a plan for use of the proposed shares, or where the number of shares far exceeds those needed to accomplish a detailed plan, we typically recommend against the authorization of additional shares. Similar concerns may also lead us to recommend

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against a proposal to conduct a reverse stock split if the board does not state that it will reduce the number of authorized common shares in a ratio proportionate to the split.

With regard to authorizations and/or increases in preferred shares, Glass Lewis is generally against such authorizations, which allow the board to determine the preferences, limitations and rights of the preferred shares (known as "blank-check preferred stock"). We believe that granting such broad discretion should be of concern to common shareholders, since blank-check preferred stock could be used as an anti-takeover device or in some other fashion that adversely affects the voting power or financial interests of common shareholders. Therefore, we will generally recommend voting against such requests, unless the company discloses a commitment to not use such shares as an anti-takeover defense or in a shareholder rights plan, or discloses a commitment to submit any shareholder rights plan to a shareholder vote prior to its adoption.

While we think that having adequate shares to allow management to make quick decisions and effectively operate the business is critical, we prefer that, for significant transactions, management come to shareholders to justify their use of additional shares rather than providing a blank check in the form of a large pool of unallocated shares available for any purpose.

Advance Notice Requirements

We typically recommend that shareholders vote against proposals that would require advance notice of shareholder proposals or of director nominees.

These proposals typically attempt to require a certain amount of notice before shareholders are allowed to place proposals on the ballot. Notice requirements typically range between three to six months prior to the annual meeting. Advance notice requirements typically make it impossible for a shareholder who misses the deadline to present a shareholder proposal or a director nominee that might be in the best interests of the company and its shareholders.

We believe shareholders should be able to review and vote on all proposals and director nominees. Shareholders can always vote against proposals that appear with little prior notice. Shareholders, as owners of a business, are capable of identifying issues on which they have sufficient information and ignoring issues on which they have insufficient information. Setting arbitrary notice restrictions limits the opportunity for shareholders to raise issues that may come up after the window closes.

Virtual Shareholder Meetings

A growing contingent of companies have elected to hold shareholder meetings by virtual means only. Glass Lewis believes that virtual meeting technology can be a useful complement to a traditional, in-person shareholder meeting by expanding participation of shareholders who are unable to attend a shareholder meeting in person (i.e., a "hybrid meeting"). However, we also believe that virtual-only meetings have the potential to curb the ability of a company's shareholders to meaningfully communicate with the company's management.

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the board's accountability to shareholders. When analyzing the governance profile of companies that choose to hold virtual-only meetings, we look for robust disclosure in a company's proxy statement which assures shareholders that they will be afforded the same rights and opportunities to participate as they would at an in- person meeting.

Examples of effective disclosure include: (i) addressing the ability of shareholders to ask questions during the meeting, including time guidelines for shareholder questions, rules around what types of questions are allowed, and rules for how questions and comments will be recognized and disclosed to meeting participants; (ii) procedures, if any, for posting appropriate questions received during the meeting and the company's answers, on the investor page of their website as soon as is practical after the meeting; (iii) addressing technical and logistical issues related to accessing the virtual meeting platform; and (iv) procedures for accessing technical support to assist in the event of any difficulties accessing the virtual meeting.

We will generally recommend voting against members of the governance committee where the board is planning to hold a virtual-only shareholder meeting and the company does not provide such disclosure.

Voting Structure

Multi-Class Share Structures

Glass Lewis believes multi-class voting structures are typically not in the best interests of common shareholders. Allowing one vote per share generally operates as a safeguard for common shareholders by ensuring that those who hold a significant minority of shares are able to weigh in on issues set forth by the board.

Furthermore, we believe that the economic stake of each shareholder should match their voting power and that no small group of shareholders, family or otherwise, should have voting rights different from those of other shareholders. On matters of governance and shareholder rights, we believe shareholders should have the power to speak and the opportunity to effect change. That power should not be concentrated in the hands of a few for reasons other than economic stake.

We generally consider a multi-class share structure to reflect negatively on a company's overall corporate governance. Because we believe that companies should have share capital structures that protect the interests of non-controlling shareholders as well as any controlling entity, we typically recommend that shareholders vote in favor of recapitalization proposals to eliminate dual-class share structures. Similarly, we will generally recommend against proposals to adopt a new class of common stock. We will generally recommend voting against the chair of the governance committee at companies with a multi-class share structure and unequal voting rights when the company does not provide for a reasonable sunset of the multi-class share structure (generally seven years or less).

In the case of a board that adopts a multi-class share structure in connection with an IPO, spin-off, or direct listing within the past year, we will generally recommend voting against all members of the board who served at the time of the IPO if the board: (i) did not also commit to submitting the multi-class structure to a shareholder vote at the company's first shareholder meeting following the IPO; or (ii) did not provide for a reasonable sunset of the multi-class structure (generally seven years or less). If the multi-class share structure is put to a

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shareholder vote, we will examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders when determining the vote outcome.

At companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will carefully examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders when determining whether board responsiveness is warranted. In the case of companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will generally examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders on a "one share, one vote" basis. At controlled and multi-class companies, when at least 20% or more of unaffiliated shareholders vote contrary to management, we believe that boards should engage with shareholders and demonstrate some initial level of responsiveness, and when a majority or more of unaffiliated shareholders vote contrary to management we believe that boards should engage with shareholders and provide a more robust response to fully address shareholder concerns.

Cumulative Voting

Cumulative voting increases the ability of minority shareholders to elect a director by allowing shareholders to cast as many shares of the stock they own multiplied by the number of directors to be elected. As companies generally have multiple nominees up for election, cumulative voting allows shareholders to cast all of their votes for a single nominee, or a smaller number of nominees than up for election, thereby raising the likelihood of electing one or more of their preferred nominees to the board. It can be important when a board is controlled by insiders or affiliates and where the company's ownership structure includes one or more shareholders who control a majority-voting block of company stock.

Glass Lewis believes that cumulative voting generally acts as a safeguard for shareholders by ensuring that those who hold a significant minority of shares can elect a candidate of their choosing to the board. This allows the creation of boards that are responsive to the interests of all shareholders rather than just a small group of large holders.

We review cumulative voting proposals on a case-by-case basis, factoring in the independence of the board and the status of the company's governance structure. But we typically find these proposals on ballots at companies where independence is lacking and where the appropriate checks and balances favoring shareholders are not in place. In those instances we typically recommend in favor of cumulative voting.

Where a company has adopted a true majority vote standard (i.e., where a director must receive a majority of votes cast to be elected, as opposed to a modified policy indicated by a resignation policy only), Glass Lewis will recommend voting against cumulative voting proposals due to the incompatibility of the two election methods. For companies that have not adopted a true majority voting standard but have adopted some form of majority voting, Glass Lewis will also generally recommend voting against cumulative voting proposals if the company has not adopted anti-takeover protections and has been responsive to shareholders.

Where a company has not adopted a majority voting standard and is facing both a shareholder proposal to adopt majority voting and a shareholder proposal to adopt cumulative voting, Glass Lewis will support only the majority voting proposal. When a company has both majority voting and cumulative voting in place, there is a higher likelihood of one or more directors not being elected as a result of not receiving a majority vote. This is because shareholders exercising the right to cumulate their votes could unintentionally cause the failed election of one or more directors for whom shareholders do not cumulate votes.

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Supermajority Vote Requirements

Glass Lewis believes that supermajority vote requirements impede shareholder action on ballot items critical to shareholder interests. An example is in the takeover context, where supermajority vote requirements can strongly limit the voice of shareholders in making decisions on such crucial matters as selling the business. This in turn degrades share value and can limit the possibility of buyout premiums to shareholders. Moreover, we believe that a supermajority vote requirement can enable a small group of shareholders to overrule the will of the majority shareholders. We believe that a simple majority is appropriate to approve all matters presented to shareholders.

Transaction of Other Business

We typically recommend that shareholders not give their proxy to management to vote on any other business items that may properly come before an annual or special meeting. In our opinion, granting unfettered discretion is unwise.

Anti-Greenmail Proposals

Glass Lewis will support proposals to adopt a provision preventing the payment of greenmail, which would serve to prevent companies from buying back company stock at significant premiums from a certain shareholder. Since a large or majority shareholder could attempt to compel a board into purchasing its shares at a large premium, the anti-greenmail provision would generally require that a majority of shareholders other than the majority shareholder approve the buyback.

Mutual Funds: Investment Policies and Advisory Agreements

Glass Lewis believes that decisions about a fund's structure and/or a fund's relationship with its investment advisor or sub-advisors are generally best left to management and the members of the board, absent a showing of egregious or illegal conduct that might threaten shareholder value. As such, we focus our analyses of such proposals on the following main areas:

● The terms of any amended advisory or sub-advisory agreement;

● Any changes in the fee structure paid to the investment advisor; and

● Any material changes to the fund's investment objective or strategy.

We generally support amendments to a fund's investment advisory agreement absent a material change that is not in the best interests of shareholders. A significant increase in the fees paid to an investment advisor would be reason for us to consider recommending voting against a proposed amendment to an investment advisory agreement or fund reorganization. However, in certain cases, we are more inclined to support an increase in advisory fees if such increases result from being performance-based rather than asset-based. Furthermore, we

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generally support sub-advisory agreements between a fund's advisor and sub-advisor, primarily because the fees received by the sub-advisor are paid by the advisor, and not by the fund.

In matters pertaining to a fund's investment objective or strategy, we believe shareholders are best served when a fund's objective or strategy closely resembles the investment discipline shareholders understood and selected when they initially bought into the fund. As such, we generally recommend voting against amendments to a fund's investment objective or strategy when the proposed changes would leave shareholders with stakes in a fund that is noticeably different than when originally purchased, and which could therefore potentially negatively impact some investors' diversification strategies.

Real Estate Investment Trusts

The complex organizational, operational, tax and compliance requirements of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) provide for a unique shareholder evaluation. In simple terms, a REIT must have a minimum of 100 shareholders (the 100 Shareholder Test) and no more than 50% of the value of its shares can be held by five or fewer individuals (the "5/50 Test"). At least 75% of a REITs' assets must be in real estate, it must derive 75% of its gross income from rents or mortgage interest, and it must pay out 90% of its taxable earnings as dividends. In addition, as a publicly traded security listed on a stock exchange, a REIT must comply with the same general listing requirements as a publicly traded equity.

In order to comply with such requirements, REITs typically include percentage ownership limitations in their organizational documents, usually in the range of 5% to 10% of the REITs outstanding shares. Given the complexities of REITs as an asset class, Glass Lewis applies a highly nuanced approach in our evaluation of REIT proposals, especially regarding changes in authorized share capital, including preferred stock.

Preferred Stock Issuances at REITs

Glass Lewis is generally against the authorization of "blank-check preferred stock." However, given the requirement that a REIT must distribute 90% of its net income annually, it is inhibited from retaining capital to make investments in its business. As such, we recognize that equity financing likely plays a key role in a REIT's growth and creation of shareholder value. Moreover, shareholder concern regarding the use of preferred stock as an anti-takeover mechanism may be allayed by the fact that most REITs maintain ownership limitations in their certificates of incorporation. For these reasons, along with the fact that REITs typically do not engage in private placements of preferred stock (which result in the rights of common shareholders being adversely impacted), we may support requests to authorize shares of blank-check preferred stock at REITs.

Business Development Companies

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similar to those of REITs—the most evident of which is that BDCs must distribute at least 90% of their taxable earnings as dividends.

Authorization to Sell Shares at a Price Below Net Asset Value

Considering that BDCs are required to distribute nearly all their earnings to shareholders, they sometimes need to offer additional shares of common stock in the public markets to finance operations and acquisitions. However, shareholder approval is required in order for a BDC to sell shares of common stock at a price below Net Asset Value (NAV). Glass Lewis evaluates these proposals using a case-by-case approach, but will recommend supporting such requests if the following conditions are met:

● The authorization to allow share issuances below NAV has an expiration date of one year or less from the date that shareholders approve the underlying proposal (i.e., the meeting date);

● The proposed discount below NAV is minimal (ideally no greater than 20%);

● The board specifies that the issuance will have a minimal or modest dilutive effect (ideally no greater than 25% of the company's then-outstanding common stock prior to the issuance); and

● A majority of the company's independent directors who do not have a financial interest in the issuance approve the sale.

In short, we believe BDCs should demonstrate a responsible approach to issuing shares below NAV, by proactively addressing shareholder concerns regarding the potential dilution of the requested share issuance, and explaining if and how the company's past below-NAV share issuances have benefitted the company.

Auditor Ratification and Below-NAV Issuances

When a BDC submits a below-NAV issuance for shareholder approval, we will refrain from recommending against the audit committee chair for not including auditor ratification on the same ballot. Because of the unique way these proposals interact, votes may be tabulated in a manner that is not in shareholders' interests. In cases where these proposals appear on the same ballot, auditor ratification is generally the only "routine proposal," the presence of which triggers a scenario where broker non-votes may be counted toward shareholder quorum, with unintended consequences.

Under the 1940 Act, below-NAV issuance proposals require relatively high shareholder approval. Specifically, these proposals must be approved by the lesser of: (i) 67% of votes cast if a majority of shares are represented at the meeting; or (ii) a majority of outstanding shares. Meanwhile, any broker non-votes counted toward quorum will automatically be registered as "against" votes for purposes of this proposal. The unintended result can be a case where the issuance proposal is not approved, despite sufficient voting shares being cast in favor. Because broker non-votes result from a lack of voting instruction by the shareholder, we do not believe shareholders' ability to weigh in on the selection of auditor outweighs the consequences of failing to approve an issuance proposal due to such technicality.

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Special Purpose Acquisition Companies

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs), also known as "blank check companies," are publicly traded entities with no commercial operations and are formed specifically to pool funds in order to complete a merger or acquisition within a set time frame. In general, the acquisition target of a SPAC is either not yet identified or otherwise not explicitly disclosed to the public even when the founders of the SPAC may have at least one target in mind. Consequently, IPO investors often do not know what company they will ultimately be investing in.

SPACs are therefore very different from typical operating companies. Shareholders do not have the same expectations associated with an ordinary publicly traded company and executive officers of a SPAC typically do not continue in employment roles with an acquired company.

Extension of Business Combination Deadline

Governing documents of SPACs typically provide for the return of IPO proceeds to common shareholders if no qualifying business combination is consummated before a certain date. Because the time frames for the consummation of such transactions are relatively short, SPACs will sometimes hold special shareholder meetings at which shareholders are asked to extend the business combination deadline. In such cases, an acquisition target will typically have been identified, but additional time is required to allow management of the SPAC to finalize the terms of the deal.

Glass Lewis believes management and the board are generally in the best position to determine when the extension of a business combination deadline is needed. We therefore generally defer to the recommendation of management and support reasonable extension requests.

SPAC Board Independence

The board of directors of a SPAC's acquisition target is in many cases already established prior to the business combination. In some cases, however, the board's composition may change in connection with the business combination, including the potential addition of individuals who served in management roles with the SPAC. The role of a SPAC executive is unlike that of a typical operating company executive. Because the SPAC's only business is identifying and executing an acquisition deal, the interests of a former SPAC executive are also different. Glass Lewis does not automatically consider a former SPAC executive to be affiliated with the acquired operating entity when their only position on the board of the combined entity is that of an otherwise independent director. Absent any evidence of an employment relationship or continuing material financial interest in the combined entity, we will therefore consider such directors to be independent.

Director Commitments of SPAC Executives

We believe the primary role of executive officers at SPACs is identifying acquisition targets for the SPAC and consummating a business combination. Given the nature of these executive roles and the limited business operations of SPACs, when a directors' only executive role is at a SPAC, we will generally apply our higher limit for company directorships. As a result, we generally recommend that shareholders vote against a director who serves in an executive role only at a SPAC while serving on more than five public company boards.

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Shareholder Proposals

Glass Lewis believes that shareholders should seek to promote governance structures that protect shareholders, support effective ESG oversight and reporting, and encourage director accountability. Accordingly, Glass Lewis places a significant emphasis on promoting transparency, robust governance structures and companies' responsiveness to and engagement with shareholders. We also believe that companies should be transparent on how they are mitigating material ESG risks, including those related to climate change, human capital management, and stakeholder relations.

To that end, we evaluate all shareholder proposals on a case-by-case basis with a view to protecting long-term shareholder value. While we are generally supportive of those that promote board accountability, shareholder rights, and transparency, we consider all proposals in the context of a company's unique operations and risk profile.

For a detailed review of our policies concerning compensation, environmental, social, and governance shareholder proposals, please refer to our comprehensive *Proxy Paper Guidelines for Shareholder Proposals & ESG-Related Issues*, available at www.glasslewis.com/voting-policies-current/.

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Overall Approach to Environmental, Social & Governance Issues

Glass Lewis evaluates all environmental and social issues through the lens of long-term shareholder value. We believe that companies should be considering material environmental and social factors in all aspects of their operations and that companies should provide shareholders with disclosures that allow them to understand how these factors are being considered and how attendant risks are being mitigated. We also are of the view that governance is a critical factor in how companies manage environmental and social risks and opportunities and that a well-governed company will be generally managing these issues better than one without a governance structure that promotes board independence and accountability.

We believe part of the board's role is to ensure that management conducts a complete risk analysis of company operations, including those that have material environmental and social implications. We believe that directors should monitor management's performance in both capitalizing on environmental and social opportunities and mitigating environmental and social risks related to operations in order to best serve the interests of shareholders. Companies face significant financial, legal and reputational risks resulting from poor environmental and social practices, or negligent oversight thereof. Therefore, in cases where the board or management has neglected to take action on a pressing issue that could negatively impact shareholder value, we believe that shareholders should take necessary action in order to effect changes that will safeguard their financial interests.

Given the importance of the role of the board in executing a sustainable business strategy that allows for the realization of environmental and social opportunities and the mitigation of related risks, relating to environmental risks and opportunities, we believe shareholders should seek to promote governance structures that protect shareholders and promote director accountability. When management and the board have displayed disregard for environmental or social risks, have engaged in egregious or illegal conduct, or have failed to adequately respond to current or imminent environmental and social risks that threaten shareholder value, we believe shareholders should consider holding directors accountable. In such instances, we will generally recommend against responsible members of the board that are specifically charged with oversight of the issue in question.

When evaluating environmental and social factors that may be relevant to a given company, Glass Lewis does so in the context of the financial materiality of the issue to the company's operations. We believe that all companies face risks associated with environmental and social issues. However, we recognize that these risks manifest themselves differently at each company as a result of a company's operations, workforce, structure, and geography, among other factors. Accordingly, we place a significant emphasis on the financial implications of a company's actions with regard to impacts on its stakeholders and the environment.

When evaluating environmental and social issues, Glass Lewis examines companies':

**Direct environmental and social risk** — Companies should evaluate financial exposure to direct environmental risks associated with their operations. Examples of direct environmental risks include those associated with oil or gas spills, contamination, hazardous leakages, explosions, or reduced water or air quality, among others. Social risks may include non-inclusive employment policies, inadequate human rights policies, or issues that

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adversely affect the company's stakeholders. Further, we believe that firms should consider their exposure to risks emanating from a broad range of issues, over which they may have no or only limited control, such as insurance companies being affected by increased storm severity and frequency resulting from climate change

**Risk due to legislation and regulation** — Companies should evaluate their exposure to changes or potential changes in regulation that affect current and planned operations. Regulation should be carefully monitored in all jurisdictions in which the company operates. We look closely at relevant and proposed legislation and evaluate whether the company has responded proactively.

**Legal and reputational risk** — Failure to take action on important environmental or social issues may carry the risk of inciting negative publicity and potentially costly litigation. While the effect of high-profile campaigns on shareholder value may not be directly measurable, we believe it is prudent for companies to carefully evaluate the potential impacts of the public perception of their impacts on stakeholders and the environment. When considering investigations and lawsuits, Glass Lewis is mindful that such matters may involve unadjudicated allegations or other charges that have not been resolved. Glass Lewis does not assume the truth of such allegations or charges or that the law has been violated. Instead, Glass Lewis focuses more broadly on whether, under the particular facts and circumstances presented, the nature and number of such concerns, lawsuits or investigations reflects on the risk profile of the company or suggests that appropriate risk mitigation measures may be warranted.

**Governance risk** — Inadequate oversight of environmental and social issues carries significant risks to companies. When leadership is ineffective or fails to thoroughly consider potential risks, such risks are likely unmitigated and could thus present substantial risks to the company, ultimately leading to loss of shareholder value.

Glass Lewis believes that one of the most crucial factors in analyzing the risks presented to companies in the form of environmental and social issues is the level and quality of oversight over such issues. When management and the board have displayed disregard for environmental risks, have engaged in egregious or illegal conduct, or have failed to adequately respond to current or imminent environmental risks that threaten shareholder value, we believe shareholders should consider holding directors accountable. When companies have not provided for explicit, board-level oversight of environmental and social matters and/or when a substantial environmental or social risk has been ignored or inadequately addressed, we may recommend voting against members of the board. In addition, or alternatively, depending on the proposals presented, we may also consider recommending voting in favor of relevant shareholder proposals or against other relevant management-proposed items, such as the ratification of auditor, a company's accounts and reports, or ratification of management and board acts.

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Connect with Glass Lewis

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| Corporate Website | \| | www.glasslewis.com | www.glasslewis.com |
| Email | \| | info@glasslewis.com | info@glasslewis.com |
| Social | \| | ![](proxy_002.jpg)@glasslewis | ![](proxy_003.jpg) <u>Glass, Lewis & Co</u>. |

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Global Locations

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| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**North** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**United States** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**Europe** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**Ireland** |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**America** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *Headquarters*<br> 100 Pine Street, |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 15 Henry Street Limerick V94 V9T4 |
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| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**Asia<br> Pacific** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; **Australia**<br> *CGI Glass Lewis*<br> Suite 5.03, Level 5<br> 255 George Street |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;6 Rue d'Uzès<br> 75002 Paris<br> +33 ()1 45 51 50 43 |
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DISCLAIMER© 2024 Glass, Lewis & Co., and/or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.

This document is intended to provide an overview of Glass Lewis' proxy voting guidelines. It is not intended to be exhaustive and does not address all potential voting issues. Glass Lewis' proxy voting guidelines, as they apply to certain issues or types of proposals, are further explained in supplemental guidelines and reports that are made available on Glass Lewis' website – http://www.glasslewis.com. These guidelines have not been set or approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or any other regulatory body. Additionally, none of the information contained herein is or should be relied upon as investment advice. The content of this document has been developed based on Glass Lewis' experience with proxy voting and corporate governance issues, engagement with clients and issuers, and review of relevant studies and surveys, and has not been tailored to any specific person or entity.

Glass Lewis' proxy voting guidelines are grounded in corporate governance best practices, which often exceed minimum legal requirements. Accordingly, unless specifically noted otherwise, a failure to meet these guidelines should not be understood to mean that the company or individual involved has failed to meet applicable legal requirements.

No representations or warranties express or implied, are made as to the accuracy or completeness of any information included herein. In addition, Glass Lewis shall not be liable for any losses or damages arising from or in connection with the information contained herein or the use, reliance on, or inability to use any such information. Glass Lewis expects its subscribers possess sufficient experience and knowledge to make their own decisions entirely independent of any information contained in this document and subscribers are ultimately and solely responsible for making their own decisions, including, but not limited to, ensuring that such decisions comply with all agreements, codes, duties, laws, ordinances, regulations, and other obligations applicable to such subscriber.

All information contained in this report is protected by law, including, but not limited to, copyright law, and none of such information may be copied or otherwise reproduced, repackaged, further transmitted, transferred, disseminated, redistributed or resold, or stored for subsequent use for any such purpose, in whole or in part, in any form or manner, or by any means whatsoever, by any person without Glass Lewis' prior written consent.

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**APPENDIX B – DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS**

**Corporate and Municipal Long-Term Bond Ratings**

China Lianhe Credit Ratings

**AAA**: Strong ability to repay debt. Not adversely affected by the economic environment. The risk of default is very low.

**AA**: Strong ability to repay debt. Less adversely affected by the economic environment. The risk of default is very low.

**A**: Strong ability to repay debt. More susceptible adversely affected by the economic environment. The risk of default is very low.

**BBB**: Adequate ability to repay debt. Business is affected by unfavorable economic environment. Greater default risk in general.

**BB**: Weak ability to repay debt. Business is affected by unfavorable economic environment. Greater default risk in general.

**B**: Business's ability to repay debt is largely dependent on favorable economic environment. There is a high risk of default.

**CCC**: Business's ability to repay debt is extremely dependent on favorable economic environment. There is a high risk of default.

**CC**: Business's ability to repay debt is extremely dependent on favorable economic environment. Business is at risk of bankruptcy or reorganization. Default is likely.

**C**: Business cannot repay the debt.

In addition to AAA and CCC grade level (inclusive) level, every one credit rating available, "+", "-" symbol to fine tune, which means that a slightly higher or slightly below this level.

China Chengxin (Asia Pacific) Credit Ratings Company, Limited ("CCXAP") long-term credit ratings:

**AAAg**: Capacity to meet commitments on short-term and long-term debts is extremely strong. Business is operated in a virtuous circle. The foreseeable uncertainty on business operations is minimal.

**AAg+, AAg, AAg-**: Capacity to meet short-term and long-term financial commitments is very strong. Business is operated in a virtuous circle. Foreseeable uncertainty in business operations is relatively low.

**Ag+, Ag, Ag-**: Capacity to meet short-term and long-term commitments is strong. Business is operated in a virtuous circle. Business operation and development may be affected by internal uncertain factors, which may create fluctuations in profitability and solvency of the issuer.

**BBBg+, BBBg, BBBg-**: Capacity to meet financial commitment is considered adequate and capacity to meet short-term and long-term commitments is satisfactory. Business is operated in a virtuous circle. Business is affected by internal and external uncertainties. Profitability and solvency may experience significant fluctuation. Principal and interest may not be sufficiently protected by the terms of agreement.

**BBg+, BBg, BBg-**: Capacity to meet short-term and long-term financial commitment is relatively weak. Financial commitment towards short-term and long-term debts is below average. Status of business operation and development is not good. Solvency is unstable and subject to sustainable risk.

**Bg+, Bg, Bg-**: Financial commitment towards short-term and long-term debts is bad. Business is affected by internal and external uncertain factors. There are difficulties in business operations. Solvency is uncertain and subject to high credit risk.

**CCCg**: Financial commitment towards short-term and long-term debts is very bad. Business is affected by internal and external uncertain factors. There are difficulties in business operations. Poor solvency with very high credit risk.

**CCg**: Financial commitment towards short-term and long-term debts is extremely bad. Business operations are poor. There are very limited positive internal and external factors to support business operation and development. Extremely high credit risk is found.

**Cg**: Financial commitment towards short-term and long-term debts is insolvent. Business falls into a vicious circle. Very limited positive internal and external factors are found to support business operations and development in positive cycle. Extremely high credit risk is seen and is near default.

**Dg**: Unable to meet financial commitments. Default is confirmed.

Dagong Global Credit Rating Co. ("Dagong") Corporate and Financial Institution Issuer, Borrowing Companies, and Long-term Debt Facility Credit Ratings:

**AAA -** Highest Credit Quality: "AAA" ratings denote the lowest expectation of default risk. It indicates that the issuer has exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. Although the debt protection factors may change, this capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by any foreseeable event. "AAA" is the highest issuer credit rating assigned by Dagong.

**AA -** Very High Credit Quality: "AA" ratings denote expectations of very low default risk. It indicates that the issuer has very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. Although due to its relatively higher long-term risk, this capacity is not significantly vulnerable to any foreseeable event.

**A** - High Credit Quality: "A" ratings denote expectations of relatively low default risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered sufficient. However, this capacity may be more vulnerable than those of the higher ratings to adverse business or economic conditions due to any foreseeable event.

**BBB** - Medium Credit Quality: "BBB" ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are currently low and it has medium default risk. In normal conditions, the capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, whereas under adverse business or economic conditions risks of default are more likely to exist under this scale.

**BB** - Low Medium Credit Quality: "BB" ratings indicate that the issuer faces major ongoing uncertainties and exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.

**B** - Relatively Low Credit Quality: "B" ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are relatively high but a limited margin of safety remains. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor's capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitments. This is a lower scale than that of the "BB" rating and an obligor rated "B" is more vulnerable to adverse developments than the obligors rated "BB".

**CCC -** Low Credit Quality: "CCC" ratings indicate very high default risk. The issuer is currently vulnerable, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions to meet its financial commitments. Some practical risks exist and this will impair the obligor's ability to meet its financial commitments.

**CC** - Very Low Credit Quality: "CC" ratings indicate that the issuer is currently highly vulnerable and entities with this rating have a seriously high risk of default.

**C** - Lowest Credit Quality: "C" ratings indicate the highest default risk and the issuer is currently unable to meet its financial commitments or may even be in the process of compulsory debt reconstruction, or a takeover by regulatory organizations or in bankruptcy liquidation.

China Bond Rating Co.

**AAAR**: Strong ability to repay debt. Basically unaffected by adverse economic conditions, and the risk of default is extremely low.

**AAR**: Strong ability to repay debt. Not affected by the economic environment. The risk of default is very low.

**AR**: Strong ability to repay debt. More susceptible adversely affected by the economic environment. The risk of default is very low.

**BBBR**: Adequate ability to repay debt. Business is affected by unfavorable economic environment. Greater default risk in general.

**BBR**: Weak ability to repay debt. Business is affected by unfavorable economic environment. Greater default risk in general.

**BR**: Business's ability to repay debt is largely dependent on favorable economic environment. There is a high risk of default.

**CCCR**: Business's ability to repay debt is extremely dependent on favorable economic environment. There is a high risk of default.

**CCR**: Business's ability to repay debt is extremely dependent on favorable economic environment. Business is at risk of bankruptcy or reorganization. Default is likely.

**CR**: Business cannot repay the debt.

**DR**: Default is confirmed.

In addition to AAA and CCC grade level (inclusive) level, every one credit rating available, "+", "-" symbol to fine tune, which means that a slightly higher or slightly below this level.

CSCI Pengyuan Credit Rating Co.

**AAA**: The ability to repay debt is extremely strong. Not adversely affected by the economic environment. The risk of default is very low.

**AA**: The ability to repay debt is strong. Less adversely affected by the economic environment. The risk of default is very low.

**A**: Strong ability to repay debt. More susceptible adversely affected by the economic environment. The risk of default is very low.

**BBB**: Adequate ability to repay debt. Business is affected by unfavorable economic environment. Greater default risk in general.

**BB**: Weak ability to repay debt. Business is affected by unfavorable economic environment. Greater default risk in general.

**B**: Business's ability to repay debt is largely dependent on favorable economic environment. There is an extremely high risk of default.

**CCC**: Business's ability to repay debt is extremely dependent on favorable economic environment. There is a high risk of default.

**CC**: In the case of bankruptcy or restructuring, there is less protection and there is basically no guarantee of repayment of debts.

**C**: Business cannot repay the debt.

In addition to AAA and CCC grade level (inclusive) level, every one credit rating available, "+", "-" symbol to fine tune, which means that a slightly higher or slightly below this level.

Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC ("S&P") Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings:

*The following descriptions of S&P's long-term issue credit ratings have been published by Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC.*

**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.

Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") Global Long-Term Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Moody's long-term corporate bond ratings have been published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. and Moody's Analytics Inc.*

**Aaa** - Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, with minimal 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 considered upper medium-grade and are subject to low credit risk.

**Baa** - Obligations rated Baa are subject to moderate credit risk. They are considered medium-grade and as such may possess speculative characteristics.

**Ba** - Obligations rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements 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 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 in principal and interest.

**C** - Obligations rated C are the lowest-rated class of bonds and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal and interest.

Modifiers: 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.

Additionally, a "(hyb)" indicator is appended to all ratings of hybrid securities issued by banks, insurers, finance companies, and securities firms. By their terms, hybrid securities allow for the omission of scheduled dividends, interest, or principal payments, which can potentially result in impairment if such an omission occurs. Hybrid securities may also be subject to contractually allowable write-downs of principal that could result in impairment. Together with the hybrid indicator, the long-term obligation rating assigned to a hybrid security is an expression of the relative credit risk associated with that security.

Fitch Ratings Ltd. ("Fitch") Corporate Finance Obligations Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Fitch's long-term corporate bond ratings have been published by Fitch Ratings, Inc. and Fitch Ratings Ltd.*

**AAA** - 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** - 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** - 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** - 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** - Speculative. '**BB**' ratings indicate 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** - Highly speculative. '**B**' ratings indicate that material credit risk is present.

**CCC** - Substantial credit risk. '**CCC**' ratings indicate that substantial credit risk is present.

**CC** - Very high levels of credit risk. '**CC**' ratings indicate very high levels of credit risk.

**C** - Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. '**C**' indicates exceptionally high levels of credit risk.

Corporate Finance 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. This approach better aligns obligations that have comparable overall expected loss but varying vulnerability to default and loss.

**Plus (+)** or **Minus (-) -** The modifiers "+" or "–" may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to 'AAA' ratings and ratings below the 'CCC' category.

Fitch's credit rating scale for issuers and issues is expressed using the categories 'AAA' to 'BBB' (investment grade) and 'BB' to 'D' (speculative grade) with an additional +/– for 'AA' through 'CCC' levels, indicating relative differences of probability of default or recovery for issues. The terms "investment grade" and "speculative grade" are market conventions and do not imply any recommendation or endorsement of a specific security for investment purposes. Investment-grade categories indicate relatively low to moderate credit risk, while ratings in the speculative categories signal either a higher level of credit risk or that a default already occurred.

Fitch's Municipal Bond Long-Term Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Fitch's long-term municipal bond ratings have been published by Fitch Ratings, Inc. and Fitch Ratings Ltd.*

**AAA** - Highest credit quality. '**AAA**' ratings denote the lowest expectation of default 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** - Very high credit quality. '**AA**' ratings denote expectations of very low default risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

**A** - High credit quality. '**A**' ratings denote expectations of low default 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** - Good credit quality. '**BBB**' ratings indicate that expectations of default 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** - Speculative. '**BB**' ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to default risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time.

**B -** Highly speculative. '**B**' ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the business and economic environment.

**CCC** - Substantial credit risk. '**CCC**' ratings indicate very low margin for safety. Default is a real possibility.

**CC** - Very high levels of credit risk. '**CC**' ratings indicate default of some kind appears probable.

**C** - Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. '**C**' ratings indicate default appears imminent or inevitable.

**D** - Default. '**D**' ratings indicates a default. Default generally is defined as one of the following:

● failure to make payment of principal and/or interest under the contractual terms of the rated obligation;

● bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other winding-up or cessation of the business of an issuer/obligor where payment default on an obligation is a virtual certainty; or

● distressed exchange of an obligation, where creditors were offered securities with diminished structural or economic terms compared with the existing obligation to avoid a probable payment default.

**Structured Finance Defaults** – Imminent default, categorized under 'C', typically refers to the occasion where a payment default has been intimated by the issuer and is all but inevitable. This may, for example, be where an issuer has missed a scheduled payment but (as is typical) has a grace period during which it may cure the payment default. Another alternative would be where an issuer has formally announced a distressed debt exchange, but the date of the exchange still lies several days or weeks in the immediate future.

Additionally, in structured finance transactions, where analysis indicates that an instrument is irrevocably impaired such that it is not expected to pay interest and/or principal in full in accordance with the terms of the obligation's documentation during the life of the transaction, but where no payment default in accordance with the terms of the documentation is imminent, the obligation will typically be rated in the 'C' category.

**Structured Finance Write-Downs** - Where an instrument has experienced an involuntary and, in the agency's opinion, irreversible write-down of principal (i.e. other than through amortization, and resulting in a loss to the investor), a credit rating of 'D' will be assigned to the instrument. Where the agency believes the write-down may prove to be temporary (and the loss may be written up again in future if and when performance improves), then a credit rating of 'C' will typically be assigned. Should the write-down then later be reversed, the credit rating will be raised to an appropriate level for that instrument. Should the write-down later be deemed as irreversible, the credit rating will be lowered to 'D'.

Notes: In the case of structured finance, while the ratings do not address the loss severity given default of the rated liability, loss severity assumptions on the underlying assets are nonetheless typically included as part of the analysis. Loss severity assumptions are used to derive pool cash flows available to service the rated liability. The suffix 'sf' denotes an issue that is a structured finance transaction.

**Plus (+) or Minus (-) -** The modifiers "+" or "-" 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 ratings below the 'CCC' category.

**Municipal Short-Term Bond Ratings**

CCXAP short-term credit ratings:

**Ag-1:** Capacity to meet short-term financial commitments is extremely strong with a high level of safety.

**Ag-2:** Capacity to meet short-term financial commitments is strong with a high level of safety.

**Ag-3:** Capacity to meet short-term financial commitments is average but the safety may be easily affected by adverse business, financial, or economic conditions.

**Bg:** Capacity to meet short-term financial commitments is weak with a high probability of default.

**Cg:** Capacity to meet short-term financial commitments is very weak and the probability of default is very high.

**Dg:** Unable to meet financial commitments. Default is confirmed.

S&P's Municipal Short-Term Note Ratings:

*The following descriptions of S&P's short-term municipal ratings have been published by Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC.*

**SP-1** - 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** - Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.

**SP-3** - Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.

**D** - 'D' 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 Global Short-Term Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Moody's short-term municipal ratings have been published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. and Moody's Analytics Inc.*

**P-1** - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

**P-2** - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

**P-3** - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have 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.

Note: Canadian issuers rated P-1 or P-2 have their short-term ratings enhanced by the senior-most long-term rating of the issuer, its guarantor or support-provider.

Fitch's Short-Term Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Fitch's short-term ratings have been published by Fitch Ratings, Inc. and Fitch Ratings Ltd.*

**F1 -** Highest short-term credit quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added '+' to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

**F2 -** Good short-term credit quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

**F3 -** Fair short-term credit quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

**B -** Speculative short-term credit quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

**C -** 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.

The modifiers "+" or "-" may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. For the short-term rating category of 'F1', a '+' may be appended.

**Commercial Paper Ratings**

S&P's Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings:

*The following descriptions of S&P's commercial paper ratings have been published by Standard & Poor's Financial Service LLC.*

**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 commitments 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.

**Dual Ratings** – S&P may assign dual ratings to debt issues that have a put option or demand feature. The first component of the rating addresses the likelihood of repayment of principal and interest as due, and the second component of the rating addresses only the demand feature. The first component of the rating can relate to either a short-term or long-term transaction and accordingly use either short-term or long-term rating symbols. The second component of the rating relates to the put option and is assigned a short-term rating symbol (for example, 'AAA/A-1+' or 'A-1+/A-1'). With U.S. municipal short-term demand debt, the U.S. municipal short-term note rating symbols are used for the first component of the rating (for example, 'SP-1+/A-1+').

Moody's U.S. Municipal Short-Term Debt Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Moody's commercial paper ratings have been published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. and Moody's Analytics Inc.*

**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.

Fitch's Commercial Paper Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Fitch's commercial paper ratings have been published by Fitch Ratings, Inc. and Fitch Ratings Ltd.*

**F1 -** Highest short-term credit quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added '+' to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

**F2 -** Good short-term credit quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

**F3 -** Fair short-term credit quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

**B -** Speculative short-term credit quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

**C -** 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.

The modifiers "+" or "-" may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the 'AAA' Long-term rating category, to categories below 'CCC', or to Short-term ratings other than 'F1'.

**KraneShares Trust**

**STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION**

**August 1, 2025**

**Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF – (IVOL) Quadratic Deflation ETF – (BNDD)**

Shares of each Fund are traded on the NYSE Arca, Inc.

This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") relates to the above listed funds (the "Funds"), a series of the KraneShares Trust (the "Trust"). This SAI is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the current prospectus for the Funds, dated August 1, 2025, as it may be revised from time to time (the "Prospectus"). Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. The audited financial statements with respect to the Funds for the most recent fiscal year or period are incorporated in this SAI by reference to the Funds' Form N-CSR for the year ending March 31, 2025. A copy of the Prospectus, this SAI, and/or the most recent annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders may be obtained, without charge, by calling 1.855.857.2638, visiting <u>www.ivoletf.com</u> for IVOL or <u>www.bnddedtf.com</u> for BNDD, or writing to the Trust at 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017.

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| [GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUNDS](#sai-ivol_001) | 1 |
| [INVESTMENT POLICIES, TECHNIQUES AND RISK FACTORS](#sai-ivol_002) | 1 |
| [INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS](#sai-ivol_003) | 21 |
| [CONTINUOUS OFFERING](#sai-ivol_004) | 22 |
| [MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST](#sai-ivol_005) | 23 |
| [INVESTMENT ADVISER](#sai-ivol_006) | 29 |
| [SUB-ADVISER](#sai-ivol_007) | 31 |
| [PORTFOLIO MANAGER](#sai-ivol_008) | 31 |
| [CODES OF ETHICS](#sai-ivol_009) | 33 |
| [PROXY VOTING POLICY](#sai-ivol_010) | 33 |
| [ADMINISTRATOR](#sai-ivol_011) | 33 |
| [CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER AGENT](#sai-ivol_012) | 34 |
| [DISTRIBUTOR AND DISTRIBUTION ARRANGEMENTS](#sai-ivol_013) | 34 |
| [CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES](#sai-ivol_014) | 36 |
| [EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING](#sai-ivol_015) | 37 |
| [BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM](#sai-ivol_016) | 37 |
| [BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS](#sai-ivol_017) | 38 |
| [CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS](#sai-ivol_018) | 41 |
| [TAXES](#sai-ivol_019) | 48 |
| [DETERMINATION OF NAV](#sai-ivol_020) | 54 |
| [DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS](#sai-ivol_021) | 56 |
| [OTHER INFORMATION](#sai-ivol_022) | 56 |
| [COUNSEL](#sai-ivol_023) | 57 |
| [INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM](#sai-ivol_024) | 57 |
| [FINANCIAL STATEMENTS](#sai-ivol_025) | 58 |
| [APPENDIX A – PROXY VOTING POLICY](#sai-ivol_026) | A-1 |
| [APPENDIX B – DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS](#sai-ivol_027) | B-1 |

---

i

**GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUNDS**

The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on February 3, 2012 and is permitted to offer multiple, separate series (*i.e.*, funds). As of the date of this SAI, the Trust offers 40 separate funds, including the Funds and other funds not offered in this SAI. The Trust is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), and each Fund is a non-diversified series of the Trust. The offering of the Trust's shares is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). All payments received by the Trust for shares of any fund belong to that fund. Each Fund will have its own assets and liabilities. Shares of each Fund will only be issued against full payment, as further described in the Prospectus and this Statement of Additional Information.

**<u>Adviser and Sub-Adviser</u>**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or the "Adviser") serves as the investment adviser to each Fund and is responsible for continuously reviewing, supervising and administering each Fund's investment program. Quadratic Capital Management LLC ("Quadratic" or "Sub-Adviser") serves as the investment sub-adviser to each Fund and is responsible for making investment decisions for each Fund's assets and trading portfolio securities. SEI Investments Distribution Co. serves as the distributor (the "Distributor") of the shares of each Fund.

**<u>Exchange-Traded Fund ("ETF") Operations</u>**

Each Fund issues and redeems Shares at net asset value ("NAV") only in aggregations of a specified number of Shares ("Creation Units"), generally in exchange for a basket of securities ("Basket"), together with a specified cash payment, or, in certain circumstances, for an all cash payment. Unlike mutual funds, Shares are not individually redeemable.

Certain employees of the Adviser are responsible for interacting with market participants that transact in Baskets for one or more Creation Units. As part of these discussions, these employees may discuss with a market participant the securities a Fund is willing to accept in connection with a purchase ("creation") of shares, and securities that the Fund will provide on a redemption of shares. The Adviser's employees may also discuss portfolio holdings-related information with broker/dealers in connection with settling the Fund's transactions, as may be necessary to conduct business in the ordinary course.

Shares of each Fund are listed on NYSE Arca, Inc. (the "Exchange") and trade in the secondary market, where most investors will buy and sell them at market prices that change throughout the day. Such market prices may be lower, higher or equal to NAV. Accordingly, when transacting in the secondary market, investors may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling shares. They may also be subject to brokerage commissions and charges.

**INVESTMENT POLICIES, TECHNIQUES AND RISK FACTORS**

**<u>General</u>**

Each Fund's principal investment strategies and risks are discussed in its Prospectus. The investment techniques discussed below and in the Prospectus may, consistent with a Fund's investment objectives and investment limitations, be used by a Fund. Each Fund is free to reduce or eliminate its activity with respect to any of the investment techniques discussed below consistent with its fundamental investment policies. There is no assurance that a Fund's strategies or any other strategies and methods of investment available to the Fund will result in the achievement of the Fund's objective.

**<u>Cash and Cash Equivalents</u>**

Each Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. Holding cash or cash equivalents, even strategically, may lead to missed investment opportunities. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which a Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If a Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**<u>Debt Securities</u>**

Each Fund may invest in debt securities. A debt security is a security consisting of a certificate or other evidence of a debt (secured or unsecured) on which the issuer promises to pay the holder thereof a fixed, variable, or floating rate of interest for a specified length of time, and to repay the debt on the specified maturity date. Some debt securities, such as zero coupon bonds, do not make regular interest payments but are issued at a discount to their principal or maturity value. Debt securities include a variety of fixed income obligations, including, but not limited to, corporate bonds, government securities, municipal securities, convertible securities, mortgage-backed securities, and asset-backed securities. Debt securities include investment-grade securities, non-investment-grade securities, and unrated securities. Debt securities are subject to a variety of risks, such as interest rate risk, income risk, call/prepayment risk, inflation risk, and credit risk.

The market value of the debt securities in which a Fund invests will change in response to interest rate changes and other factors. During periods of falling interest rates, the values of outstanding debt securities generally rise. Conversely, during periods of rising interest rates, the values of such securities generally decline. Moreover, while securities with longer maturities tend to produce higher yields, the prices of longer maturity securities are also subject to greater market fluctuations as a result of changes in interest rates. Changes in the value of these securities will not necessarily affect cash income derived from these securities but will affect a Fund's NAV. Additional information regarding debt securities is described below.

**Credit risk.** Debt securities are subject to the risk of an issuer's (or other party's) failure or inability to meet its obligations under the security. Multiple parties may have obligations under a debt security. An issuer or borrower may fail to pay principal and interest when due. A guarantor, insurer or credit support provider may fail to provide the agreed upon protection. A counterparty to a transaction may fail to perform its side of the bargain. An intermediary or agent interposed between the investor and other parties may fail to perform the terms of its service. Also, performance under a debt security may be linked to the obligations of other persons who may fail to meet their obligations. The credit risk associated with a debt security could increase to the extent that the Fund's ability to benefit fully from its investment in the security depends on the performance by multiple parties of their respective contractual or other obligations. The market value of a debt security is also affected by the market's perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer.

The Fund may incur substantial losses on debt securities that are inaccurately perceived to present a different amount of credit risk than they actually do by the market, the Adviser, or sub-adviser, as applicable, or the rating agencies. Credit risk is generally greater where less information is publicly available, where fewer covenants safeguard the investors' interests, where collateral may be impaired or inadequate, where little legal redress or regulatory protection is available, or where a party's ability to meet obligations is speculative. Additionally, any inaccuracy in the information used by the Fund to evaluate credit risk may affect the value of securities held by the Fund.

Obligations under debt securities held by the Fund may never be satisfied or, if satisfied, only satisfied in part.

**Credit ratings risk.** The Adviser, or sub-adviser, as applicable, performs its own independent investment analysis of securities being considered for the Fund's portfolio, which includes consideration of, among other things, the issuer's financial resources, its sensitivity to economic conditions and trends, its operating history, the quality of the issuer's management and regulatory matters. The Adviser, or sub-adviser, as applicable, also considers the ratings assigned by various investment services and independent rating agencies, such as Moody's and S&P, which publish ratings based upon their assessment of the relative creditworthiness of the rated debt securities. Generally, a lower rating indicates higher credit risk. Higher yields are ordinarily available from debt securities in the lower rating categories.

Using credit ratings to evaluate debt securities can involve certain risks. For example, ratings assigned by the rating agencies are based upon an analysis completed at the time of the rating of the obligor's ability to pay interest and repay principal. Rating agencies typically rely to a large extent on historical data which may not accurately represent present or future circumstances. Ratings do not purport to reflect the risk of fluctuations in market value of the debt security and are not absolute standards of quality and only express the rating agency's current opinion of an obligor's overall financial capacity to pay its financial obligations. A credit rating is not a statement of fact or a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold a debt obligation. Also, credit quality can change suddenly and unexpectedly, and credit ratings may not reflect the issuer's current financial condition or events since the security was last rated. Rating agencies may have a financial interest in generating business, including from the arranger or issuer of the security that normally pays for that rating, and providing a low rating might affect the rating agency's prospects for future business. While rating agencies have policies and procedures to address this potential conflict of interest, there is a risk that these policies will fail to prevent a conflict of interest from impacting the rating.

**Duration.** Duration is a measure of the expected change in value of a debt security for a given change in interest rates. For example, if interest rates changed by one percent, the value of a security having an effective duration of two years generally would vary by two percent. Duration takes the length of the time intervals between the present time and time that the interest and principal payments are scheduled, or in the case of a callable bond, expected to be received, and weighs them by the present values of the cash to be received at each future point in time.

**Income risk.** The Fund is subject to income risk, which is the risk that the Fund's income will decline during periods of falling interest rates or when the Fund experiences defaults on debt securities it holds. The Fund's income declines when interest rates fall because, as the Fund's higher-yielding debt securities mature or are prepaid, the Fund must re-invest the proceeds in debt securities that have lower, prevailing interest rates. The amount and rate of distributions that the Fund's shareholders receive are affected by the income that the Fund receives from its portfolio holdings. If the income is reduced, distributions by the Fund to shareholders may be less.

Fluctuations in income paid to the Fund are generally greater for variable rate debt securities. The Fund will be deemed to receive taxable income on certain securities which pay no cash payments until maturity, such as zero-coupon securities. The Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities that it would otherwise continue to hold in order to obtain sufficient cash to make the distribution to shareholders required for U.S. tax purposes.

**Inflation risk.** The market price of debt securities generally falls as inflation increases because the purchasing power of the future income and repaid principal is expected to be worth less when received by the Fund. Debt securities that pay a fixed rather than variable interest rate are especially vulnerable to inflation risk because variable-rate debt securities may be able to participate, over the long term, in rising interest rates which have historically corresponded with long-term inflationary trends.

**Interest rate risk.** The market value of debt securities generally varies in response to changes in prevailing interest rates. Interest rate changes can be sudden and unpredictable. In addition, short-term and long-term rates are not necessarily correlated to each other as short-term rates tend to be influenced by government monetary policy while long-term rates are market driven and may be influenced by macroeconomic events (such as economic expansion or contraction), inflation expectations, as well as supply and demand. During periods of declining interest rates, the market value of debt securities generally increases. Conversely, during periods of rising interest rates, the market value of debt securities generally declines. This occurs because new debt securities are likely to be issued with higher interest rates as interest rates increase, making the old or outstanding debt securities less attractive. In general, the market prices of long-term debt securities or securities that make little (or no) interest payments are more sensitive to interest rate fluctuations than shorter-term debt securities. The longer the Fund's average weighted portfolio duration, the greater the potential impact a change in interest rates will have on its share price. Also, certain segments of the fixed income markets, such as high quality bonds, tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes than other segments, such as lower-quality bonds.

**Variable and Floating Rate Securities.** Variable and floating rate instruments involve certain obligations that may carry variable or floating rates of interest, and may involve a conditional or unconditional demand feature. Such instruments bear interest at rates which are not fixed, but which vary with changes in specified market rates or indices. The interest rates on these securities may be reset daily, weekly, quarterly, or some other reset period, and may have a set floor or ceiling on interest rate changes. There is a risk that the current interest rate on such obligations may not accurately reflect existing market interest rates. A demand instrument with a demand notice exceeding seven days may be considered illiquid if there is no secondary market for such security.

**Corporate Debt Securities.** The Fund may invest in corporate debt securities. Corporate debt securities are typically fixed-income securities issued by businesses to finance their operations, but may also include bank loans to companies. Notes, bonds, debentures and commercial paper are the most common types of corporate debt securities. The primary differences between the different types of corporate debt securities are their maturities and secured or un-secured status. Commercial paper has the shortest term and is usually unsecured. The broad category of corporate debt securities includes debt issued by domestic or foreign companies of all kinds, including those with small-, mid- and large-capitalizations. Corporate debt may be rated investment-grade, below investment-grade or unrated and may carry variable or floating rates of interest.

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

Corporate debt securities carry both credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk is the risk that a Fund could lose money if the issuer of a corporate debt security does not pay interest or principal when it is due. The credit risk of a particular issuer's debt security may vary based on its priority for repayment. For example, higher ranking (senior) debt securities have a higher priority than lower ranking (subordinated) securities. This means that the issuer might not make payments on subordinated securities while continuing to make payments on senior securities. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy, holders of higher-ranking senior securities may receive amounts otherwise payable to the holders of more junior securities. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of certain corporate debt securities will tend to fall when interest rates rise. In general, corporate debt securities with longer terms tend to fall more in value when interest rates rise than corporate debt securities with shorter terms.

**U.S. Government Securities.** The Funds 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, the government National Mortgage Association ("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 National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation.

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 federal agencies, such as those securities issued by Fannie Mae, are not guaranteed by the U.S. government. No assurance can be given that the U.S. government will provide financial support to such issuers 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.

Since 2008, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been in conservatorship and have received significant capital support through U.S. Treasury preferred stock purchases, as well as U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve purchases of their mortgage-backed securities. The Federal Housing Finance Agency ("FHFA") and the U.S. Treasury (through its agreement to purchase Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac preferred stock) have imposed strict limits on the size of their mortgage portfolios. The mortgage-backed security purchase programs ended in 2010. An FHFA stress test suggested that in a "severely adverse scenario" significant additional Treasury support might be required. No assurance can be given that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will remain successful in meeting their obligations with respect to the debt and mortgage-backed securities that they issue.

In addition, the problems faced by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, resulting in their being placed into federal conservatorship and receiving significant U.S. government support, have sparked serious debate among federal policy makers regarding the continued role of the U.S. government in providing liquidity for mortgage loans. In December 2011, Congress enacted the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011 which, among other provisions, requires that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac increase their single-family guaranty fees by at least 10 basis points and remit this increase to Treasury with respect to all loans acquired by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac on or after April 1, 2012 and before January 1, 2022. Nevertheless, discussions among policymakers have continued as to whether Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should be nationalized, privatized, restructured, or eliminated altogether. Fannie Mae has reported that there is "significant uncertainty regarding the future of our company, including how long the company will continue to exist in its current form, the extent of our role in the market, how long we will be in conservatorship, what form we will have and what ownership interest, if any, our current common and preferred stockholders will hold in us after the conservatorship is terminated, and whether we will continue to exist following conservatorship." Freddie Mac faces similar uncertainty about its future role. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac also are the subject of several continuing legal actions and investigations related to certain accounting, disclosure, or corporate governance matters, which (along with any resulting financial restatements) may continue to have an adverse effect on the guaranteeing entities. Congress is currently considering several pieces of legislation that would reform U.S. government sponsored enterprises, proposing to address their structure, mission, portfolio limits, and guarantee fees, among other issues.

**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").

**Inflation-Indexed Bonds.** Inflation-indexed bonds, such as U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities ("TIPS"), are debt securities whose principal value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. Two structures are common. The U.S. Treasury and some other issuers use a structure that accrues inflation into the principal value of the bond. When TIPS mature, investors are paid the adjusted principal or original principal, whichever is greater. Most other issuers pay out the Consumer Price Index accruals as part of a semiannual coupon. Inflation-indexed bonds generally pay a lower nominal interest rate than a comparable non-inflation-indexed bond.

Inflation-indexed securities issued by the U.S. Treasury have maturities of five, ten or thirty years, although it is possible that securities with other maturities will be issued in the future. The U.S. Treasury securities pay interest on a semi-annual basis, equal to a fixed percentage of the inflation-adjusted principal amount. For example, if the Fund purchased an inflation-indexed bond with a par value of $1,000 and a 3% real rate of return coupon (payable 1.5% semi-annually), and inflation over the first six months were 1%, the mid-year par value of the bond would be $1,010 and the first semi-annual interest payment would be $15.15 ($1,010 times 1.5%). If inflation during the second half of the year resulted in the whole years' inflation equaling 3%, the end-of-year par value of the bond would be $1,030 and the second semiannual interest payment would be $15.45 ($1,030 times 1.5%).

If the periodic adjustment rate measuring inflation falls, the principal value of inflation-indexed bonds will be adjusted downward, and consequently the interest payable on these securities (calculated with respect to a smaller principal amount) will be reduced. Repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is guaranteed in the case of U.S. Treasury inflation-indexed bonds, even during a period of deflation. However, the current market value of the bonds is not guaranteed and will fluctuate. The Fund may also invest in other inflation related bonds which may or may not provide a similar guarantee. If a guarantee of principal is not provided, the adjusted principal value of the bond repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal.

The value of inflation-indexed bonds is expected to change in response to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates in turn are tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. Therefore, if inflation were to rise at a faster rate than nominal interest rates, real interest rates might decline, leading to an increase in value of inflation-indexed bonds. In contrast, if nominal interest rates increased at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates might rise, leading to a decrease in value of inflation-indexed bonds.

While these securities are expected to be protected from long-term inflationary trends, short-term increases in inflation may lead to a decline in value. If interest rates rise due to reasons other than inflation (for example, due to changes in currency exchange rates), investors in these securities may not be protected to the extent that the increase is not reflected in the bond's inflation measure.

The periodic adjustment of U.S. inflation-indexed bonds is tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers ("CPI-U"), which is calculated monthly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The CPI-U is a measurement of changes in the cost of living, made up of components such as housing, food, transportation and energy. Inflation-indexed bonds issued by a foreign government are generally adjusted to reflect a comparable inflation index, calculated by that government. There can be no assurance that the CPI-U or any foreign inflation index will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services. Moreover, there can be no assurance that the rate of inflation in a foreign country will be correlated to the rate of inflation in the United States.

Any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond will be considered taxable ordinary income, even though investors do not receive their principal until maturity.

**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 typically 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 U.S. 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 a Fund's shares.

**<u>Derivatives</u>**

The Funds may use derivative instruments as part of their investment strategies. Generally, derivatives are financial contracts the value of which depends upon, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate or index, and may relate to bonds, interest rates, currencies, commodities, and related indexes. Examples of derivative instruments include forward currency contracts, currency and interest rate swaps, currency options, futures contracts, including index futures, options on futures contracts, structured notes, and swap contracts. A Fund's use of derivative instruments may be collateralized by investments in short term, high-quality U.S. money market securities.

Because a Fund may enter into (or "open") certain derivatives contracts with an initial investment that is less than the notional value of the contract, such contracts provide inherent economic leverage equal to the difference between the initial investment requirement (also known as initial margin requirement) and the notional value of the contract. A Fund's use of derivatives may be limited by the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") for qualification as a regulated investment company for U.S. federal tax purposes.

The SEC adopted Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act, which regulates the use of derivatives for certain funds registered under the Investment Company Act ("Rule 18f-4"). Unless a fund qualifies as a "limited derivatives user" as defined in Rule 18f-4, Rule 18f-4, among other things, requires the fund to establish a comprehensive derivatives risk management program, to comply with certain value-at-risk based leverage limits, to appoint a derivatives risk manager and to provide additional disclosure both publicly and to the SEC regarding its derivatives positions. For funds that qualify as limited derivatives users, Rule 18f-4 requires a fund to have policies and procedures to manage its aggregate derivatives risk.

To the extent a Fund transacts in commodity interests (e.g., futures contracts, swap agreements, non-deliverable forward contracts), it will do so only in accordance with Rule 4.5 of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC"). Krane, on behalf of each Fund, has filed or will file a notice of eligibility for exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" in accordance with Rule 4.5 so that it is not subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator under the Commodity Exchange Act ("CEA").

**Swap Contracts.** Generally, swap agreements are contracts between the Fund and another party (the swap counterparty) involving the exchange of payments on specified terms over periods ranging from a few days to multiple years. A swap agreement may be negotiated bilaterally and traded over-the-counter ("OTC") between the two parties (for an uncleared swap) or, in some instances, must be transacted through a Futures Commission Merchant ("FCM") and cleared through a clearinghouse that serves as a central counterparty (for a cleared swap). In a basic swap transaction, the Fund agrees with the swap counterparty to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) and/or cash flows earned or realized on a particular "notional amount" or value of predetermined underlying reference instruments. The notional amount is the set dollar or other value selected by the parties to use as the basis on which to calculate the obligations that the parties to a swap agreement have agreed to exchange. The parties typically do not actually exchange the notional amount. Instead, they agree to exchange the returns that would be earned or realized if the notional amount were invested in given investments or at given interest rates. Examples of returns that may be exchanged in a swap agreement are those of a particular security, a particular fixed or variable interest rate, a particular non-U.S. currency, or a "basket" of securities representing a particular index. Swaps can also be based on credit and other events.

The Fund will generally enter into swap agreements on a net basis, which means that the two payment streams that are to be made by the Fund and its counterparty with respect to a particular swap agreement are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net difference in the two payments. The Fund's obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement that is entered into on a net basis will generally be the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the obligations of each party upon termination of the agreement or at set valuation dates. The Fund will accrue its obligations under a swap agreement daily (offset by any amounts the counterparty owes the Fund). If the swap agreement does not provide for that type of netting, the full amount of the Fund's obligations will be accrued on a daily basis.

*Comprehensive swaps regulation.* The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the "Dodd-Frank Act") and related regulatory developments imposed comprehensive regulatory requirements on swaps and swap market participants. The new regulatory framework includes: (1) registration and regulation of swap dealers and major swap participants; (2) requiring central clearing and execution of standardized swaps; (3) imposing margin requirements on swap transactions; (4) regulating and monitoring swap transactions through position limits and large trader reporting requirements; and (5) imposing record keeping and centralized and public reporting requirements, on an anonymous basis, for most swaps. The CFTC is responsible for the regulation of most swaps. The SEC has jurisdiction over a small segment of the market referred to as "security-based swaps," which includes swaps on single securities or credits, or narrow-based indices of securities or credits.

*Uncleared swaps.* In an uncleared swap, the swap counterparty is typically a brokerage firm, bank or other financial institution. The Fund customarily enters into uncleared swaps based on the standard terms and conditions of an International Swaps and Derivatives Association ("ISDA") Master Agreement. ISDA is a voluntary industry association of participants in the over-the-counter derivatives markets that has developed standardized contracts used by such participants that have agreed to be bound by such standardized contracts. In the event that one party to a swap transaction defaults and the transaction is terminated prior to its scheduled termination date, one of the parties may be required to make an early termination payment to the other. An early termination payment may be payable by either the defaulting or non-defaulting party, depending upon which of them is "in-the-money" with respect to the swap at the time of its termination. Early termination payments may be calculated in various ways, but are intended to approximate the amount the "in-the-money" party would have to pay to replace the swap as of the date of its termination.

During the term of an uncleared swap, the Fund is required to pledge to the swap counterparty, from time to time, an amount of cash and/or other assets equal to the total net amount (if any) that would be payable by the Fund to the counterparty if all outstanding swaps between the parties were terminated on the date in question, including any early termination payments ("variation margin"). Periodically, changes in the amount pledged are made to recognize changes in value of the contract resulting from, among other things, interest on the notional value of the contract, market value changes in the underlying investment, and/or dividends paid by the issuer of the underlying instrument. Likewise, the counterparty will be required to pledge cash or other assets to cover its obligations to the Fund. However, the amount pledged may not always be equal to or more than the amount due to the other party. Therefore, if a counterparty defaults in its obligations to the Fund, the amount pledged by the counterparty and available to the Fund may not be sufficient to cover all the amounts due to the Fund and the Fund may sustain a loss.

Currently, the Fund does not typically provide initial margin in connection with uncleared swaps. However, rules requiring initial margin for uncleared swaps have been adopted and are being phased in over time. When these rules take effect, if the Fund is deemed to have material swaps exposure under applicable swap regulations, the Fund will be required to post initial margin in addition to variation margin.

*Uncleared OTC contracts.* In an uncleared OTC contract, the counterparty is typically a brokerage firm, bank or other financial institution. The Fund customarily enters into uncleared OTC contract based on the standard terms and conditions of an ISDA Master Agreement. ISDA is a voluntary industry association of participants in the over-the-counter derivatives markets that has developed standardized contracts used by such participants that have agreed to be bound by such standardized contracts. In the event that one party to the OTC transaction defaults and the transaction is terminated prior to its scheduled termination date, the counterparty may be required to make an early termination payment to the fund. An early termination payment may be payable by either the defaulting or non-defaulting party. Early termination payments may be calculated in various ways, but are intended to approximate the amount the "in-the-money" party would have to pay to replace the OTC contract as of the date of its termination.

Currently, the Fund does not typically provide initial margin in connection with an uncleared OTC contract. However, rules requiring initial margin for uncleared OTC contracts have been adopted and are being phased in over time. When these rules take effect, if the Fund is deemed to have material swaps exposure under applicable swap regulations, the Fund will be required to post initial margin.

*Cleared swaps.* Certain standardized swaps are subject to mandatory central clearing and exchange-trading. The Dodd-Frank Act and implementing rules will ultimately require the clearing and exchange-trading of many swaps. Mandatory exchange-trading and clearing will occur on a phased-in basis based on the type of market participant, CFTC approval of contracts for central clearing and public trading facilities making such cleared swaps available to trade. To date, the CFTC has designated only certain of the most common types of credit default index swaps and interest rate swaps as subject to mandatory clearing and certain public trading facilities have made certain of those cleared swaps available to trade, but it is expected that additional categories of swaps will in the future be designated as subject to mandatory clearing and trade execution requirements. Central clearing is intended to reduce counterparty credit risk and increase liquidity, but central clearing does not eliminate these risks and may involve additional costs and risks not involved with uncleared swaps. See "Risks of cleared swaps" below.

In a cleared swap, the Fund's ultimate counterparty is a central clearinghouse rather than a brokerage firm, bank or other financial institution. Cleared swaps are submitted for clearing through each party's FCM, which must be a member of the clearinghouse that serves as the central counterparty. Transactions executed on a swap execution facility ("SEF") may increase market transparency and liquidity but may require the Fund to incur increased expenses to access the same types of swaps that it has used in the past. When the Fund enters into a cleared swap, it must deliver to the central counterparty (via the FCM) an amount referred to as "initial margin." Initial margin requirements are determined by the central counterparty, and are typically calculated as an amount equal to the volatility in market value of the cleared swap over a fixed period, but an FCM may require additional initial margin above the amount required by the central counterparty. During the term of the swap agreement, a "variation margin" amount may also be required to be paid by the Fund or may be received by the Fund in accordance with margin controls set for such accounts. If the value of the Fund's cleared swap declines, the Fund will be required to make additional "variation margin" payments to the FCM to settle the change in value. Conversely, if the market value of the Fund's position increases, the FCM will post additional "variation margin" to the Fund's account. At the conclusion of the term of the swap agreement, if the Fund has a loss equal to or greater than the margin amount, the margin amount is paid to the FCM along with any loss in excess of the margin amount. If the Fund has a loss of less than the margin amount, the excess margin is returned to the Fund. If the Fund has a gain, the full margin amount and the amount of the gain are paid to the Fund.

*Interest rate swaps.* An interest rate swap is an agreement between two parties to exchange interest rate payment obligations. Typically, one party's obligation is based on an interest rate fixed to maturity while the other party's obligation is based on an interest rate that changes in accordance with changes in a designated benchmark (for example, SOFR, prime rate, commercial paper rate, or other benchmarks). Alternatively, both payment obligations may be based on an interest rate that changes in accordance with changes in a designated benchmark (also known as a "basis swap"). In a basis swap, the rates may be based on different benchmarks (for example, SOFR versus commercial paper) or on different terms of the same benchmark (for example, one-month SOFR versus three-month SOFR). Each party's payment obligation under an interest rate swap is determined by reference to a specified "notional" amount of money. Therefore, interest rate swaps generally do not involve the delivery of securities, other underlying instruments, or principal amounts; rather they entail the exchange of cash payments based on the application of the designated interest rates to the notional amount. Accordingly, barring swap counterparty or FCM default, the risk of loss in an interest rate swap is limited to the net amount of interest payments that the Fund is obligated to make or receive (as applicable), as well as any early termination payment payable by or to the Fund upon early termination of the swap.

By swapping fixed interest rate payments for floating payments, an interest rate swap can be used to increase or decrease the Fund's exposure to various interest rates, including to hedge interest rate risk. Interest rate swaps are generally used to permit the party seeking a floating rate obligation the opportunity to acquire such obligation at a rate lower than is directly available in the credit markets, while permitting the party desiring a fixed-rate obligation the opportunity to acquire such a fixed-rate obligation, also frequently at a rate lower than is directly available in the credit markets. The success of such a transaction depends in large part on the availability of fixed-rate obligations at interest (or coupon) rates low enough to cover the costs involved. Similarly, a basis swap can be used to increase or decrease the Fund's exposure to various interest rates, including to hedge against or speculate on the spread between the two indexes, or to manage duration. An interest rate swap transaction is affected by change in interest rates, which, in turn, may affect the prepayment rate of any underlying debt obligations upon which the interest rate swap is based.

*Inflation index swaps.* An inflation index swap is a contract between two parties, whereby one party makes payments based on the cumulative percentage increase in an index that serves as a measure of inflation (typically, the Consumer Price Index) and the other party makes a regular payment based on a compounded fixed rate. Each party's payment obligation under the swap is determined by reference to a specified "notional" amount of money. Typically, an inflation index swap has payment obligations netted and exchanged upon maturity. The value of an inflation index swap is expected to change in response to changes in the rate of inflation. If inflation increases at a faster rate than anticipated at the time the swap is entered into, the swap will increase in value. Similarly, if inflation increases at a rate slower than anticipated at the time the swap is entered into, the swap will decrease in value.

*Risks of swaps generally.* The use of swap transactions is a highly specialized activity, which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. Whether the Fund will be successful in using swap agreements to achieve its investment goal depends on the ability of the Adviser, or sub-adviser, as applicable, to correctly predict which types of investments are likely to produce greater returns. If the Adviser, or sub-adviser, as applicable, in using swap agreements, is incorrect in its forecasts of market values, interest rates, inflation, currency exchange rates or other applicable factors, the investment performance of the Fund will be less than its performance would have been if it had not used the swap agreements.

The risk of loss to the Fund for swap transactions that are entered into on a net basis depends on which party is obligated to pay the net amount to the other party. If the counterparty is obligated to pay the net amount to the Fund, the risk of loss to the Fund is loss of the entire amount that the Fund is entitled to receive. If the Fund is obligated to pay the net amount, the Fund's risk of loss is generally limited to that net amount. If the swap agreement involves the exchange of the entire principal value of a security, the entire principal value of that security is subject to the risk that the other party to the swap will default on its contractual delivery obligations. In addition, the Fund's risk of loss also includes any margin at risk in the event of default by the counterparty (in an uncleared swap) or the central counterparty or FCM (in a cleared swap), plus any transaction costs.

Because bilateral swap agreements are structured as two-party contracts and may have terms of greater than seven days, these swaps may be considered to be illiquid and, therefore, subject to the Fund's limitation on investments in illiquid securities. If a swap transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is illiquid, the Fund may not be able to establish or liquidate a position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses. Participants in the swap markets are not required to make continuous markets in the swap contracts they trade. Participants could refuse to quote prices for swap contracts or quote prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which they are prepared to buy and the price at which they are prepared to sell. Some swap agreements entail complex terms and may require a greater degree of subjectivity in their valuation. However, the swap markets have grown substantially in recent years, with a large number of financial institutions acting both as principals and agents, utilizing standardized swap documentation. As a result, the swap markets have become increasingly liquid. In addition, central clearing and the trading of cleared swaps on public facilities are intended to increase liquidity. The Adviser or sub-adviser, as applicable, under the supervision of the Board, is responsible for determining and monitoring the liquidity of the Fund's swap transactions.

Rules adopted under the Dodd-Frank Act require centralized reporting of detailed information about many swaps, whether cleared or uncleared. This information is available to regulators and also, to a more limited extent and on an anonymous basis, to the public. Reporting of swap data is intended to result in greater market transparency. This may be beneficial to funds that use swaps in their trading strategies. However, public reporting imposes additional recordkeeping burdens on these funds, and the safeguards established to protect anonymity are not yet tested and may not provide protection of fund's identities as intended.

Certain Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") positions may limit the Fund's ability to use swap agreements in a desired tax strategy. For more information about taxes, see "Taxes" below. It is possible that developments in the swap markets and/or the laws relating to swap agreements, including potential government regulation, could adversely affect the Fund's ability to benefit from using swap agreements, or could have adverse tax consequences. For more information about potentially changing regulation, see "Developing government regulation of derivatives" below.

*Risks of uncleared swaps.* Uncleared swaps are typically executed bilaterally with a swap dealer rather than traded on exchanges. As a result, swap participants may not be as protected as participants on organized exchanges. Performance of a swap agreement is the responsibility only of the swap counterparty and not of any exchange or clearinghouse. As a result, the Fund is subject to the risk that a counterparty will be unable or will refuse to perform under such agreement, including because of the counterparty's bankruptcy or insolvency. The Fund risks the loss of the accrued but unpaid amounts under a swap agreement, which could be substantial, in the event of a default, insolvency or bankruptcy by a swap counterparty. In such an event, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the swap agreements, but bankruptcy and insolvency laws could affect the Fund's rights as a creditor. If the counterparty's creditworthiness declines, the value of a swap agreement would likely decline, potentially resulting in losses. The Adviser, or sub-adviser, as applicable, will only approve a swap agreement counterparty for the Fund if the Adviser, or sub-adviser, as applicable, deems the counterparty to be creditworthy. However, in unusual or extreme market conditions, a counterparty's creditworthiness and ability to perform may deteriorate rapidly, and the availability of suitable replacement counterparties may become limited.

*Risks of cleared swaps.* As noted above, under recent financial reforms, certain types of swaps are, and others eventually are expected to be, required to be cleared through a central counterparty, which may affect counterparty risk and other risks faced by the Fund.

Central clearing is designed to reduce counterparty credit risk and increase liquidity compared to uncleared swaps because central clearing interposes the central clearinghouse as the counterparty to each participant's swap, but it does not eliminate those risks completely. There is also a risk of loss by the Fund of the initial and variation margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of the FCM with which the Fund has an open position, or the central counterparty in a swap contract. The assets of the Fund may not be fully protected in the event of the bankruptcy of the FCM or central counterparty because the Fund might be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds and margin segregated on behalf of an FCM's customers. If the FCM does not provide accurate reporting, the Fund is also subject to the risk that the FCM could use the Fund's assets, which are held in an omnibus account with assets belonging to the FCM's other customers, to satisfy its own financial obligations or the payment obligations of another customer to the central counterparty. Credit risk of cleared swap participants is concentrated in a few clearinghouses, and the consequences of insolvency of a clearinghouse are not clear.

With cleared swaps, the Fund may not be able to obtain as favorable terms as it would be able to negotiate for a bilateral, uncleared swap. In addition, an FCM may unilaterally amend the terms of its agreement with the Fund, which may include the imposition of position limits or additional margin requirements with respect to the Fund's investment in certain types of swaps. Central counterparties and FCMs can require termination of existing cleared swap transactions upon the occurrence of certain events, and can also require increases in margin above the margin that is required at the initiation of the swap agreement.

Finally, the Fund is subject to the risk that, after entering into a cleared swap with an executing broker, no FCM or central counterparty is willing or able to clear the transaction. In such an event, the Fund may be required to break the trade and make an early termination payment to the executing broker.

*Combined transactions.* The Fund may enter into multiple derivative instruments, and any combination of derivative instruments as part of a single or combined strategy (a "Combined Transaction") when the Adviser, or sub-adviser, as applicable, believes it is in the best interests of the Fund to do so. A Combined Transaction will usually contain elements of risk that are present in each of its component transactions.

Although Combined Transactions are normally entered into based on the Adviser's, or sub-adviser's, as applicable, judgment that the combined strategies will reduce risk or otherwise more effectively achieve the desired portfolio management goal(s), it is possible that the combination will instead increase such risks or hinder achievement of the portfolio management objective.

*Developing government regulation of derivatives.* The regulation of cleared and uncleared swaps, as well as other derivatives, is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to modification by government and judicial action. In addition, the SEC, CFTC and the exchanges are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of a market emergency, including, for example, the implementation or reduction of speculative position limits, the implementation of higher margin requirements, the establishment of daily price limits and the suspension of trading.

It is not possible to predict fully the effects of current or future regulation. However, it is possible that developments in government regulation of various types of derivative instruments, such as speculative position limits on certain types of derivatives, or limits or restrictions on the counterparties with which the Fund engages in derivative transactions, may limit or prevent the Fund from using or limit the Fund's use of these instruments effectively as a part of its investment strategy, and could adversely affect the Fund's ability to achieve its investment goal(s). The Adviser, or sub-adviser, as applicable, will continue to monitor developments in the area, particularly to the extent regulatory changes affect the Fund's ability to enter into desired swap agreements. New requirements, even if not directly applicable to the Fund, may increase the cost of the Fund's investments and cost of doing business.

*Options.* An option is a contract that gives the purchaser of the option, in return for the premium paid, the right to buy an underlying reference instrument, such as a specified security, currency, index, or other instrument, from the writer of the option (in the case of a call option), or to sell a specified reference instrument to the writer of the option (in the case of a put option) at a designated price during the term of the option. The premium paid by the buyer of an option will reflect, among other things, the relationship of the exercise price to the market price and the volatility of the underlying reference instrument, the remaining term of the option, supply, demand, interest rates and/or currency exchange rates. An American style put or call option may be exercised at any time during the option period while a European style put or call option may be exercised only upon expiration or during a fixed period prior thereto. Put and call options are traded on national securities exchanges and in the OTC market.

Options traded on national securities exchanges are within the jurisdiction of the SEC or other appropriate national securities regulator, as are securities traded on such exchanges. As a result, many of the protections provided to traders on organized exchanges will be available with respect to such transactions. In particular, all option positions entered into on a national securities exchange in the United States are cleared and guaranteed by the Options Clearing Corporation, thereby reducing the risk of counterparty default. Furthermore, a liquid secondary market in options traded on a national securities exchange may be more readily available than in the OTC market. There is no assurance, however, that higher than anticipated trading activity or other unforeseen events might not temporarily render the capabilities of the Options Clearing Corporation inadequate, and thereby result in the exchange instituting special procedures which may interfere with the timely execution of the Fund's orders to close out open options positions.

*Purchasing call and put options*. As the buyer of a call option, the Fund has a right to buy the underlying reference instrument at the exercise price at any time during the option period (for American style options). The Fund may enter into closing sale transactions with respect to call options, exercise them, or permit them to expire. For example, the Fund may buy call options on underlying reference instruments that it intends to buy with the goal of limiting the risk of a substantial increase in their market price before the purchase is effected. Unless the price of the underlying reference instrument changes sufficiently, a call option purchased by the Fund may expire without any value to the Fund, in which case the Fund would experience a loss to the extent of the premium paid for the option plus related transaction costs.

As the buyer of a put option, the Fund has the right to sell the underlying reference instrument at the exercise price at any time during the option period (for American style options). Like a call option, the Fund may enter into closing sale transactions with respect to put options, exercise them or permit them to expire. The Fund may buy a put option on an underlying reference instrument owned by the Fund (a protective put) as a hedging technique in an attempt to protect against an anticipated decline in the market value of the underlying reference instrument. Such hedge protection is provided only during the life of the put option when the Fund, as the buyer of the put option, is able to sell the underlying reference instrument at the put exercise price, regardless of any decline in the underlying instrument's market price. The Fund may also seek to offset a decline in the value of the underlying reference instrument through appreciation in the value of the put option. A put option may also be purchased with the intent of protecting unrealized appreciation of an instrument when the Adviser, or sub-adviser, as applicable, deems it desirable to continue to hold the instrument because of tax or other considerations. The premium paid for the put option and any transaction costs would reduce any short-term capital gain that may be available for distribution when the instrument is eventually sold. Buying put options at a time when the buyer does not own the underlying reference instrument allows the buyer to benefit from a decline in the market price of the underlying reference instrument, which generally increases the value of the put option.

If a put option was not terminated in a closing sale transaction when it has remaining value, and if the market price of the underlying reference instrument remains equal to or greater than the exercise price during the life of the put option, the buyer would not make any gain upon exercise of the option and would experience a loss to the extent of the premium paid for the option plus related transaction costs. For the purchase of a put option to be profitable, the market price of the underlying reference instrument must decline sufficiently below the exercise price to cover the premium and transaction costs.

*Writing call and put options*. Writing options may permit the writer to generate additional income in the form of the premium received for writing the option. The writer of an option may have no control over when the underlying reference instruments must be sold (in the case of a call option) or purchased (in the case of a put option) because the writer may be notified of exercise at any time prior to the expiration of the option (for American style options). In general, though, options are infrequently exercised prior to expiration. Whether or not an option expires unexercised, the writer retains the amount of the premium. Writing "covered" call options means that the writer owns the underlying reference instrument that is subject to the call option. Call options may also be written on reference instruments that the writer does not own.

If the Fund writes a covered call option, any underlying reference instruments that are held by the Fund and are subject to the call option will be earmarked on the books of the Fund as segregated to satisfy its obligations under the option. The Fund will be unable to sell the underlying reference instruments that are subject to the written call option until it either effects a closing transaction with respect to the written call, or otherwise satisfies the conditions for release of the underlying reference instruments from segregation. As the writer of a covered call option, the Fund gives up the potential for capital appreciation above the exercise price of the option should the underlying reference instrument rise in value. If the value of the underlying reference instrument rises above the exercise price of the call option, the reference instrument will likely be "called away," requiring the Fund to sell the underlying instrument at the exercise price. In that case, the Fund will sell the underlying reference instrument to the option buyer for less than its market value, and the Fund will experience a loss (which will be offset by the premium received by the Fund as the writer of such option). If a call option expires unexercised, the Fund will realize a gain in the amount of the premium received. If the market price of the underlying reference instrument decreases, the call option will not be exercised and the Fund will be able to use the amount of the premium received to hedge against the loss in value of the underlying reference instrument. The exercise price of a call option will be chosen based upon the expected price movement of the underlying reference instrument. The exercise price of a call option may be below, equal to (at-the-money), or above the current value of the underlying reference instrument at the time the option is written.

As the writer of a put option, the Fund has a risk of loss should the underlying reference instrument decline in value. If the value of the underlying reference instrument declines below the exercise price of the put option and the put option is exercised, the Fund, as the writer of the put option, will be required to buy the instrument at the exercise price, which will exceed the market value of the underlying reference instrument at that time. The Fund will incur a loss to the extent that the current market value of the underlying reference instrument is less than the exercise price of the put option. However, the loss will be offset in part by the premium received from the buyer of the put. If a put option written by the Fund expires unexercised, the Fund will realize a gain in the amount of the premium received.

*Closing out options (exchange-traded options).* If the writer of an option wants to terminate its obligation, the writer may effect a "closing purchase transaction" by buying an option of the same series as the option previously written. The effect of the purchase is that the clearing corporation will cancel the option writer's position. However, a writer may not effect a closing purchase transaction after being notified of the exercise of an option. Likewise, the buyer of an option may recover all or a portion of the premium that it paid by effecting a "closing sale transaction" by selling an option of the same series as the option previously purchased and receiving a premium on the sale. There is no guarantee that either a closing purchase or a closing sale transaction may be made at a time desired by the Fund. Closing transactions allow the Fund to terminate its positions in written and purchased options. The Fund will realize a profit from a closing transaction if the price of the transaction is less than the premium received from writing the original option (in the case of written options) or is more than the premium paid by the Fund to buy the option (in the case of purchased options). For example, increases in the market price of a call option sold by the Fund will generally reflect increases in the market price of the underlying reference instrument. As a result, any loss resulting from a closing transaction on a written call option is likely to be offset in whole or in part by appreciation of the underlying instrument owned by the Fund.

*OTC options.* Like exchange-traded options, OTC options give the holder the right to buy from the writer, in the case of OTC call options, or sell to the writer, in the case of OTC put options, an underlying reference instrument at a stated exercise price. OTC options, however, differ from exchange-traded options in certain material respects.

OTC options are arranged directly with dealers and not with a clearing corporation or exchange. Consequently, there is a risk of non-performance by the dealer, including because of the dealer's bankruptcy or insolvency. While the Fund uses only counterparties, such as dealers, that meet its credit quality standards, in unusual or extreme market conditions, a counterparty's creditworthiness and ability to perform may deteriorate rapidly, and the availability of suitable replacement counterparties may become limited. Because there is no exchange, pricing is typically done based on information from market makers or other dealers. OTC options are available for a greater variety of underlying reference instruments and in a wider range of expiration dates and exercise prices than exchange-traded options.

There can be no assurance that a continuous liquid secondary market will exist for any particular OTC option at any specific time. The Fund may be able to realize the value of an OTC option it has purchased only by exercising it or entering into a closing sale transaction with the dealer that issued it. When the Fund writes an OTC option, it generally can close out that option prior to its expiration only by entering into a closing purchase transaction with the dealer with which the Fund originally wrote the option. The Fund may suffer a loss if it is not able to exercise (in the case of a purchased option) or enter into a closing sale transaction on a timely basis.

*Closing out options (OTC options).* If the holder of an option wants to close out its position, the holder may effect a "novation" by selling short (borrowing) an option of the same series as the option previously purchased from a different counterparty. The effect of the sale/borrowing is the cancellation of the option writer's position once a novation among the counterparties has been completed to close out the position. There is no guarantee that either a closing purchase or a closing sale transaction may be made at a time desired by the Fund. Closing transactions allow the Fund to terminate its positions in written and purchased options. The Fund will realize a profit from a closing transaction if the price of the transaction is less than the premium received from writing the original option (in the case of written options) or is more than the premium paid by the Fund to buy the option (in the case of purchased options). For example, increases in the market price of a call option sold by the Fund will generally reflect increases in the market price of the underlying reference instrument. As a result, any loss resulting from a closing transaction on a written call option is likely to be offset in whole or in part by appreciation of the underlying instrument owned by the Fund.

*Interest rate cap options.* An interest rate cap is a type of OTC option. The buyer of an interest rate cap option pays an up-front premium to the seller in exchange for a promise by that counterparty to pay at expiration the difference between the floating interest rate at expiration and the strike of the option if the floating rate is above the strike at expiry.

The floating interest rate may be tied to a reference rate or the Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR") or other benchmark. The amount of each payment is determined by reference to a specified number of options contracts and the amount of in the moneyness. Interest rate cap options are cash settled at expiration and do not involve the delivery of securities, other underlying instruments, or principal amounts. Accordingly, barring counterparty risk, the risk of loss to the purchaser of an interest rate cap is limited to the amount of the premium paid.

Interest rate cap options can be used to increase or decrease exposure to various interest rates, including to hedge interest rate risk. By purchasing an interest rate cap option, the buyer of the cap option can benefit from a higher reference rate if that rate rises. If the reference rate falls below the strike rate, the interest rate cap option will expire worthless.

The risks of owning interest rate cap options include the risk of loss from changes in the value of interest rate forwards, implied correlation, and market implied volatility. Interest rate cap options also involve the risks associated with derivative instruments generally, as described herein, including the risks associated with OTC options. Interest rate cap options owned by the Fund may not generate positive returns, may lose money or may expire worthless, causing losses to the Fund.

*Interest rate floor option.* An interest rate floor is a type of OTC option. The buyer of an interest rate floor option pays an up-front premium to the seller in exchange for a promise by that counterparty to pay at expiration the difference between the floating interest rate at expiration and the strike of the option if the floating rate is below the strike at expiry.

The floating interest rate may be tied to a reference rate or the Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR") or other benchmark. The amount of each payment is determined by reference to a specified number of options contracts and the amount of in the moneyness. Interest rate floor options are cash settled at expiration and do not involve the delivery of securities, other underlying instruments, or principal amounts. Accordingly, barring counterparty risk, the risk of loss to the purchaser of an interest rate floor is limited to the amount of the premium paid.

Interest rate floor options can be used to increase or decrease exposure to various interest rates, including to hedge interest rate risk. By purchasing an interest rate floor option, the buyer of the floor option can benefit from a lower reference rate if that rate falls. If the interest rate rises above the strike rate, the interest rate floor option will expire worthless.

*Options on swap agreements.* An option on a swap agreement generally is an OTC option (see the discussion above on OTC options) that gives the buyer of the option the right, but not the obligation, in return for payment of a premium to the seller, to enter into a previously negotiated swap agreement, or to extend, terminate or otherwise modify the terms of an existing swap agreement. The writer (seller) of an option on a swap agreement receives premium payments from the buyer and, in exchange, becomes obligated to enter into or modify an underlying swap agreement upon the exercise of the option by the buyer. When the Fund purchases an option on a swap agreement, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised, plus any related transaction costs.

There can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular option on a swap agreement, or at any particular time, and the Fund may have difficulty affecting closing transactions in particular options on swap agreements. Therefore, the Fund may have to exercise the options that it purchases in order to realize any profit and take delivery of the underlying swap agreement. The Fund could then incur transaction costs upon the sale or closing out of the underlying swap agreement. In the event that the option on a swap is exercised, the counterparty for such option would be the same counterparty with whom the Fund entered into the underlying swap.

However, if the Fund writes (sells) an option on a swap agreement, the Fund is bound by the terms of the underlying swap agreement upon exercise of the option by the buyer, which may result in losses to the Fund in excess of the premium it received. Options on swap agreements involve the risks associated with derivative instruments generally, as described above, as well as the additional risks associated with both options and swaps generally.

Options on swap agreements are considered to be swaps for purposes of CFTC regulation. Although they are traded OTC, the CFTC may in the future designate certain options on swaps as subject to mandatory clearing. For more information, see "Cleared swaps" and "Risks of cleared swaps."

An option on an interest rate swap (also sometimes referred to as a "swaption") is a contract that gives the purchaser the right, but not the obligation, in return for payment of a premium, to enter into a new interest rate swap. A pay fixed option on an interest rate swap gives the buyer the right to establish a position in an interest rate swap where the buyer will pay (and the writer will receive) the fixed-rate cash flows and receive (and the writer will pay) the floating-rate cash flows. In general, most options on interest rate swaps are "European" exercise, which means that they can only be exercised at the end of the option term. Depending on the movement of interest rates between the time of purchase and expiration, the value of the underlying interest rate swap and therefore also the value of the option on the interest rate swap will change.

An option on a credit default swap is a contract that gives the buyer the right (but not the obligation), in return for payment of a premium to the option seller, to enter into a new credit default swap on a reference entity at a predetermined spread on a future date. This spread is the price at which the contract is executed (the option strike price). Similar to a put option, in a payer option on a credit default swap, the option buyer pays a premium to the option seller for the right, but not the obligation, to buy credit protection on a reference entity (e.g., a particular portfolio security) at a predetermined spread on a future date. Similar to a call option, in a receiver option on a credit default swap the option buyer pays a premium for the right, but not the obligation to sell credit default swap protection on a reference entity or index. Depending on the movement of market spreads with respect to the particular referenced debt securities between the time of purchase and expiration of the option, the value of the underlying credit default swap and therefore the value of the option will change. Options on credit default swaps currently are traded OTC and the specific terms of each option on a credit default swap are negotiated directly with the counterparty.

*Risks of options.* The Fund's options investments involve certain risks, including general risks related to derivative instruments. There can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular option, or at any particular time, and the Fund may have difficulty effecting closing transactions in particular options. Therefore, the Fund would have to exercise the options it purchased in order to realize any profit, thus taking or making delivery of the underlying reference instrument when not desired. The Fund could then incur transaction costs upon the sale of the underlying reference instruments. When trading options on non-U.S. exchanges or in the OTC market, many of the protections afforded to exchange participants will not be available. For example, there may be no daily price fluctuation limits, and adverse market movements could therefore continue to an unlimited extent over an indefinite period of time.

The effectiveness of an options strategy for hedging depends on the degree to which price movements in the underlying reference instruments correlate with price movements in the relevant portion of the Fund's portfolio that is being hedged. In addition, the Fund bears the risk that the prices of its portfolio investments will not move in the same amount as the option it has purchased or sold for hedging purposes, or that there may be a negative correlation that would result in a loss on both the investments and the option. If the Adviser, or sub-adviser, as applicable, is not successful in using options in managing the Fund's investments, the Fund's performance will be worse than if the Adviser, or sub-adviser, as applicable, did not employ such strategies.

**<u>Structured Notes and Securities</u>**

The Funds may invest in structured instruments, including, without limitation, participation notes, certificates and warrants and other types of notes on which the amount of principal repayment and interest payments are based on the movement of one or more specified factors, such as the movement of a particular stock or stock index. Structured instruments may be derived from or based on a single security or securities, an index, a commodity, debt issuance or a foreign currency (a "reference"), and their interest rate or principal may be determined by an unrelated indicator. Structured securities may be positively or negatively indexed, so that appreciation of the reference may produce an increase or a decrease in the value of the structured security at maturity, or in the interest rate of the structured security. Structured securities may entail a greater degree of risk than other types of securities because a Fund bears the risk of the reference in addition to the risk that the counterparty to the structured security will be unable or unwilling to fulfill its obligations under the structured security to a Fund when due. A Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received in connection with a structured security in the event of the default or bankruptcy of the counterparty to the structured security. Structured securities may also be more volatile, less liquid, and more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities or more traditional debt securities.

**<u>Exchange-Traded Notes</u>**

A Fund may invest in exchange-traded notes ("ETNs"). ETNs are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities whose returns are linked to the performance of a particular market benchmark or strategy, minus applicable fees. ETNs are traded on an exchange (e.g., the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE")) during normal trading hours; however, investors can also hold the ETN until maturity. At maturity, the issuer pays to the investor a cash amount equal to the principal amount, subject to the day's market benchmark or strategy factor. ETNs do not make periodic coupon payments or provide principal protection. ETNs are subject to credit risk, including the credit risk of the issuer, and the value of the ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuer's credit rating, despite the underlying market benchmark or strategy remaining unchanged. The value of an ETN may also be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying assets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer's credit rating, and economic, legal, political, or geographic events that affect the referenced underlying asset. When a Fund invests in ETNs, it will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN. A decision by a Fund to sell ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. In addition, although an ETN may be listed on an exchange, the issuer may not be required to maintain the listing, and there can be no assurance that a secondary market will exist for an ETN.

ETNs are also subject to tax risk. No assurance can be given that the IRS will accept, or a court will uphold, how a Fund characterizes and treats ETNs for tax purposes.

An ETN that is tied to a specific market benchmark or strategy may not be able to replicate and maintain exactly the composition and relative weighting of securities, commodities or other components in the applicable market benchmark or strategy. Some ETNs that use leverage can, at times, be relatively illiquid, and thus they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Leveraged ETNs are subject to the same risk as other instruments that use leverage in any form.

The market value of ETNs may differ from their market benchmark or strategy. This difference in price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for ETNs at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the securities, commodities or other components underlying the market benchmark or strategy that the ETN seeks to track. As a result, there may be times when an ETN trades at a premium or discount to its market benchmark or strategy.

**<u>Investments in Other Investment Companies</u>**

The Funds may invest in the securities of other investment companies to the extent that such an investment would be consistent with the requirements of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, or any rule, regulation or order of the SEC or interpretation thereof. Generally, a Fund may invest in the securities of another investment company (the "acquired company") provided that a Fund, immediately after such purchase or acquisition, does not own: (i) more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the acquired company; (ii) securities issued by the acquired company having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the value of the total assets of a Fund; or (iii) securities issued by the acquired company and all other investment companies having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of a Fund. Section 12(d)(1)(B) prohibits another investment company from selling its shares to a Fund if, after the sale (i) a Fund owns more than 3% of the other investment company's voting stock or (ii) a Fund and other investment companies, and companies controlled by them, own more than 10% of the voting stock of such other investment company.

The Fund, however, is permitted to invest in shares of certain investment companies beyond the limits contained in the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, if the Fund complies with the adopted framework for fund of funds arrangements under Rule 12d1-4. Pursuant to Rule 12d1-4, the Fund is permitted to exceed the limits of Section 12 of the 1940 Act if the Fund complies with Rule 12d1-4's conditions, which contain elements from the SEC prior exemptive orders permitting fund of funds arrangements, including (i) limits on control and voting; (ii) required evaluations and findings; (iii) required fund of funds investment agreements; and (iv) limits on complex structures.

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

Consistent with the restrictions discussed above, a Fund may invest in several different types of investment companies from time to time, including mutual funds, ETFs, closed-end funds, foreign investment companies and business development companies ("BDCs"). For example, a Fund may elect to invest in another investment company when such an investment presents a more efficient investment option than buying securities individually. A BDC is a less common type of closed-end investment company that more closely resembles an operating company than a typical investment company. BDCs generally focus on investing in, and providing managerial assistance to, small, developing, financially troubled, private companies or other companies that may have value that can be realized over time and with management assistance. Similar to an operating company, a BDC's total annual operating expense ratio typically reflects all of the operating expenses incurred by the BDC, and is generally greater than the total annual operating expense ratio of a mutual fund that does not bear the same types of operating expenses.

The main risk of investing in other investment companies is that a Fund will be exposed to the risks of the investments held by the other investment companies. The market prices of ETFs will fluctuate in accordance with both changes in the market value of their underlying portfolio securities and due to supply and demand for the instruments on the exchanges on which they are traded (which may result in their trading at a discount or premium to their NAVs). Index-based investment companies may not replicate exactly the performance of their specific index because of transaction costs, and because of the temporary unavailability of certain component securities of the index, or strategy used to track the index.

Krane and a sub-adviser are subject to a conflict of interest in allocating a Fund's assets to investment companies, if any, from which they or their affiliates receive compensation, such as an advisory fee, or other benefits.

**<u>Illiquid Securities</u>**

The Fund may invest up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Illiquid securities may be difficult to value, and a Fund may have difficulty or be unable to dispose of such securities promptly or at reasonable prices.

The SEC has adopted Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act, which requires the Fund to adopt a liquidity risk management program to assess and manage its liquidity risk. Under its program, the Fund will be required to classify its investments into specific liquidity categories and monitor compliance with limits on investments in illiquid securities. The Fund does not expect Rule 22e-4 to have a significant effect on investment operations. While the liquidity risk management program attempts to assess and manage liquidity risk, there is no guarantee it will be effective in its operations and may not reduce the liquidity risk inherent in the Fund's investments.

If illiquid investments exceed 15% of the Fund's net assets (including, for example, because of changes in the market value of its investments or because of redemptions), Rule 22e-4 and the liquidity risk management program will require that certain remedial actions be taken. The Fund may not acquire illiquid investments if, immediately after the acquisition, more than 15% of the Fund's net assets would be illiquid investments.

**<u>Portfolio Turnover</u>**

In general, Krane or a sub-adviser manages each Fund without regard to restrictions on portfolio turnover. The Funds' investment strategies, however, may produce high portfolio turnover rates. To the extent a Fund invests in derivative instruments with short-term maturities, such derivative instruments would be excluded from the calculation of portfolio turnover. The value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of a Fund's shares also is excluded from the calculation of the Fund's portfolio turnover rate. As a result, a Fund's reported portfolio turnover may be low despite relatively high portfolio activity which would, in turn, produce correspondingly greater expenses for a Fund, including brokerage commissions or dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of securities and reinvestments in other securities. Generally, the higher the rate of portfolio turnover of a fund, the higher these transaction costs borne by a fund and its long-term shareholders. Such sales may result in the realization of taxable capital gains (including short-term capital gains, which, when distributed, are generally taxed to shareholders at ordinary income tax rates) for certain taxable shareholders.

"Portfolio Turnover Rate" is defined under the rules of the SEC as the lesser of the value of the securities purchased or of the 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, derivatives and instruments with a remaining maturity of less than one-year are excluded from the calculation of the portfolio turnover rate. Instruments excluded from the calculation of portfolio turnover may include commercial paper, futures contracts and option contracts because they generally have a remaining maturity of less than one-year.

**<u>Borrowing</u>**

The Funds may borrow money to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. Borrowing for investment purposes is a form of leverage. Leveraging investments, by purchasing securities with borrowed money, is a speculative technique that increases investment risk. Because substantially all of a Fund's assets will fluctuate in value, whereas the interest obligations on borrowings may be fixed, the NAV of a Fund will increase more when a Fund's portfolio assets increase in value and decrease more when a Fund's portfolio assets decrease in value than would otherwise be the case. Moreover, interest costs on borrowings may fluctuate with changing market rates of interest and may partially offset or exceed the returns on the borrowed funds. A Fund also may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with a borrowing or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit, which would further increase the cost of borrowing. Under adverse conditions, a Fund might have to sell portfolio securities to meet interest or principal payments at a time when investment considerations would not favor such sales.

Although it has not entered into any sort of credit facility, a Fund may borrow money to facilitate management of a Fund's portfolio by enabling a Fund to meet redemption requests when the liquidation of portfolio instruments would be inconvenient or disadvantageous, and for temporary or emergency purposes, such as trade settlements and as necessary to distribute to shareholders any income required to maintain the Fund's status as a RIC. In this regard, a Fund may enter into a credit facility to borrow money for temporary or emergency purposes, including the funding of shareholder redemption requests, trade settlements, and as necessary to distribute to shareholders any income required to maintain a Fund's status as a RIC. Such borrowing is not for investment purposes and will be repaid by a Fund promptly. As required by the 1940 Act, a Fund must maintain continuous asset coverage (total assets, including assets acquired with borrowed funds, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of all amounts borrowed. If, at any time, the value of a Fund's assets should fail to meet this 300% coverage test, a Fund, within three days (not including Sundays and holidays), will reduce the amount of a Fund's borrowings to the extent necessary to meet this 300% coverage requirement. Maintenance of this percentage limitation may result in the sale of portfolio securities at a time when investment considerations otherwise indicate that it would be disadvantageous to do so.

While the Funds do not anticipate doing so, each Fund is authorized to pledge (*i.e.*, transfer a security interest in) portfolio securities in an amount up to one-third of the value of the Fund's total assets in connection with any borrowing.

**<u>Bank Deposits and Obligations</u>**

The Funds may invest in deposits and other obligations of U.S. and non-U.S. banks and financial institutions. Deposits and obligations of banks and financial institutions include certificates of deposit, time deposits, and bankers' acceptances. Certificates of deposit and time deposits represent an institution's obligation to repay funds deposited with it that earn a specified interest rate. Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates, while time deposits are non-negotiable deposits. A banker's acceptance is a time draft drawn on and accepted by a bank that becomes a primary and unconditional liability of the bank upon acceptance. Investments in obligations of non-U.S. banks and financial institutions may involve risks that are different from investments in obligations of U.S. banks. These risks include future unfavorable political and economic developments, seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits, currency controls, interest limitations or other governmental restrictions that might affect the payment of principal or interest on the securities held in a Fund. All investments in deposits and other obligations are subject to credit risk, which is the risk that a Fund may lose its investments in these instruments if, for example, the issuing financial institution collapses and is unable to meet its obligations. This risk is more acute for investments in deposits and other obligations that are not insured by a government or private entity.

**<u>Repurchase Agreements</u>**

The Funds may enter into repurchase agreements. A repurchase agreement is a transaction in which a Fund purchases securities or other obligations from a bank or securities dealer (or its affiliate) and simultaneously commits to resell them to a counterparty at an agreed-upon date or upon demand and at a price reflecting a market rate of interest unrelated to the coupon rate or maturity of the purchased obligations. A Fund maintains custody of the underlying obligations prior to their repurchase, either through its regular custodian or through a special "triparty" custodian or sub-custodian that maintains separate accounts for both a Fund and its counterparty. Thus, the obligation of the counterparty to pay the repurchase price on the date agreed to or upon demand is, in effect, secured by such obligations.

Repurchase agreements carry certain risks not associated with direct investments in securities, including a possible decline in the market value of the underlying obligations. If their value becomes less than the repurchase price, plus any agreed-upon additional amount, the counterparty must provide additional collateral so that at all times the collateral is at least equal to the repurchase price plus any agreed-upon additional amount. The difference between the total amount to be received upon repurchase of the obligations and the price that was paid by a Fund upon acquisition is accrued as interest and included in its net investment income. Repurchase agreements collateralized by instruments other than U.S. government securities (such as commercial paper and corporate bonds) are subject to special risks as they may not have the benefit of certain protections in the event of the counterparty's insolvency. If the seller or guarantor becomes insolvent, a Fund may suffer delays, costs and possible losses in connection with the disposition of collateral.

**<u>Reverse Repurchase Agreements</u>**

The Funds may enter into reverse repurchase agreements, which involve the sale of securities held by a Fund subject to its agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon date or upon demand and at a price reflecting a market rate of interest. Reverse repurchase agreements are subject to a Fund's limitation on borrowings and may be entered into only with banks or securities dealers or their affiliates.

Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the buyer of the securities sold by a Fund might be unable to deliver them when a Fund seeks to repurchase. If the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the buyer or trustee or receiver may receive an extension of time to determine whether to enforce the Fund's obligation to repurchase the securities, and the Fund's use of the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement may effectively be restricted pending such decision.

**<u>Other Short-Term Instruments</u>**

In addition to repurchase agreements, the Fund may invest in short-term instruments, including money market instruments, on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity or for other reasons. Money market instruments are generally short-term investments that may include but are not limited to: (i) shares of money market funds; (ii) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises); (iii) negotiable certificates of deposit ("CDs"), bankers' acceptances, fixed time deposits and other obligations of U.S. and foreign banks (including foreign branches) and similar institutions; (iv) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase "Prime-1" by Moody's or "A-1" by S&P or, if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Adviser, or sub-adviser, as applicable; (v) non-convertible corporate debt securities (e.g., bonds and debentures); and (vi) short-term U.S. dollar-denominated obligations of foreign banks (including U.S. branches) that, in the opinion of the Adviser, or sub-adviser, as applicable, are of comparable quality to obligations of U.S. banks which may be purchased by the Fund. Any of these instruments may be purchased on a current or a forward-settled basis. Money market instruments also include shares of money market funds. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Bankers' acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.

**<u>Cyber-Security Risk</u>**

Each Fund, and its service providers, may be prone to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber-attacks. Cyber-attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber security breaches. Cyber-attacks affecting a Fund or its advisors, custodian, transfer agent, intermediaries and other third-party service providers may adversely impact a Fund. For instance, cyber-attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact a Fund's ability to calculate its NAV, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential business information, impede trading, subject a Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses and/or cause reputational damage. A Fund may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes. While a Fund's service providers have established business continuity plans, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, a Fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by its service providers or any other third parties whose operations may affect a Fund or its shareholders. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issues or securities in which a Fund may invest, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause a Fund's investment in such companies to lose value.

**INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS**

Unless otherwise noted, whenever a fundamental investment policy or limitation states that a maximum percentage of a Fund's assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding quality standards, such standard or percentage limitation will be determined immediately after and as a result of a Fund's acquisition of such security or other asset. Accordingly, other than with respect to a Fund's limitations on borrowings, any subsequent change in values, net assets, or other circumstances will not be considered when determining whether the investment complies with a Fund's investment policies and limitations.

**<u>Fundamental Policies</u>**

The Trust has adopted the following investment restrictions as fundamental policies with respect to the Funds. These restrictions cannot be changed with respect to the Funds 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 a Fund present at the meeting if the holders of more than 50% of a Fund's outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund.

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

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, and any applicable exemptive relief.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Concentrate its investments (*i.e.*, hold more than 25% of its total assets) in any industry or group of related industries. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities), investment companies, repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities, and tax-exempt securities of state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. Borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, and any applicable exemptive relief.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4. Lend any security or make any other loan except as permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, and any applicable exemptive relief. This limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities or to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments permissible under the Fund's investment policies.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;5. Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act. This shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate, real estate investment trusts or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;6. Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act. This shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options and futures contracts or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;7. Underwrite securities issued by other persons, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act.

Each Fund's fundamental policies will be interpreted broadly. For example, the policies will be interpreted to refer to the 1940 Act and the related rules as they are in effect from time to time, and to interpretations of or relating to the 1940 Act by the SEC and others as they are given from time to time. When a policy provides that an investment practice may be conducted as permitted by the 1940 Act, the policy will be interpreted to mean either that the 1940 Act expressly permits the practice or that the 1940 Act does not prohibit the practice.

**CONTINUOUS OFFERING**

The method by which Creation Units of shares are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units of shares are issued and sold by a Fund on an ongoing basis, at any point a "distribution," as such term is used in 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 requirement 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 Funds' Distributor, breaks them down into constituent 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 a 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, generally are required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act.

**MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST**

**<u>Board Responsibilities</u>**

The Board of Trustees is responsible for overseeing the management and affairs of each Fund and the Trust. The Board considers and approves contracts, as described herein, under which certain companies provide essential management and administrative services to the Trust. Like most ETFs, the day-to-day business of the Trust, including the day-to-day management of risk, is performed by third-party service providers, such as Krane, a sub-adviser where applicable, the Distributor and the Administrator (as defined below). The Board oversees the Trust's service providers and overall risk management. Risk management seeks to identify and eliminate or mitigate the potential effects of risks, *i.e.*, events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Trust or a Fund. Under the overall supervision of the Board and the Audit Committee (discussed in more detail below), the service providers to the Funds employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify risks relevant to the operations of the Trust and a Fund to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust's business (*e.g.*, Krane is responsible for the oversight of a sub-adviser) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that activity.

Consistent with its responsibility for oversight of the Trust and the Funds, the Board oversees the management of risks relating to the administration and operations of the Trust and the Funds. Krane, as part of its responsibilities for the day-to-day operations of the Funds, is responsible for day-to-day risk management for the Funds. The Board performs its risk management oversight directly and, as to certain matters, through its committees. The following provides an overview of the principal, but not all, aspects of the Board's oversight of risk management for the Trust and the Funds.

In general, each Fund's risks include, among others, investment risk, liquidity risk, valuation risk and operational risk. The Funds' service providers, including Krane and sub-adviser, as applicable, are responsible for adopting policies, procedures and controls designed to address various risks within their purview. Further, Krane is responsible for overseeing and monitoring the investments and operations of each sub-adviser. The Board also oversees risk management for the Trust and the Funds through review of regular reports, presentations and other information from officers of the Trust and other persons. In addition to reports from Krane, the Board also receives reports regarding other service providers to the Trust on a periodic or regular basis.

The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent and quality of the Fund services provided to the Funds by Krane and any sub-adviser and receives information from them on a periodic basis. In connection with its consideration of whether to approve and/or renew the advisory agreements with Krane and any sub-adviser, the Board will request information allowing the Board to review such services. The Board also receives reports related to Krane's and any sub-adviser's adherence to each Fund's investment restrictions and compliance with the stated policies of a Fund. In addition, the Board regularly receives information about each Fund's performance and investments.

The Trust's Chief Compliance Officer meets regularly with the Board to review and discuss compliance and other issues. At least annually, the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust's policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the Adviser and any sub-adviser. The report generally seeks to address: the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and material compliance matters since the date of the last report.

The Board normally also receives reports from the Trust's service providers regarding Fund operations, portfolio valuation and other matters. Annually, an independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of the Trust's financial statements, focusing on certain areas of risk to the Trust and the Trust's internal controls.

The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect a Fund can be identified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve a Fund's goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, despite the periodic reports the Board receives and the Board's discussions with the service providers to a Fund, it may not be made aware of all relevant information about certain risks. Most of the Trust's investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through Krane and other service providers, each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the Trust's and each other's in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board's risk management oversight is subject to substantial limitations.

**<u>Members of the Board and Officers of the Trust</u>**

Set forth below are the names, years of birth, position with the Trust, term of office, the principal occupations for a minimum of the last five years, number of portfolios overseen by, and other directorships of each of the persons currently serving as members of the Board and as Executive Officers of the Trust. Also included below is the term of office for each of the Executive Officers of the Trust. The members of the Board serve as Trustees for the life of the Trust or until retirement, removal, or their office is terminated pursuant to the Trust's Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust.

The Chairman of the Board, Jonathan Krane, is an interested person of the Trust as defined in the 1940 Act. No single Independent Trustee serves as a lead Independent Trustee. The Board has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics the Trust and its operations. The Board made this determination in consideration of, among other things, Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust (*i.e.*, "Independent Trustees") constitute at least fifty percent (50%) of the Board, the Audit Committee is composed of the Independent Trustees, and the Board oversees only a certain number of funds (and classes of shares).

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| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name, Address**<br> **and Year of Birth of<br> Trustee/Officer** | **Position(s)<br> Held with**<br> **the Trust,<br> Term of Office<br> and Length of<br> Time Served<br> (or Year Service Began)** | **Principal Occupation(s)**<br> **During Past 5 Years** | **Number of<br> Portfolios in<br> Fund Complex<br> Overseen**<br> **by Trustee/**<br> **Officer** | **Other<br> Directorships<br> Held by<br> Trustee/Officer**<br> **During Past 5 Years** |
| **Interested Trustee** | **Interested Trustee** | **Interested Trustee** | **Interested Trustee** | **Interested Trustee** |
| Jonathan Krane\*<br> (1968)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Trustee and Chairman of the Board, No set term; served since 2012 | Chief Executive Officer of Krane Funds Advisors, LLC from 2011 to present. | 40 | Director of Krane California Carbon Allowance Fund, Ltd. from 2024 to present. Director of KraneShares ETC plc from 2024 to present. Director of KraneShares ICAV from 2021 to present. |
| **Independent Trustees** | **Independent Trustees** | **Independent Trustees** | **Independent Trustees** | **Independent Trustees** |
| Luis Berruga<br> (1977)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Trustee, No set term; served since 2024 | Founder and Managing Partner of LBS Capital (family office and advisory business) from 2024 to present. Chief Executive Officer of Global X ETFs from 2018 to 2023. Chief Executive Officer of Global X Management Company LLC ("Global X") from 2014 to 2023; Chief Operating Officer of Global X in 2018; Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Global X from 2014 to 2018. | 40 | Independent Director of Sol Strategies from 2025 to present. Independent Director of VistaOne Fund from 2025 to present. Independent Director of Tidal Trust IV from 2025 to present. Interested Trustee of Global X Funds from 2018 to 2023. |

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| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name, Address**<br> **and Year of Birth of<br> Trustee/Officer** | **Position(s)<br> Held with**<br> **the Trust,<br> Term of Office<br> and Length of<br> Time Served<br> (or Year Service Began)** | **Principal Occupation(s)**<br> **During Past 5 Years** | **Number of<br> Portfolios in<br> Fund Complex<br> Overseen**<br> **by Trustee/**<br> **Officer** | **Other<br> Directorships<br> Held by<br> Trustee/Officer**<br> **During Past 5 Years** |
| John Ferguson<br> (1966)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Trustee, No set term; served since 2012 | President and CCO of Three Fifty Eight Investment Group, LLC from 2024 to present. Advisor to CEO and CCO of Covey Advisors LLC from 2023 to 2024. Chief Operating Officer of Shrewsbury River Capital from 2017 to 2020. Chief Operating Officer of Kang Global Investors LP (hedge fund adviser) from 2014 to 2016. President of Alden Global Capital, LLC (hedge fund adviser) from 2012 to 2014 (formerly, Chief Operating Officer from 2011 to 2012). Senior Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of K2 Advisors, LLC from 2005 to 2011. | 40 | Independent Director of Pula Capital Offshore Fund Ltd. (Cayman) from 2024 to present. Independent Director of K2 Advisors Offshore Fund Complex from 2022 to present. |
| Matthew Stroyman<br> (1968)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Trustee, No set term; served since 2012 | Founder and President of BlackRidge Ventures from 2018 to present (principal investment activities and strategic advisory services in a variety of industries to clients and partners that include institutional investment firms, family offices and high net-worth individuals). | 40 |  |
| **Officers** | **Officers** | **Officers** | **Officers** | **Officers** |
| Jonathan Krane<br> (1968)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer, No set term; served since 2012 | Chief Executive Officer of Krane Funds Advisors, LLC from 2011 to present. | 40 |  |
| Jennifer Tarleton (formerly Krane)<br> (1966)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Vice President and Secretary, No set term; served since 2012 | Vice President of Krane Funds Advisors, LLC from 2011 to present. | 40 |  |
| Michael Quain<br> (1957)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Chief Compliance Officer and Anti-Money Laundering Officer, No set term; served since 2015 | Principal/President of Quain Compliance Consulting, LLC from 2014 to present. | 40 |  |

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| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name, Address**<br> **and Year of Birth of<br> Trustee/Officer** | **Position(s)<br> Held with**<br> **the Trust,<br> Term of Office<br> and Length of<br> Time Served<br> (or Year Service Began)** | **Principal Occupation(s)**<br> **During Past 5 Years** | **Number of<br> Portfolios in<br> Fund Complex<br> Overseen**<br> **by Trustee/**<br> **Officer** | **Other<br> Directorships<br> Held by<br> Trustee/Officer**<br> **During Past 5 Years** |
| John Bourgeois<br> (1973)<br> SEI Investments Company<br> One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, PA 19456 | Assistant Treasurer, No set term; served since 2024 | Director of Accounting, SEI Investments Global Fund Services from May 2024 to present. Fund Accounting Manager, SEI Investments Global Fund Services from June 2001 to May 2024. | 40 |  |
| David Adelman<br> (1964)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Assistant Secretary, No set term; served since 2021 | Managing Director and the General Counsel, Krane Fund Advisors, LLC from 2021 to present. Partner, Reed Smith LLP from 2015 to 2021. | 40 |  |
| Jonathan Shelon<br> (1974)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Assistant Secretary, No set term; served since 2019 | Chief Operating Officer, Krane Funds Advisors, LLC from 2015 to present. Chief Investment Officer of Specialized Strategies, J.P. Morgan from 2011 to 2015. | 40 |  |

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\* Mr. Krane is an "interested" person of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, by virtue of his ownership and controlling interest in Krane.

**<u>Board Standing Committees</u>**

The Board has established the following standing committees:

**Audit Committee.** Messrs. Berruga, Ferguson and Stroyman are members of the Trust's Audit Committee (the "Audit Committee") and Mr. Ferguson is the Chairman of the Audit Committee. The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee are to oversee the financial reporting process and internal controls of the Trust, including recommending the appointment and compensation of the Trust's independent auditors, and reviewing any significant disputes regarding financial reporting between Trust management and such independent auditors. Under the terms of the Audit Committee charter adopted by the Board, the Audit Committee is authorized to, among other things, (i) oversee the accounting and financial reporting processes of the Trust and its internal control over financial reporting; (ii) oversee the quality and integrity of a Fund's financial statements and the independent audits thereof; (iii) assist the Board with oversight of the Trust's compliance with legal and regulatory requirements that relate to the Trust's accounting and financial reporting, internal control over financial reporting and independent audits; (iv) approve, prior to appointment, the engagement of the Trust's independent auditors and, in connection therewith, review and evaluate the qualifications, independence and performance of the Trust's independent auditors; and (v) act as a liaison between the Trust's independent auditors and the full Board. The Board of the Trust has adopted a written charter for the Audit Committee. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, the Audit Committee held four meetings.

The Audit Committee also serves as the Qualified Legal Compliance Committee ("QLCC") for the Trust. The function of the QLCC is to receive, review and recommend resolution with respect to any report made or referred to the QLCC by an attorney of evidence of a material violation of applicable U.S. federal or state securities law, material breach of a fiduciary duty under U.S. federal or state law or a similar material violation by the Trust or by any officer, trustee, employee, or agent of the Trust. The QLCC meets as needed and during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, did not meet.

**Nominating Committee.** Messrs. Berruga, Ferguson and Stroyman are members of the Trust's Nominating Committee and Mr. Stroyman is the Chairman of the Nominating Committee. The principal responsibilities of the Nominating Committee are to (i) identify, select and nominate the appropriate number of candidates for election or appointment as members of the Board and (ii) recommend to the Board for its consideration any appropriate changes to the number or qualification of Board members. The Nominating Committee is solely responsible for the selection and nomination of the Trust's Independent Trustees and does not consider nominations for the office of Trustee made by Trust shareholders. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, the Nominating Committee held two meetings.

<u>**Individual Trustee Qualifications**</u>

The Board has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board because of his ability to review and understand information about the Trust and each Fund provided by management, to identify and request other information he may deem relevant to the performance of the Trustees' duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration of a Fund, and to exercise his business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of a Fund's shareholders. The Board has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on his experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as described below.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Krane should serve as Trustee because of his knowledge of, and the executive positions he holds, or has held, in the financial services industry. Specifically, Mr. Krane currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Adviser. Mr. Krane contributes expertise and institutional knowledge relating to both the Adviser and the Trust. Prior to founding the Adviser, Mr. Krane also served as Chief Executive Officer of the China division of a multinational company, where he gained valuable experience in managing a business and critical knowledge of business and investment opportunities in China. In addition, he has served on the boards of different corporations and, in doing so, has first-hand knowledge of the fiduciary duties and responsibilities bestowed upon trustees and directors. The Board believes that Mr. Krane's experience serving as Chief Executive Officer for multiple businesses in the financial services industry, his familiarity with the KraneShares complex, and his experience in serving on the boards of various companies qualify him to serve as a Trustee of the Trust.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Ferguson should serve as Trustee because of the experience he has gained working in the financial services and legal industries over the years. In particular, Mr. Ferguson has extensive experience in managing global investment adviser firms, including the management, creation and operation of hedge funds. Mr. Ferguson has also served as a corporate securities and tax attorney assisting and counseling clients with the organization and creation of both domestic and offshore funds. In addition, Mr. Ferguson has served as an officer for two registered investment companies and, in doing so, has gained experience and knowledge regarding the mutual fund industry. The Board believes that Mr. Ferguson's experience in the financial services, fund and legal industries and his day-to-day work in managing investment advisory firms, qualify him to serve as a Trustee of the Trust.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Stroyman should serve as Trustee because of the experience he has gained working in the financial services and real estate industries. Working as an investment banker early in his career, Mr. Stroyman developed a strong base of knowledge regarding corporate finance, structuring, public and private securities, and company valuations. Through his work in the real estate industry and relationships with large investment management firms, Mr. Stroyman has gained an understanding of sophisticated financial products. He has advised institutional clients including pension funds, endowments and other qualified investors in asset management, risk assessment, and repositioning and disposition of underperforming assets. The Board believes that the knowledge Mr. Stroyman has gained over the years working in the financial services and real estate industries and his value and understanding of fiduciary duties and responsibilities assigned to board members qualify him to serve as Trustee of the Trust.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Berruga should serve as Trustee because of his extensive knowledge of and experience in the financial services industry. In particular, Mr. Berruga has extensive experience managing a global investment advisory firm and exchange-traded fund sponsor, giving him a strong understanding of product development related to and operation of exchange-traded funds. In addition, Mr. Berruga serves or has served as a board member of various operating companies, exchange-traded funds and private funds, and thus has first-hand knowledge of the fiduciary duties and responsibilities bestowed upon trustees and directors. The Board believes that the knowledge Mr. Berruga has gained over the years working in the exchange-traded fund industry and his value and understanding of fiduciary duties and responsibilities assigned to board members qualify him to serve as Trustee of the Trust.

As of March 31, 2025, none of the Independent Trustees or members of their immediate family, beneficially owned or owned of record securities representing interests in Krane, any sub-adviser or distributor of the Trust, or any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with such persons. For this purpose, "immediate family member" includes an Independent Trustee's spouse, children residing in the same household and dependents of the Independent Trustee.

**<u>Fund Shares Owned by Board Members</u>**

As of December 31, 2024, the Trustees beneficially owned the following amounts of Fund shares and shares of other series of the Trust:

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Trustee** | **Funds** | **Aggregate<br> Dollar<br> Range of<br> Beneficial<br> Ownership**<br> **of Funds** |
| Luis Berruga |  |  |
| John Ferguson | KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF | $10001-$50000 |
| John Ferguson | KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF | $10001-$50000 |
| John Ferguson | KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | $50001-$100000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF | $10001-$50000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares SSE Star Market 50 Index ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Matthew Stroyman |  |  |

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"Beneficial ownership" is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "1934 Act").

**<u>Board Compensation</u>**

Trustees who are "interested persons" of Krane are not compensated by the Trust for their service as a Trustee. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025: (a) Mr. Berruga received aggregate compensation from the Trust in the amount of $108,049; (b) Mr. Ferguson received aggregate compensation from the Trust in the amount of $190,000; (c) Mr. Stroyman received aggregate compensation from the Trust in the amount of $190,000; and (d) Patrick Campo (who retired from his position as Trustee effective December 31, 2024) received aggregate compensation from the Trust in the amount of $142,500. None of the Trustees accrued or received any retirement or pension benefits.

Effective September 1, 2023, the Trustees receive compensation from the Trust in the amount of $190,000 per year. Each Fund bears a proportionate share of Trustee compensation and expenses based on its relative net assets.

**INVESTMENT ADVISER**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") serves as investment adviser to each Fund pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and Krane (the "Investment Advisory Agreement"). Krane is a Delaware limited liability company registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the "Advisers Act"). Krane's offices are located at 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, Krane is responsible for reviewing, supervising and administering each Fund's investment program and the general management and administration of the Trust. Krane may engage a subadviser to assist it in managing a Fund's investments, but will be responsible for overseeing any subadvisers. Krane arranges for transfer agency, custody, fund administration and accounting, and other non-distribution related services necessary for each Fund to operate. Krane manages each Fund's business affairs, provides office facilities and equipment and certain clerical, bookkeeping and administrative services, and permits its officers and employees to serve as officers or Trustees of the Trust. Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, Krane bears all of its own costs associated with providing advisory services to the Funds. As part of the Investment Advisory Agreement, Krane has contractually agreed to pay all expenses of each Fund, except (i) interest and taxes (including, but not limited to, income, excise, transaction, transfer and withholding taxes); (ii) expenses of a Fund incurred with respect to the acquisition and disposition of portfolio securities and the execution of portfolio transactions, including brokerage commissions and short sale dividend or interest expense; (iii) expenses incurred in connection with any distribution plan adopted by the Trust in compliance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, including distribution fees; (iv) Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses; (v) litigation expenses; (vi) the compensation payable to the Adviser under the Investment Advisory Agreement; (vii) compensation and expenses of the Independent Trustees (including any Trustees' counsel fees); and (viii) any expenses determined to be extraordinary expenses by the Board. Nevertheless, there exists a risk that a Trust service provider will seek recourse against the Trust if is not timely paid by Krane for the fees and expenses for which it is responsible, which could materially adversely affect a Fund.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, each Fund pays Krane the fee shown in the table below, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate based on a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund ("Gross Management Fee").

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF | 0.99% |
| Quadratic Deflation ETF | 0.99% |

---

For the prior fiscal years, Krane received the following compensation under the Investment Advisory Agreement:

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Fiscal Year Ended<br> 3/31/25** | **Fiscal Year Ended<br> 3/31/24** | **Fiscal Year Ended<br> 3/31/23** |
| | **Management Fees** | **Management Fees** | **Management Fees** |
| Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF | $6028220 | $8673582 | $12801441 |
| Quadratic Deflation ETF | $196661 | $582067 | $651773 |

---

Prior to August 1, 2023, Krane contractually agreed to waive its management fee by 0.05% of the Quadratic Deflation ETF's average daily net assets.

For the prior fiscal years, Krane waived the following amount of fees for each Fund listed below pursuant to that Fund's fee waiver agreement, if applicable:

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Fiscal Year Ended<br> 3/31/25** | **Fiscal Year Ended<br> 3/31/24** | **Fiscal Year Ended<br> 3/31/23** |
| Quadratic Deflation ETF | $0 | $12880 | $32919 |

---

The Investment Advisory Agreement with respect to each Fund will continue in effect for two years from its initial effective date, and thereafter is subject to annual approval by (i) the Board of Trustees of the Trust or (ii) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, provided that in either event such continuance also is approved by a vote of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund. If the shareholders of a Fund fail to approve the Investment Advisory Agreement, Krane may continue to serve in the manner and to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and rules and regulations thereunder.

The Investment Advisory Agreement with respect to a Fund is terminable without any penalty, by vote of the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of a Fund, or by Krane, in each case on not less than sixty (60) days' prior written notice to the other party; provided that a shorter notice period shall be permitted for a Fund in the event its shares are no longer listed on a national securities exchange or in such other circumstances where a Fund waives such notice period. The Investment Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically and immediately in the event of its "assignment" (as defined in the 1940 Act).

China International Capital Corporation (USA) Holdings Inc., a wholly-owned, indirect subsidiary of China International Capital Corporation Limited owns a majority stake in Krane. As of March 31, 2025, Central Huijin Investment Limited, a mainland Chinese-domiciled entity, and HKSCC Nominees Limited, held approximately 40.11% and 39.42%, respectively, of the shares of China International Capital Corporation Limited. Central Huijin Investment Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Investment Corporation, which is a mainland Chinese sovereign wealth fund. KFA One Holdings, LLC, located at 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017, holds the remaining equity interests in Krane and Jonathan Krane, through his equity interests in KFA One Holdings, LLC, beneficially owns more than 10% of the equity interests in Krane.

**SUB-ADVISER**

The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the Adviser has retained Quadratic Capital Management LLC ("Quadratic" or "Sub-Adviser"), 39 Lewis Street, 4th Floor, Greenwich, Connecticut 06830, to serve as investment sub-adviser for the Fund. Quadratic was established in 2013 and is controlled by its Managing Partner and CIO, Nancy Davis. Quadratic provides discretionary investment management services to separately managed accounts, in addition to the Fund, and, has previously provided such services to limited partnerships, offshore investment companies, and other collective investment vehicles that were offered to investors on a private placement basis.

Krane has entered into a Sub-Advisory Agreement with Quadratic pursuant to which Krane will pay Quadratic seventy-six percent (76%) of the sum of: (i) the total Gross Management Fee due to Krane from the Fund under the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement minus (ii) any applicable fee waivers from time to time entered into between the Fund and Krane. Under the Sub-Advisory Agreement, the fee will be calculated daily and paid monthly.

The Quadratic Sub-Advisory Agreement will automatically terminate if assigned, and may be terminated without penalty at any time: (1) by Krane upon sixty (60) days' written notice to Quadratic; (2) by a vote of a majority of the Trustees or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund upon (60) days' written notice to Quadratic; (3) by Quadratic upon sixty (60) days' written notice to the Board and Krane; or immediately upon written notice by Krane or Quadratic if (A) the license, approval, authorization or consent held by Krane or Quadratic which is required for the performance of its obligations under the Sub-Advisory Agreement and which has been granted or given by any relevant regulatory authority, is terminated or suspended; (B) Krane or Quadratic commits a material breach of the Sub-Advisory Agreement that is uncured within thirty (30) days of notice; (C) any step is taken with a view to the winding up, bankruptcy or administration of Krane or Quadratic; (D) any adverse finding is made in respect of, or official sanction imposed on, Krane or Quadratic by any relevant regulatory authority which would be likely to affect its ability to perform its obligations under the Sub-Advisory Agreement; or (E) a relevant regulatory authority has held, or is likely to hold, Krane or Quadratic to be in breach of any regulatory or other duties in relation to the Sub-Advisory Agreement. After an initial period of two years, the Quadratic Sub-Advisory Agreement will continue in effect provided that annually such continuance is specifically approved by a vote of the Trustees, including the affirmative votes of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Quadratic Sub-Advisory Agreement or "interested persons" (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any such party, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of considering such approval, or by the vote of shareholders.

For the prior fiscal years, Krane paid Quadratic the following sub-advisory fees:

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Fiscal Year Ended<br> 3/31/25** | **Fiscal Year Ended<br> 3/31/24** | **Fiscal Year Ended<br> 3/31/23** |
| Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF | $4808656 | $6586813 | $10426102 |
| Quadratic Deflation ETF | $164631 | $440674 | $557132 |

---

**PORTFOLIO MANAGER**

Nancy Davis, Managing Partner and CIO of Quadratic, has been primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of each Fund's portfolio since each Fund's inception. She is responsible for various functions related to portfolio management, including, but not limited to, developing and implementing the Funds' investment process and investment strategy, researching and reviewing investment strategy, and overseeing members of her portfolio management team that have more limited responsibilities. The following information provides additional information the portfolio manager.

**Portfolio Manager Fund Ownership.** The Funds are required to show the dollar range of each portfolio manager's "beneficial ownership" of shares of a Fund as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC.

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Quadratic's Portfolio Manager** | **Quadratic's Portfolio Manager** | **Quadratic's Portfolio Manager** |
| **Name** | **Funds Covered by this SAI** | **Dollar Range of Fund Ownership (dollars)** |
| Nancy Davis | Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF | $100001 - $500000 |
| Nancy Davis | Quadratic Deflation ETF |  |

---

**Other Accounts.** The portfolio manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as follows:

---

| | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Quadratic's Portfolio Manager** | **Quadratic's Portfolio Manager** | **Quadratic's Portfolio Manager** | **Quadratic's Portfolio Manager** | **Quadratic's Portfolio Manager** | **Quadratic's Portfolio Manager** | **Quadratic's Portfolio Manager** |
| **Name** | **Registered<br> Investment Companies\*** | **Registered<br> Investment Companies\*** | **Other Pooled<br> Investment Vehicles\*** | **Other Pooled<br> Investment Vehicles\*** | **Other Accounts\*** | **Other Accounts\*** |
| **Name** | **Number of<br> Accounts** | **Total Assets**<br> **($ millions)** | **Number of <br> Accounts** | **Total Assets<br> ($ millions)** | **Number of<br> Accounts** | **Total Assets**<br> **($ millions)** |
| Nancy Davis \* | 2 | $488.1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |

---

**\*** The information provided is as of March 31, 2025. None of the accounts paid advisory fees based on the performance of the accounts.

**<u>Portfolio Manager Compensation</u>**

The Funds' portfolio manager receives from the Sub-Adviser a base salary, a discretionary bonus not tied to the performance of the Funds, and a portion of any distribution of company profits.

**<u>Description of Material Conflicts of Interest</u>**

The investment activities of the Sub-Adviser and its affiliates in the management of, or their interest in, their own accounts and other accounts they manage, may present conflicts of interest that could disadvantage a Fund and its shareholders. The Sub-Adviser and its affiliates provide investment management services to other funds and discretionary managed accounts that may follow investment programs similar to that of a Fund. The Sub-Adviser and its affiliates may engage in the ordinary course of business in activities in which their interests or the interests of their clients may conflict with those of a Fund. An affiliate may have business relationships with, and purchase, distribute, or sell services or products from or to, distributors, consultants or others who recommend a Fund or who engage in transactions with or for a Fund, and may receive compensation for such services. Each Fund may also make brokerage and other payments to affiliates in connection with a Fund's portfolio investment transactions.

The Sub-Adviser or its affiliates may engage in proprietary trading and advise accounts and funds that have investment objectives similar to those of a Fund and/or that engage in and compete for transactions in the same types of securities, currencies, and other instruments as a Fund, including securities issued by other open-end and closed-end investment companies (which may include investment companies that are affiliated with a Fund and the Sub-Adviser, to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act). The trading activities of the Sub-Adviser and its affiliates are carried out without reference to positions held directly or indirectly by a Fund and may result in the Sub-Adviser and its affiliate having positions in certain securities that are senior or junior to, or having interests different from or adverse to, the securities that are owned by a Fund.

No Sub-Adviser affiliate is under any obligation to share any investment opportunity, idea, or strategy with a Fund. As a result, a Sub-Adviser affiliate may compete with a Fund for appropriate investment opportunities. The results of a Fund's investment activities, therefore, may differ from those of a Sub-Adviser affiliate and of other accounts managed by a Sub-Adviser affiliate, and it is possible that a Fund could sustain losses during periods in which one or more Sub-Adviser affiliates and other accounts achieve profits on their trading for proprietary or other accounts. The opposite result is also possible.

In addition, a Fund may, from time to time, enter into transactions in which the Sub-Adviser's or its affiliate's other clients have an adverse interest. Furthermore, transactions undertaken by Sub-Adviser affiliate-advised clients may adversely impact a Fund. Transactions by one or more a Sub-Adviser affiliate-advised clients or by the Sub-Adviser may have the effect of diluting or otherwise disadvantaging the values, prices, or investment strategies of a Fund.

The activities of the Sub-Adviser or its affiliates may give rise to other conflicts of interest that could disadvantage the Fund and its shareholders. The Sub-Adviser has adopted policies and procedures designed to address these potential conflicts of interest.

**CODES OF ETHICS**

The Trust, Krane and Quadratic have each adopted a Code of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. The Codes of Ethics apply to the personal investing activities of trustees, directors, officers and certain employees ("access persons"). Rule 17j-1 and the Codes of Ethics are designed to prevent unlawful practices in connection with the purchase or sale of securities by access persons. Under the Codes of Ethics, access persons are permitted to engage in personal securities transactions (including investments in securities that may be purchased and held by a Fund), but are required to report their personal securities transactions for monitoring purposes. In addition, certain access persons are required to obtain approval before investing in private placements. Each Code of Ethics is on file with the SEC and is available to the public.

**PROXY VOTING POLICY**

The Trust has adopted the proxy voting policies of Krane, a summary of which is set forth in the appendix to this SAI. The Trust is required to disclose annually a Fund's complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX covering the period from July 1 of one year through June 30 of the next and to file Form N-PX with the SEC no later than August 31 of each year. The Form N-PX is available, or will be available, (1) without charge, upon request, by calling 1.855.857.2638 and contacting <u>info@kraneshares.com</u>; (2) on or through the Funds' website at <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>; and (3) on the SEC's website at <u>www.sec.gov</u>.

**ADMINISTRATOR**

SEI Investments Global Funds Services (the "Administrator") serves as administrator for the Funds. SEI Investments Management Corporation ("SIMC"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEI Investments Company ("SEI Investments"), is the owner of all beneficial interest in the Administrator. The principal address of the Administrator is One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456. Under an Amended and Restated Administration Agreement with the Trust dated July 9, 2014, as amended (the "Administration Agreement"), the Administrator provides necessary administrative and accounting services for the maintenance and operations of the Trust and the Funds. In addition, the Administrator makes available the office space, equipment, personnel and facilities required to provide such services.

For its services under the Administration Agreement, the Administrator is entitled to a fee, based on assets under management, subject to a minimum fee. The Administrator may be reimbursed by the Funds for its out-of-pocket expenses. The Investment Advisory Agreement provides that Krane will pay certain operating expenses of the Trust, including the fees due to the Administrator under the Administration Agreement.

**CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER AGENT**

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. ("BBH") serves as custodian and transfer agent for the Trust. The principal address of BBH is 50 Post Office Square, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. Under the Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreement with the Trust dated December 12, 2012, BBH, in its capacity as custodian, maintains in separate accounts cash, securities and other assets of the Funds, keeps all necessary accounts and records, and provides other services. BBH is required, upon the order of the Trust, to deliver securities held by it, in its capacity as custodian, and to make payments for securities purchased by the Trust for a Fund.

BBH further acts as a transfer agent for the Trust's authorized and issued shares of beneficial interest, and as dividend disbursing agent of the Trust, under the Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreement. The Investment Advisory Agreement provides that Krane will pay certain operating expenses of the Trust, including the fees due to BBH under the Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreement.

**DISTRIBUTOR AND DISTRIBUTION ARRANGEMENTS**

SEI Investments Distribution Co., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEI Investments, and an affiliate of the Administrator, serves as Distributor for the Trust. The principal address of the Distributor is One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456. The Distributor has entered into an Amended and Restated Distribution Agreement with the Trust dated July 9, 2014, (the "Distribution Agreement") pursuant to which it distributes shares of the Funds. The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable annually. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Funds through the Distributor only in Creation Units, as described in the Prospectus and below in the "Creation and Redemption of Creation Units" section. Shares in less than Creation Units are not distributed by the Distributor. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the 1934 Act and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA"). The Distributor is not affiliated with Krane, the sub-adviser, or any national securities exchange.

The Distribution Agreement provides that it may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty: (i) by a vote of a majority of the independent Trustees; (ii) by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of a Fund; or (iii) on at least thirty (30) days' prior written notice to the other party. The Distribution Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).

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

**Distribution Plan.** Each Fund has adopted a Distribution Plan applicable to the Fund's shares. Under the Distribution Plan, the Distributor, or designated service providers, may receive up to 0.25% of a Fund's assets attributable to shares as compensation for distribution services pursuant to Rule 12b-1 of the 1940 Act. Distribution services may include: (i) services in connection with distribution assistance, or (ii) payments to financial institutions and other financial intermediaries, such as broker-dealers, fund "supermarkets" and the Distributor's affiliates and subsidiaries, as compensation for services or reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance. The Distributor may, at its discretion, retain a portion of such payments to compensate itself for distribution services and distribution related expenses such as the costs of preparation, printing, mailing or otherwise disseminating sales literature, advertising, and prospectuses (other than those furnished to current shareholders of a Fund), promotional and incentive programs, and such other marketing expenses that the Distributor may incur. The plan is a compensation plan, which means that the Distributor is compensated regardless of its expenses, as opposed to a reimbursement plan which reimburses only for expenses incurred.

No distribution fees are currently charged to the Funds and there are currently no plans to impose these fees. The Plan was adopted in order to permit the implementation of each Fund's method of distribution. In the event that 12b-1 fees are charged in the future, because a Fund pays these fees out of assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees may cost you more than other types of sales charges and will increase the cost of your investment in a Fund.

The Plan will remain in effect for a period of one year and is renewable from year to year with respect to a Fund, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees and (2) by a vote of the majority of those Independent Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan ("Rule 12b-1 Trustees"). The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount of fees that may be paid by a Fund under the Plan unless such amendment is approved by a 1940 Act majority vote of the outstanding shares and by a Fund's Trustees in the manner described above. The Plan is terminable with respect to a Fund at any time by a vote of a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees or by a 1940 Act majority vote of the outstanding shares.

**Intermediary Compensation.** Krane, a sub-adviser and/or their affiliates, out of their own resources and not out of a Fund's assets (*i.e.*, without additional cost to a Fund or its shareholders), may pay certain broker dealers, banks and other financial intermediaries ("Intermediaries"), to the extent permitted by applicable law, for certain activities related to a Fund, including marketing and education support and the sale of a Fund's shares. These arrangements are sometimes referred to as "revenue sharing" arrangements. Revenue sharing arrangements are not financed by a Fund and, thus, do not result in increased Fund expenses. They are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fees and expenses sections of a Fund's Prospectus and they do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of a Fund's shares or the amount received by a shareholder as proceeds from the redemption of shares of a Fund.

Such compensation may be paid to Intermediaries that provide services to a Fund, including marketing and education support (such as through conferences, webinars and printed communications). Such compensation may also be paid to Intermediaries for inclusion of a Fund on a sales list, including a preferred or select sales list, in other sales programs. Krane periodically assesses the advisability of continuing to make these payments.

Payments to an Intermediary may be significant to the Intermediary, and amounts that Intermediaries pay to your adviser, broker or other investment professional, if any, may also be significant to such adviser, broker or investment professional. Because an Intermediary may make decisions about what investment options it will make available or recommend, and what services to provide in connection with various products, based on payments it receives or is eligible to receive, such payments create conflicts of interest between the Intermediary and its clients. For example, these financial incentives may cause the Intermediary to recommend a Fund over other investments. The same conflict of interest exists with respect to your financial adviser, broker or investment professionals if he or she receives similar payments from his or her Intermediary firm.

Intermediary information is current only as of the date of this SAI. Please contact your adviser, broker or other investment professional for more information regarding any payments his or her Intermediary firm may receive. Any payments made by Krane, a sub-adviser and/or their affiliates to an Intermediary may create an incentive for the Intermediary to encourage customers to buy shares of a Fund.

**CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES**

All shares of a Fund that have commenced operations are held of record in the name of the DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co. Although the Funds do not have information concerning the beneficial ownership of shares held in the names of DTC participants, as of June 30, 2025, the name and percentage ownership of each DTC participant\* that owned of record 5% or more of the outstanding shares of a Fund were as follows:

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Ticker** | **Fund** | **Participant Name and Address** | **Percentage of<br> Ownership** |
| IVOL | Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF | CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.<br> 3000 Schwab Way, Westlake TX 76262 | 42.6% |
| IVOL | Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF | NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC<br> 1 World Financial Center - Sandy Hook, New York, New York 10281 | 10.5% |
| IVOL | Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF | THE NORTHERN TRUST COMPANY<br> 50 S. LaSalle Street, Chicago, IL 60603 | 9.5% |
| IVOL | Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF | RAYMOND JAMES & ASSOCIATES, INC.<br> 880 Carillon Pkwy, St Petersburg, FL 33716 | 5.5% |
| BNDD | Quadratic Deflation ETF | LPL FINANCIAL LLC<br> 4707 Executive Drive San Diego CA 92121 | 35.6% |
| BNDD | Quadratic Deflation ETF | NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC<br> 1 World Financial Center - Sandy Hook, New York, New York 10281 | 12.7% |
| BNDD | Quadratic Deflation ETF | CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.<br> 3000 Schwab Way, Westlake TX 76262 | 12.4% |
| BNDD | Quadratic Deflation ETF | J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC/JPMC<br> 277 Park Avenue New York, New York 10172 | 8.8% |
| BNDD | Quadratic Deflation ETF | VANGUARD MARKETING CORPORATION<br> 100 Vanguard Blvd Malvern, PA 19355 | 7.6% |
| BNDD | Quadratic Deflation ETF | THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON<br> 240 Greenwich Street New York, New York 10286 | 5.5% |

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\* DTC participants are listed according to their DTC number and may represent multiple companies under a single parent company, which have not been aggregated.

**EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING**

A discussion of exchange listing and trading matters associated with an investment in a Fund is contained in the Prospectus. The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, such sections of the Prospectus.

The shares of the Fund are listed and traded on the Exchange identified on the cover of this SAI at prices that may differ from a Fund's NAV. There can be no assurance that the Exchange requirements necessary to maintain the listing of the shares of the Fund will continue to be met. The Exchange may, but is not required to, remove the shares of the Fund from listing if, among other matters: (i) the Exchange becomes aware that the Fund is no longer eligible to operate in reliance on Rule 6c-11 of the Investment Company Act; (ii) if the Fund no longer complies with the requirements set forth by the Exchange; (iii) following the initial 12-month period after commencement of trading of the Fund, there are fewer than fifty (50) Beneficial Owners (as that term is defined below) of the shares of the Fund; or (iv) such other event shall occur or condition exist that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the shares of the Fund from listing and trading upon termination of the Fund.

Trading prices of 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.

As in the case of other stocks traded on the Exchange, broker's commissions on purchases or sales of shares in market transactions will be based on investors' negotiated commission rates.

The Trust reserves the right to adjust the price levels of 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 a Fund or the value of investors' individual positions in the Fund.

**BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM**

The information below supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled "Shareholder Information."

The Depository Trust Company ("DTC") acts as securities depository for a Fund's shares. Shares of a Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of the DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, the DTC.

The DTC, a limited-purpose trust company, was created to hold securities of its participants ("DTC Participants") and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities' certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own the DTC. More specifically, the DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the Exchange, and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the "Indirect Participants").

Beneficial ownership of shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as "Beneficial Owners") is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by the DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of shares. The laws of some jurisdictions may require that certain purchasers of securities take physical delivery of such securities in definitive form. Such laws may impair the ability of certain investors to acquire beneficial interests in shares.

Conveyance of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. Pursuant to the Depositary Agreement between the Trust and the DTC, the DTC is required to make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee to be charged to the Trust a listing of the shares of a Fund held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall inquire of each such DTC Participant as to the number of Beneficial Owners holding shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

Share distributions shall be made to the DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all shares. The DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants' accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in shares of a Fund as shown on the records of the DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a "street name," and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.

The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in such shares, or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between the DTC and DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.

The DTC may decide to discontinue providing its service with respect to shares at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Trust and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Trust shall take action to find a replacement for the DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost.

**BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS**

Krane or, as applicable, a Fund sub-adviser assumes general supervision over placing orders on behalf of a Fund for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities.

Although Krane or, as applicable, a Fund sub-adviser strives to obtain the best net price under prevailing circumstances surrounding each trade, the determinative factor is whether a transaction represents the best overall execution for a Fund and not whether the lowest possible transaction cost is obtained. Krane and any sub-adviser consider the full range and quality of a broker-dealer's servicing in selecting the broker to meet best execution obligations, and may not pay the lowest transaction cost available. Krane or the sub-adviser review trading to ensure best execution, operational performance, and reasonable commission rates. Order flow may go through traditional broker-dealers, but may also be executed on an Electronic Communication Network, Alternative Trading System or other execution system.

Where multiple broker-dealers are available to execute portfolio transactions, in selecting the brokers or dealers for any transaction in portfolio securities, Krane or a sub-adviser's policy is to make such selection based on factors deemed relevant, which may include the breadth of the market in the security; the price of the security; the reasonableness of the commission or mark-up or mark-down, if any; execution capability; settlement capability; back office efficiency; and the financial condition of the broker or dealer, both for the specific transaction and on a continuing basis. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid or spreads is evaluated by Krane or a sub-adviser generally based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions paid or spreads by other institutional investors for comparable services. Brokers or dealers may also be selected because of their ability to handle special or difficult executions, such as may be involved in large block trades, less liquid securities, broad distributions, or other circumstances. Krane or a sub-adviser may also consider the provision or value of research, products or services a broker or dealer may provide, if any, as a factor in the selection of a broker or dealer or the determination of the reasonableness of commissions paid in connection with portfolio transactions. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of a Fund's shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or a dealer to execute its portfolio transactions.

When one or more broker-dealers is believed capable of providing the best combination of price and execution, a broker-dealer need not be selected based solely on the lowest commission rate available for a particular transaction. In such cases, Krane or a sub-adviser may pay a higher commission than otherwise obtainable from other brokers in return for brokerage research services provided to Krane or a sub-adviser consistent with Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act. Section 28(e) provides that Krane or a sub-adviser may cause a Fund to pay a broker-dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged as long as Krane or the sub-adviser makes a good faith determination that the amount of commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by the broker-dealer. To the extent Krane or a sub-adviser obtains brokerage and research services that it otherwise would acquire at its own expense, Krane or a sub-adviser may have incentive to place a greater volume of transactions or pay higher commissions than would otherwise be the case.

The types of products and services that Krane or the sub-adviser may obtain from broker-dealers through such arrangements may include research reports and other information on the economy, industries, sectors, groups of securities, individual companies, statistical information, political developments, technical market action, pricing and appraisal services, credit analysis, risk measurement analysis, performance and other analysis. Krane or a sub-adviser may use products and services provided by brokers in servicing all of its client accounts and not all such products and services may necessarily be used in connection with the account that paid commissions to the broker-dealer providing such products and services. Any advisory or other fees paid to Krane or a sub-adviser are not reduced as a result of the receipt of brokerage and research services.

In some cases, Krane or a sub-adviser may receive a product or service from a broker that has both a "research" and a "non-research" use. When this occurs, Krane or the sub-adviser will make a good faith allocation between the research and non-research uses of the product or service. The percentage of the service that is used for research purposes may be paid for with brokerage commissions, while Krane or the sub-adviser will use its own funds to pay for the percentage of the service that is used for non-research purposes. In making this good faith allocation, Krane or the sub-adviser faces a potential conflict of interest, but Krane or the sub-adviser believes that its allocation procedures are reasonably designed to appropriately allocate the anticipated use of such products and services to research and non-research uses.

**<u>Brokerage Commissions</u>**

Aggregate brokerage commissions paid by each of the following operational Funds on portfolio transactions for the fiscal years shown are set forth in the table below:

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Fiscal Year Ended <br> March 31,<br> 2025** | **Fiscal Year Ended<br> March 31,<br> 2024** | **Fiscal Year Ended<br> March 31,<br> 2023** |
| Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Quadratic Deflation ETF | $0 | $0 | $0 |

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**<u>Directed Brokerage</u>**

For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, the Funds paid the following in commissions on brokerage transactions directed to brokers pursuant to an agreement or understanding whereby the broker provides research or other brokerage services to Krane or the sub-adviser:

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Fund** | **Brokerage<br> Commissions for<br> Research Services** | **Transactions Involving**<br> **Brokerage Commissions for<br> Research Services** |
| Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF | $0 | $0 |
| Quadratic Deflation ETF | $0 | $0 |

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**<u>Affiliated Brokers</u>**

Of the aggregate brokerage commissions paid by each of the following operational Funds on portfolio transactions for the fiscal years shown, below are the commissions paid by the Funds to a broker that is an affiliated person of the Fund:

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Fiscal Year Ended<br> March 31,<br> 2025** | **Fiscal Year Ended**<br> **March 31,<br> 2024** | **Fiscal Year Ended**<br> **March 31,<br> 2023** |
| Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Quadratic Deflation ETF | $0 | $0 | $0 |

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**<u>Regular Broker-Dealers</u>**

Each Fund is required to identify any securities of its "regular brokers and dealers" (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) which a Fund may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. "Regular brokers or dealers" of a Fund are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year: (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from a Fund's portfolio transactions; (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio transactions of a Fund; or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of a Fund's shares. Such information is set out in the table below:

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| | **Ownership as of**<br> **March 31,<br> 2025** |
| Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF | None |
| Quadratic Deflation ETF | None |

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**<u>Portfolio Turnover</u>**

Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year. High turnover rates are likely to result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses or dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions is evaluated by Krane or the sub-adviser based upon their knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions and spreads paid or incurred by the other institutional investors for comparable services.

During the two prior fiscal years, the Funds' portfolio turnover rates were as follows:

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Fiscal Year Ended**<br> **March 31,<br> 2025** | **Fiscal Year Ended**<br> **March 31,<br> 2024** |
| Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF | 0% | 0% |
| Quadratic Deflation ETF | 0% | 0% |

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**CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS**

Except as otherwise noted below, the following applies to any Fund covered by this SAI:

**<u>General</u>**

The Trust issues and redeems shares of a Fund only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load but subject to the transaction fees described below, at the NAV next determined after receipt, on any Business Day (as defined below), of an order in proper form. A "Business Day", as used herein, is any day on which the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") is open for business. As of the date of this SAI, the NYSE observes the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Currently, the number of shares that constitutes a Creation Unit is 25,000 shares. In its discretion, the Board reserves the right to increase or decrease the number of the Fund's shares that constitute a Creation Unit. The Board reserves the right to declare a split or a consolidation in the number of shares outstanding of the Fund, and to make changes in the number of shares constituting a Creation Unit, including in the event that the per share price in the secondary market rises (or declines) to an amount that falls outside the range deemed desirable by the Board.

Creation Units may be purchased and redeemed only by or through a DTC Participant that has entered into an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Distributor (an "Authorized Participant"). Such Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of such Authorized Participant Agreement and on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including those set forth below, the Authorized Participant Agreement and any handbook governing the Authorized Participants (collectively, the "AP Agreement"). Investors who are not Authorized Participants must make appropriate arrangements with an Authorized Participant to purchase or redeem Creation Units. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not be a DTC Participant or may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Distributor and that Creation Unit orders may have to be placed by the investor's broker through an Authorized Participant. As a result, orders placed through an Authorized Participant may result in additional charges to such investor. A list of current Authorized Participants may be obtained from the Distributor.

Investors who are not Authorized Participants may purchase and sell shares of the Fund through an Authorized Participant or on the secondary market.

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

The Basket of securities comprising a Fund Deposit and a Fund Redemption (each, as defined below) may be representative of the Fund's portfolio holdings; or the Fund may utilize "Custom Baskets" provided that certain conditions are met. A Custom Basket is (i) a Basket that is composed of a non-representative selection of the Fund's portfolio holdings, (ii) a representative Basket that is different from the initial Basket used in transactions on the same business day, or (iii) a Basket that contains bespoke cash and/or security substitutions, including for a single Authorized Participant. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that govern the construction and acceptance of Baskets, including heightened requirements for Custom Baskets. Such policies and procedures provide detailed parameters for the construction and acceptance of Custom Baskets, establish processes for revisions to, or deviations from, such parameters, and specify the titles and roles of the employees of the Adviser who are required to review each Custom Basket for compliance with those parameters. In connection with the construction and acceptance of Custom Baskets, the Adviser may consider various factors, including, but not limited to: (1) whether the securities, assets and other positions comprising a Basket are consistent with the Fund's investment objective, policies and disclosure; (2) whether the securities, assets and other positions can legally and readily be acquired, transferred and held by the Fund and/or Authorized Participant(s), as applicable; (3) whether and to what extent to include cash in the Basket; (4) whether the Custom Basket increases the liquidity of a Fund's portfolio, noting that a Custom Basket may not be accepted which adversely affects the liquidity position of a Fund's portfolio when other Basket options exist; (5) whether the use of Custom Baskets may reduce costs, increase (tax) efficiency and improve trading in Fund shares; and (6) with respect to index-based strategies, whether the securities, assets and other positions aid the Fund to track its underlying index, if any. The policies and procedures apply different criteria to different types of Custom Baskets in order to mitigate against potential overreaching by an Authorized Participant, although there is no guarantee that such policies and procedures will be effective.

**<u>Purchases of Creation Units</u>**

The consideration for the purchase of Creation Units of the Fund consists of an in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities ("Deposit Securities") or cash for all or any portion of such securities ("Deposit Cash") (collectively, the "Deposit Basket") and the Cash Component, which is an amount equal to the difference between the aggregate NAV of a Creation Unit and the Deposit Basket. Together, the Deposit Basket and the Cash Component constitute the "Fund Deposit."

The Custodian or the Administrator makes available through the National Securities Clearing Corporation ("NSCC") on each Business Day, prior to the opening of regular trading on the Exchange, the list of names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security and Deposit Cash in the Deposit Basket, and the estimated amount of the Cash Component to be included in the current Fund Deposit. Such Fund Deposit will normally be applicable, subject to any adjustments as described below, in order to effect purchases of Creation Units of the Fund until such time as the next-announced Fund Deposit is made available. The means by which the Deposit Basket and Cash Component are to be delivered by the Authorized Participant to the Fund are set forth in the AP Agreement, except to the extent the Distributor and the Authorized Participant otherwise agree. Fund shares will be settled through the DTC system.

The identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities change pursuant to, among other matters, changes in the composition of the Fund's portfolio and as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time.

The Trust also reserves the right to include or remove Deposit Securities from the Fund Deposit for one or more of the following reasons: (i) in the case of bonds, for minor differences when it is impossible to break up bonds beyond certain minimum sizes needed for transfer and settlement; (ii) for minor differences when rounding is necessary to eliminate fractional shares or lots that are not tradeable round lots; or (iii) TBA Transactions, short positions and other positions that cannot be transferred in-kind, including instruments that can be transferred in-kind only with the consent of the original counterparty.

Cash purchases of Creation Units will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind purchases. The Authorized Participant will pay the cash equivalent of the Deposit Securities as Deposit Cash plus or minus the same Cash Component.

Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable, on behalf of the Fund, will convert subscriptions that are made in whole or in part in cash, including Deposit Cash, into the relevant foreign currency prior to investment at the applicable exchange rate and subject to the applicable spread. Those purchasing Creation Units of the Fund bear the risk associated with changes in the currency exchange rate between the time they place their order and the time that the Fund converts any cash received into foreign investments.

**<u>Placement of Purchase Orders</u>**

For a purchase order to be processed based on the NAV calculated on a particular Business Day, the purchase order must be received in proper form and accepted by the Trust prior to the time as of which the NAV is calculated ("Cutoff Time"). Investors who are not Authorized Participants and seek to place a purchase order for a Creation Unit through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Distributor by the Cutoff Time on such Business Day. Custom Orders must normally be received in proper form and accepted by the Trust at least two hours prior to Cutoff Time.

The AP Agreement sets forth the different methods whereby Authorized Participants can submit purchase orders. A purchase order is considered to be in "proper form" if a request in a form satisfactory to the Fund is (1) received by the Distributor from an Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another person within the time period set above, and (2) all the procedures and other requirements applicable to the method used by the Authorized Participant to submit the purchase order, such as, in the case of purchase orders submitted through the Distributor's website, the completion of all required fields, including as set forth in the AP Agreement, are properly followed.

Creation Unit orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure, may impede transmissions between the Distributor and an Authorized Participant. Orders to create shares of the Fund that are submitted on the Business Day immediately preceding a holiday or a day (other than a weekend) when the securities markets in a foreign market in which the Fund may invest are closed may not be accepted or may be charged the maximum transaction fee. The Distributor, in its discretion, may permit the submission of orders and requests by or through an Authorized Participant via communication through the facilities of the Distributor's proprietary website maintained for this purpose. A purchase order, if accepted by the Trust, will be processed based on the NAV as of the next Cutoff Time.

**<u>Acceptance of Orders for, and Issuance of, Creation Units</u>**

All questions as to whether an order has been submitted in proper form and the number of shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Fund and the Fund's determination shall be final and binding.

The Fund reserves the right to reject or revoke acceptance of a creation order, for any reason, provided that such action is not in contravention of Rule 6c-11. For example, the Fund may reject or revoke acceptance of a creation order including, but not limited to, when (i) the order is not in proper form; (ii) the investor(s), upon obtaining the shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding shares of the Fund; (iii) the Deposit Securities delivered do not conform to the identity and number of shares specified; (iv) acceptance of the Fund Deposit is not legally required or would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; or (v) circumstances outside the control of the Fund, the Distributor and Krane make it impracticable to process purchase orders. The Distributor shall notify a prospective purchaser of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such purchaser of the rejection or revocation of acceptance of such order. The Fund, the Custodian, the sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall any of them incur any liability for failure to give such notification.

Except as provided in the following paragraph, a Creation Unit will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Fund of the Deposit Securities and the payment of the Cash Component, Deposit Cash and creation transaction fees have been completed. In this regard, the Custodian will require, prior to the issuance of a Creation Unit, that the sub-custodian confirm to the Custodian that the Deposit Securities have been delivered to the account of the Fund at the sub-custodian(s). If the Fund does not receive the foregoing by the time specified herein the Creation Unit may not be delivered or the purchase order may be rejected.

The Fund may issue Creation Units to an Authorized Participant, notwithstanding the fact that all Deposit Securities have not been received, in reliance on the undertaking of the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing Deposit Securities as soon as possible, which undertaking shall be secured by such Authorized Participant's delivery and maintenance of collateral having a value of up to 115% of the value of the missing Deposit Securities. The only collateral that is acceptable is cash in U.S. dollars. Such cash collateral must be delivered no later than 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time on the contractual settlement date of the Creation Unit(s). The Fund may buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time, and the Authorized Participant will be liable for any shortfall between the cost to the Fund of purchasing such securities and the cash collateral. In addition, the cash collateral may be invested at the risk of the Authorized Participant, and any income on invested cash collateral will be paid to that Authorized Participant. Information concerning the Fund's current procedures for collateralization of missing Deposit Securities is available from the Distributor.

In certain cases, an Authorized Participant may create and redeem Creation Units on the same trade date. In these instances, the Fund reserves the right to settle these transactions on a net basis or require a representation from the Authorized Participant that the creation and redemption transactions are for separate Beneficial Owners.

Once the Fund has accepted a purchase order, upon the next determination of the NAV of the shares, the Fund may confirm the issuance of a Creation Unit, against receipt of payment, at such NAV. The Distributor will then transmit a confirmation of acceptance to the Authorized Participant that placed the order. Creation Units typically are settled on a "T+1" basis (i.e., one Business Day after trade date), subject to certain exceptions. However, the Fund reserves the right to settle Creation Unit transactions on a basis other than T+1, including in order to accommodate non-U.S. market holiday schedules, closures and settlement cycles, and to account for different treatment among non-U.S. and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates.

**<u>Creation Transaction Fees</u>**

A standard creation transaction fee is imposed to offset transfer and other costs associated with the issuance of Creation Units. The standard creation transaction fee is charged to the Authorized Participant on the day such Authorized Participant creates a Creation Unit, and is the same, regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased by the Authorized Participant on the applicable Business Day.

The Authorized Participant may also be required to pay a variable transaction fee (up to the maximum amount shown in the table below) to cover certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, market impact and other costs and expenses. Authorized Participants will also bear the costs of transferring the Deposit Securities, including any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses.

The standard creation transaction fee and maximum variable transaction fee for a Creation Unit are set forth below:

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **FUND** | **STANDARD <br> TRANSACTION FEE** | **MAXIMUM VARIABLE<br> TRANSACTION FEE\*** |
| Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF | $0 | 2.00% |
| Quadratic Deflation ETF | $0 | 2.00% |

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\* As a percentage of the Creation Unit(s) purchased.

The Adviser may adjust the transactions fees from time to time based on actual experience and may waive some or all of the transaction fees from time to time.

**<u>Redemptions of Creation Units</u>**

The consideration paid by the Fund for the redemption of Creation Units consists of an in-kind basket of designated securities ("Redemption Securities") or cash for all or any portion of such securities ("Redemption Cash") (collectively, the "Fund Securities") and the Cash Component, which is an amount equal to the difference between the aggregate NAV of a Creation Unit and the Fund Securities. Together, the Fund Securities and the Cash Component constitute the "Fund Redemption."

The Custodian or the Administrator normally makes available through NSCC on each Business Day, prior to the opening of regular trading on the Exchange, the list of names and the number of shares of each Redemption Security and Redemption Cash, as applicable, and the estimated amount of the Cash Component to be included in the current Fund Redemption. Such Fund Redemption is applicable, subject to any adjustments as described below, for redemptions of Creation Units of the Fund until such time as the next-announced Fund Redemption is made available. The delivery of Fund shares will be settled through the DTC system. The means by which the Fund Securities and Cash Component are to be delivered to the Authorized Participant by the Fund are set forth in the AP Agreement, except to the extent the Distributor and the Authorized Participant otherwise agree.

The identity and number of shares of the Redemption Securities change pursuant to, among other matters, changes in the composition of the Fund's portfolio and as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time.

Cash redemptions of Creation Units will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind redemptions. The Authorized Participant will receive the cash equivalent of the Fund Securities as Redemption Cash plus or minus the same Cash Component.

Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable, on behalf of the Fund, will sell investments denominated in foreign currencies and convert such proceeds into U.S. Dollars at the applicable exchange rate and subject to the applicable spread for redemptions that are made in whole or in part for cash, including Redemption Cash. Those redeeming Creation Units of the Fund bear the risk associated with changes in the currency exchange rate between the time they place their order and the time that the Fund converts any investments into U.S. Dollars.

**<u>Placement of Redemption Orders</u>**

For a redemption order to be processed based on the NAV calculated on a particular Business Day, the redemption order must be received in proper form and accepted by the Trust prior to the time as of which the NAV is calculated ("Cutoff Time"). Investors who are not Authorized Participants and seek to place a redemption order for a Creation Unit through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the redemption order to the Distributor by the Cutoff Time on such Business Day. Custom Orders must be received in proper form and accepted by the Trust at least two hours prior to Cutoff Time.

The AP Agreement sets forth the different methods whereby Authorized Participants can submit redemption requests. A redemption request is considered to be in "proper form" if a request in a form satisfactory to the Fund is (1) received by the Distributor from an Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another person within the time period set above, and (2) all the procedures and other requirements applicable to the method used by the Authorized Participant to submit the redemption order, such as, in the case of redemption orders submitted through the Distributor's website, the completion of all required fields, including as set forth in the AP Agreement, are properly followed.

Creation Unit orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure, may impede transmissions between the Distributor and an Authorized Participant. Orders to redeem shares of the Fund that are submitted on the Business Day immediately preceding a holiday or a day (other than a weekend) when the securities markets in a foreign market in which the Fund may invest are closed may not be accepted or may be charged the maximum transaction fee. The Distributor, in its discretion, may permit the submission of orders and requests by or through an Authorized Participant via communication through the facilities of the Distributor's proprietary website maintained for this purpose. A redemption request, if accepted by the Trust, will be processed based on the NAV as of the next Cutoff Time.

**<u>Acceptance of Orders for, and Redemption of, Creation Units</u>**

All questions as to whether an order has been submitted in proper form and the requisite number of Fund shares and transaction fees have been delivered shall be determined by the Fund, and the Fund's determination shall be final and binding.

The Fund reserves the right to reject a redemption order if the order is not in proper form. In addition, the right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to the Fund (i) for any period during which the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings), (ii) for any period during which trading on the NYSE is suspended or restricted, (iii) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the shares of the Fund's portfolio securities or determination of its NAV is not reasonably practicable, or (iv) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC. The Fund or Distributor will notify the Authorized Participant of such rejection, but the Fund, Custodian, sub-custodian and Distributor shall not be liable for any failure to give such notification.

The payment by the Fund of the Fund Securities, including Redemption Securities and Redemption Cash, and Cash Component will not be issued until the transfer of the Creation Unit(s) and the applicable redemption transaction fees has been completed. If the Transfer Agent does not receive the investor's shares through DTC's facilities and the applicable redemption transaction fees by the required time, the redemption request may be rejected.

To the extent contemplated by the AP Agreement, in the event the Authorized Participant has submitted a redemption request in proper form but is unable to transfer all or part of the Creation Unit to be redeemed to the Fund's Transfer Agent, the Transfer Agent will nonetheless accept the redemption request in reliance on the undertaking by the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing shares as soon as possible. Such undertaking may be secured by the Authorized Participant's delivery and maintenance of collateral consisting of cash having a value (marked to market daily) of up to 115% of the value of the missing shares, which the Trust may change from time to time. The current procedures for collateralization of missing shares require, among other things, that any cash collateral shall be in the form of U.S. dollars in immediately available funds and shall be held by the Custodian and marked to market daily, and that the fees of the Custodian and any sub-custodians in respect of the delivery, maintenance and redelivery of the cash collateral shall be payable by the Authorized Participant. The AP Agreement will permit the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, to purchase the missing shares at any time and will subject the Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Trust of purchasing such shares, Fund Securities or Cash Component and the value of the collateral.

A redeeming Beneficial Owner or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such Beneficial Owner must maintain appropriate security arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction where Redemption Securities are customarily traded and will be delivered. If neither the redeeming Beneficial Owner nor the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such redeeming Beneficial Owner has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of Redemption Securities in the applicable non-U.S. jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of Redemption Securities in such jurisdiction, the Trust may redeem shares in Redemption Cash, and the redeeming Beneficial Owner will be required to receive its redemption proceeds as Redemption Cash.

In addition, because redemptions of shares for Redemption Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws, the Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Fund cannot lawfully deliver specific Redemption Securities or cannot do so without first registering a Fund Security under such laws.

Once the Fund has accepted a redemption order, upon the next determination of the NAV of the shares, the Fund may confirm the redemption of a Creation Unit, against receipt of payment, at such NAV. The Distributor will then transmit a confirmation of acceptance to the Authorized Participant that placed the order. Deliveries of redemption proceeds by the Fund typically are settled on a "T+1" basis (i.e., one Business Day after trade date), but may be made up to seven days later, particularly in stressed market conditions. The Fund reserves the right to settle redemption transactions up to 15 days later to accommodate non-U.S. market holiday schedules (see below for further information), closures and settlement cycles, to account for different treatment among non-U.S. and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates (i.e., 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.

In certain cases, an Authorized Participant may create and redeem Creation Units on the same trade date. In these instances, the Fund reserves the right to settle these transactions on a net basis or require a representation from the Authorized Participant that the creation and redemption transactions are for separate Beneficial Owners.

**<u>Redemption Transaction Fees</u>**

A standard redemption transaction fee is imposed to offset transfer and other costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units. The standard redemption transaction fee is charged to the Authorized Participant on the day such Authorized Participant redeems a Creation Unit, and is the same regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed by an Authorized Participant on the applicable Business Day.

The Authorized Participant may also be required to pay a variable transaction fee (up to the maximum amount shown in the table below) to cover certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, market impact and other costs and expenses. Authorized Participants will also bear the costs of transferring the Redemption Securities, including any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses. Investors who use the services of a broker or other financial intermediary may be charged a fee for such services.

The standard redemption transaction fee and maximum variable transaction fee for a Creation Unit are set forth below:

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **FUND** | **STANDARD<br> TRANSACTION<br> FEE** | **MAXIMUM <br> VARIABLE<br> TRANSACTION<br> FEE\*** |
| Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF | $0 | 2.00% |
| Quadratic Deflation ETF | $0 | 2.00% |

---

\* As a percentage of the Creation Unit(s) redeemed.

The Adviser may adjust the transactions fees from time to time based on actual experience and may waive some or all of the transaction fees from time to time.

**<u>Taxation on Creations and Redemptions of Creation Units</u>**

An Authorized Participant generally will recognize either gain or loss upon the exchange of Deposit Securities for Creation Units. This gain or loss will generally equal the difference between (i) the sum of the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and any net amount of cash received by the Authorized Participant in the exchange and (ii) the sum of the Authorized Participant's aggregate basis in the Deposit Securities exchanged therefor and any net amount of cash paid for the Creation Units. However, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service may apply the wash sales rules to determine that any loss realized upon the exchange of Deposit Securities for Creation Units is not currently deductible. Authorized Participants should consult their own tax advisers.

Current U.S. federal tax laws dictate that capital gain or loss realized from the redemption of Creation Units will generally create long-term capital gain or loss if the Authorized Participant holds the Creation Units for more than one year, or short-term capital gain or loss if the Creation Units were held for one year or less, if the Creation Units are held as capital assets.

**<u>Postponement of Redemptions</u>**

For every occurrence of one or more intervening holidays in the applicable non-U.S. market that are not holidays observed in the U.S. equity market, the redemption settlement cycle will be extended by the number of such intervening holidays. In addition to holidays, other unforeseeable closings in a non-U.S. market due to emergencies may also prevent the Trust from delivering securities within normal settlement period. The securities delivery cycles currently practicable for transferring portfolio securities to redeeming investors, coupled with non-U.S. market holiday schedules, will require a delivery process longer than seven calendar days, in certain circumstances, but in no event longer than 15 calendar days.

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

**TAXES**

The following discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences of investing in a Fund is based on the Code, U.S. Treasury regulations, and other applicable authority, all as in effect as of the date of the filing of this SAI. These authorities are subject to change by legislative or administrative action, possibly with retroactive effect. The following discussion is only a summary of some of the important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in a Fund. There may be other tax considerations applicable to particular shareholders. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisers regarding their particular situation and the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws.

**<u>Qualification as a RIC</u>**

Each Fund has elected or intends to elect to be treated, and intends to qualify each year, as a regulated investment company (a "RIC") under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code. In order to qualify for the special tax treatment accorded RICs and their shareholders, a Fund must, among other things:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(a) derive at least 90% of its gross income each year from (i) dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies, and (ii) net income derived from interests in "qualified publicly traded partnerships" (as defined below);

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(b) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of its taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the market value of a Fund's total assets consists of cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities, with investments in such other securities limited with respect to any one issuer to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of a Fund's total assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of a Fund's total assets is invested in (1) the securities (other than those of the U.S. government or other RICs) of any one issuer or two or more issuers that are controlled by a Fund and that are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses or (2) the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships; and

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(c) distribute with respect to each taxable year at least the sum of 90% of its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code without regard to the deduction for dividends paid – generally taxable ordinary income and the excess, if any, of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses) and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income.

In general, for purposes of the 90% of gross income requirement described in (a) above, income derived from a partnership will be treated as qualifying income only to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership that would be qualifying income if realized directly by a Fund. However, 100% of the net income derived from an interest in a "qualified publicly traded partnership" (generally, a partnership (i) interests in which are traded on an established securities market or are readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof, (ii) that derives at least 90% of its income from the passive income sources specified in Code section 7704(d), and (iii) that derives less than 90% of its income from the qualifying income described in (a)(i) of the prior paragraph) will be treated as qualifying income. In addition, although in general the passive loss rules of the Code do not apply to RICs, such rules do apply to a RIC with respect to items attributable to an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership.

The U.S. Treasury Department has authority to issue regulations that would exclude foreign currency gains from the 90% test described in (a) above if such gains are not directly related to a fund's business of investing in stock or securities. Accordingly, regulations may be issued in the future that could treat some or all of a Fund's non-U.S. currency gains as non-qualifying income, thereby potentially jeopardizing a Fund's status as a RIC for all years to which the regulations are applicable.

**<u>Taxation of a Fund</u>**

If a Fund qualifies as a RIC, the Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on income and gains that are distributed in a timely manner to its shareholders in the form of dividends.

If a Fund fails to satisfy the qualifying income test in any taxable year or the diversification requirements for any quarter, the Fund may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. If these relief provisions are not available to a Fund for any year in which it fails to qualify as a RIC, all of its taxable income will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and its distributions (including capital gains distributions) generally will be taxable as ordinary income dividends to its shareholders, subject to the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders and lower tax rates on qualified dividend income for individual shareholders. In addition, a Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a RIC that is accorded special tax treatment.

Each Fund intends to distribute at least annually to its shareholders substantially all of its taxable income and its net capital gains. Taxable income that is retained by a Fund will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates. If a Fund retains any net capital gain, that gain will be subject to tax at corporate rates, but the Fund may designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its shareholders who (i) will be required to include in income for federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their shares of such undistributed amount, and (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the tax paid by the Fund on such undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to claim refunds on a properly filed U.S. tax return to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. For federal income tax purposes, the tax basis of shares owned by a shareholder of a Fund will be increased by an amount equal to the difference between the amount of undistributed capital gains included in the shareholder's gross income and the tax deemed paid by the shareholder under clause (ii) of the preceding sentence.

**<u>Deferral of Late Year Losses</u>**

A Fund may elect to treat part or all of any "qualified late year loss" as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund's taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such "qualified late year loss" as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing the Fund's distributions for any calendar year. A "qualified late year loss" generally includes net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (commonly referred to as "post-October losses") and certain other late-year losses.

**<u>Capital Loss Carryovers</u>**

If a Fund has a "net capital loss" (that is, capital losses in excess of capital gains), the excess (if any) of the Fund's net short-term capital losses over its net long-term capital gains is treated as a short-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund's next taxable year, and the excess (if any) of the Fund's net long-term capital losses over its net short-term capital gains is treated as a long-term capital loss arising on the first day of a Fund's next taxable year. Such capital loss carryover can be used to offset capital gains of a Fund in succeeding taxable years. The carryover of capital losses may be limited under the general loss limitation rules if a Fund experiences an ownership change as defined in the Code.

**<u>Excise Tax</u>**

If a Fund fails to distribute in a calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of 98% of its ordinary income for such year and 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 of such year, plus any retained amount from the prior year, the Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax on the undistributed amount. For these purposes, a Fund will be treated as having distributed any amount on which it has been subject to corporate income tax for the taxable year ending within the calendar year. A dividend paid to shareholders in January of a year generally is deemed to have been paid by a Fund on December 31 of the preceding year if the dividend was declared and payable to shareholders of record on a date in October, November, or December of that preceding year. Each Fund intends to declare and pay dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of the 4% excise tax, although there can be no assurance that it will be able to do so.

**<u>Fund Distributions</u>**

Distributions are taxable whether shareholders receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares. Moreover, distributions are generally subject to federal income tax as described herein to the extent they do not exceed a Fund's realized income and gains, even though such dividends and distributions may economically represent a return of a particular shareholder's investment. Such distributions are likely to occur in respect of shares purchased at a time when a Fund's NAV reflects gains that are either unrealized, or realized but not distributed. Such realized gains may be required to be distributed even when a Fund's NAV also reflects unrealized losses.

Dividends and other distributions by a Fund are generally treated under the Code as received by the shareholders at the time the dividend or distribution is made. However, if any dividend or distribution is declared by a Fund in October, November or December of any calendar year and payable to its shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month but is actually paid during the following January, such dividend or distribution will be deemed to have been received by each shareholder on December 31 of the year in which the dividend was declared.

Distributions by a Fund of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long a Fund owned the investments that generated those gains, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her Fund shares. Distributions of net capital gains from the sale of investments that a Fund owned for more than one year and that are properly designated by the Fund as capital gain dividends ("Capital Gain Dividends") will be taxable as long-term capital gains. Distributions from capital gains are generally made after applying any available capital loss carryovers. Preferential long-term capital gain rates apply to individuals at a maximum rate of 20% for individuals with taxable income exceeding certain thresholds. Such preferential rates also apply to qualified dividend income if certain holding period requirements are met. Distributions of gains from the sale of investments that a Fund owned for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income.

Qualified dividend income is, in general, dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and certain foreign corporations (*i.e.*, foreign corporations incorporated in a possession of the United States or in certain countries with a comprehensive tax treaty with the United States, which includes China (but not Hong Kong which is treated as a separate jurisdiction), or the stock of which is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States). In order for some portion of the dividends received by a Fund's shareholders to be qualified dividend income, the Fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the dividend paying stocks in its portfolio, and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Fund's shares.

The Funds do not expect to pay significant dividends reportable as qualified dividend income.

Given each Fund's investment objective, it is not expected that Fund distributions will be eligible for the corporate dividends received deduction on Fund distributions attributable to dividends received.

For U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly), a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax will apply on all or a portion of their "net investment income," including interest, dividends, and capital gains, which generally includes taxable distributions received from a 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.

If a Fund makes distributions to a shareholder in excess of the Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits in any taxable year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of the shareholder's tax basis in its shares, and thereafter as capital gain. A return of capital is not taxable, but reduces a shareholder's tax basis in its shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of its shares.

The tax character of a Fund's distributions during a taxable year is not finally determined until a Fund's income and gains are determined at the end of the year. Gains or losses realized with respect to a Fund's options trading over the course of the year will affect the tax character of distributions made during the year, including the extent to which such distributions consist of dividends and/or return of capital.

Each Fund plans to make monthly distributions which could result in multiple distributions that include a return of capital. Under some circumstances, due to the recharacterization of distributions at the end of the calendar year, the Fund may be deemed to have distributed long-term capital gain more frequently than is permitted under applicable federal securities laws. In such circumstances, the Fund may need to seek relief from the SEC and there could be related adverse consequences for the Fund.

Investors considering buying shares just prior to a dividend or capital gain distribution should be aware that, although the price of shares purchased at that time may reflect the amount of the forthcoming distribution, such dividend or distribution may nevertheless be taxable to them. If a Fund is the holder of record of any security on the record date for any dividends payable with respect to such security, such dividends will be included in the Fund's gross income not as of the date received but as of the later of (a) the date such security became ex-dividend with respect to such dividends (*i.e.*, the date on which a buyer of the security would not be entitled to receive the declared, but unpaid, dividends); or (b) the date a Fund acquired such security. Accordingly, in order to satisfy its income distribution requirements, a Fund may be required to pay dividends based on anticipated earnings, and shareholders may receive dividends in an earlier year than would otherwise be the case.

**<u>Sale or Exchange of Shares</u>**

A sale or exchange of shares in a Fund may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received (or deemed received) by the shareholder with respect to the shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be disallowed if shares of the same Fund are purchased within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

As noted above, for U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly), a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax will apply on "net investment income," including interest, dividends, and capital gains, which generally includes taxable distributions received from a Fund and taxable gains on the disposition of shares of a Fund.

**<u>Backup Withholding</u>**

A Fund (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which a shareholder holds Fund shares) generally is required to withhold and to 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 under-reported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that he, she or it is not subject to such withholding. The backup withholding tax rate is currently 24%.

**<u>Federal Tax Treatment of Certain Fund Investments</u>**

Transactions of a Fund in options, futures contracts, hedging transactions, forward contracts, swap contracts, straddles and foreign currencies may be subject to various special and complex tax rules, including mark-to-market, constructive sale, straddle, wash sale and short sale rules. These rules could affect whether gains and losses recognized by a Fund are treated as ordinary income or capital gain, accelerate the recognition of income to a Fund and/or defer a Fund's ability to recognize losses. These rules may in turn affect the amount, timing or character of the income distributed to shareholders by a Fund.

A Fund is required, for federal income tax purposes, to mark to market and recognize as income for each taxable year its net unrealized gains and losses as of the end of such year on certain regulated futures contracts, foreign currency contracts and options that qualify as Section 1256 contracts in addition to the gains and losses actually realized with respect to such contracts during the year. Except as described below under "Certain Foreign Currency Tax Issues," gain or loss from Section 1256 contracts that are required to be marked to market annually will generally be 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. Application of this rule may alter the timing and character of distributions to shareholders.

Some debt obligations that are acquired by a Fund may be treated as having original issue discount ("OID"). Generally, a Fund will be required to include OID in taxable income over the term of the debt security, even though payment of the OID is not received until a later time, usually when the debt security matures. If a Fund holds such debt instruments, it may be required to pay out as distributions each year an amount that is greater than the total amount of cash interest the Fund actually received. Such distributions may be made from the cash assets of the Fund or by liquidation of portfolio securities, if necessary. A Fund may realize gains or losses from such liquidations. In the event a Fund realizes net gains from such transactions, its shareholders may receive larger distributions than they would have in the absence of such transactions.

Any market discount recognized on a bond is taxable as ordinary income. A market discount bond is a bond acquired in the secondary market at a price below redemption value or adjusted issue price if issued with original issue discount. Absent an election by a Fund to include the market discount in income as it accrues, gains on the Fund's disposition of such an obligation will be treated as ordinary income rather than capital gain to the extent of the accrued market discount.

**<u>Tax-Exempt Shareholders</u>**

Under current law, income of a RIC that would be treated as unrelated business taxable income ("UBTI") if earned directly by a tax-exempt entity generally will not be attributed as UBTI to a tax-exempt entity that is a shareholder in the RIC. Notwithstanding this "blocking" effect, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of its investment in a Fund if shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Code Section 514(b).

**<u>Non-U.S. Shareholders</u>**

In general, dividends other than Capital Gain Dividends paid by a Fund to a shareholder that is not a "U.S. person" within the meaning of the Code (a "foreign person") are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) even if they are funded by income or gains (such as foreign-source dividend and interest income) that, if paid to a foreign person directly, would not be subject to withholding. If a Fund were to recognize short-term capital gains or U.S.-source portfolio interest, properly reported short-term capital gain dividends and interest-related dividends paid by the Fund would not be subject to such withholding tax.

A beneficial holder of shares who is a non-U.S. person is not, in general, subject to U.S. federal income tax on gains (and is not allowed a U.S. income tax deduction for losses) realized on a sale of shares of a Fund or on Capital Gain Dividends or short-term capital gain dividends unless (i) such gain or dividend is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business carried on by such holder within the United States or (ii) in the case of an individual holder, the holder is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the sale or the receipt of the Capital Gain Dividend or short-term capital gains dividends and certain other conditions are met.

In order for a non-U.S. investor to qualify for an exemption from backup withholding, the foreign investor must comply with special certification and filing requirements. Foreign investors in a Fund should consult their tax advisers in this regard. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder's U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the Internal Revenue Service.

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

Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act ("FATCA"), a 30% withholding tax will be imposed on dividends paid by a Fund to (i) foreign financial institutions including non-U.S. investment funds unless they agree to collect and disclose to the Internal Revenue Service information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. account holders and (ii) certain other foreign entities, unless they certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners. A non-U.S. shareholder resident or doing business in a country that has entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the U.S. to implement a similar reporting regime will be exempt from this withholding tax if the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement. A Shareholder subject to such withholding tax will not receive additional amounts from the Fund to compensate for such withholding. Proposed regulations (which are effective while pending) eliminate the application of the FATCA withholding tax to capital gain dividends and redemption proceeds that was scheduled to take effect in 2019.

**<u>Creation and Redemption of Creation Units</u>**

An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize 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 and the sum of the exchanger's aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger's basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The Internal Revenue Service, 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 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 for more than one year.

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 for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will be treated as short-term capital gains or losses.

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

**<u>Section 351</u>**

The Trust on behalf of a Fund has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the shares 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 deposit 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.

**<u>Tax Shelter Reporting Regulations</u>**

Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if an individual shareholder recognizes a loss of $2 million or more in any single tax year or, for a corporate shareholder, $10 million or more in any single tax year, the shareholder must file with the Internal Revenue Service a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all RICs. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer's treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

**<u>General Considerations</u>**

The U.S. federal income tax discussion set forth above is for general information only. Prospective investors should consult their tax advisers regarding the specific federal income tax consequences of purchasing, holding and disposing of shares of a Fund, as well as the effect of state, local and foreign tax law and any proposed tax law changes.

**DETERMINATION OF NAV**

This information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled "Calculating NAV."

The NAV per share of each Fund is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of a Fund (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities and withholdings) by the total number of shares of a Fund outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent. Expenses and fees, including without limitation, the management, administration and distribution fees, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. The NAV per share for each Fund normally is calculated by the Administrator and determined as of the regularly scheduled close of the normal trading on each day that the NYSE is scheduled to be open for business (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time). Any assets or liabilities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted into U.S. dollars at the current market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more sources.

Securities listed on a securities exchange (i.e., exchange-traded equity securities), market or automated quotation system for which quotations are readily available (except for securities traded on NASDAQ), including securities traded over the counter, are valued by independent pricing agents at the last reported sale price on the primary exchange or market (foreign or domestic) on which they are traded (or at the time as of which the Fund's NAV is calculated if a security's exchange is normally open at that time). If there is no such reported sale, such securities are valued at the most recently reported bid price. For securities traded on NASDAQ, the NASDAQ Official Closing Price will be used. If a security price cannot be obtained from an independent, third-party pricing agent, the Fund seeks to obtain bid and ask prices from two broker-dealers who make a market in the portfolio instrument and determines the average of the two.

If available, debt securities are priced based upon valuations provided by independent, third-party pricing agents. Such values generally reflect the last reported sales price if the security is actively traded. The third-party pricing agents may also value debt securities at an evaluated bid price by employing methodologies that utilize actual market transactions, broker-supplied valuations, or other methodologies designed to identify the market value for such securities. Debt obligations with remaining maturities of sixty days or less may be valued at their amortized cost, which approximates market value.

The prices for foreign securities are reported in local currency and converted to U.S. dollars using currency exchange rates. The exchange rates used for valuation are captured as of the close of the London Stock Exchange each day normally at 4:00 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time.

The value of a swap contract is equal to the obligation (or rights) under the swap contract, which will generally be equal to the net amounts to be paid or received under the contract based upon the relative values of the positions held by each party to the contract as determined by the applicable independent, third party pricing agent.

Swaps cleared through a central clearing house ("centrally cleared swaps") are valued at the settlement price established each day by the board of the exchange on which they are listed. The daily settlement prices for centrally cleared swaps are provided by an independent pricing agent. Swaps which are not centrally cleared are priced based on valuations provided by an independent pricing agent.

Exchange-traded options, except as discussed below for FLEX options, are valued at the mean of their most recent bid and asked price, if available, and otherwise, long positions will be valued at the most-recent bid price, and short positions will be valued at the most-recent ask price. OTC options are valued based upon prices determined by the applicable independent, third party pricing agent. FLEX (short for flexible) options are normally valued using a model-based price provided by a third-party pricing vendor. On days when a trade in a FLEX option occurs, the trade price will be used to value such FLEX options in lieu of the model price.

Futures are valued at the settlement price established by the board of trade on which they are traded. Foreign currency forward contracts are valued at the current day's interpolated foreign exchange rate, as calculated using the current day's spot rate and the 30-, 60-, 90- and 180-day forward rates provided by an independent pricing agent.

Investments in open-end investment companies that do not trade on an exchange are valued at the end of day NAV per share. Investments in open-end investment companies that trade on an exchange are valued in the same manner as other exchange-traded equity securities (described above).

Investments for which market prices are not "readily available," or are not deemed to reflect current market values, or are debt securities where no evaluated price is available from third-party pricing agents pursuant to established methodologies, are fair valued in accordance with the Adviser's valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. Some of the more common reasons that may necessitate that a security be valued using "fair value" pricing may include, but are not limited to: the security's trading has been halted or suspended; the security's primary trading market is temporarily closed; or the security has not been traded for an extended period of time.

In addition, a Fund may fair value its securities if an event that may materially affect the value of a Fund's securities that trade outside of the United States (a "Significant Event") has occurred between the time of the security's last close and the time that a Fund calculates its NAV. A Significant Event may relate to a single issuer or to an entire market sector, country or region. Events that may be Significant Events may include: government actions, natural disasters, armed conflict, acts of terrorism and significant market fluctuations.

If Krane becomes aware of a Significant Event that has occurred with respect to a portfolio instrument or group of portfolio instruments after the closing of the exchange or market on which the portfolio instrument or portfolio instruments principally trade, but before the time at which a Fund calculates its NAV, it will notify the Administrator and may request that an ad hoc meeting of the Fair Value Pricing Committee be called.

With respect to trade-halted securities, the Adviser typically will fair value a trade-halted security by adjusting the security's last market close price by the security's sector performance, as measured by a predetermined index, unless Krane's Fair Value Pricing Committee determines to make additional adjustments.

Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that a fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value that could actually be realized upon the sale of the security or that another fund that uses market quotations or its own fair value procedures to price the same securities.

Trading in securities on many foreign exchanges is normally completed before the close of business on each Business Day. In addition, securities trading in a particular country or countries may not take place on each Business Day or may take place on days that are not Business Days. Changes in valuations on certain securities may occur at times or on days on which a Fund's NAV is not calculated and on which Fund shares do not trade and sales and redemptions of shares do not occur. As a result, the value of a Fund's portfolio securities and the net asset value of its shares may change on days when share purchases or sales cannot occur.

Fund shares are purchased or sold on a national securities exchange at market prices, which may be higher or lower than NAV. Transactions in Fund shares will be priced at NAV only if shares are purchased or redeemed directly from a Fund in Creation Units. No secondary sales will be made to brokers or dealers at a concession by the Distributor or by a Fund. Purchases and sales of shares in the secondary market, which will not involve a Fund, will be subject to customary brokerage commissions and charges.

**DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS**

Each Fund pays out to its shareholders any net investment income and net realized capital gains. Ordinarily, a Fund typically distributes any net investment income monthly and makes any capital gain distributions once a year (usually in December). A Fund may make distributions on a more frequent basis. A Fund may occasionally be required to make supplemental distributions at some other time during the year. Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole shares only if the broker through whom you purchased shares makes such option available. Your broker is responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions to you.

The Trust reserves the right to declare special distributions if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable.

**OTHER INFORMATION**

**<u>Portfolio Holdings</u>**

The Board has approved portfolio holdings disclosure policies and procedures that govern the timing and circumstances of disclosure to shareholders and third parties of a Fund's portfolio holdings and the use of material non-public information about a Fund's holdings. These policies and procedures, as described below, are designed to ensure that disclosure of portfolio holdings is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, and address conflicts of interest between the interests of Fund shareholders and those of Krane, a sub-adviser, the Distributor, or any affiliated person of a Fund, Krane, a sub-adviser or the Distributor. The policies and procedures apply to all officers, employees, and agents of a Fund, including Krane and a sub-adviser.

Each Fund discloses on its website at the start of each Business Day the identities and quantities of the securities and other assets held by a Fund that will form the basis of a Fund's calculation of its NAV on that Business Day. The portfolio holdings so disclosed will be based on information as of the close of business on the prior Business Day. This information is generally used in connection with the creation and redemption process and is disseminated on a daily basis through the facilities of the Exchange, the National Securities Clearing Corporation ("NSCC") and/or other fee-based subscription services to NSCC members and/or subscribers to those other fee-based subscription services, including Authorized Participants, and to entities that publish and/or analyze such information in connection with the process of purchasing or redeeming Creation Units or trading shares of a Fund in the secondary market.

Daily access to non-public information concerning a Fund's portfolio holdings also is permitted (i) to certain personnel of those service providers that are involved in portfolio management and providing administrative, operational, risk management, or other support to portfolio management, including affiliated broker-dealers and/or Authorized Participants, and (ii) to other personnel of Krane and other service providers, such as a sub-adviser, the administrator, the custodian and the fund accountant, who deal directly with, or assist in, functions related to investment management, administration, custody and fund accounting, as may be necessary to conduct business in the ordinary course in a manner consistent with agreements with a Fund and/or the terms of a Fund's current registration statement.

From time to time, non-public information concerning Fund portfolio holdings also may be provided to other entities that provide services to a Fund, including, among others, rating or ranking organizations, in the ordinary course of business, no earlier than one business day following the date of the information. Portfolio holdings information made available in connection with the creation and redemption process may be provided to other entities that provide services to a Fund in the ordinary course of business after it has been disseminated to the NSCC.

A Fund's chief compliance officer, or a compliance manager designated by the chief compliance officer, also may grant exceptions to permit additional disclosure of Fund portfolio holdings information at differing times and with different lag times (the period from the date of the information to the date the information is made available), if any, in instances where a Fund has legitimate business purposes for doing so, it is in the best interests of shareholders, and the recipients are subject to a duty of confidentiality, including a duty not to trade on the nonpublic information and are required to execute an agreement to that effect. The Board will be informed of any such disclosures at its next regularly scheduled meeting or as soon as is reasonably practicable thereafter. In no event will a Fund, Krane, a sub-adviser, or any other party receive any direct or indirect compensation in connection with the disclosure of information about a Fund's portfolio holdings.

The Board exercises continuing oversight of the disclosure of a Fund's portfolio holdings by (1) overseeing the implementation and enforcement of the Trust's the portfolio holdings policies and procedures by a Fund's chief compliance officer and a Fund, (2) considering reports and recommendations by the chief compliance officer concerning any material compliance matters (as defined in Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act and Rule 206(4)-7 under the Advisers Act) that may arise in connection with any portfolio holdings policies and procedures, and (3) considering whether to approve or ratify any amendment to any of the portfolio holdings policies and procedures. The Board and a Fund reserve the right to amend the policies and procedures in their sole discretion at any time and from time to time without prior notice to shareholders. For purposes of the policies and procedures, the term "portfolio holdings" means investment positions held by a Fund that are not publicly disclosed.

In addition to the permitted disclosures described above, a Fund must publicly disclose its complete holdings quarterly in SEC filings. These reports are available, free of charge, on the EDGAR database on the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov.

No person is authorized to disclose a Fund's portfolio holdings or other investment positions except in accordance with the Trust's policies and procedures.

**<u>Voting Rights</u>**

Each share of a Fund is entitled to one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Shareholders receive one vote for every full Fund share owned. Each Fund will vote separately on matters relating solely to that Fund. All shares of a Fund are freely transferable.

As a Delaware statutory trust, the Trust is not required to hold annual shareholder meetings unless otherwise required by the 1940 Act. However, for the purpose of considering removal of a Trustee as provided in Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act, a special meeting may be called by shareholders owning at least 10% of the outstanding shares of the Trust. Shareholder inquiries can be made by contacting the Trust at the number and website address provided under "Shareholder Inquiries" below.

**<u>Shareholder Inquiries</u>**

Shareholders may visit the Funds' web sites at <u>www.ivoletf.com</u> or <u>www.bnddetf.com</u> or call 1-833-IVOL ETF and 1-888-BNDD-007 or call to obtain information about account statements, procedures, and other related information.

**COUNSEL**

K&L Gates LLP, 1601 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20006, serves as counsel to the Trust.

**INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM**

KPMG LLP, 1735 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, the Trust's independent registered public accounting firm, provides audit and tax services with respect to the Funds.

**FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**

The Funds' audited financial statements, including the notes thereto and the report of KPMG LLP, the Funds' independent registered public accounting firm, are incorporated by reference into this SAI from the Funds' Form N-CSR for the year ending March 31, 2025.

**APPENDIX A - PROXY VOTING POLICY**

Form N-1A requires an investment company to describe the policies and procedures that it uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities. In connection with this requirement, the Trust's Board has delegated voting of the Fund's proxies to Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Adviser" or "KFA"), subject to the Board's oversight. The Board has directed that proxies be voted consistent with the Fund and its shareholders' best interests and in compliance with all applicable proxy voting rules and regulations. Below is a summary of the proxy voting policies and procedures adopted by the Adviser:

**Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures Summary**

***Background***

Investment advisers are fiduciaries that owe a duty of care and loyalty to each of their clients with respect to services undertaken on the client's behalf, including monitoring corporate events and exercising proxy authority. In the context of voting, the specific obligations that flow from the investment adviser's fiduciary duty depend upon the scope of voting authority assumed by the adviser. To satisfy its fiduciary duty in making any voting determination, an investment adviser must make the determination in the best interest of the client and must not place its own interests ahead of the interest of the client.

***Policies and Procedures***

**Proxy Voting Requirements**

Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act requires each registered investment adviser that exercises proxy voting authority with respect to client securities to:

● Adopt and implement written policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the adviser votes client securities in the best interest of clients, including sufficient ongoing oversight of any third party retained to assist with voting responsibilities;

● Disclose to clients how they may obtain information from the adviser about how the adviser voted proxies for their securities; and

● Describe the adviser's proxy voting policies and procedures to clients and furnish them with a copy of such policies and procedures on request.

Paragraph (c)(2) of Rule 204-2 under the Advisers Act imposes additional recordkeeping requirements on investment advisers that execute proxy voting authority, as described under "Recordkeeping" below and in the *Maintenance of Books and Records* section of this Manual.<sup>1</sup>

**Policy**

Each Adviser complies with Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act and all other applicable laws and regulations to the extent the Adviser votes proxies on behalf of Clients. KFA votes proxies for the securities in the KraneShares Trust, on behalf of each series of the Trust (the "Funds") for which it has been granted investment authority. KFA has retained Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. ("Broadridge") to track the Funds' proxy votes, the subsequent action taken by the Funds upon receipt of the vote, and where applicable, the issuer's management and shareholder recommendations (system name: ProxyEdge). KFA will provide ongoing oversight of Broadridge with respect to the ProxyEdge system which is used to assist in KFA's proxy voting duties.

Where KFA has responsibility for voting proxies, KFA will take reasonable steps under the circumstances so that proxies are received and voted in the best interest of its Clients, including the Funds, which generally means voting proxies in accordance with this policy. KFA may abstain from voting to the extent that KFA determines that such abstention is in the Client's best interest (based on a quantitative/qualitative materiality assessment). KFA generally does not vote proxies on behalf of separate account clients (if any). Separate account clients either vote their own proxies or designate an independent third party to vote proxies at the client's discretion.

 

<sup>1</sup> Each Adviser notes that the fiduciary duties described in Section 404(a)(1)(A) and (B) of ERISA require that, in voting proxies, the responsible fiduciary consider those factors that may affect the value of a plan's investment and not subordinate the interests of the plan's participants and beneficiaries in their retirement income to unrelated objectives. As such, to the extent that the one or both of the Advisers becomes an ERISA fiduciary, they will consider whether a plan's vote is expected to have an effect on the value of the plan's investment that warrants the additional cost of voting before making any proxy vote.

**Proxy Advisory Firm - General Guidelines and Oversight**

Where KFA has proxy voting authority, KFA generally votes in accordance with pre-determined proxy voting guidelines prepared by Glass Lewis & Co. ("GL Guidelines"), where Glass Lewis serves as an independent, unaffiliated third-party proxy advisory service firm.<sup>2</sup> KFA believes that utilizing an independent third party's framework and analysis to support KFA's assessments of proxy proposals assists KFA in making sure that all proxy voting decisions are made in the best interests of KFA's Clients and Funds. However, KFA may diverge from the GL Guidelines to the extent that KFA believes it is in the best interest of a Fund or Client account to vote differently. In determining whether to vote in accordance with the GL Guidelines, KFA will take into account all information received with respect to the particular proxy vote, including any information provided by the issuer. KFA will provide ongoing oversight of any proxy advisory firm engaged to ensure the proxy advisory firm has the capacity and competency to adequately analyze proxy issues, including but not limited to reviewing (1) the adequacy and quality of the proxy advisory firm's staffing and personnel; (2) the robustness of its policies and procedures regarding its ability to (i) ensure that its proxy voting recommendations are based on current and accurate information and (ii) identify and address any conflicts of interest and any other considerations that the investment adviser believes would be appropriate in considering the nature and quality of the services provided by the proxy advisory firm.

**Conflicts of Interests**

KFA has adopted these policies and procedures that are designed to identify conflicts or potential conflicts that could arise between its own interests and those of its Clients, including the Funds. For example, conflicts of interest may arise when:

● proxy votes where the issuer is an affiliate, or the subject of the proxy measure involved a material economic or business interest of an affiliate;

● proxy votes regarding non-routine matters are solicited by an issuer that has an institutional separate account relationship with KFA;<sup>3</sup>

● a proponent of a proxy proposal has a business relationship with KFA; or

● KFA has business relationships with participants in proxy contests, corporate directors or director candidates.

The Compliance Team and KFA's Investment Team are responsible for monitoring and resolving possible material conflicts of interest with respect to proxy voting. KFA will identify any conflicts that exist between its interests and those of a Client by reviewing KFA's relationship with the issuer of each security to determine if KFA or any of its employees has any financial, business, or personal relationship with the issuer. Any person with knowledge of a personal conflict of interest relating to a particular matter shall disclose that conflict to the Investment Team or the Compliance Team and may be required to recuse him or herself from the proxy voting process.

If it is determined that a conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest is material, the CCO will work with appropriate personnel to agree upon a method to resolve such conflict before voting proxies affected by the conflict. It is KFA's expectation that voting in accordance with the GL Guidelines will, in most cases, adequately address any possible conflicts of interest.

KFA will maintain a record of the resolution of any conflict of interest with respect to proxy voting.

<sup>2</sup> As of the dated of these policies and procedures, KFA relies on the 2024 Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Thematic Voting Policy ("GL ESG Policy Guidelines"). To the extent the GL ESG Policy Guidelines do not provide a specific approach to a ballot, or an ESG rule does not trigger for a particular ballot, the default vote will come from the In-House Glass Lewis Guidelines.

<sup>3</sup> For this purpose, KFA generally will consider as "non-routine" any matter listed in New York Stock Exchange Rule 452.11, relating to when a member adviser may not vote a proxy without instructions from its customer (for example, contested matters are deemed non-routine).

**Special Issues with Voting Foreign Proxies**

Although KFA has arrangements with BBH (custodian) and Broadridge to vote foreign proxies, voting proxies with respect to shares of foreign stocks may involve significantly greater effort and corresponding cost due to the variety of regulatory schemes and corporate practices in foreign countries with respect to proxy voting. Logistical problems in voting foreign proxies include the following:

● Each country has its own rules and practices regarding shareholder notification, voting restrictions, registration conditions and "share blocking" (as described in the following bullet point).

● To vote shares in some countries, the shares may be "blocked" by the custodian or depository (or bearer shares deposited with a specified financial institution) for a specified number of days (usually five or fewer but sometimes longer) before or after the shareholder meeting. When blocked, shares typically may not be traded until the day after the blocking period. KFA may refrain from voting shares of foreign stocks subject to blocking restrictions where, in KFA's judgment, the benefit from voting the shares is outweighed by the interest of maintaining liquidity in the shares. This decision generally is made on a case-by-case basis based on relevant factors, including the length of the blocking period, the significance of the holding, and whether the stock is considered a long-term holding.

● Often it is difficult to ascertain the date of a shareholder meeting because certain countries, such as France, do not require companies to publish announcements in any official stock exchange publication.

● Timeframes between shareholder notification, distribution of proxy materials, book closure and the actual meeting date may be too short to allow timely action.

● Language barriers will generally mean that an English translation of proxy information must be obtained or commissioned before the relevant shareholder meeting, if possible.

● Some companies and/or jurisdictions require that, in order to be eligible to vote, the shares of the beneficial holders be registered in the company's share registry.

● Lack of a "proxy voting service" by custodians in certain countries, which in certain cases may require KFA to have a power of attorney in place with the local custodian for voting.

● Lack of proxy statement information (where KFA is limited to what is available on Proxy Ballot and Issuer's website).

● Proxy votes for the issuer are suppressed or restricted due to operational constraints, including sanctions.

● Meetings are informational only and/or have to be attended in person.

Because the cost of voting on a particular proxy proposal, including lengthy operational processing, could exceed the expected benefit to a Fund or Client account, KFA may, after weighing the costs and benefits of voting on proxy proposals relating to foreign securities, make the decision not to vote a proxy proposal. At times, KFA may abstain from voting proxies of companies for the reasons stated above.

**Affiliated Entities**

For the avoidance of doubt, when required by contract or requested in writing, it is KFA's policy to generally abstain from voting proxies as they relate to affiliated entities of subadvisors who co-manage the portfolios of the Funds.

**Voting Contrary to Guidelines**

To the extent a proxy is voted contrary to the GL Guidelines for the reasons stated above (i.e. conflicts of interest, foreign proxies with special issues, affiliated entities), or otherwise (for example, proxy is a "case by case" under which the third-party proxy advisory service firm does not provide a recommendation or due to a sanction or operational restriction), such override must be made in the Client account's or Fund's best interest. In such cases, the reason for such decision must be agreed on by both the Compliance Team and the Investment Team and recorded. To the extent the contrary vote is determined during monthly reviews, Krane Compliance will communicate that to the Investment Team, if not previously identified.

**Proxy Voting Reporting**

Information regarding how KFA voted proxies on behalf of the Funds is available on the SEC's website at <u>http://sec.gov</u>. Information regarding how KFA voted proxies on behalf of Client accounts is available upon request.

KFA must provide the Funds' Board with a report that describes any significant issues that arose during the year as they relate to voting proxies, including any votes that were made inconsistent with this policy. Additionally, on at least an annual basis, any changes to this policy with respect to the Funds must be reported to the Board, which shall review and, in its discretion, approve the use of such amended policy.

KFA's CCO will meet with the Stewardship Committee periodically, but no less frequently than annually, to review compliance with this policy.

**Class Actions**

KFA does not commit to participate in all class actions that may arise with regard to Client account or Fund portfolio securities. Upon receipt of class action information, the Compliance Team and/or Investment Team will evaluate the costs versus the benefits of participation in the suit for each pertinent Client. Unless it is determined that it would be in the best interest of the Client or Fund, KFA will not participate in the class action on behalf of the Client or Fund. The Compliance Team or Investment Team will either return to the sender any documents inadvertently received by KFA regarding the class action, or forward the documents to the pertinent Client(s). If a determination is made that the benefits of participating in a class action outweigh the cost of participation, KFA will distribute any compensation received pro rata to the investors in the Funds(s) and/or to the Client based on the current percentage holdings in the Fund or Client account, or as otherwise appropriately arranged and disclosed to Clients.

Class Action Notices should be forwarded to the CCO upon receipt.

**Recordkeeping**

To the extent that KFA exercises proxy voting authority with respect to its Clients, it shall make and retain the following:

● a copy of this policy;

● a copy of each proxy statement that KFA receives regarding Client securities;

● a record of each vote cast by KFA on behalf of a Client;

● a copy of each written Client request for information on how KFA voted proxies on behalf of the Client, and a copy of any written response by KFA to any written or oral Client request for information on how KFA voted proxies on behalf of the requesting Client.

KFA shall retain these records in an easily accessible place for five years from the end of the fiscal year during which the last entry was made on such record, the first two years in KFA's principal office. The CCO will confirm that KFA complies with all applicable recordkeeping requirements associated with proxy voting.

United States

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| 2025 Benchmark Policy Guidelines |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;www.glasslewis.com |

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**Table of Contents**

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| [About Glass Lewis](#vaa4_001) | 6 |
| [Guidelines Introduction](#vaa4_002) | 7 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Summary of Changes for 2025](#vaa4_003) | 7 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Clarifying Amendments](#vaa4a_003) | 8 |
| [A Board of Directors that Serves Shareholder Interest](#vaa4_004) | 9 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Election of Directors](#vaa4_005) | 9 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Independence](#vaa4_006) | 9 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Committee Independence](#vaa4_007) | 12 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Independent Chair](#vaa4_008) | 12 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Performance](#vaa4_009) | 14 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Responsiveness](#vaa4_010) | 15 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Responsiveness to Shareholder Proposals](#vaa4a_010) | 16 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[The Role of a Committee Chair](#vaa4_011) | 16 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Audit Committees and Performance](#vaa4_012) | 17 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Standards for Assessing the Audit Committee](#vaa4_013) | 17 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Material Weaknesses](#vaa4a_013) | 20 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Compensation Committee Performance](#vaa4_014) | 21 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Nominating and Governance Committee Performance](#vaa4_015) | 23 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board-Level Risk Management Oversight](#vaa4_016) | 26 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Oversight of Environmental and Social Issues](#vaa4_017) | 27 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Oversight of Technology](#vaa4_018) | 28 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Accountability for Environmental and Social Performance](#vaa4_019) | 30 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Director Commitments](#vaa4_020) | 31 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Other Considerations](#vaa4_021) | 32 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Controlled Companies](#vaa4_022) | 33 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Significant Shareholders](#vaa4_023) | 34 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Governance Following an IPO, Spin-Off, or Direct Listing](#vaa4_024) | 34 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Governance Following a Business Combination with a Special Purpose Acquisition Company](#vaa4_025) | 36 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Dual-Listed or Foreign-Incorporated Companies](#vaa4_026) | 36 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[OTC-listed Companies](#vaa4_027) | 37 |

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![](proxy_005.jpg)<sub>2</sub>

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Mutual Fund Boards](#vaa4_028) | 37.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Declassified Boards](#vaa4_029) | 38.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Composition and Refreshment](#vaa4_030) | 39.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Diversity](#vaa4_031) | 40.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Gender Diversity](#vaa4_032) | 40.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Underrepresented Community Diversity](#vaa4_033) | 41.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[State Laws on Diversity](#vaa4_034) | 41.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Disclosure of Director Diversity and Skills](#vaa4_035) | 42.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Stock Exchange Diversity Disclosure Requirements |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Proxy Access](#vaa4_037) | 42.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Majority Vote for Election of Directors](#vaa4_038) | 43.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[The Plurality Vote Standard](#vaa4_039) | 43.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Advantages of a Majority Vote Standard](#vaa4_040) | 43.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Conflicting and Excluded Proposals](#vaa4_041) | 44.0 |
| [Transparency and Integrity in Financial Reporting](#vaa4_042) | 45.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Auditor Ratification](#vaa4_043) | 46.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Voting Recommendations on Auditor Ratification](#vaa4_044) | 47.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Pension Accounting Issues](#vaa4_045) | 48.0 |
| [The Link Between Compensation and Performance](#vaa4_046) | 49.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation (Say-on-Pay)](#vaa4_047) | 49.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Say-on-Pay Voting Recommendations](#vaa4_048) | 50.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Company Responsiveness](#vaa4_049) | 52.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Pay for Performance](#vaa4_050) | 52.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Short-Term Incentives](#vaa4_051) | 53.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Long-Term Incentives](#vaa4_052) | 55.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Grants of Front-Loaded Awards](#vaa4_053) | 56.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Linking Executive Pay to Environmental and Social Criteria](#vaa4_054) | 57.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[One-Time Awards](#vaa4_055) | 58.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Contractual Payments and Arrangements](#vaa4_056) | 58.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Sign-on Awards and Severance Benefits](#vaa4_057) | 58.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Change in Control](#vaa4_058) | 59.0 |

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Excise Tax Gross-ups](#vaa4_059) | 59 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Amended Employment Agreements](#vaa4_060) | 60 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Recoupment Provisions (Clawbacks)](#vaa4_061) | 60 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Hedging of Stock](#vaa4_062) | 60 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Pledging of Stock](#vaa4_063) | 61 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Executive Ownership Guidelines](#vaa4a_063) | 61 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Compensation Consultant Independence](#vaa4_064) | 62 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[CEO Pay Ratio](#vaa4_065) | 62 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Frequency of Say-on-Pay](#vaa4_066) | 62 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Vote on Golden Parachute Arrangements](#vaa4_067) | 63 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Equity-Based Compensation Proposals](#vaa4_068) | 63 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Option Exchanges and Repricing](#vaa4_069) | 65 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Option Backdating, Spring-Loading and Bullet-Dodging](#vaa4_070) | 65 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Director Compensation Plans](#vaa4_071) | 67 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Employee Stock Purchase Plans](#vaa4_072) | 67 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Executive Compensation Tax Deductibility — Amendment to IRC 162(M)](#vaa4_073) | 67 |
| [Governance Structure and the Shareholder Franchise](#vaa4_074) | 69 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Anti-Takeover Measures](#vaa4_075) | 69 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Poison Pills (Shareholder Rights Plans)](#vaa4_076) | 69 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[NOL Poison Pills](#vaa4_077) | 69 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Fair Price Provisions](#vaa4_078) | 71 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Control Share Statutes](#vaa4a_078) | 71 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Quorum Requirements](#vaa4_079) | 72 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Director and Officer Indemnification](#vaa4_080) | 72 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Officer Exculpation](#vaa4_081) | 72 |

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Reincorporation](#vaa4_082) | 73 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Exclusive Forum and Fee-Shifting Bylaw Provisions](#vaa4_083) | 74 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Authorized Shares](#vaa4_084) | 75 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Advance Notice Requirements](#vaa4_085) | 76 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Virtual Shareholder Meetings](#vaa4_086) | 76 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Voting Structure](#vaa4_087) | 77 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Multi-Class Share Structures](#vaa4_088) | 77 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Cumulative Voting](#vaa4_089) | 78 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Supermajority Vote Requirements](#vaa4_090) | 79 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Transaction of Other Business](#vaa4_091) | 79 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Anti-Greenmail Proposals](#vaa4_092) | 79 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Mutual Funds: Investment Policies and Advisory Agreements](#vaa4_093) | 79 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Real Estate Investment Trusts](#vaa4_094) | 80 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Preferred Stock Issuances at REITs](#vaa4_095) | 80 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Business Development Companies](#vaa4_096) | 80 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Authorization to Sell Shares at a Price Below Net Asset Value](#vaa4_097) | 81 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Auditor Ratification and Below-NAV Issuances](#vaa4_098) | 81 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Special Purpose Acquisition Companies](#vaa4_099) | 82 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Extension of Business Combination Deadline](#vaa4_100) | 82 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[SPAC Board Independence](#vaa4_101) | 82 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Director Commitments of SPAC Executives](#vaa4_102) | 82 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Shareholder Proposals](#vaa4_103) | 83 |
| [Overall Approach to Environmental, Social & Governance Issues](#vaa4_104) | 84 |
| [Connect with Glass Lewis](#vaa4_105) | 86 |

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About Glass Lewis

Glass Lewis is the world's choice for governance solutions. We enable institutional investors and publicly listed companies to make informed decisions based on research and data. We cover 30,000+ meetings each year, across approximately 100 global markets. Our team has been providing in-depth analysis of companies since 2003, relying solely on publicly available information to inform its policies, research, and voting recommendations.

Our customers include the majority of the world's largest pension plans, mutual funds, and asset managers, collectively managing over $40 trillion in assets. We have teams located across the United States, Europe, and Asia-Pacific giving us global reach with a local perspective on the important governance issues.

Investors around the world depend on Glass Lewis' **<u>Viewpoint</u>** platform to manage their proxy voting, policy implementation, recordkeeping, and reporting. Our industry leading **<u>Proxy Paper</u>** product provides comprehensive environmental, social, and governance research and voting recommendations weeks ahead of voting deadlines. Public companies can also use our innovative **<u>Report Feedback Statement</u>** to deliver their opinion on our proxy research directly to the voting decision makers at every investor client in time for voting decisions to be made or changed.

The research team engages extensively with public companies, investors, regulators, and other industry stakeholders to gain relevant context into the realities surrounding companies, sectors, and the market in general. This enables us to provide the most comprehensive and pragmatic insights to our customers.

Join the Conversation<br>Glass Lewis is committed to ongoing engagement with all market participants.<br><u>info@glasslewis.com</u>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; www.glasslewis.com<br>

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Guidelines Introduction

Summary of Changes for 2025

Glass Lewis evaluates these guidelines on an ongoing basis and formally updates them on an annual basis. This year we've made noteworthy revisions in the following areas, which are summarized below but discussed in greater detail in the relevant section of this document:

*Update: 10 March 2025. Glass Lewis has modified our approach to providing proxy voting guidance considering diversity factors at US companies under our Benchmark Policy. For more information, please see our <u>2025 Supplemental Statement on Diversity Considerations at US Companies</u>.*

*Update: 17 December 2024. We have removed our discussion on page 42 of stock exchange diversity disclosure requirements.*

Board Oversight of AI

We have included a new discussion on our approach to artificial intelligence (AI)-related risk oversight. In recent years, companies have rapidly begun to develop and adopt uses for artificial intelligence (AI) technologies throughout various aspects of their operations. Deployed and overseen effectively, AI technologies have the potential to make companies' operations and systems more efficient and productive. However, as the use of these technologies has grown, so have the potential risks associated with companies' development and use of AI. Given these potential risks, the benchmark policy takes the view that boards should be cognizant of, and take steps to mitigate exposure to, any material risks that could arise from their use or development of AI.

In the absence of material incidents related to a company's use or management of AI-related issues, our benchmark policy will generally not make voting recommendations on the basis of a company's oversight of, or disclosure concerning, AI-related issues. However, in instances where there is evidence that insufficient oversight and/or management of AI technologies has resulted in material harm to shareholders, Glass Lewis will review a company's overall governance practices and identify which directors or board-level committees have been charged with oversight of AI-related risks. We will also closely evaluate the board's response to, and management of, this issue as well as any associated disclosures and the benchmark policy may recommend against appropriate directors should we find the board's oversight, response or disclosure concerning AI-related issues to be insufficient.

Change-In-Control Provisions

We have updated our discussion of change-in-control provisions in the section "The Link Between Compensation and Performance" to define our benchmark policy view that companies that allow for committee discretion over the treatment of unvested awards should commit to providing clear rationale for how such awards are treated in the event a change in control occurs.

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Clarifying Amendments

The following clarifications of our existing policies are included this year:

Board Responsiveness to Shareholder Proposals

We have revised our discussion of board responsiveness to shareholder proposal to reflect that when shareholder proposals receive significant shareholder support (generally more than 30% but less than majority of votes cast), the benchmark policy generally takes the view that boards should engage with shareholders on the issue and provide disclosure addressing shareholder concerns and outreach initiatives.

Reincorporation

We have revised our discussion on reincorporations to reflect that we review all proposals to reincorporate to a different state or country on a case-by-case basis. Our review includes the changes in corporate governance provisions, especially those relating to shareholder rights,material differences in corporate statutes and legal precedents, and relevant financial benefits, among other factors, resulting from the change in domicile.

Approach to Executive Pay Program

We have provided some clarifying statements to the discussion of in the section titled "The Link Between Compensation and Performance" to emphasize Glass Lewis' holistic approach to analyzing executive compensation programs. There are few program features that, on their own, lead to an unfavorable recommendation from Glass Lewis for a say-on-pay proposal. Our analysis reviews pay programs on a case-by-case basis. We do not utilize a pre-determined scorecard approach when considering individual features such as the allocation of the long-term incentive between performance-based awards and time-based awards. Unfavorable factors in a pay program are reviewed in the context of rationale, overall structure, overall disclosure quality, the program's ability to align executive pay with performance and the shareholder experience and the trajectory of the pay program resulting from changes introduced by the compensation committee.

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A Board of Directors that Serves Shareholder Interest

Election of Directors

The purpose of Glass Lewis' proxy research and advice is to facilitate shareholder voting in favor of governance structures that will drive performance, create shareholder value and maintain a proper tone at the top. Glass Lewis looks for talented boards with a record of protecting shareholders and delivering value over the medium- and long-term. We believe that a board can best protect and enhance the interests of shareholders if it is sufficiently independent, has a record of positive performance, and consists of individuals with diverse backgrounds and a breadth and depth of relevant experience.

Independence

The independence of directors, or lack thereof, is ultimately demonstrated through the decisions they make. In assessing the independence of directors, we will take into consideration, when appropriate, whether a director has a track record indicative of making objective decisions. Likewise, when assessing the independence of directors we will also examine when a director's track record on multiple boards indicates a lack of objective decision-making. Ultimately, we believe the determination of whether a director is independent or not must take into consideration both compliance with the applicable independence listing requirements as well as judgments made by the director.

We look at each director nominee to examine the director's relationships with the company, the company's executives, and other directors. We do this to evaluate whether personal, familial, or financial relationships (not including director compensation) may impact the director's decisions. We believe that such relationships make it difficult for a director to put shareholders' interests above the director's or the related party's interests. We also believe that a director who owns more than 20% of a company can exert disproportionate influence on the board, and therefore believe such a director's independence may be hampered, in particular when serving on the audit committee.

Thus, we put directors into three categories based on an examination of the type of relationship they have with the company:

**Independent Director** — An independent director has no material financial, familial or other current relationships with the company, its executives, or other board members, except for board service and standard fees paid for that service. Relationships that existed within three to five years<sup>1</sup> before the

<sup>1</sup> NASDAQ originally proposed a five-year look-back period but both it and the NYSE ultimately settled on a three-year look-back prior to finalizing their rules. A five-year standard for former employment relationships is more appropriate, in our view, because we believe that the unwinding of conflicting relationships between former management and board members is more likely to be complete and final after five years. However, Glass Lewis does not apply the five-year look-back period to directors who have previously served as executives of the company on an interim basis for less than one year.

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inquiry are usually considered "current" for purposes of this test. For material financial relationships with the company, we apply a three-year look back, and for former employment relationships with the company, we apply a five-year look back.

**Affiliated Director** — An affiliated director has, (or within the past three years, had) a material financial, familial or other relationship with the company or its executives, but is not an employee of the company.<sup>2</sup> This includes directors whose employers have a material financial relationship with the company.<sup>3</sup> In addition, we view a director who either owns or controls 20% or more of the company's voting stock, or is an employee or affiliate of an entity that controls such amount, as an affiliate.<sup>4</sup>

We view 20% shareholders as affiliates because they typically have access to and involvement with the management of a company that is fundamentally different from that of ordinary shareholders. More importantly, 20% holders may have interests that diverge from those of ordinary holders, for reasons such as the liquidity (or lack thereof) of their holdings, personal tax issues, etc.

Glass Lewis applies a three-year look back period to all directors who have an affiliation with the company other than former employment, for which we apply a five-year look back.

Definition of **"Material"**: A material relationship is one in which the dollar value exceeds:

● $50,000 (or where no amount is disclosed) for directors who are paid for a service they have agreed to perform for the company, outside of their service as a director, including professional or other services. This threshold also applies to directors who are the majority or principal owner of a firm that receives such payments; or

● $120,000 (or where no amount is disclosed) for those directors employed by a professional services firm such as a law firm, investment bank, or consulting firm and the company pays the firm, not the individual, for services.<sup>5</sup> This dollar limit would also apply to charitable contributions to schools where a

<sup>2</sup> If a company does not consider a non-employee director to be independent, Glass Lewis will classify that director as an affiliate.

<sup>3</sup> We allow a five-year grace period for former executives of the company or merged companies who have consulting agreements with the surviving company. (We do not automatically recommend voting against directors in such cases for the first five years.) If the consulting agreement persists after this five-year grace period, we apply the materiality thresholds outlined in the definition of "material."

<sup>4</sup> This includes a director who serves on a board as a representative (as part of his or her basic responsibilities) of an investment firm with greater than 20% ownership. However, while we will generally consider him/her to be affiliated, we will not recommend voting against unless (i) the investment firm has disproportionate board representation or (ii) the director serves on the audit committee.

<sup>5</sup> We may deem such a transaction to be immaterial where the amount represents less than 1% of the firm's annual revenues and the board provides a compelling rationale as to why the director's independence is not affected by the relationship.

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 board member is a professor; or charities where a director serves on the board or is an executive;<sup>6</sup> and any aircraft and real estate dealings between the company and the director's firm; or

● 1% of either company's consolidated gross revenue for other business relationships (e.g., where the director is an executive officer of a company that provides services or products to or receives services or products from the company).<sup>7</sup>

Definition of **"Familial"** — Familial relationships include a person's spouse, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, in-laws, and anyone (other than domestic employees) who shares such person's home. A director is an affiliate if: i) he or she has a family member who is employed by the company and receives more than $120,000<sup>8</sup> in annual compensation; or, ii) he or she has a family member who is employed by the company and the company does not disclose this individual's compensation.

Definition of **"Company"** — A company includes any parent or subsidiary in a group with the company or any entity that merged with, was acquired by, or acquired the company.

**Inside Director** — An inside director simultaneously serves as a director and as an employee of the company. This category may include a board chair who acts as an employee of the company or is paid as an employee of the company. In our view, an inside director who derives a greater amount of income as a result of affiliated transactions with the company rather than through compensation paid by the company (i.e., salary, bonus, etc. as a company employee) faces a conflict between making decisions that are in the best interests of the company versus those in the director's own best interests. Therefore, we will recommend voting against such a director.

Additionally, we believe a director who is currently serving in an interim management position should be considered an insider, while a director who previously served in an interim management position for less than one year and is no longer serving in such capacity is considered independent. Moreover, a director who previously served in an interim management position for over one year and is no longer serving in such capacity is considered an affiliate for five years following the date of the director's resignation or departure from the interim management position.

Voting Recommendations on the Basis of Board Independence

Glass Lewis believes a board will be most effective in protecting shareholders' interests if it is at least two-thirds independent. We note that each of the Business Roundtable, the Conference Board, and the Council of Institutional Investors advocates that two-thirds of the board be independent. Where more than one-third of

<sup>6</sup> We will generally take into consideration the size and nature of such charitable entities in relation to the company's size and industry along with any other relevant factors such as the director's role at the charity. However, unlike for other types of related party transactions, Glass Lewis generally does not apply a look-back period to affiliated relationships involving charitable contributions; if the relationship between the director and the school or charity ceases, or if the company discontinues its donations to the entity, we will consider the director to be independent.

<sup>7</sup> This includes cases where a director is employed by, or closely affiliated with, a private equity firm that profits from an acquisition made by the company. Unless disclosure suggests otherwise, we presume the director is affiliated.

<sup>8</sup> Pursuant to SEC rule Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Exchange Act, compensation exceeding $120,000 is the minimum threshold deemed material for disclosure of transactions involving family members of directors.

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the members are affiliated or inside directors, we typically<sup>8</sup> recommend voting against some of the inside and/or affiliated directors in order to satisfy the two-thirds threshold.

In the case of a less than two-thirds independent board, Glass Lewis strongly supports the existence of a presiding or lead director with authority to set the meeting agendas and to lead sessions outside the insider chair's presence.

In addition, we scrutinize avowedly "independent" chairs and lead directors. We believe that they should be unquestionably independent, or the company should not tout them as such.

Committee Independence

We believe that only independent directors should serve on a company's audit, compensation, nominating, and governance committees.<sup>9</sup> We typically recommend that shareholders vote against any affiliated or inside director seeking appointment to an audit, compensation, nominating, or governance committee, or who has served in that capacity in the past year.

Pursuant to Section 952 of the Dodd-Frank Act, as of January 11, 2013, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved new listing requirements for both the NYSE and NASDAQ which require that boards apply enhanced standards of independence when making an affirmative determination of the independence of compensation committee members. Specifically, when making this determination, in addition to the factors considered when assessing general director independence, the board's considerations must include: (i) the source of compensation of the director, including any consulting, advisory or other compensatory fee paid by the listed company to the director (the "Fees Factor"); and (ii) whether the director is affiliated with the listing company, its subsidiaries, or affiliates of its subsidiaries (the "Affiliation Factor").

Glass Lewis believes it is important for boards to consider these enhanced independence factors when assessing compensation committee members. However, as discussed above in the section titled Independence, we apply our own standards when assessing the independence of directors, and these standards also take into account consulting and advisory fees paid to the director, as well as the director's affiliations with the company and its subsidiaries and affiliates. We may recommend voting against compensation committee members who are not independent based on our standards.

Independent Chair

Glass Lewis believes that separating the roles of CEO (or, more rarely, another executive position) and chair creates a better governance structure than a combined CEO/chair position. An executive manages the business

<sup>8</sup> With a staggered board, if the affiliates or insiders that we believe should not be on the board are not up for election, we will express our concern regarding those directors, but we will not recommend voting against the other affiliates or insiders who are up for election just to achieve two-thirds independence. However, we will consider recommending voting against the directors subject to our concern at their next election if the issue giving rise to the concern is not resolved.

<sup>9</sup> We will recommend voting against an audit committee member who owns 20% or more of the company's stock, and we believe that there should be a maximum of one director (or no directors if the committee is composed of less than three directors) who owns 20% or more of the company's stock on the compensation, nominating, and governance committees.

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according to a course the board charts. Executives should report to the board regarding their performance in achieving goals set by the board. This is needlessly complicated when a CEO chairs the board, since a CEO/chair presumably will have a significant influence over the board.

While many companies have an independent lead or presiding director who performs many of the same functions of an independent chair (e.g., setting the board meeting agenda), we do not believe this alternate form of independent board leadership provides as robust protection for shareholders as an independent chair.

It can become difficult for a board to fulfill its role of overseer and policy setter when a CEO/chair controls the agenda and the boardroom discussion. Such control can allow a CEO to have an entrenched position, leading to longer-than-optimal terms, fewer checks on management, less scrutiny of the business operation, and limitations on independent, shareholder-focused goal-setting by the board.

A CEO should set the strategic course for the company, with the board's approval, and the board should enable the CEO to carry out the CEO's vision for accomplishing the board's objectives. Failure to achieve the board's objectives should lead the board to replace that CEO with someone in whom the board has confidence.

Likewise, an independent chair can better oversee executives and set a pro-shareholder agenda without the management conflicts that a CEO and other executive insiders often face. Such oversight and concern for shareholders allows for a more proactive and effective board of directors that is better able to look out for the interests of shareholders.

Further, it is the board's responsibility to select a chief executive who can best serve a company and its shareholders and to replace this person when his or her duties have not been appropriately fulfilled. Such a replacement becomes more difficult and happens less frequently when the chief executive is also in the position of overseeing the board.

Glass Lewis believes that the installation of an independent chair is almost always a positive step from a corporate governance perspective and promotes the best interests of shareholders. Further, the presence of an independent chair fosters the creation of a thoughtful and dynamic board, not dominated by the views of senior management. Encouragingly, many companies appear to be moving in this direction — one study indicates that only 10 percent of incoming CEOs in 2014 were awarded the chair title, versus 48 percent in 2002.<sup>10</sup> Another study finds that 53 percent of S&P 500 boards now separate the CEO and chair roles, up from 37 percent in 2009, although the same study found that only 34 percent of S&P 500 boards have truly independent chairs.<sup>11</sup>

We do not recommend that shareholders vote against CEOs who chair the board. However, we typically recommend that our clients support separating the roles of chair and CEO whenever that question is posed in a proxy (typically in the form of a shareholder proposal), as we believe that it is in the long-term best interests of the company and its shareholders.

Further, where the company has neither an independent chair nor independent lead director, we will recommend voting against the chair of the governance committee.

<sup>10</sup> Ken Favaro, Per-Ola Karlsson and Gary L. Nelson. "The $112 Billion CEO Succession Problem." (*Strategy+Business*, Issue 79, Summer 2015).

<sup>11</sup> Spencer Stuart Board Index, 2019, p. 6.

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Performance

The most crucial test of a board's commitment to the company and its shareholders lies in the actions of the board and its members. We look at the performance of these individuals as directors and executives of the company and of other companies where they have served.

We find that a director's past conduct is often indicative of future conduct and performance. We often find directors with a history of overpaying executives or of serving on boards where avoidable disasters have occurred serving on the boards of companies with similar problems. Glass Lewis has a proprietary database of directors serving at over 8,000 of the most widely held U.S. companies. We use this database to track the performance of directors across companies.

Voting Recommendations on the Basis of Performance

We typically recommend that shareholders vote against directors who have served on boards or as executives of companies with records of poor performance, inadequate risk oversight, excessive compensation, audit- or accounting-related issues, and/or other indicators of mismanagement or actions against the interests of shareholders. We will reevaluate such directors based on, among other factors, the length of time passed since the incident giving rise to the concern, shareholder support for the director, the severity of the issue, the director's role (e.g., committee membership), director tenure at the subject company, whether ethical lapses accompanied the oversight lapse, and evidence of strong oversight at other companies.

Likewise, we examine the backgrounds of those who serve on key board committees to ensure that they have the required skills and diverse backgrounds to make informed judgments about the subject matter for which the committee is responsible.

We believe shareholders should avoid electing directors who have a record of not fulfilling their responsibilities to shareholders at any company where they have held a board or executive position. We typically recommend voting against:

● A director who fails to attend a minimum of 75% of board and applicable committee meetings, calculated in the aggregate.<sup>12</sup>

● A director who belatedly filed a significant form(s) 4 or 5, or who has a pattern of late filings if the late filing was the director's fault (we look at these late filing situations on a case-by-case basis).

● A director who is also the CEO of a company where a serious and material restatement has occurred after the CEO had previously certified the pre-restatement financial statements.

● A director who has received two against recommendations from Glass Lewis for identical reasons within the prior year at different companies (the same situation must also apply at the company being analyzed).

Furthermore, with consideration given to the company's overall corporate governance, pay-for-performance alignment and board responsiveness to shareholders, we may recommend voting against directors who served

<sup>12</sup> However, where a director has served for less than one full year, we will typically not recommend voting against for failure to attend 75% of meetings. Rather, we will note the poor attendance with a recommendation to track this issue going forward. We will also refrain from recommending to vote against directors when the proxy discloses that the director missed the meetings due to serious illness or other extenuating circumstances.

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throughout a period in which the company performed significantly worse than peers and the directors have not taken reasonable steps to address the poor performance.

Board Responsiveness

Glass Lewis believes that boards should be responsive to shareholders when a significant percentage of shareholders vote contrary to the recommendation of management, depending on the issue.

When 20% of more of shareholders vote contrary to management (which occurs when more than 20% of votes on the proposal are cast as AGAINST and/or ABSTAIN), we believe that boards should engage with shareholders on the issue and demonstrate some initial level of responsiveness. These include instances when 20% or more of shareholders:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(i) withhold votes from (or vote against) a director nominee; or

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(ii) vote against a management-sponsored proposal.

In our view, a 20% threshold is significant enough to warrant a close examination of the underlying issues and an evaluation of whether the board responded appropriately following the vote, particularly in the case of a compensation or director election proposal. While the 20% threshold alone will not automatically generate a negative vote recommendation from Glass Lewis on a future proposal (e.g., to recommend against a director nominee, against a say-on-pay proposal, etc.), it may be a contributing factor to our recommendation to vote against management's recommendation in the event we determine that the board did not respond appropriately.

When a majority of shareholders vote contrary to management, we believe that boards should engage with shareholders on the issue and provide a more robust response to fully address shareholder concerns. These include instances when a majority or more of shareholders:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(i) withhold votes from (or vote against) a director nominee;

(ii) vote against a management-sponsored proposal;

At controlled companies and companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will carefully examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders when determining whether board responsiveness is warranted. In the case of companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will generally examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders on a "one share, one vote" basis. At controlled and multi-class companies, when at least 20% or more of unaffiliated shareholders vote contrary to management, we believe that boards should engage with shareholders and demonstrate some initial level of responsiveness, and when a majority or more of unaffiliated shareholders vote contrary to management, we believe that boards should engage with shareholders and provide a more robust response to address shareholder concerns.

As a general framework, our evaluation of board responsiveness involves a review of publicly available disclosures (e.g., the proxy statement, annual report, 8-Ks, company website, etc.) released following the date of the company's last annual meeting up through the publication date of our most current Proxy Paper. Depending on the specific issue, our focus typically includes, but is not limited to, the following:

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● At the board level, any changes in directorships, committee memberships, disclosure of related party transactions, meeting attendance, or other responsibilities;

● Any revisions made to the company's articles of incorporation, bylaws or other governance documents;

● Any press or news releases indicating changes in, or the adoption of, new company policies, business practices or special reports; and

● Any modifications made to the design and structure of the company's compensation program, as well as an assessment of the company's engagement with shareholders on compensation issues as discussed in the Compensation Discussion & Analysis (CD&A), particularly following a material vote against a company's say-on-pay.

● Proxy statement disclosure discussing the board's efforts to engage with shareholders and the actions taken to address shareholder concerns.

Our Proxy Paper analysis will include a case-by-case assessment of the specific elements of board responsiveness that we examined along with an explanation of how that assessment impacts our current voting recommendations.

Board Responsiveness to Shareholder Proposals

Majority-Supported Shareholder Proposals

We expect clear action from the board when shareholder proposals receive support from a majority of votes cast (excluding abstentions and broker non-votes). In our view, this may include fully implementing the request of the shareholder proposal and/or engaging with shareholders on the issue and providing sufficient disclosures to address shareholder concerns.

Significantly Supported Shareholder Proposals

When shareholder proposals receive significant support (generally more than 30% but less than majority of votes cast), we believe an initial level of board responsiveness is warranted. In instances where a shareholder proposal has received at least 30% shareholder support, we generally believe boards should engage with shareholders on the issue and provide disclosure addressing shareholder concerns and outreach initiatives.

Further, as discussed above, at controlled companies and companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will carefully examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders when determining whether board responsiveness is warranted.

The Role of a Committee Chair

Glass Lewis believes that a designated committee chair maintains primary responsibility for the actions of his or her respective committee. As such, many of our committee-specific voting recommendations are against the applicable committee chair rather than the entire committee (depending on the seriousness of the issue). In cases where the committee chair is not up for election due to a staggered board, and where we have identified multiple concerns, we will generally recommend voting against other members of the committee who are up for election, on a case-by-case basis.

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In cases where we would ordinarily recommend voting against a committee chair but the chair is not specified, we apply the following general rules, which apply throughout our guidelines:

● If there is no committee chair, we recommend voting against the longest-serving committee member or, if the longest-serving committee member cannot be determined, the longest-serving board member serving on the committee (i.e., in either case, the "senior director"); and

● If there is no committee chair, but multiple senior directors serving on the committee, we recommend voting against both (or all) such senior directors.

In our view, companies should provide clear disclosure of which director is charged with overseeing each committee. In cases where that simple framework is ignored and a reasonable analysis cannot determine which committee member is the designated leader, we believe shareholder action against the longest serving committee member(s) is warranted. Again, this only applies if we would ordinarily recommend voting against the committee chair but there is either no such position or no designated director in such role.

Audit Committees and Performance

Audit committees play an integral role in overseeing the financial reporting process because stable capital markets depend on reliable, transparent, and objective financial information to support an efficient and effective capital market process. Audit committees play a vital role in providing this disclosure to shareholders.

When assessing an audit committee's performance, we are aware that an audit committee does not prepare financial statements, is not responsible for making the key judgments and assumptions that affect the financial statements, and does not audit the numbers or the disclosures provided to investors. Rather, an audit committee member monitors and oversees the process and procedures that management and auditors perform. The 1999 Report and Recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Committee on Improving the Effectiveness of Corporate Audit Committees stated it best:

*A proper and well-functioning system exists, therefore, when the three main groups responsible for financial reporting — the full board including the audit committee, financial management including the internal auditors, and the outside auditors — form a 'three legged stool' that supports responsible financial disclosure and active participatory oversight. However, in the view of the Committee, the audit committee must be 'first among equals' in this process, since the audit committee is an extension of the full board and hence the ultimate monitor of the process.*

Standards for Assessing the Audit Committee

For an audit committee to function effectively on investors' behalf, it must include members with sufficient knowledge to diligently carry out their responsibilities. In its audit and accounting recommendations, the Conference Board Commission on Public Trust and Private Enterprise said "members of the audit committee must be independent and have both knowledge and experience in auditing financial matters."<sup>13</sup>

<sup>13</sup> Commission on Public Trust and Private Enterprise. The Conference Board. 2003.

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We are skeptical of audit committees where there are members that lack expertise as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Chief Financial Officer (CFO) or corporate controller, or similar experience. While we will not necessarily recommend voting against members of an audit committee when such expertise is lacking, we are more likely to recommend voting against committee members when a problem such as a restatement occurs and such expertise is lacking.

Glass Lewis generally assesses audit committees against the decisions they make with respect to their oversight and monitoring role. The quality and integrity of the financial statements and earnings reports, the completeness of disclosures necessary for investors to make informed decisions, and the effectiveness of the internal controls should provide reasonable assurance that the financial statements are materially free from errors. The independence of the external auditors and the results of their work all provide useful information by which to assess the audit committee.

When assessing the decisions and actions of the audit committee, we typically defer to its judgment and generally recommend voting in favor of its members. However, we will consider recommending that shareholders vote against the following:

● All members of the audit committee when options were backdated, there is a lack of adequate controls in place, there was a resulting restatement, and disclosures indicate there was a lack of documentation with respect to the option grants.

● The audit committee chair, if the audit committee does not have a financial expert or the committee's financial expert does not have a demonstrable financial background sufficient to understand the financial issues unique to public companies.

● The audit committee chair, if the audit committee did not meet at least four times during the year.

● The audit committee chair, if the committee has less than three members.

● Any audit committee member who sits on more than three public company audit committees, unless the audit committee member is a retired CPA, CFO, controller or has similar experience, in which case the limit shall be four committees, taking time and availability into consideration including a review of the audit committee member's attendance at all board and committee meetings.<sup>14</sup>

● All members of an audit committee who are up for election and who served on the committee at the time of the audit, if audit and audit-related fees total one-third or less of the total fees billed by the auditor.

● The audit committee chair when tax and/or other fees are greater than audit and audit-related fees paid to the auditor for more than one year in a row (in which case we also recommend against ratification of the auditor).

● The audit committee chair when fees paid to the auditor are not disclosed.

● All members of an audit committee where non-audit fees include fees for tax services (including, but not limited to, such things as tax avoidance or shelter schemes) for senior executives of the company. Such services are prohibited by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB).

<sup>14</sup> Glass Lewis may exempt certain audit committee members from the above threshold if, upon further analysis of relevant factors such as the director's experience, the size, industry-mix and location of the companies involved and the director's attendance at all the companies, we can reasonably determine that the audit committee member is likely not hindered by multiple audit committee commitments.

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● All members of an audit committee that reappointed an auditor that we no longer consider to be independent for reasons unrelated to fee proportions.

● All members of an audit committee when audit fees are excessively low, especially when compared with other companies in the same industry.

● The audit committee chair if the committee failed to put auditor ratification on the ballot for shareholder approval. However, if the non-audit fees or tax fees exceed audit plus audit-related fees in either the current or the prior year, then Glass Lewis will recommend voting against the entire audit committee.

● All members of an audit committee where the auditor has resigned and reported that a section 10A<sup>15</sup>letter has been issued.

● All members of an audit committee at a time when material accounting fraud occurred at the company.<sup>16</sup>

● All members of an audit committee at a time when annual and/or multiple quarterly financial statements had to be restated, and any of the following factors apply:<sup>17</sup>

○ The restatement involves fraud or manipulation by insiders;

○ The restatement is accompanied by an SEC inquiry or investigation;

○ The restatement involves revenue recognition;

○ The restatement results in a greater than 5% adjustment to costs of goods sold, operating expense, or operating cash flows; or

○ The restatement results in a greater than 5% adjustment to net income, 10% adjustment to assets or shareholders equity, or cash flows from financing or investing activities.

● All members of an audit committee if the company repeatedly fails to file its financial reports in a timely fashion. For example, the company has filed two or more quarterly or annual financial statements late within the last five quarters.

● All members of an audit committee when it has been disclosed that a law enforcement agency has charged the company and/or its employees with a violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

● All members of an audit committee when the company has aggressive accounting policies and/or poor disclosure or lack of sufficient transparency in its financial statements.

<sup>15</sup> Auditors are required to report all potential illegal acts to management and the audit committee unless they are clearly inconsequential in nature. If the audit committee or the board fails to take appropriate action on an act that has been determined to be a violation of the law, the independent auditor is required to send a section 10A letter to the SEC. Such letters are rare and therefore we believe should be taken seriously.

<sup>16</sup> Research indicates that revenue fraud now accounts for over 60% of SEC fraud cases, and that companies that engage in fraud experience significant negative abnormal stock price declines—facing bankruptcy, delisting, and material asset sales at much higher rates than do non-fraud firms (Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. "Fraudulent Financial Reporting: 1998-2007." May 2010).

<sup>17</sup> The SEC issued guidance in March 2021 related to classification of warrants as liabilities at special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs). We will generally refrain from recommending against audit committee members when the restatement in question is solely as a result of the aforementioned SEC guidance.

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● All members of the audit committee when there is a disagreement with the auditor and the auditor resigns or is dismissed (e.g., the company receives an adverse opinion on its financial statements from the auditor).

● All members of the audit committee if the contract with the auditor specifically limits the auditor's liability to the company for damages.<sup>18</sup>

● All members of the audit committee who served since the date of the company's last annual meeting if, since the last annual meeting, the company has reported a material weakness that has not yet been corrected and the company has not disclosed a remediation plan; or when a material weakness has been ongoing for more than one year and the company has not disclosed an updated remediation plan that clearly outlines the company's progress toward remediating the material weakness.

Material Weaknesses

Effective internal controls over financial reporting should ensure the integrity of companies' accounting and financial reporting.

The SEC guidance regarding Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting requires that reports on internal control should include: (i) a statement of management's responsibility for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting for the company; (ii) management's assessment of the effectiveness of the company's internal control over financial reporting as of the end of the company's most recent fiscal year; (iii) a statement identifying the framework used by management to evaluate the effectiveness of the company's internal control over financial reporting; and (iv) a statement that the registered public accounting firm that audited the company's financial statements included in the annual report has issued an attestation report on management's assessment of the company's internal control over financial reporting.

A material weakness occurs when a company identifies a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal controls over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the company's annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Failure to maintain effective internal controls can create doubts regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP and may lead to companies publishing financial statements that are not free of errors or misstatements.

We believe it is the responsibility of audit committees to ensure that material weaknesses are remediated in a timely manner and that companies disclose remediation plans that include detailed steps to resolve a given material weakness. In cases where a material weakness has been ongoing for more than one fiscal year, we expect the company to disclose an updated remediation plan at least annually thereafter. Updates to existing remediation plans should state the progress the company has made toward remediating the material weakness and the remaining actions the company plans to take until the material weakness is fully remediated. As such, we are critical of audit committees when companies disclose remediation plans that remain unchanged from a prior period.

<sup>18</sup> The Council of Institutional Investors. "Corporate Governance Policies," p. 4, April 5, 2006; and "Letter from Council of Institutional Investors to the AICPA," November 8, 2006.

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When a material weakness is reported and the company has not disclosed a remediation plan, or when a material weakness has been ongoing for more than one year and the company has not disclosed an updated remediation plan that clearly outlines the company's progress toward remediating the material weakness, we will consider recommending that shareholders vote against all members of a company's audit committee who served on the committee during the time when the material weakness was identified.

We also take a dim view of audit committee reports that are boilerplate, and which provide little or no information or transparency to investors. When a problem such as a material weakness, restatement or late filings occurs, in forming our judgment with respect to the audit committee we take into consideration the transparency of the audit committee report.

Compensation Committee Performance

Compensation committees have a critical role in determining the compensation of executives. This includes deciding the basis on which compensation is determined, as well as the amounts and types of compensation to be paid. This process begins with the hiring and initial establishment of employment agreements, including the terms for such items as pay, pensions and severance arrangements. It is important in establishing compensation arrangements that compensation be consistent with, and based on the long-term economic performance of, the business's long-term shareholders returns.

Compensation committees are also responsible for the oversight of the transparency of compensation. This oversight includes disclosure of compensation arrangements, the matrix used in assessing pay for performance, and the use of compensation consultants. In order to ensure the independence of the board's compensation consultant, we believe the compensation committee should only engage a compensation consultant that is not also providing any services to the company or management apart from their contract with the compensation committee. It is important to investors that they have clear and complete disclosure of all the significant terms of compensation arrangements in order to make informed decisions with respect to the oversight and decisions of the compensation committee.

Finally, compensation committees are responsible for oversight of internal controls over the executive compensation process. This includes controls over gathering information used to determine compensation, establishment of equity award plans, and granting of equity awards. For example, the use of a compensation consultant who maintains a business relationship with company management may cause the committee to make decisions based on information that is compromised by the consultant's conflict of interests. Lax controls can also contribute to improper awards of compensation such as through granting of backdated or spring- loaded options, or granting of bonuses when triggers for bonus payments have not been met.

Central to understanding the actions of compensation committee is a careful review of the CD&A report included in each company's proxy. We review the CD&A in our evaluation of the overall compensation practices of a company, as overseen by the compensation committee. The CD&A is also integral to the evaluation of compensation proposals at companies, such as advisory votes on executive compensation, which allow shareholders to vote on the compensation paid to a company's top executives.

When assessing the performance of compensation committees, we will consider recommending that shareholders vote against the following:

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● All members of a compensation committee during whose tenure the committee failed to address shareholder concerns following majority shareholder rejection of the say-on-pay proposal in the previous year. Where the proposal was approved but there was a significant shareholder vote (i.e., greater than 20% of votes cast) against the say-on-pay proposal in the prior year, if the board did not respond sufficiently to the vote including actively engaging shareholders on this issue, we will also consider recommending voting against the chair of the compensation committee or all members of the compensation committee, depending on the severity and history of the compensation problems and the level of shareholder opposition.

● All members of the compensation committee who are up for election and served when the company failed to align pay with performance if shareholders are not provided with an advisory vote on executive compensation at the annual meeting.<sup>19</sup>

● Any member of the compensation committee who has served on the compensation committee of at least two other public companies that have consistently failed to align pay with performance and whose oversight of compensation at the company in question is suspect.

● All members of the compensation committee (during the relevant time period) if the company entered into excessive employment agreements and/or severance agreements.

● All members of the compensation committee when performance goals were changed (i.e., lowered) when employees failed or were unlikely to meet original goals, or performance-based compensation was paid despite goals not being attained.

● All members of the compensation committee if excessive employee perquisites and benefits were allowed.

● The compensation committee chair if the compensation committee did not meet during the year.

● All members of the compensation committee when the company repriced options or completed a "self tender offer" without shareholder approval within the past two years.

● All members of the compensation committee when vesting of in-the-money options is accelerated.

● All members of the compensation committee when option exercise prices were backdated. Glass Lewis will recommend voting against an executive director who played a role in and participated in option backdating.

● All members of the compensation committee when option exercise prices were spring-loaded or otherwise timed around the release of material information.

● All members of the compensation committee when a new employment contract is given to an executive that does not include a clawback provision and the company had a material restatement, especially if the restatement was due to fraud.

● The chair of the compensation committee where the CD&A provides insufficient or unclear information about performance metrics and goals, where the CD&A indicates that pay is not tied to performance, or where the compensation committee or management has excessive discretion to alter performance terms or increase amounts of awards in contravention of previously defined targets.

<sup>19</sup> If a company provides shareholders with a say-on-pay proposal, we will initially only recommend voting against the company's say-on-pay proposal and will not recommend voting against the members of the compensation committee unless there is a pattern of failing to align pay and performance and/or the company exhibits egregious compensation practices. For cases in which the disconnect between pay and performance is marginal and the company has outperformed its peers, we will consider not recommending against compensation committee members.

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● All members of the compensation committee during whose tenure the committee failed to implement a shareholder proposal regarding a compensation-related issue, where the proposal received the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting shares at a shareholder meeting, and when a reasonable analysis suggests that the compensation committee (rather than the governance committee) should have taken steps to implement the request.<sup>20</sup>

● All members of the compensation committee when the board has materially decreased proxy statement disclosure regarding executive compensation policies and procedures in a manner which substantially impacts shareholders' ability to make an informed assessment of the company's executive pay practices.

● All members of the compensation committee when new excise tax gross-up provisions are adopted in employment agreements with executives, particularly in cases where the company previously committed not to provide any such entitlements in the future.

● All members of the compensation committee when the board adopts a frequency for future advisory votes on executive compensation that differs from the frequency approved by shareholders.

● The chair of the compensation committee when" mega-grants" have been granted and the awards present concerns such as excessive quantum, lack of sufficient performance conditions, and/or are excessively dilutive, among others.

Nominating and Governance Committee Performance

The nominating and governance committee is responsible for the governance by the board of the company and its executives. In performing this role, the committee is responsible and accountable for selection of objective and competent board members. It is also responsible for providing leadership on governance policies adopted by the company, such as decisions to implement shareholder proposals that have received a majority vote. At most companies, a single committee is charged with these oversight functions; at others, the governance and nominating responsibilities are apportioned among two separate committees.

Consistent with Glass Lewis' philosophy that boards should have diverse backgrounds and members with a breadth and depth of relevant experience, we believe that nominating and governance committees should consider diversity when making director nominations within the context of each specific company and its industry. In our view, shareholders are best served when boards make an effort to ensure a constituency that is not only reasonably diverse on the basis of age, race, gender and ethnicity, but also on the basis of geographic knowledge, industry experience, board tenure and culture.

Regarding the committee responsible for governance, we will consider recommending that shareholders vote against the following:

● All members of the governance committee<sup>21</sup> during whose tenure a shareholder proposal relating to important shareholder rights received support from a majority of the votes cast (excluding abstentions

<sup>20</sup> In all other instances (i.e., a non-compensation-related shareholder proposal should have been implemented) we recommend that shareholders vote against the members of the governance committee.

<sup>21</sup> If the board does not have a committee responsible for governance oversight and the board did not implement a shareholder proposal that received the requisite support, we will recommend voting against the entire board. If the

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and broker non-votes) and the board has not begun to implement or enact the proposal's subject matter.<sup>22</sup> Examples of such shareholder proposals include those seeking a declassified board structure, a majority vote standard for director elections, or a right to call a special meeting. In determining whether a board has sufficiently implemented such a proposal, we will examine the quality of the right enacted or proffered by the board for any conditions that may unreasonably interfere with the shareholders' ability to exercise the right (e.g., overly restrictive procedural requirements for calling a special meeting).

● All members of the governance committee when a shareholder resolution is excluded from the meeting agenda but the SEC has declined to state a view on whether such resolution should be excluded, or when the SEC has verbally permitted a company to exclude a shareholder proposal but there is no written record provided by the SEC about such determination and the company has not provided any disclosure concerning this no-action relief.

● The governance committee chair when the chair is not independent and an independent lead or presiding director has not been appointed.<sup>23</sup>

● The governance committee chair at companies with a multi-class share structure and unequal voting rights when the company does not provide for a reasonable sunset of the multi-class share structure (generally seven years or less).

● In the absence of a nominating committee, the governance committee chair when there are fewer than five, or the whole governance committee when there are more than 20 members on the board.

● The governance committee chair when the committee fails to meet at all during the year.

● The governance committee chair, when for two consecutive years the company provides what we consider to be "inadequate" related party transaction disclosure (i.e., the nature of such transactions and/or the monetary amounts involved are unclear or excessively vague, thereby preventing a share- holder from being able to reasonably interpret the independence status of multiple directors above and beyond what the company maintains is compliant with SEC or applicable stock exchange listing requirements).

● The governance committee chair, when during the past year the board adopted a forum selection clause (i.e., an exclusive forum provision)<sup>24</sup>designating either a state's courts for intra-corporate disputes, shareholder proposal at issue requested that the board adopt a declassified structure, we will recommend voting against all director nominees up for election.

<sup>22</sup> Where a compensation-related shareholder proposal should have been implemented, and when a reasonable analysis suggests that the members of the compensation committee (rather than the governance committee) bear the responsibility for failing to implement the request, we recommend that shareholders only vote against members of the compensation committee.

<sup>23</sup> We believe that one independent individual should be appointed to serve as the lead or presiding director. When such a position is rotated among directors from meeting to meeting, we will recommend voting against the governance committee chair as we believe the lack of fixed lead or presiding director means that, effectively, the board does not have an independent board leader.

<sup>24</sup> A forum selection clause is a bylaw provision stipulating that a certain state or federal jurisdiction is the exclusive forum for specified legal matters. Such a clause effectively limits a shareholder's legal remedy regarding appropriate choice of venue and related relief.

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and/or federal courts for matters arising under the Securities Act of 1933 without shareholder approval,<sup>25</sup> or if the board is currently seeking shareholder approval of a forum selection clause pursuant to a bundled bylaw amendment rather than as a separate proposal.

● All members of the governance committee during whose tenure the board adopted, without shareholder approval, provisions in its charter or bylaws that, through rules on director compensation, may inhibit the ability of shareholders to nominate directors.

● The governance committee chair when the board takes actions to limit shareholders' ability to vote on matters material to shareholder rights (e.g., through the practice of excluding a shareholder proposal by means of ratifying a management proposal that is materially different from the shareholder proposal).

● The governance committee chair when directors' records for board and committee meeting attendance are not disclosed, or when it is indicated that a director attended less than 75% of board and committee meetings but disclosure is sufficiently vague that it is not possible to determine which specific director's attendance was lacking.

● The governance committee chair when a detailed record of proxy voting results from the prior annual meeting has not been disclosed.

● The governance committee chair when a company does not clearly disclose the identity of a shareholder proponent (or lead proponent when there are multiple filers) in their proxy statement. For a detailed explanation of this policy, please refer to our comprehensive *Proxy Paper Guidelines for Shareholder Proposals & ESG-Related Issues*, available at www.glasslewis.com/voting-policies-current/ .

In addition, we may recommend that shareholders vote against the chair of the governance committee, or the entire committee, where the board has amended the company's governing documents to reduce or remove important shareholder rights, or to otherwise impede the ability of shareholders to exercise such right, and has done so without seeking shareholder approval. Examples of board actions that may cause such a recommendation include: the elimination of the ability of shareholders to call a special meeting or to act by written consent; an increase to the ownership threshold required for shareholders to call a special meeting; an increase to vote requirements for charter or bylaw amendments; the adoption of provisions that limit the ability of shareholders to pursue full legal recourse — such as bylaws that require arbitration of shareholder claims or that require shareholder plaintiffs to pay the company's legal expenses in the absence of a court victory (i.e., "fee-shifting" or "loser pays" bylaws); the adoption of a classified board structure; and the elimination of the ability of shareholders to remove a director without cause.

Regarding the nominating committee, we will consider recommending that shareholders vote against the following:

● All members of the nominating committee, when the committee nominated or renominated an individual who had a significant conflict of interest or whose past actions demonstrated a lack of integrity or inability to represent shareholder interests.

● The nominating committee chair, if the nominating committee did not meet during the year.

<sup>25</sup> Glass Lewis will evaluate the circumstances surrounding the adoption of any forum selection clause as well as the general provisions contained therein. Where it can be reasonably determined that a forum selection clause is narrowly crafted to suit the particular circumstances facing the company and/or a reasonable sunset provision is included, we may make an exception to this policy.

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● In the absence of a governance committee, the nominating committee chair when the chair is not independent, and an independent lead or presiding director has not been appointed.

● The nominating committee chair, when there are fewer than five, or the whole nominating committee when there are more than 20 members on the board.

● The nominating committee chair, when a director received a greater than 50% against vote the prior year and not only was the director not removed, but the issues that raised shareholder concern were not corrected.<sup>26</sup>

● The chair of the nominating committee of a board that is not at least 30 percent gender diverse,<sup>27</sup>or all members of the nominating committee of a board with no gender diverse directors, at companies within the Russell 3000 index. For companies outside of the Russell 3000 index, we will recommend voting against the chair of the nominating committee if there are no gender diverse directors.

● The chair of the nominating committee of a board with fewer than one director from an underrepresented community on the board, at companies within the Russell 1000 index.

● The nominating committee chair when, alongside other governance or board performance concerns, the average tenure of non-executive directors is 10 years or more and no new independent directors have joined the board in the past five years. We will not be making voting recommendations solely on this basis; rather, insufficient board refreshment may be a contributing factor in our recommendations when additional board-related concerns have been identified.

In addition, we may consider recommending shareholders vote against the chair of the nominating committee where the board's failure to ensure the board has directors with relevant experience, either through periodic director assessment or board refreshment, has contributed to a company's poor performance. Where these issues warrant an against vote in the absence of both a governance and a nominating committee, we will recommend voting against the board chair, unless the chair also serves as the CEO, in which case we will recommend voting against the longest-serving director.

Board-Level Risk Management Oversight

Glass Lewis evaluates the risk management function of a public company board on a strictly case-by-case basis. Sound risk management, while necessary at all companies, is particularly important at financial firms which inherently maintain significant exposure to financial risk. We believe such financial firms should have a chief risk officer reporting directly to the board and a dedicated risk committee or a committee of the board charged with risk oversight. Moreover, many non-financial firms maintain strategies which involve a high level of exposure to financial risk. Similarly, since many non-financial firms have complex hedging or trading strategies, those firms should also have a chief risk officer and a risk committee.

<sup>26</sup> Considering that shareholder disapproval clearly relates to the director who received a greater than 50% against vote rather than the nominating chair, we review the severity of the issue(s) that initially raised shareholder concern as well as company responsiveness to such matters, and will only recommend voting against the nominating chair if a reasonable analysis suggests that it would be most appropriate. In rare cases, we will consider recommending against the nominating chair when a director receives a substantial (i.e., 20% or more) vote against based on the same analysis.

<sup>27</sup> Women and directors that identify with a gender other than male or female.

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Our views on risk oversight are consistent with those expressed by various regulatory bodies. In its December 2009 Final Rule release on Proxy Disclosure Enhancements, the SEC noted that risk oversight is a key competence of the board and that additional disclosures would improve investor and shareholder understanding of the role of the board in the organization's risk management practices. The final rules, which became effective on February 28, 2010, now explicitly require companies and mutual funds to describe (while allowing for some degree of flexibility) the board's role in the oversight of risk.

When analyzing the risk management practices of public companies, we take note of any significant losses or writedowns on financial assets and/or structured transactions. In cases where a company has disclosed a sizable loss or writedown, and where we find that the company's board-level risk committee's poor oversight contributed to the loss, we will recommend that shareholders vote against such committee members on that basis. In addition, in cases where a company maintains a significant level of financial risk exposure but fails to disclose any explicit form of board-level risk oversight (committee or otherwise),<sup>28</sup> we will consider recommending to vote against the board chair on that basis. However, we generally would not recommend voting against a combined chair/CEO, except in egregious cases.

Board Oversight of Environmental and Social Issues

Glass Lewis recognizes the importance of ensuring the sustainability of companies' operations. We believe that insufficient oversight of material environmental and social issues can present direct legal, financial, regulatory and reputational risks that could serve to harm shareholder interests. Therefore, we believe that these issues should be carefully monitored and managed by companies, and that all companies should have an appropriate oversight structure in place to ensure that they are mitigating attendant risks and capitalizing on related opportunities to the best extent possible.

To that end, Glass Lewis believes that companies should ensure that boards maintain clear oversight of material risks to their operations, including those that are environmental and social in nature. These risks could include, but are not limited to, matters related to climate change,human capital management, diversity, stakeholder relations, and health, safety & environment. Given the importance of the board's role in overseeing environmental and social risks, we believe this responsibility should be formally designated and codified in the appropriate committee charters or other governing documents.

While we believe that it is important that these issues are overseen at the board level and that shareholders are afforded meaningful disclosure of these oversight responsibilities, we believe that companies should determine the best structure for this oversight. In our view, this oversight can be effectively conducted by specific directors, the entire board, a separate committee, or combined with the responsibilities of a key committee.

For companies in the Russell 3000 index and in instances where we identify material oversight concerns, Glass Lewis will review a company's overall governance practices and identify which directors or board-level committees have been charged with oversight of environmental and/or social issues. Furthermore, given the importance of the board's role in overseeing environmental and social risks, Glass Lewis will generally

<sup>28</sup> A committee responsible for risk management could be a dedicated risk committee, the audit committee, or the finance committee, depending on a given company's board structure and method of disclosure. At some companies, the entire board is charged with risk management.

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recommend voting against the governance committee chair of a company in the Russell 1000 index that fails to provide explicit disclosure concerning the board's role in overseeing these issues.

When evaluating the board's role in overseeing environmental and/or social issues, we will examine a company's committee charters and governing documents to determine if the company has codified and maintained a meaningful level of oversight of and accountability for a company's material environmental and social impacts.

Board Oversight of Technology

Cyber Risk Oversight

Companies and consumers are exposed to a growing risk of cyber-attacks. These attacks can result in customer or employee data breaches, harm to a company's reputation, significant fines or penalties, and interruption to a company's operations. Further, in some instances, cyber breaches can result in national security concerns, such as those impacting companies operating as utilities, defense contractors, and energy companies.

In response to these issues, regulators have increasingly been focused on ensuring companies are providing appropriate and timely disclosures and protections to stakeholders that could have been adversely impacted by a breach in a company's cyber infrastructure.

On July 26, 2023, the SEC approved final rules requiring public companies to report cybersecurity incidents deemed material within four days of identifying them, detailing their nature, scope, timing, and material impact under Item 1.05 on Form 8-K.

Furthermore, in annual reports, companies must disclose their processes for assessing, identifying, and managing material cybersecurity risks, along with their material effects; and describe whether any risks from prior incidents have materially affected its business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition (or are reasonably likely to), pursuant to Regulation S-K Item 106. Item 106 will also require registrants to describe the board of directors' oversight of risks from cybersecurity threats and management's role and expertise in assessing and managing material risks from cybersecurity threats. Similar rules were also adopted for foreign private issuers. The final rules became effective on September 5, 2023.

Given the regulatory focus on, and the potential adverse outcomes from, cyber-related issues, it is our view that cyber risk is material for all companies. We therefore believe that it is critical that companies evaluate and mitigate these risks to the greatest extent possible. With that view, we encourage all issuers to provide clear disclosure concerning the role of the board in overseeing issues related to cybersecurity, including how companies are ensuring directors are fully versed on this rapidly evolving and dynamic issue. We believe such disclosure can help shareholders understand the seriousness with which companies take this issue.

In the absence of material cyber incidents, we will generally not make voting recommendations on the basis of a company's oversight or disclosure concerning cyber-related issues. However, in instances where cyber-attacks have caused significant harm to shareholders we will closely evaluate the board's oversight of cybersecurity as well as the company's response and disclosures.

Moreover, in instances where a company has been materially impacted by a cyber-attack, we believe shareholders can reasonably expect periodic updates communicating the company's ongoing progress towards

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resolving and remediating the impact of the cyber-attack. We generally believe shareholders are best served when such updates include (but are not necessarily limited to) details such as when the company has fully restored its information systems, when the company has returned to normal operations, what resources the company is providing for affected stakeholders, and any other potentially relevant information, until the company considers the impact of the cyber-attack to be fully remediated. These disclosures should focus on the company's response to address the impacts to affected stakeholders and should not reveal specific and/or technical details that could impede the company's response or remediation of the incident or that could assist threat actors.

In such instances, we may recommend against appropriate directors should we find the board's oversight, response or disclosure concerning cybersecurity-related issues to be insufficient, or are not provided to shareholders.

Board Oversight of Artificial Intelligence

In recent years, companies have rapidly begun to develop and adopt uses for artificial intelligence (AI) technologies throughout various aspects of their operations. Deployed and overseen effectively, AI technologies have the potential to make companies' operations and systems more efficient and productive. However, as the use of these technologies has grown, so have the potential risks associated with companies' development and use of AI. Given these potential risks, we believe that boards should be cognizant of, and take steps to mitigate exposure to, any material risks that could arise from their use or development of AI.

Companies that use or develop AI technologies should consider adopting strong internal frameworks that include ethical considerations and ensure they have provided a sufficient level of oversight of AI. As such, boards may seek to ensure effective oversight and address skills gaps by engaging in continued board education and/or appointing directors with AI expertise. With that view, we believe that all companies that develop or employ the use of AI in their operations should provide clear disclosure concerning the role of the board in overseeing issues related to AI, including how companies are ensuring directors are fully versed on this rapidly evolving and dynamic issue. We believe such disclosure can help shareholders understand the seriousness with which companies take this issue.

While we believe that it is important that these issues are overseen at the board level and that shareholders are afforded meaningful disclosure of these oversight responsibilities, we believe that companies should determine the best structure for this oversight. In our view, this oversight can be effectively conducted by specific directors, the entire board, a separate committee, or combined with the responsibilities of a key committee.

In the absence of material incidents related to a company's use or management of AI-related issues, we will generally not make voting recommendations on the basis of a company's oversight of, or disclosure concerning, AI-related issues. However, in instances where there is evidence that insufficient oversight and/or management of AI technologies has resulted in material harm to shareholders, Glass Lewis will review a company's overall governance practices and identify which directors or board-level committees have been charged with oversight of AI-related risks. We will also closely evaluate the board's response to, and management of, this issue as well as any associated disclosures and may recommend against appropriate directors should we find the board's oversight, response or disclosure concerning AI-related issues to be insufficient.

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Board Accountability for Environmental and Social Performance

Glass Lewis carefully monitors companies' performance with respect to environmental and social issues, including those related to climate and human capital management. In situations where we believe that a company has not properly managed or mitigated material environmental or social risks to the detriment of shareholder value, or when such mismanagement has threatened shareholder value, Glass Lewis may recommend that shareholders vote against the members of the board who are responsible for oversight of environmental and social risks. In the absence of explicit board oversight of environmental and social issues, Glass Lewis may recommend that shareholders vote against members of the audit committee. In making these determinations, Glass Lewis will carefully review the situation, its effect on shareholder value, as well as any corrective action or other response made by the company.

For more information on how Glass Lewis evaluates environmental and social issues, please see Glass Lewis' Overall Approach to ESG as well as our comprehensive *Proxy Paper Guidelines for Shareholder Proposals &ESG- Related Issues,* available at www.glasslewis.com/voting-policies-current/.

Board Accountability for Climate-related Issues

Given the exceptionally broad impacts of a changing climate on companies, the economy, and society in general, we view climate risk as a material risk for all companies. We therefore believe that boards should be considering and evaluating their operational resilience under lower-carbon scenarios. While all companies maintain exposure to climate-related risks, we believe that additional consideration should be given to, and that disclosure should be provided by those companies whose GHG emissions represent a financially material risk.

We believe that companies with this increased risk exposure should provide clear and comprehensive disclosure regarding these risks, including how they are being mitigated and overseen. We believe such information is crucial to allow investors to understand the company's management of this issue, as well as the impact of a lower carbon future on the company's operations.

In line with this view, Glass Lewis will carefully examine the climate-related disclosures provided by companies in the S&P 500 index with material exposure to climate risk stemming from their own operations<sup>29</sup>, as well as companies where we believe emissions or climate impacts, or stakeholder scrutiny thereof, represent an outsized, financially material risk, in order to assess whether they have produced disclosures in line with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) or IFRS S2 Climate-related Disclosures. We will also assess whether these companies have disclosed explicit and clearly defined board-level oversight responsibilities for climate-related issues. In instances where we find either (or both)of these disclosures to be absent or significantly lacking, we may recommend voting against the chair of the committee (or board) charged with oversight of climate-related issues, or if no committee has been charged with such oversight, the chair of the governance committee. Further, we may extend our recommendation on this basis to additional members of the responsible committee in cases where the committee chair is not standing for

<sup>29</sup> This policy will generally apply to companies in the following SASB-defined industries: agricultural products, air freight & logistics, airlines, chemicals, construction materials, containers & packaging, cruise lines, electric utilities & power generators, food retailers & distributors, health care distributors, iron & steel producers, marine transportation, meat, poultry & dairy, metals & mining, non-alcoholic beverages, oil & gas, pulp & paper products, rail transportation, road transportation, semiconductors, waste management.

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election due to a classified board, or based on other factors, including the company's size, industry and its overall governance profile.

Director Commitments

We believe that directors should have the necessary time to fulfill their duties to shareholders. In our view, an overcommitted director can pose a material risk to a company's shareholders, particularly during periods of crisis. In addition, recent research indicates that the time commitment associated with being a director has been on a significant upward trend in the past decade.<sup>30</sup> As a result, we generally recommend that shareholders vote against a director who serves as an executive officer (other than executive chair) of any public company<sup>31</sup> while serving on more than one external public company board, a director who serves as an executive chair of any public company while serving on more than two external public company boards, and any other director who serves on more than five public company boards.

Because we believe that executives will primarily devote their attention to executive duties, we generally will not recommend that shareholders vote against overcommitted directors at the companies where they serve as an executive.

When determining whether a director's service on an excessive number of boards may limit the ability of the director to devote sufficient time to board duties, we may consider relevant factors such as the size and location of the other companies where the director serves on the board, the director's board roles at the companies in question, whether the director serves on the board of any large privately-held companies, the director's tenure on the boards in question, and the director's attendance record at all companies. In the case of directors who serve in executive roles other than CEO (e.g., executive chair), we will evaluate the specific duties and responsibilities of that role in determining whether an exception is warranted.

We may also refrain from recommending against certain directors if the company provides sufficient rationale for their continued board service. The rationale should allow shareholders to evaluate the scope of the directors' other commitments, as well as their contributions to the board including specialized knowledge of the company's industry, strategy or key markets, the diversity of skills, perspective and background they provide, and other relevant factors. We will also generally refrain from recommending to vote against a director who serves on an excessive number of boards within a consolidated group of companies in related industries, or a director that represents a firm whose sole purpose is to manage a portfolio of investments which include the company.

<sup>30</sup> For example, the 2015-2016 NACD Public Company Governance Survey states that, on average, directors spent a total of 248.2 hours annual on board-related matters during the past year, which it describes as a "historically high level" that is significantly above the average hours recorded in 2006. Additionally, the 2020 Spencer Stuart Board Index indicates that, while 39% of S&P 500 CEOs serve on one additional public board, just 2% of S&P 500 CEOs serve on two additional public boards and only one CEO serves on three.

<sup>31</sup> When the executive officer in question serves only as an executive at a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) we will generally apply the higher threshold of five public company directorships.

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Other Considerations

In addition to the three key characteristics — independence, performance, experience — that we use to evaluate board members, we consider conflict-of-interest issues as well as the size of the board of directors when making voting recommendations.

Conflicts of Interest

We believe board members should be wholly free of identifiable and substantial conflicts of interest, regardless of the overall level of independent directors on the board. Accordingly, we recommend that shareholders vote against the following types of directors:

● A CFO who is on the board: In our view, the CFO holds a unique position relative to financial reporting and disclosure to shareholders. Due to the critical importance of financial disclosure and reporting, we believe the CFO should report to the board and not be a member of it.

● A director who provides — or a director who has an immediate family member who provides — material consulting or other material professional services to the company. These services may include legal, consulting,<sup>32</sup> or financial services. We question the need for the company to have consulting relationships with its directors. We view such relationships as creating conflicts for directors, since they may be forced to weigh their own interests against shareholder interests when making board decisions. In addition, a company's decisions regarding where to turn for the best professional services may be compromised when doing business with the professional services firm of one of the company's directors.

● A director, or a director who has an immediate family member, engaging in airplane, real estate, or similar deals, including perquisite-type grants from the company, amounting to more than $50,000. Directors who receive these sorts of payments from the company will have to make unnecessarily complicated decisions that may pit their interests against shareholder interests.

● Interlocking directorships: CEOs or other top executives who serve on each other's boards create an interlock that poses conflicts that should be avoided to ensure the promotion of shareholder interests above all else.<sup>33</sup>

● All board members who served at a time when a poison pill with a term of longer than one year was adopted without shareholder approval within the prior twelve months.<sup>34</sup> In the event a board is classified and shareholders are therefore unable to vote against all directors, we will recommend voting against the remaining directors the next year they are up for a shareholder vote. If a poison pill with a

<sup>32</sup> We will generally refrain from recommending against a director who provides consulting services for the company if the director is excluded from membership on the board's key committees and we have not identified significant governance concerns with the board.

<sup>33</sup> We do not apply a look-back period for this situation. The interlock policy applies to both public and private companies. On a case-by-case basis, we evaluate other types of interlocking relationships, such as interlocks with close family members of executives or within group companies. Further, we will also evaluate multiple board interlocks among non-insiders (i.e., multiple directors serving on the same boards at other companies), for evidence of a pattern of poor oversight.

<sup>34</sup> Refer to the "Governance Structure and the Shareholder Franchise" section for further discussion of our policies regarding anti-takeover measures, including poison pills.

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term of one year or less was adopted without shareholder approval, and without adequate justification, we will consider recommending that shareholders vote against all members of the governance committee. If the board has, without seeking shareholder approval, and without adequate justification, extended the term of a poison pill by one year or less in two consecutive years, we will consider recommending that shareholders vote against the entire board.

Size of the Board of Directors

While we do not believe there is a universally applicable optimal board size, we do believe boards should have at least five directors to ensure sufficient diversity in decision-making and to enable the formation of key board committees with independent directors. Conversely, we believe that boards with more than 20 members will typically suffer under the weight of "too many cooks in the kitchen" and have difficulty reaching consensus and making timely decisions. Sometimes the presence of too many voices can make it difficult to draw on the wisdom and experience in the room by virtue of the need to limit the discussion so that each voice may be heard.

To that end, we typically recommend voting against the chair of the nominating committee (or the governance committee, in the absence of a nominating committee) at a board with fewer than five directors or more than 20 directors.

Controlled Companies

We believe controlled companies warrant certain exceptions to our independence standards. The board's function is to protect shareholder interests; however, when an individual, entity (or group of shareholders party to a formal agreement) owns more than 50% of the voting shares, the interests of the majority of shareholders are the interests of that entity or individual. Consequently, Glass Lewis does not apply our usual two-thirds board independence rule and therefore we will not recommend voting against boards whose composition reflects the makeup of the shareholder population.

Independence Exceptions

The independence exceptions that we make for controlled companies are as follows:

● We do not require that controlled companies have boards that are at least two-thirds independent. So long as the insiders and/or affiliates are connected with the controlling entity, we accept the presence of non-independent board members.

● The compensation committee and nominating and governance committees do not need to consist solely of independent directors.

○ We believe that standing nominating and corporate governance committees at controlled companies are unnecessary. Although having a committee charged with the duties of searching for, selecting, and nominating independent directors can be beneficial, the unique composition of a controlled company's shareholder base makes such committees weak and irrelevant.

○ Likewise, we believe that independent compensation committees at controlled companies are unnecessary. Although independent directors are the best choice for approving and monitoring senior executives' pay, controlled companies serve a unique shareholder population whose voting power ensures the protection of its interests. As such, we believe that having affiliated directors on a controlled company's compensation committee is acceptable. However, given

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that a controlled company has certain obligations to minority shareholders we feel that an insider should not serve on the compensation committee. Therefore, Glass Lewis will recommend voting against any insider (the CEO or otherwise) serving on the compensation committee.

● Controlled companies do not need an independent chair or an independent lead or presiding director. Although an independent director in a position of authority on the board — such as chair or presiding director — can best carry out the board's duties, controlled companies serve a unique shareholder population whose voting power ensures the protection of its interests.

Size of the Board of Directors

We have no board size requirements for controlled companies.

Audit Committee Independence

Despite a controlled company's status, unlike for the other key committees, we nevertheless believe that audit committees should consist solely of independent directors. Regardless of a company's controlled status, the interests of all shareholders must be protected by ensuring the integrity and accuracy of the company's financial statements. Allowing affiliated directors to oversee the preparation of financial reports could create an insurmountable conflict of interest.

Board Responsiveness at Multi-Class Companies

At controlled companies and companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will carefully examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders when determining whether board responsiveness is warranted. In the case of companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will generally examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders on a "one share, one vote" basis. At controlled and multi-class companies, when at least 20% or more of unaffiliated shareholders vote contrary to management, we believe that boards should engage with shareholders and demonstrate some initial level of responsiveness, and when a majority or more of unaffiliated shareholders vote contrary to management we believe that boards should engage with shareholders and provide a more robust response to fully address shareholder concerns.

Significant Shareholders

Where an individual or entity holds between 20-50% of a company's voting power, we believe it is reasonable to allow proportional representation on the board and committees (excluding the audit committee) based on the individual or entity's percentage of ownership.

Governance Following an IPO, Spin-Off, or Direct Listing

We believe companies that have recently completed an initial public offering (IPO), spin-off, or direct listing should be allowed adequate time to fully comply with marketplace listing requirements and meet basic corporate governance standards. Generally speaking, we refrain from making recommendations on the basis of governance standards (e.g., board independence, committee membership and structure, meeting attendance, etc.) during the one-year period following an IPO.

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However, some cases warrant shareholder action against the board of a company that have completed an IPO, spin-off, or direct listing within the past year. When evaluating companies that have recently gone public, Glass Lewis will review the terms of the applicable governing documents in order to determine whether shareholder rights are being severely restricted indefinitely. We believe boards that approve highly restrictive governing documents have demonstrated that they may subvert shareholder interests following the IPO. In conducting this evaluation, Glass Lewis will consider:

● The adoption of anti-takeover provisions such as a poison pill or classified board

● Supermajority vote requirements to amend governing documents

● The presence of exclusive forum or fee-shifting provisions

● Whether shareholders can call special meetings or act by written consent

● The voting standard provided for the election of directors

● The ability of shareholders to remove directors without cause

● The presence of evergreen provisions in the company's equity compensation arrangements

● The presence of a multi-class share structure which does not afford common shareholders voting power that is aligned with their economic interest

In cases where Glass Lewis determines that the board has approved overly restrictive governing documents, we will generally recommend voting against members of the governance committee. If there is no governance committee, or if a portion of such committee members are not standing for election due to a classified board structure, we will expand our recommendations to additional director nominees, based on who is standing for election.

In cases where, preceding an IPO, the board adopts a multi-class share structure where voting rights are not aligned with economic interest, or an anti-takeover provision, such as a poison pill or classified board, we will generally recommend voting against all members of the board who served at the time of the IPO if the board: (i) did not also commit to submitting these provisions to a shareholder vote at the company's first shareholder meeting following the IPO; or (ii) did not provide for a reasonable sunset of these provisions (generally three to five years in the case of a classified board or poison pill; or seven years or less in the case of a multi-class share structure). In the case of a multi-class share structure, if these provisions are put to a shareholder vote, we will examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders when determining the vote outcome.

In our view, adopting an anti-takeover device unfairly penalizes future shareholders who (except for electing to buy or sell the stock) are unable to weigh in on a matter that could potentially negatively impact their ownership interest. This notion is strengthened when a board adopts a classified board with an infinite duration or a poison pill with a five- to ten-year term immediately prior to going public, thereby insulating management for a substantial amount of time.

In addition, shareholders should also be wary of companies that adopt supermajority voting requirements before their IPO. Absent explicit provisions in the articles or bylaws stipulating that certain policies will be phased out over a certain period of time, long-term shareholders could find themselves in the predicament of having to attain a supermajority vote to approve future proposals seeking to eliminate such policies.

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Governance Following a Business Combination with a Special Purpose Acquisition Company

The business combination of a private company with a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) facilitates the private entity becoming a publicly traded corporation. Thus, the business combination represents the private company's de-facto IPO. We believe that some cases warrant shareholder action against the board of a company that have completed a business combination with a SPAC within the past year.

At meetings where shareholders vote on the business combination of a SPAC with a private company, shareholders are generally voting on a new corporate charter for the post-combination company as a condition to approval of the business combination. In many cases, shareholders are faced with the dilemma of having to approve corporate charters that severely restrict shareholder rights to facilitate the business combination. Therefore, when shareholders are required to approve binding charters as a condition to approval of a business combination with a SPAC, we believe shareholders should also be provided with advisory votes on material charter amendments as a means to voice their opinions on such restrictive governance provisions.

When evaluating companies that have recently gone public via business combination with a SPAC, Glass Lewis will review the terms of the applicable governing documents to determine whether shareholder rights are being severely restricted indefinitely and whether these restrictive provisions were put forth for a shareholder vote on an advisory basis at the prior meeting where shareholders voted on the business combination.

In cases where, prior to the combined company becoming publicly traded, the board adopts a multi-class share structure where voting rights are not aligned with economic interest, or an anti-takeover provision, such as a poison pill or classified board, we will generally recommend voting against all members of the board who served at the time of the combined company becoming publicly traded if the board: (i) did not also submit these provisions to a shareholder vote on an advisory basis at the prior meeting where shareholders voted on the business combination; (ii) did not also commit to submitting these provisions to a shareholder vote at the company's first shareholder meeting following the company becoming publicly traded; or (iii) did not provide for a reasonable sunset of these provisions (generally three to five years in the case of a classified board or poison pill; or seven years or less in the case of a multi-class share structure).

Consistent with our view on IPOs, adopting an anti-takeover device unfairly penalizes future shareholders who (except for electing to buy or sell the stock) are unable to weigh in on a matter that could potentially negatively impact their ownership interest.

Dual-Listed or Foreign-Incorporated Companies

For companies that trade on multiple exchanges or are incorporated in foreign jurisdictions but trade only in the U.S., we will apply the governance standard most relevant in each situation. We will consider a number of factors in determining which Glass Lewis country-specific policy to apply, including but not limited to: (i) the corporate governance structure and features of the company including whether the board structure is unique to a particular market; (ii) the nature of the proposals; (iii) the location of the company's primary listing, if one can be determined; (iv) the regulatory/governance regime that the board is reporting against; and (v) the availability and completeness of the company's SEC filings.

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OTC-listed Companies

Companies trading on the OTC Bulletin Board are not considered "listed companies" under SEC rules and therefore not subject to the same governance standards as listed companies. However, we believe that more stringent corporate governance standards should be applied to these companies given that their shares are still publicly traded.

When reviewing OTC companies, Glass Lewis will review the available disclosure relating to the shareholder meeting to determine whether shareholders are able to evaluate several key pieces of information, including: (i) the composition of the board's key committees, if any; (ii) the level of share ownership of company insiders or directors; (iii) the board meeting attendance record of directors; (iv) executive and non-employee director compensation; (v) related-party transactions conducted during the past year; and (vi) the board's leadership structure and determinations regarding director independence.

We are particularly concerned when company disclosure lacks any information regarding the board's key committees. We believe that committees of the board are an essential tool for clarifying how the responsibilities of the board are being delegated, and specifically for indicating which directors are accountable for ensuring: (i) the independence and quality of directors, and the transparency and integrity of the nominating process; (ii) compensation programs that are fair and appropriate; (iii) proper oversight of the company's accounting, financial reporting, and internal and external audits; and (iv) general adherence to principles of good corporate governance.

In cases where shareholders are unable to identify which board members are responsible for ensuring oversight of the above-mentioned responsibilities, we may consider recommending against certain members of the board. Ordinarily, we believe it is the responsibility of the corporate governance committee to provide thorough disclosure of the board's governance practices. In the absence of such a committee, we believe it is appropriate to hold the board's chair or, if such individual is an executive of the company, the longest-serving non-executive board member accountable.

Mutual Fund Boards

Mutual funds, or investment companies, are structured differently from regular public companies (i.e., operating companies). Typically, members of a fund's advisor are on the board and management takes on a different role from that of regular public companies. Thus, we focus on a short list of requirements, although many of our guidelines remain the same.

The following mutual fund policies are similar to the policies for regular public companies:

● **Size of the board of directors** — The board should be made up of between five and twenty directors.

● **The CFO on the board** — Neither the CFO of the fund nor the CFO of the fund's registered investment advisor should serve on the board.

● **Independence of the audit committee** — The audit committee should consist solely of independent directors.

● **Audit committee financial expert** — At least one member of the audit committee should be designated as the audit committee financial expert.

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The following differences from regular public companies apply at mutual funds:

● **Independence of the board** — We believe that three-fourths of an investment company's board should be made up of independent directors. This is consistent with a proposed SEC rule on investment company boards. The Investment Company Act requires 40% of the board to be independent, but in 2001, the SEC amended the Exemptive Rules to require that a majority of a mutual fund board be independent. In 2005, the SEC proposed increasing the independence threshold to 75%. In 2006, a federal appeals court ordered that this rule amendment be put back out for public comment, putting it back into "proposed rule" status. Since mutual fund boards play a vital role in overseeing the relationship between the fund and its investment manager, there is greater need for independent oversight than there is for an operating company board.

● **When the auditor is not up for ratification** — We do not recommend voting against the audit committee if the auditor is not up for ratification. Due to the different legal structure of an investment company compared to an operating company, the auditor for the investment company (i.e., mutual fund) does not conduct the same level of financial review for each investment company as for an operating company.

● **Non-independent chair** — The SEC has proposed that the chair of the fund board be independent. We agree that the roles of a mutual fund's chair and CEO should be separate. Although we believe this would be best at all companies, we recommend voting against the chair of an investment company's nominating committee as well as the board chair if the chair and CEO of a mutual fund are the same person and the fund does not have an independent lead or presiding director. Seven former SEC commissioners support the appointment of an independent chair and we agree with them that "an independent board chair would be better able to create conditions favoring the long-term interests of fund shareholders than would a chair who is an executive of the advisor." (See the comment letter sent to the SEC in support of the proposed rule at http://www.sec.gov/news/studies/indchair.pdf .)

● **Multiple funds overseen by the same director** — Unlike service on a public company board, mutual fund boards require much less of a time commitment. Mutual fund directors typically serve on dozens of other mutual fund boards, often within the same fund complex. The Investment Company Institute's (ICI) Overview of Fund Governance Practices, 1994-2012, indicates that the average number of funds served by an independent director in 2012 was 53. Absent evidence that a specific director is hindered from being an effective board member at a fund due to service on other funds' boards, we refrain from maintaining a cap on the number of outside mutual fund boards that we believe a director can serve on.

Declassified Boards

Glass Lewis favors the repeal of staggered boards and the annual election of directors. We believe staggered boards are less accountable to shareholders than boards that are elected annually. Furthermore, we feel the annual election of directors encourages board members to focus on shareholder interests.

Empirical studies have shown: (i) staggered boards are associated with a reduction in a firm's valuation; and (ii) in the context of hostile takeovers, staggered boards operate as a takeover defense, which entrenches management, discourages potential acquirers, and delivers a lower return to target shareholders.

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In our view, there is no evidence to demonstrate that staggered boards improve shareholder returns in a takeover context. Some research has indicated that shareholders are worse off when a staggered board blocks a transaction; further, when a staggered board negotiates a friendly transaction, no statistically significant difference in premium occurs.<sup>35</sup> Additional research found that charter-based staggered boards "reduce the market value of a firm by 4% to 6% of its market capitalization" and that "staggered boards bring about and not merely reflect this reduction in market value."<sup>36</sup> A subsequent study reaffirmed that classified boards reduce shareholder value, finding "that the ongoing process of dismantling staggered boards, encouraged by institutional investors, could well contribute to increasing shareholder wealth." <sup>37</sup>

Shareholders have increasingly come to agree with this view. In 2019, 90% of S&P 500 companies had declassified boards, up from 68% in 2009.<sup>38</sup> Management proposals to declassify boards are approved with near unanimity and shareholder proposals on the topic also receive strong shareholder support; in 2014, shareholder proposals requesting that companies declassify their boards received average support of 84% (excluding abstentions and broker non-votes), whereas in 1987, only 16.4% of votes cast favored board declassification.<sup>39</sup> Further, a growing number of companies, nearly half of all those targeted by shareholder proposals requesting that all directors stand for election annually, either recommended shareholders support the proposal or made no recommendation, a departure from the more traditional management recommendation to vote against shareholder proposals.

Given our belief that declassified boards promote director accountability, the empirical evidence suggesting staggered boards reduce a company's value and the established shareholder opposition to such a structure, Glass Lewis supports the declassification of boards and the annual election of directors.

Board Composition and Refreshment

Glass Lewis strongly supports routine director evaluation, including independent external reviews, and periodic board refreshment to foster the sharing of diverse perspectives in the boardroom and the generation of new ideas and business strategies. Further, we believe the board should evaluate the need for changes to board composition based on an analysis of skills and experience necessary for the company, as well as the results of the director evaluations, as opposed to relying solely on age or tenure limits. When necessary, shareholders can address concerns regarding proper board composition through director elections.

<sup>35</sup> Lucian Bebchuk, John Coates IV, Guhan Subramanian, "The Powerful Antitakeover Force of Staggered Boards: Further Findings and a Reply to Symposium Participants," 55 Stanford Law Review 885-917 (2002).

<sup>36</sup> Lucian Bebchuk, Alma Cohen, "The Costs of Entrenched Boards" (2004).

<sup>37</sup> Lucian Bebchuk, Alma Cohen and Charles C.Y. Wang, "Staggered Boards and the Wealth of Shareholders: Evidence from a Natural Experiment," SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1706806 (2010), p. 26.

<sup>38</sup> Spencer Stuart Board Index, 2019, p. 15.

<sup>39</sup> Lucian Bebchuk, John Coates IV and Guhan Subramanian, "The Powerful Antitakeover Force of Staggered Boards: Theory, Evidence, and Policy".

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In our view, a director's experience can be a valuable asset to shareholders because of the complex, critical issues that boards face. This said, we recognize that in rare circumstances, a lack of refreshment can contribute to a lack of board responsiveness to poor company performance.

We will note as a potential concern instances where the average tenure of non-executive directors is 10 years or more and no new directors have joined the board in the past five years. While we will be highlighting this as a potential area of concern, we will not be making voting recommendations strictly on this basis, unless we have identified other governance or board performance concerns.

On occasion, age or term limits can be used as a means to remove a director for boards that are unwilling to police their membership and enforce turnover. Some shareholders support term limits as a way to force change in such circumstances.

While we understand that age limits can aid board succession planning, the long-term impact of age limits restricts experienced and potentially valuable board members from service through an arbitrary means. We believe that shareholders are better off monitoring the board's overall composition, including the diversity of its members, the alignment of the board's areas of expertise with a company's strategy, the board's approach to corporate governance, and its stewardship of company performance, rather than imposing inflexible rules that don't necessarily correlate with returns or benefits for shareholders.

However, if a board adopts term/age limits, it should follow through and not waive such limits. In cases where the board waives its term/age limits for two or more consecutive years, Glass Lewis will generally recommend that shareholders vote against the nominating and/or governance committee chair, unless a compelling rationale is provided for why the board is proposing to waive this rule, such as consummation of a corporate transaction.

Board Diversity

*Update: 10 March 2025. Glass Lewis has modified our approach to providing proxy voting guidance considering diversity factors at US companies under our Benchmark Policy. For more information, please see our <u>2025 Supplemental Statement on Diversity Considerations at US Companies</u>.*

Glass Lewis recognizes the importance of ensuring that the board is composed of directors who have a diversity of skills, thought and experience, as such diversity benefits companies by providing a broad range of perspectives and insights. Glass Lewis closely reviews the composition of the board for representation of diverse director candidates.

Board Gender Diversity

We consider the nominating and governance committee to be responsible for ensuring sufficient board diversity, or for publicly communicating its rationale or a plan for increasing diversity. As such, we will generally recommend voting against the chair of the nominating committee of a board that is not at least 30 percent gender diverse, or all members of the nominating committee of a board with no gender diverse directors, at companies within the Russell 3000 index. For companies outside the Russell 3000 index, our policy requires a minimum of one gender diverse director.

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When making these voting recommendations, we will carefully review a company's disclosure of its diversity considerations and may refrain from recommending that shareholders vote against directors when boards have provided sufficient rationale for the lack of diversity or a plan to address the lack of diversity, including a timeline of when the board intends to appoint additional gender diverse directors (generally by the next annual meeting or as soon as reasonably practicable).

We may extend our gender diversity recommendations to additional members of the nominating committee in cases where the committee chair is not standing for election due to a classified board, or based on other factors, including the company's size and industry, applicable laws in its state of headquarters, and its overall governance profile.

Board Underrepresented Community Diversity

We will generally recommend against the chair of the nominating committee of a board with fewer than one director from an underrepresented community on the board at companies within the Russell 1000 index.

We define "underrepresented community director" as an individual who self-identifies as Black, African American, North African, Middle Eastern, Hispanic, Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander, Native American, Native Hawaiian, or Alaskan Native, or who self-identifies as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. For the purposes of this evaluation, we will rely solely on self-identified demographic information as disclosed in company proxy statements.

When making these voting recommendations, we will carefully review a company's disclosure of its diversity considerations and may refrain from recommending that shareholders vote against directors when boards have provided a sufficient rationale or plan to address the lack of diversity on the board, including a timeline to appoint additional directors from an underrepresented community (generally by the next annual meeting or as soon as reasonably practicable).

We may extend our underrepresented community diversity recommendations to additional members of the nominating committee in cases where the committee chair is not standing for election due to a classified board, or based on other factors, including the company's size and industry, applicable laws in its state of headquarters, and its overall governance profile.

State Laws on Diversity

Several states have begun to encourage board diversity through legislation. Some state laws imposed mandatory board composition requirements, while other states have enacted or are considering legislation that encourages companies to diversify their boards but does not mandate board composition requirements. Furthermore, several states have enacted or are considering enacting certain disclosure or reporting requirements in filings made with each respective state annually.

Glass Lewis will recommend in accordance with mandatory board composition requirements set forth in applicable state laws when they come into effect. We will generally refrain from recommending against directors when applicable state laws do not mandate board composition requirements, are non-binding, or solely impose disclosure or reporting requirements.

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We note that during 2022, California's Senate Bill 826 and Assembly Bill 979 regarding board gender and "underrepresented community" diversity, respectively, were both deemed to violate the equal protection clause of the California state constitution. These laws are currently in the appeals process.

Accordingly, where we previously recommended in accordance with mandatory board composition requirements set forth in California's SB 826 and AB 979, we will refrain from providing recommendations pursuant to these state board composition requirements until further notice while we continue to monitor the appeals process. However, we will continue to monitor compliance with these requirements.

Disclosure of Director Diversity and Skills

Because company disclosure is critical when measuring the mix of diverse attributes and skills of directors, Glass Lewis assesses the quality of such disclosure in companies' proxy statements. Accordingly, we reflect how a company's proxy statement presents: (i) the board's current percentage of racial/ethnic diversity; (ii) whether the board's definition of diversity explicitly includes gender and/or race/ethnicity; (iii) whether the board has adopted a policy requiring women and minorities to be included in the initial pool of candidates when selecting new director nominees (aka "Rooney Rule"); and (iv) board skills disclosure. Such ratings will help inform our assessment of a company's overall governance and may be a contributing factor in our recommendations when additional board-related concerns have been identified.

At companies in the Russell 1000 index that have not provided any disclosure in any of the above categories, we will generally recommend voting against the chair of the nominating and/or governance committee. Further, when companies in the Russell 1000 index have not provided any disclosure of individual or aggregate racial/ethnic minority board demographic information, we will generally recommend voting against the chair of the nominating and/or governance committee.

Proxy Access

In lieu of running their own contested election, proxy access would not only allow certain shareholders to nominate directors to company boards but the shareholder nominees would be included on the company's ballot, significantly enhancing the ability of shareholders to play a meaningful role in selecting their representatives. Glass Lewis generally supports affording shareholders the right to nominate director candidates to management's proxy as a means to ensure that significant, long-term shareholders have an ability to nominate candidates to the board.

Companies generally seek shareholder approval to amend company bylaws to adopt proxy access in response to shareholder engagement or pressure, usually in the form of a shareholder proposal requesting proxy access, although some companies may adopt some elements of proxy access without prompting. Glass Lewis considers several factors when evaluating whether to support proposals for companies to adopt proxy access including the specified minimum ownership and holding requirement for shareholders to nominate one or more directors, as well as company size, performance and responsiveness to shareholders.

For a discussion of recent regulatory events in this area, along with a detailed overview of the Glass Lewis approach to shareholder proposals regarding Proxy Access, refer to Glass Lewis' *Proxy Paper Guidelines for Shareholder Proposals & ESG-Related Issues*, available at www.glasslewis.com.

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Majority Vote for Election of Directors

Majority voting for the election of directors is fast becoming the de facto standard in corporate board elections. In our view, the majority voting proposals are an effort to make the case for shareholder impact on director elections on a company-specific basis.

While this proposal would not give shareholders the opportunity to nominate directors or lead to elections where shareholders have a choice among director candidates, if implemented, the proposal would allow shareholders to have a voice in determining whether the nominees proposed by the board should actually serve as the overseer-representatives of shareholders in the boardroom. We believe this would be a favorable outcome for shareholders.

The number of shareholder proposals requesting that companies adopt a majority voting standard has declined significantly during the past decade, largely as a result of widespread adoption of majority voting or director resignation policies at U.S. companies. In 2019, 89% of the S&P 500 Index had implemented a resignation policy for directors failing to receive majority shareholder support, compared to 65% in 2009.<sup>40</sup>

The Plurality Vote Standard

Today, most U.S. companies still elect directors by a plurality vote standard. Under that standard, if one shareholder holding only one share votes in favor of a nominee (including that director, if the director is a shareholder), that nominee "wins" the election and assumes a seat on the board. The common concern among companies with a plurality voting standard is the possibility that one or more directors would not receive a majority of votes, resulting in "failed elections."

Advantages of a Majority Vote Standard

If a majority vote standard were implemented, a nominee would have to receive the support of a majority of the shares voted in order to be elected. Thus, shareholders could collectively vote to reject a director they believe will not pursue their best interests. Given that so few directors (less than 100 a year) do not receive majority support from shareholders, we think that a majority vote standard is reasonable since it will neither result in many failed director elections nor reduce the willingness of qualified, shareholder-focused directors to serve in the future. Further, most directors who fail to receive a majority shareholder vote in favor of their election do not step down, underscoring the need for true majority voting.

We believe that a majority vote standard will likely lead to more attentive directors. Although shareholders only rarely fail to support directors, the occasional majority vote against a director's election will likely deter the election of directors with a record of ignoring shareholder interests. Glass Lewis will therefore generally support proposals calling for the election of directors by a majority vote, excepting contested director elections.

In response to the high level of support majority voting has garnered, many companies have voluntarily taken steps to implement majority voting or modified approaches to majority voting. These steps range from a

<sup>40</sup> Spencer Stuart Board Index, 2019, p. 15.

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modified approach requiring directors that receive a majority of withheld votes to resign (i.e., a resignation policy) to actually requiring a majority vote of outstanding shares to elect directors.

We feel that the modified approach does not go far enough because requiring a director to resign is not the same as requiring a majority vote to elect a director and does not allow shareholders a definitive voice in the election process. Further, under the modified approach, the corporate governance committee could reject a resignation and, even if it accepts the resignation, the corporate governance committee decides on the director's replacement. And since the modified approach is usually adopted as a policy by the board or a board committee, it could be altered by the same board or committee at any time.

Conflicting and Excluded Proposals

SEC Rule 14a-8(i)(9) allows companies to exclude shareholder proposals "if the proposal directly conflicts with one of the company's own proposals to be submitted to shareholders at the same meeting." On October 22, 2015, the SEC issued Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14H (SLB 14H) clarifying its rule concerning the exclusion of certain shareholder proposals when similar items are also on the ballot. SLB 14H increased the burden on companies to prove to SEC staff that a conflict exists; therefore, many companies still chose to place management proposals alongside similar shareholder proposals in many cases.

During the 2018 proxy season, a new trend in the SEC's interpretation of this rule emerged. Upon submission of shareholder proposals requesting that companies adopt a lower special meeting threshold, several companies petitioned the SEC for no-action relief under the premise that the shareholder proposals conflicted with management's own special meeting proposals, even though the management proposals set a higher threshold than those requested by the proponent. No-action relief was granted to these companies; however, the SEC stipulated that the companies must state in the rationale for the management proposals that a vote in favor of management's proposal was tantamount to a vote against the adoption of a lower special meeting threshold. In certain instances, shareholder proposals to lower an existing special meeting right threshold were excluded on the basis that they conflicted with management proposals seeking to ratify the existing special meeting rights. We find the exclusion of these shareholder proposals to be especially problematic as, in these instances, shareholders are not offered any enhanced shareholder right, nor would the approval (or rejection) of the ratification proposal initiate any type of meaningful change to shareholders' rights.

In instances where companies have excluded shareholder proposals, such as those instances where special meeting shareholder proposals are excluded as a result of "conflicting" management proposals, Glass Lewis will take a case-by-case approach, taking into account the following issues:

● The threshold proposed by the shareholder resolution;

● The threshold proposed or established by management and the attendant rationale for the threshold;

● Whether management's proposal is seeking to ratify an existing special meeting right or adopt a bylaw that would establish a special meeting right; and

● The company's overall governance profile, including its overall responsiveness to and engagement with shareholders.

Glass Lewis generally favors a 10-15% special meeting right. Accordingly, Glass Lewis will generally recommend voting for management or shareholder proposals that fall within this range. When faced with conflicting

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proposals, Glass Lewis will generally recommend in favor of the lower special meeting right and will recommend voting against the proposal with the higher threshold. However, in instances where there are conflicting management and shareholder proposals and a company has not established a special meeting right, Glass Lewis may recommend that shareholders vote in favor of the shareholder proposal and that they abstain from a management-proposed bylaw amendment seeking to establish a special meeting right. We believe that an abstention is appropriate in this instance in order to ensure that shareholders are sending a clear signal regarding their preference for the appropriate threshold for a special meeting right, while not directly opposing the establishment of such a right.

In cases where the company excludes a shareholder proposal seeking a reduced special meeting right by means of ratifying a management proposal that is materially different from the shareholder proposal, we will generally recommend voting against the chair or members of the governance committee.

In other instances of conflicting management and shareholder proposals, Glass Lewis will consider the following:

● The nature of the underlying issue;

● The benefit to shareholders of implementing the proposal;

● The materiality of the differences between the terms of the shareholder proposal and management proposal;

● The context of a company's shareholder base, corporate structure and other relevant circumstances; and

● A company's overall governance profile and, specifically, its responsiveness to shareholders as evidenced by a company's response to previous shareholder proposals and its adoption of progressive shareholder rights provisions.

In recent years, we have seen the dynamic nature of the considerations given by the SEC when determining whether companies may exclude certain shareholder proposals. We understand that not all shareholder proposals serve the long-term interests of shareholders, and value and respect the limitations placed on shareholder proponents, as certain shareholder proposals can unduly burden companies. However, Glass Lewis believes that shareholders should be able to vote on issues of material importance.

We view the shareholder proposal process as an important part of advancing shareholder rights and encouraging responsible and financially sustainable business practices. While recognizing that certain proposals cross the line between the purview of shareholders and that of the board, we generally believe that companies should not limit investors' ability to vote on shareholder proposals that advance certain rights or promote beneficial disclosure. Accordingly, Glass Lewis will make note of instances where a company has successfully petitioned the SEC to exclude shareholder proposals. If after review we believe that the exclusion of a shareholder proposal is detrimental to shareholders, we may, in certain very limited circumstances, recommend against members of the governance committee.

Transparency and Integrity in Financial Reporting

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Auditor Ratification

The auditor's role as gatekeeper is crucial in ensuring the integrity and transparency of the financial information necessary for protecting shareholder value. Shareholders rely on the auditor to ask tough questions and to do a thorough analysis of a company's books to ensure that the information provided to shareholders is complete, accurate, fair, and that it is a reasonable representation of a company's financial position. The only way shareholders can make rational investment decisions is if the market is equipped with accurate information about a company's fiscal health. As stated in the October 6, 2008 Final Report of the Advisory Committee on the Auditing Profession to the U.S. Department of the Treasury:

*"The auditor is expected to offer critical and objective judgment on the financial matters under consideration, and actual and perceived absence of conflicts is critical to that expectation. The Committee believes that auditors, investors, public companies, and other market participants must understand the independence requirements and their objectives, and that auditors must adopt a mindset of skepticism when facing situations that may compromise their independence."*

As such, shareholders should demand an objective, competent and diligent auditor who performs at or above professional standards at every company in which the investors hold an interest. Like directors, auditors should be free from conflicts of interest and should avoid situations requiring a choice between the auditor's interests and the public's interests. Almost without exception, shareholders should be able to annually review an auditor's performance and to annually ratify a board's auditor selection. Moreover, in October 2008, the Advisory Committee on the Auditing Profession went even further, and recommended that "to further enhance audit committee oversight and auditor accountability... disclosure in the company proxy statement regarding shareholder ratification [should] include the name(s) of the senior auditing partner(s) staffed on the engagement."<sup>41</sup>

On August 16, 2011, the PCAOB issued a Concept Release seeking public comment on ways that auditor independence, objectivity and professional skepticism could be enhanced, with a specific emphasis on mandatory audit firm rotation. The PCAOB convened several public roundtable meetings during 2012 to further discuss such matters. Glass Lewis believes auditor rotation can ensure both the independence of the auditor and the integrity of the audit; we will typically recommend supporting proposals to require auditor rotation when the proposal uses a reasonable period of time (usually not less than 5-7 years), particularly at companies with a history of accounting problems.

On June 1, 2017, the PCAOB adopted new standards to enhance auditor reports by providing additional important information to investors. For companies with fiscal year end dates on or after December 15, 2017, reports were required to include the year in which the auditor began serving consecutively as the company's auditor. For large accelerated filers with fiscal year ends of June 30, 2019 or later, and for all other companies with fiscal year ends of December 15, 2020 or later, communication of critical audit matters (CAMs) will also be required. CAMs are matters that have been communicated to the audit committee, are related to accounts or

<sup>41</sup> "Final Report of the Advisory Committee on the Auditing Profession to the U.S. Department of the Treasury." p. VIII:20, October 6, 2008.

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disclosures that are material to the financial statements, and involve especially challenging, subjective, or complex auditor judgment.

Glass Lewis believes the additional reporting requirements are beneficial for investors. The additional disclosures can provide investors with information that is critical to making an informed judgment about an auditor's independence and performance. Furthermore, we believe the additional requirements are an important step toward enhancing the relevance and usefulness of auditor reports, which too often are seen as boilerplate compliance documents that lack the relevant details to provide meaningful insight into a particular audit.

Voting Recommendations on Auditor Ratification

We generally support management's choice of auditor except when we believe the auditor's independence or audit integrity has been compromised. Where a board has not allowed shareholders to review and ratify an auditor, we typically recommend voting against the audit committee chair. When there have been material restatements of annual financial statements or material weaknesses in internal controls, we usually recommend voting against the entire audit committee.

Reasons why we may not recommend ratification of an auditor include:

● When audit fees plus audit-related fees total less than the tax fees and/or other non-audit fees.

● Recent material restatements of annual financial statements, including those resulting in the reporting of material weaknesses in internal controls and including late filings by the company where the auditor bears some responsibility for the restatement or late filing.<sup>42</sup>

● When the auditor performs prohibited services such as tax-shelter work, tax services for the CEO or CFO, or contingent-fee work, such as a fee based on a percentage of economic benefit to the company.

● When audit fees are excessively low, especially when compared with other companies in the same industry.

● When the company has aggressive accounting policies.

● When the company has poor disclosure or lack of transparency in its financial statements.

● Where the auditor limited its liability through its contract with the company or the audit contract requires the corporation to use alternative dispute resolution procedures without adequate justification.

● We also look for other relationships or concerns with the auditor that might suggest a conflict between the auditor's interests and shareholder interests.

● In determining whether shareholders would benefit from rotating the company's auditor, where relevant we will consider factors that may call into question an auditor's effectiveness, including auditor tenure, a pattern of inaccurate audits, and any ongoing litigation or significant controversies. When Glass Lewis considers ongoing litigation and significant controversies, it is mindful that such matters may involve unadjudicated allegations. Glass Lewis does not assume the truth of such allegations or that the

<sup>42</sup> An auditor does not audit interim financial statements. Thus, we generally do not believe that an auditor should be opposed due to a restatement of interim financial statements unless the nature of the misstatement is clear from a reading of the incorrect financial statements.

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law has been violated. Instead, Glass Lewis focuses more broadly on whether, under the particular facts and circumstances presented, the nature and number of such lawsuits or other significant controversies reflects on the risk profile of the company or suggests that appropriate risk mitigation measures may be warranted."

Pension Accounting Issues

A pension accounting question occasionally raised in proxy proposals is what effect, if any, projected returns on employee pension assets should have on a company's net income. This issue often arises in the executive- compensation context in a discussion of the extent to which pension accounting should be reflected in business performance for purposes of calculating payments to executives.

Glass Lewis believes that pension credits should not be included in measuring income that is used to award performance-based compensation. Because many of the assumptions used in accounting for retirement plans are subject to the company's discretion, management would have an obvious conflict of interest if pay were tied to pension income. In our view, projected income from pensions does not truly reflect a company's performance.

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The Link Between Compensation and Performance

Glass Lewis carefully reviews the compensation awarded to senior executives, as we believe that this is an important area in which the board's priorities are revealed. Glass Lewis strongly believes executive compensation should be linked directly with the performance of the business the executive is charged with managing. We believe the most effective compensation arrangements provide for an appropriate mix of performance-based short- and long-term incentives in addition to fixed pay elements while promoting a prudent and sustainable level of risk-taking.

Glass Lewis believes that comprehensive, timely and transparent disclosure of executive pay is critical to allowing shareholders to evaluate the extent to which pay is aligned with company performance. When reviewing proxy materials, Glass Lewis examines whether the company discloses the performance metrics used to determine executive compensation. We recognize performance metrics must necessarily vary depending on the company and industry, among other factors, and may include a wide variety of financial measures as well as industry-specific performance indicators. However, we believe companies should disclose why the specific performance metrics were selected and how the actions they are designed to incentivize will lead to better corporate performance.

Moreover, it is rarely in shareholders' interests to disclose competitive data about individual salaries below the senior executive level. Such disclosure could create internal personnel discord that would be counterproductive for the company and its shareholders. We do not believe shareholders need or will benefit from detailed reports about individual management employees other than the most senior executives.

Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation (Say-on-Pay)

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the "Dodd-Frank Act") required most companies to hold an advisory vote on executive compensation at the first shareholder meeting that occurs six months after enactment of the bill (January 21, 2011).

This practice of allowing shareholders a non-binding vote on a company's compensation report is standard practice in many non-U.S. countries, and has been a requirement for most companies in the United Kingdom since 2003 and in Australia since 2005. Although say-on-pay proposals are non-binding, a high level of "against" or "abstain" votes indicates substantial shareholder concern about a company's compensation policies and procedures.

Given the complexity of most companies' compensation programs, Glass Lewis applies a highly nuanced approach when analyzing advisory votes on executive compensation. We review each company's compensation on a case-by-case basis, recognizing that each company must be examined in the context of industry, size, maturity, performance, financial condition, its historic pay for performance practices, and any other relevant internal or external factors.

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We believe that each company should design and apply specific compensation policies and practices that are appropriate to the circumstances of the company and, in particular, will attract and retain competent executives and other staff, while motivating them to grow the company's long-term shareholder value.

Where we find those specific policies and practices serve to reasonably align compensation with performance, and such practices are adequately disclosed, Glass Lewis will recommend supporting the company's approach. If, however, those specific policies and practices fail to demonstrably link compensation with performance, Glass Lewis will generally recommend voting against the say-on-pay proposal.

Glass Lewis reviews say-on-pay proposals on both a qualitative basis and a quantitative basis, with a focus on several main areas:

● The overall design and structure of the company's executive compensation programs including selection and challenging nature of performance metrics;

● The implementation and effectiveness of the company's executive compensation programs including pay mix and use of performance metrics in determining pay levels;

● The quality and content of the company's disclosure;

● The quantum paid to executives; and

● The link between compensation and performance as indicated by the company's current and past pay- for-performance grades.

We also review any significant changes or modifications, including post fiscal year-end changes and one-time awards, particularly where the changes touch upon issues that are material to Glass Lewis recommendations. Additionally, while we recognize their rarity in the U.S. market, beneficial features such as but not limited to post-vesting and/or post-retirement holding requirements may be viewed positively in our holistic analysis.

Say-on-Pay Voting Recommendations

In cases where we find deficiencies in a company's compensation program's design, implementation or management, we will recommend that shareholders vote against the say-on-pay proposal. Generally, such instances include:

● Evidence of a pattern of poor pay-for-performance practices (e.g., deficient or failing pay-for-performance grades or a misalignment between incentive payouts and the shareholder experience),

● Unclear or questionable disclosure regarding the overall compensation structure (e.g., limited information regarding benchmarking processes, limited rationale for bonus performance metrics and targets, etc.),

● Questionable adjustments to certain aspects of the overall compensation structure (e.g., limited rationale for significant changes to performance targets or metrics, the payout of guaranteed bonuses or sizable retention grants, etc.), and/or

● Other egregious compensation practices.

Glass Lewis approaches its analysis of executive compensation programs on a case-by-case basis. Glass Lewis reviews all factors related to named executive officer compensation, including quantitative analyses, structural features, the presence of effective best practice policies,disclosure quality and trajectory-related factors. Except for particularly egregious pay decisions and practices, no one factor would ordinarily lead to an unfavorable

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recommendation without a review of the company's rationale and/or the influence of such decisions or practices on other aspects of the pay program, most notably the company's ability to align executive pay with performance and the shareholder experience.

Although not an exhaustive list, the following factors are viewed negatively. When weighed together, they may cause Glass Lewis to recommend voting against a say-on-pay vote:

● Inappropriate or outsized self-selected peer groups and/or benchmarking issues such as compensation targets set well above the median without adequate justification;

● Egregious or excessive bonuses, equity awards, perquisites or severance payments, including golden handshakes and golden parachutes;

● Insufficient response to low shareholder support;

● Problematic contractual payments, such as guaranteed bonuses;

● Adjustments to performance results that lead to problematic pay outcomes;

● Insufficiently challenging performance targets and/or high potential payout opportunities;

● Performance targets lowered without justification;

● Discretionary bonuses paid when short- or long-term incentive plan targets were not met;

● High executive pay relative to peers that is not justified by outstanding company performance; and

● The terms of the long-term incentive plans are inappropriate (please see "Long-Term Incentives").

The aforementioned issues influence Glass Lewis' assessment of the structure of a company's compensation program. We evaluate structure on a "Good, Fair, Poor" rating scale whereby a "Good" rating represents a compensation program with little to no concerns and market-leading practices, a "Fair" rating represents a compensation program with some concerns but general adherence to best practices and a "Poor" rating represents a compensation program that deviates significantly from best practice or contains one or more egregious compensation practices.

We believe that it is important for companies to provide investors with clear and complete disclosure of all the significant terms of compensation arrangements. Similar to structure, we evaluate disclosure on a "Good, Fair, Poor" rating scale. A "Good" rating represents a thorough discussion of all elements of compensation with rationale. A "Fair" rating represents an adequate discussion of all or most elements of compensation with rationale. A "Poor" rating represents an incomplete or absent discussion of compensation. In instances where a company has simply failed to provide sufficient disclosure of its policies, we may recommend shareholders vote against this proposal solely on this basis, regardless of the appropriateness of compensation levels. Glass Lewis understands that regulatory disclosure rules such as smaller reporting company disclosure standards may condone the omission of key executive compensation information. However, we believe that companies should provide sufficient information in the proxy statement to enable shareholders to vote in an informed manner.

In general, most companies will fall within the "Fair" range for both structure and disclosure, and Glass Lewis largely uses the "Good" and "Poor" ratings to highlight outliers.

Where we identify egregious compensation practices, we may also recommend voting against the compensation committee based on the practices or actions of its members during the year. Such practices may include approving large one-off payments, the inappropriate, unjustified use of discretion, or sustained poor pay for performance practices. (Refer to the section on "Compensation Committee Performance" for more information.)

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Company Responsiveness

When companies receive a significant level of shareholder opposition to a say-on-pay proposal, which occurs when more than 20% of votes on the proposal are cast as AGAINST and/or ABSTAIN, we believe the board should demonstrate a commensurate level of engagement and responsiveness to the concerns behind the disapproval, with a particular focus on responding to shareholder feedback. When assessing the level of opposition to say-on-pay proposals, we may further examine the level of opposition among disinterested shareholders as an independent group. While we recognize that sweeping changes cannot be made to a compensation program without due consideration, and that often a majority of shareholders may have voted in favor of the proposal, given that the average approval rate for say-on-pay proposals is about 90%, we believe the compensation committee should demonstrate in its proxy statement a level of response to a significant vote against. In general, our expectations regarding the minimum appropriate levels of responsiveness will correspond with the level of shareholder opposition, as expressed both through the magnitude of opposition in a single year, and through the persistence of shareholder disapproval over time.

Responses we consider appropriate include engaging with large shareholders, especially dissenting shareholders, to identify their concerns, and, where reasonable, implementing changes and/or making commitments that directly address those concerns within the company's compensation program. In cases where particularly egregious pay decisions caused the say on pay proposal to fail, Glass Lewis will closely consider whether any changes were made directly relating to the pay decision that may address structural concerns that shareholders have. In the absence of any evidence in the disclosure that the board is actively engaging shareholders on these issues and responding accordingly, we may recommend holding compensation committee members accountable for failing to adequately respond to shareholder opposition. Regarding such recommendations, careful consideration will be given to the level of shareholder protest and the severity and history of compensation practices.

Pay for Performance

Glass Lewis believes an integral part of a well-structured compensation package is a successful link between pay and performance. Our proprietary pay-for-performance model, which serves as our primary quantitative analysis, was developed to better evaluate the link between pay and performance. Generally, compensation and performance are measured against a peer group of appropriate companies that may overlap, to a certain extent, with a company's self-disclosed peers. This quantitative analysis provides a consistent framework and historical context for our clients to determine how well companies link executive compensation to relative performance. Companies that demonstrate a weaker link are more likely to receive a negative recommendation; however, other qualitative factors such as overall incentive structure, significant forthcoming changes to the compensation program or reasonable long-term payout levels may mitigate our concerns to a certain extent.

While we assign companies a letter grade of A, B, C, D or F based on the alignment between pay and performance under our primary model, the grades derived from the Glass Lewis pay-for-performance analysis do not follow the traditional U.S. school letter grade system. Rather, the grades are generally interpreted as follows:

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| **Grade of A**: | The company's percentile rank for pay is significantly less than its percentile rank for performance |
| **Grade of B**: | The company's percentile rank for pay is moderately less than its percentile rank for performance |

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| **Grade of C**: | The company's percentile rank for pay is approximately aligned with its percentile rank for performance |
| **Grade of D**: | The company's percentile rank for pay is higher than its percentile rank for performance |
| **Grade of F**: | The company's percentile rank for pay is significantly higher than its percentile rank for performance |

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Separately, a specific comparison between the company's executive pay and its peers' executive pay levels may be discussed in the analysis for additional insight into the grade. Likewise, a specific comparison between the company's performance and its peers' performance is reflected in the analysis for further context.

We use this analysis to inform our voting decisions on say-on-pay proposals. If a company receives a "D" or "F" from our proprietary model, we are more likely to recommend that shareholders vote against the say-on-pay proposal. However, important supplemental quantitative factors like analyses of realized pay levels and the "compensation actually paid" data mandated by the SEC's 2022 final rule regarding pay versus performance may be considered, and other qualitative factors such as an effective overall incentive structure, the relevance of selected performance metrics, significant forthcoming enhancements or reasonable long-term payout levels may give us cause to recommend in favor of a proposal even when we have identified a disconnect between pay and performance.

In determining the peer groups used in our pay-for-performance letter grades, Glass Lewis utilizes a proprietary methodology that considers both market and industry peers, along with each company's self-disclosed peers and peers of those company-disclosed peers. Each component is considered on a weighted basis and is subject to size-based ranking and screening. Since the peer group used is based on an independent, proprietary technique, it will often differ from the one used by the company which, in turn, will affect the resulting analyses. While Glass Lewis believes that the independent, rigorous methodology it uses provides a valuable perspective on the company's compensation program, the company's self-selected peer group may also presented in the Proxy Paper for comparative purposes and for supplemental analyses.

Short-Term Incentives

A short-term bonus or incentive (STI)should be demonstrably tied to performance. Whenever possible, we believe a mix of corporate and individual performance measures is appropriate. We would normally expect performance measures for STI plans to be based on company-wide or divisional financial measures as well as non-financial, qualitative or non-formulaic factors such as those related to safety, environmental issues, and customer satisfaction when they are material to the company's overall health. While we recognize that companies operating in different sectors or markets may seek to utilize a wide range of metrics, we expect such measures to be appropriately tied to a company's business drivers.

Further, the threshold, target and maximum performance goals and corresponding payout levels that can be achieved under STI plans should be disclosed. Shareholders should expect stretching performance targets for the maximum award to be achieved. Any increase in the potential target and maximum award should be clearly justified to shareholders, as should any decrease in target and maximum performance levels from the previous year.

Glass Lewis recognizes that disclosure of some measures or performance targets may include commercially confidential information. Therefore, we believe it may be reasonable to exclude such information in some cases

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as long as the company provides sufficient justification for non-disclosure. However, where a short-term bonus has been paid, companies should disclose the extent to which performance has been achieved against relevant targets, including disclosure of the actual target achieved.

Where management has received significant short-term incentive payments but overall performance and/or the shareholder experience over the measurement year prima facie appears to be poor or negative, we believe the company should provide a clear explanation of why these significant short-term payments were made. We also believe any significant changes to the program structure should be accompanied by rationalizing disclosure. Further, where a company has applied upward discretion, which includes lowering goals mid-year, increasing calculated payouts or retroactively pro-rating performance periods, we expect a robust discussion of why the decision was necessary.

Adjustments to GAAP figures may be considered in Glass Lewis' assessment of the effectiveness of the incentive at tying executive pay with performance. We believe that where companies use non-GAAP or bespoke metrics, clear reconciliations between these figures and GAAP figures in audited financial statements should be provided. Moreover, Glass Lewis believes that in circumstances where significant adjustments were applied to performance results, thorough, detailed discussion of adjustments akin to a GAAP-to-non-GAAP reconciliation and their impact on payouts within the proxy statement is warranted. The absence of such enhanced disclosure for significant adjustments will impact Glass Lewis' assessment of the quality of disclosure and, in turn, may play a role in the overall recommendation for the advisory vote on executive compensation.

Glass Lewis recognizes the importance of the compensation committee's prudent and responsible exercise of discretion over incentive pay outcomes to account for significant, material events that would otherwise be excluded from performance results of selected metrics of incentive programs. For instance, litigation settlement charges are typically removed from non-GAAP results before the determination of formulaic incentive payouts, or health and safety failures may not be reflected in performance results where companies do not expressly include health and safety metrics in incentive plans. Such events may nevertheless be consequential to corporate performance results, impact the shareholder experience, and, in some cases, may present material risks. Conversely, certain events may adversely impact formulaic payout results despite being outside executives' control. We believe that companies should provide thorough discussion of how such events were considered in the committee's decisions to exercise discretion over incentive payouts.

We do not generally recommend against a pay program due to the use of a non-formulaic plan. If a company has chosen to rely primarily on a subjective assessment or the board's discretion in determining short-term bonuses, we believe that the proxy statement should provide a meaningful discussion of the board's rationale in determining the bonuses paid as well as a rationale for the use of a non-formulaic mechanism. Particularly where the aforementioned disclosures are substantial and satisfactory, such a structure will not provoke serious concern in our analysis on its own. However, in conjunction with other significant issues in a program's design or operation, such as a disconnect between pay and performance, the absence of a cap on payouts, or a lack of performance-based long-term awards, the use of a non-formulaic bonus may help drive a negative recommendation.

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Long-Term Incentives

Glass Lewis recognizes the value of equity-based incentive programs, which are often the primary long-term incentive for executives. When used appropriately, they can provide a vehicle for linking an executive's pay to company performance, thereby aligning their interests with those of shareholders. In addition, equity-based compensation can be an effective way to attract, retain and motivate key employees.

There are certain elements that Glass Lewis believes are common to most well-structured long-term incentive (LTI) plans. These include:

● No re-testing or lowering of performance conditions;

● Performance metrics that cannot be easily manipulated by management;

● Two or more performance metrics;

● At least one relative performance metric that compares the company's performance to a relevant peer group or index;

● Performance periods of at least three years;

● Stretching metrics that incentivize executives to strive for outstanding performance while not encouraging excessive risk-taking;

● Reasonable individual award limits;

● Equity granting practices that are clearly disclosed and

● Additional post-vesting holding periods to encourage long-term executive share ownership.

In evaluating long-term incentive grants, Glass Lewis generally believes that at least half of the grant should consist of performance-based awards, putting a material portion of executive compensation at-risk and demonstrably linked to the performance of the company. While we will consistently raise concern with programs that do not meet this criterion, we may refrain from a negative recommendation in the absence of other significant issues with the program's design or operation. However, in cases where performance-based awards are significantly rolled back or eliminated from a company's long-term incentive plan, such decisions will generally be viewed negatively outside of exceptional circumstances. Given the reduction in rigor and accountability in the pay program, Glass Lewis will assess the revision's impact on the pay program's ability to align executive pay with performance and shareholder experience; programs that fail our assessment may receive an unfavorable recommendation. They may also lead to an unfavorable recommendation from Glass Lewis if the change is not offset by meaningful revisions such as to pay quantum and vesting periods, particularly in the absence of cogent rationale.

As with the short-term incentive, Glass Lewis recognizes the importance of the compensation committee's judicious and responsible exercise of discretion over incentive pay outcomes to account for significant events that would otherwise be excluded from performance results of selected metrics of incentive programs. We believe that companies should provide thorough discussion of how such events were considered in the committee's decisions to exercise discretion or refrain from applying discretion over incentive pay outcomes. Furthermore, considerations related to the use of non-GAAP metrics under the STI plan similarly apply to the long-term incentive program.

Performance measures should be carefully selected and should relate to the specific business/industry in which the company operates and, especially, to the key value drivers of the company's business. As with short-term

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incentive plans, the basis for any adjustments to metrics or results should be clearly explained, as should the company's judgment on the use of discretion and any significant changes to the performance program structure.

While cognizant of the inherent complexity of certain performance metrics, Glass Lewis generally believes that measuring a company's performance with multiple metrics serves to provide a more complete picture of the company's performance than a single metric. Further, reliance on just one metric may focus too much management attention on a single target and is therefore more susceptible to manipulation. When utilized for relative measurements, external benchmarks such as a sector index or peer group should be disclosed and transparent. The rationale behind the selection of a specific index or peer group should also be disclosed. Internal performance benchmarks should also be disclosed and transparent, unless a cogent case for confidentiality is made and fully explained. Similarly, actual performance and vesting levels for previous grants earned during the fiscal year should be disclosed.

We also believe shareholders should evaluate the relative success of a company's compensation programs, particularly with regard to existing equity-based incentive plans, in linking pay and performance when evaluating potential changes to LTI plans and determining the impact of additional stock awards. We will therefore review the company's pay-for-performance analyses (see above for more information) and specifically the proportion of total compensation that is stock-based.

Grants of Front-Loaded Awards

Many U.S. companies have chosen to provide large grants, usually in the form of equity awards, that are intended to serve as compensation for multiple years. This practice, often called front-loading, is taken up either in the regular course of business or as a response to specific business conditions and with a predetermined objective. The so-called "mega-grant", an outsized award to one individual sometimes valued at over $100 million is sometimes but not always provided as a front-loaded award. We believe shareholders should generally be wary of this granting approach, and we accordingly weigh these grants with particular scrutiny.

While the use of front-loaded awards is intended to lock-in executive service and incentives, the same rigidity also raises the risk of effectively tying the hands of the compensation committee. As compared with a more responsive annual granting schedule program, front-loaded awards may preclude improvements or changes to reflect evolving business strategies or to respond to other unforeseen factors. Additionally, if structured poorly, early vesting of such awards may reduce or eliminate the retentive power at great cost to shareholders. The considerable emphasis on a single grant can place intense pressures on every facet of its design, amplifying any potential perverse incentives and creating greater room for unintended consequences. In particular, provisions around changes of control or separations of service must ensure that executives do not receive excessive payouts that do not reflect shareholder experience or company performance.

We consider a company's rationale for granting awards under this structure and also expect any front-loaded awards to include a firm commitment not to grant additional awards for a defined period, as is commonly associated with this practice. Even when such a commitment is provided, unexpected circumstances may lead the board to make additional payments or awards for retention purposes, or to incentivize management towards more realistic goals or a revised strategy. If a company breaks its commitment not to grant further awards, we may recommend against the pay program unless a convincing rationale is provided. The multiyear nature of these awards generally lends itself to significantly higher compensation figures in the year of grant

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than might otherwise be expected. In our qualitative analysis of the grants of front-loaded awards to executives, Glass Lewis considers the quantum of the award on an annualized basis and may compare this result to the prior practice and peer data, among other benchmarks. Additionally, for awards that are granted in the form of equity, Glass Lewis may consider the total potential dilutive effect of such award on shareholders.

In situations where the front-loaded award was meant to cover a certain portion of the regular long-term incentive grant for each year during the covered period, our analysis of the value of the remaining portion of the regular long-term incentives granted during the period covered by the award will account for the annualized value of the front-loaded portion, and we expect no supplemental grant be awarded during the vesting period of the front-loaded portion.

Linking Executive Pay to Environmental and Social Criteria

Glass Lewis believes that explicit environmental and/or social (E&S) criteria in executive incentive plans, when used appropriately, can serve to provide both executives and shareholders a clear line of sight into a company's ESG strategy, ambitions, and targets. Although we are strongly supportive of companies' incorporation of material E&S risks and opportunities in their long-term strategic planning, we believe that the inclusion of E&S metrics in compensation programs should be predicated on each company's unique circumstances. In order to establish a meaningful link between pay and performance, companies must consider factors including their industry, size, risk profile, maturity, performance, financial condition, and any other relevant internal or external factors.

When a company is introducing E&S criteria into executive incentive plans, we believe it is important that companies provide shareholders with sufficient disclosure to allow them to understand how these criteria align with their strategies. Additionally, Glass Lewis recognizes that there may be situations where certain E&S performance criteria are reasonably viewed as prerequisites for executive performance, as opposed to behaviors and conditions that need to be incentivized. For example, we believe that shareholders should interrogate the use of metrics that award executives for ethical behavior or compliance with policies and regulations. It is our view that companies should provide shareholders with disclosures that clearly lay out the rationale for selecting specific E&S metrics, the target-setting process, and corresponding payout opportunities. Further, particularly in the case of qualitative metrics, we believe that shareholders should be provided with a clear understanding of the basis on which the criteria will be assessed. Where quantitative targets have been set, we believe that shareholders are best served when these are disclosed on an ex-ante basis, or the board should outline why it believes it is unable to do so.

While we believe that companies should generally set long-term targets for their environmental and social ambitions, we are mindful that not all compensation schemes lend themselves to the inclusion of E&S metrics. We also are of the view that companies should retain flexibility in not only choosing to incorporate E&S metrics in their compensation plans, but also in the placement of these metrics. For example, some companies may resolve that including E&S criteria in the annual bonus may help to incentivize the achievement of short-term milestones and allow for more maneuverability in strategic adjustments to long-term goals. Other companies may determine that their long-term sustainability targets are best achieved by incentivizing executives through metrics included in their long-term incentive plans.

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One-Time Awards

Glass Lewis believes shareholders should generally be wary of awards granted outside of the standard incentive schemes, as such awards have the potential to undermine the integrity of a company's regular incentive plans or the link between pay and performance, or both. We generally believe that if the existing incentive programs fail to provide adequate incentives to executives, companies should redesign their compensation programs rather than make additional grants.

However, Glass Lewis reviews grants of supplemental awards on a case-by-case, company-by-company basis to give adequate consideration for unique circumstances. Companies should provide a thorough description of the awards, including a cogent and convincing explanation of their necessity and why existing awards do not provide sufficient motivation and a discussion of how the quantum of the award and its structure were determined. Further, such awards should be tied to future service and performance whenever possible.

Additionally, we believe companies making supplemental or one-time awards should also describe if and how the regular compensation arrangements will be affected by these additional grants. In reviewing a company's use of supplemental awards, Glass Lewis will evaluate the terms and size of the grants in the context of the company's overall incentive strategy and granting practices, as well as the current operating environment.

Contractual Payments and Arrangements

Beyond the quantum of contractual payments, Glass Lewis will also consider the design of any entitlements. Certain executive employment terms may help to drive a negative recommendation, including, but not limited to:

● Excessively broad change in control triggers;

● Inappropriate severance entitlements;

● Inadequately explained or excessive sign-on arrangements;

● Guaranteed bonuses (especially as a multiyear occurrence); and

● Failure to address any concerning practices in amended employment agreements.

In general, we are wary of terms that are excessively restrictive in favor of the executive, or that could potentially incentivize behaviors that are not in a company's best interest.

Sign-on Awards and Severance Benefits

We acknowledge that there may be certain costs associated with transitions at the executive level. In evaluating the size of severance and sign-on arrangements, we may consider the executive's regular target compensation level, or the sums paid to other executives (including the recipient's predecessor, where applicable) in evaluating the appropriateness of such an arrangement.

We believe sign-on arrangements should be clearly disclosed and accompanied by a meaningful explanation of the payments and the process by which the amounts were reached. Further, the details of and basis for any "make-whole" payments (paid as compensation for awards forfeited from a previous employer) should be provided.

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With respect to severance, we believe companies should abide by predetermined payouts in most circumstances. While in limited circumstances some deviations may not be inappropriate, we believe shareholders should be provided with a meaningful explanation of any additional or increased benefits agreed upon outside of regular arrangements. However, where Glass Lewis determines that such predetermined payouts are particularly problematic or unfavorable to shareholders, we may consider the execution of such payments in a negative recommendation for the advisory vote on executive compensation.

In the U.S. market, most companies maintain severance entitlements based on a multiple of salary and, in many cases, bonus. In almost all instances we see, the relevant multiple is three or less, even in the case of a change in control. We believe the basis and total value of severance should be reasonable and should not exceed the upper limit of general market practice. We consider the inclusion of long-term incentives in cash severance calculations to be inappropriate, particularly given the commonality of accelerated vesting and the proportional weight of long-term incentives as a component of total pay. Additional considerations, however, will be accounted for when reviewing atypically structured compensation approaches.

Change in Control

Glass Lewis considers double-trigger change in control arrangements, which require both a change in control and termination or constructive termination, to be best practice. Any arrangement that is not explicitly double- trigger may be considered a single-trigger or modified single-trigger arrangement. Companies that allow for committee discretion over the treatment of unvested awards should commit to providing clear rationale for the committee's ultimate decision as to how such awards should be treated in the event a change in control occurs.

Further, we believe that excessively broad definitions of change in control are potentially problematic as they may lead to situations where executives receive additional compensation where no meaningful change in status or duties has occurred.

Excise Tax Gross-ups

Among other entitlements, Glass Lewis is strongly opposed to excise tax gross-ups related to IRC § 4999 and their expansion, especially where no consideration is given to the safe harbor limit. We believe that under no normal circumstance is the inclusion of excise tax gross-up provisions in new agreements or the addition of such provisions to amended agreements acceptable. In consideration of the fact that minor increases in change-in- control payments can lead to disproportionately large excise taxes, the potential negative impact of tax gross- ups far outweighs any retentive benefit.

Depending on the circumstances, the addition of new gross-ups around this excise tax may lead to negative recommendations for a company's say-on-pay proposal, the chair of the compensation committee, or the entire committee, particularly in cases where a company had committed not to provide any such entitlements in the future. For situations in which the addition of new excise tax gross ups will be provided in connection with a specific change-in-control transaction, this policy may be applied to the say-on-pay proposal, the golden parachute proposal and recommendations related to the compensation committee for all involved corporate parties, as appropriate.

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Amended Employment Agreements

Any contractual arrangements providing for problematic pay practices which are not addressed in materially amended employment agreements will potentially be viewed by Glass Lewis as a missed opportunity on the part of the company to align its policies with current best practices. Such problematic pay practices include, but are not limited to, excessive change in control entitlements, modified single-trigger change in control entitlements, excise tax gross-ups, and multi-year guaranteed awards.

Recoupment Provisions (Clawbacks)

On October 26, 2022, the SEC adopted Rule 10D-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The rule mandates national securities exchanges and associations to promulgate new listing standards requiring companies to maintain recoupment policies ("clawback provisions"). The final clawback listing standards were approved by the SEC, effective October 2, 2023 and required listed companies to adopt a compliant policy by December 1, 2023. Glass Lewis believes that clawback provisions play an important role in mitigating excessive risk-taking that may be encouraged by poorly structured variable incentive programs. Current listing standards require recoupment of erroneously awarded payouts to current and former executive officers in the event of an accounting restatement or correction to previous financial statements that is material to the current period, regardless of fault or misconduct.

Glass Lewis recognizes that excessive risk-taking that can materially and adversely impact shareholders may not necessarily result in such restatements. We believe that clawback policies should allow recovery from current and former executive officers in the event of a restatement of financial results or similar revision of performance indicators upon which the awards were based. Additionally, recoupment policies should provide companies with the ability to claw back variable incentive payments (whether time-based or performance-based) when there is evidence of problematic decisions or actions, such as material misconduct, a material reputational failure, material risk management failure, or a material operational failure, the consequences of which have not already been reflected in incentive payments and where recovery is warranted.

In situations where the company ultimately determines not to follow through with recovery, Glass Lewis will assess the appropriateness of such determination for each case. A thorough, detailed discussion of the company's decision to not pursue recoupment and, if applicable, how the company has otherwise rectified the disconnect between executive pay outcomes and negative impacts of their actions on the company and the shareholder experience will be considered. The absence of such enhanced disclosure may impact Glass Lewis' assessment of the quality of disclosure and, in turn, may play a role in Glass Lewis' overall recommendation for the advisory vote on executive compensation. The clawback policy should provide recoupment authority regardless of whether the employment of the executive officer was terminated with or without cause.

Hedging of Stock

Glass Lewis believes that the hedging of shares by executives in the shares of the companies where they are employed severs the alignment of interests of the executive with shareholders. We believe companies should adopt strict policies to prohibit executives from hedging the economic risk associated with their share ownership in the company.

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Pledging of Stock

Glass Lewis believes that shareholders should examine the facts and circumstances of each company rather than apply a one-size-fits-all policy regarding employee stock pledging. Glass Lewis believes that shareholders benefit when employees, particularly senior executives, have meaningful financial interest in the success of the company under their management, and therefore we recognize the benefits of measures designed to encourage employees to both buy shares out of their own pocket and to retain shares they have been granted; blanket policies prohibiting stock pledging may discourage executives and employees from doing either.

However, we also recognize that the pledging of shares can present a risk that, depending on a host of factors, an executive with significant pledged shares and limited other assets may have an incentive to take steps to avoid a forced sale of shares in the face of a rapid stock price decline. Therefore, to avoid substantial losses from a forced sale to meet the terms of the loan, the executive may have an incentive to boost the stock price in the short term in a manner that is unsustainable, thus hurting shareholders in the long-term. We also recognize concerns regarding pledging may not apply to less senior employees, given the latter group's significantly more limited influence over a company's stock price. Therefore, we believe that the issue of pledging shares should be reviewed in that context, as should policies that distinguish between the two groups.

Glass Lewis believes that the benefits of stock ownership by executives and employees may outweigh the risks of stock pledging, depending on many factors. As such, Glass Lewis reviews all relevant factors in evaluating proposed policies, limitations and prohibitions on pledging stock, including:

● The number of shares pledged;

● The percentage executives' pledged shares are of outstanding shares;

● The percentage executives' pledged shares are of each executive's shares and total assets;

● Whether the pledged shares were purchased by the employee or granted by the company;

● Whether there are different policies for purchased and granted shares;

● Whether the granted shares were time-based or performance-based;

● The overall governance profile of the company;

● The volatility of the company's stock (in order to determine the likelihood of a sudden stock price drop);

● The nature and cyclicality, if applicable, of the company's industry;

● The participation and eligibility of executives and employees in pledging;

● The company's current policies regarding pledging and any waiver from these policies for employees and executives; and

● Disclosure of the extent of any pledging, particularly among senior executives.

Executive Ownership Guidelines

The alignment between shareholder interests and those of executives helps to ensure that executives are acting in the best long-term interests of disinterested shareholders. Companies should facilitate this relationship through the adoption and enforcement of meaningful minimum executive share ownership requirements. Companies should clearly disclose their executive ownership requirements in their Compensation Discussion and Analysis section and how the various types of outstanding equity awards are counted or excluded from the ownership level calculation.

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In determining whether executives have met the requirements or not, the inclusion of unearned performance- based full value awards and/or unexercised stock options without cogent rationale may be viewed as problematic. While Glass Lewis views the inclusion of unearned performance-based equity in the ownership determination renders executive share ownership policies less effective, we continue to believe that performance-based equity compensation plays an important role in the separate issue of aligning executive pay with performance.

Compensation Consultant Independence

As mandated by Section 952 of the Dodd-Frank Act, as of January 11, 2013, the SEC approved listing requirements for both the NYSE and NASDAQ which require compensation committees to consider six factors (https://www.sec.gov/rules/final/2012/33-9330.pdf, p.31-32) in assessing compensation advisor independence. According to the SEC, "no one factor should be viewed as a determinative factor." Glass Lewis believes this six- factor assessment is an important process for every compensation committee to undertake but believes companies employing a consultant for board compensation, consulting and other corporate services should provide clear disclosure beyond just a reference to examining the six points, in order to allow shareholders to review the specific aspects of the various consultant relationships.

We believe compensation consultants are engaged to provide objective, disinterested, expert advice to the compensation committee. When the consultant or its affiliates receive substantial income from providing other services to the company, we believe the potential for a conflict of interest arises and the independence of the consultant may be jeopardized. Therefore, Glass Lewis will, when relevant, note the potential for a conflict of interest when the fees paid to the advisor or its affiliates for other services exceed those paid for compensation consulting.

CEO Pay Ratio

As mandated by Section 953(b) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Consumer and Protection Act, beginning in 2018, issuers will be required to disclose the median annual total compensation of all employees except the CEO, the total annual compensation of the CEO or equivalent position, and the ratio between the two amounts. Glass Lewis will display the pay ratio as a data point in our Proxy Papers, as available. While we recognize that the pay ratio has the potential to provide additional insight when assessing a company's pay practices, at this time it will not be a determinative factor in our voting recommendations. On the other hand, we believe the underlying data may help shareholders evaluate the rationale for certain executive pay decisions such as increases in fixed pay levels.

Frequency of Say-on-Pay

The Dodd-Frank Act also requires companies to allow shareholders a non-binding vote on the frequency of say- on-pay votes (i.e., every one, two or three years). Additionally, Dodd-Frank requires companies to hold such votes on the frequency of say-on-pay votes at least once every six years.

We believe companies should submit say-on-pay votes to shareholders every year. We believe that the time and financial burdens to a company with regard to an annual vote are relatively small and incremental and are

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outweighed by the benefits to shareholders through more frequent accountability. Implementing biannual or triennial votes on executive compensation limits shareholders' ability to hold the board accountable for its compensation practices through means other than voting against the compensation committee. Unless a company provides a compelling rationale or unique circumstances for say-on-pay votes less frequent than annually, we will generally recommend that shareholders support annual votes on compensation.

Vote on Golden Parachute Arrangements

The Dodd-Frank Act also requires companies to provide shareholders with a separate non-binding vote on approval of golden parachute compensation arrangements in connection with certain change-in-control transactions. However, if the golden parachute arrangements have previously been subject to a say-on-pay vote which shareholders approved, then this required vote is waived.

Glass Lewis believes the narrative and tabular disclosure of golden parachute arrangements benefits all shareholders. Glass Lewis analyzes each golden parachute arrangement on a case-by-case basis, taking into account, among other items: the nature of the change-in-control transaction, the ultimate value of the payments particularly compared to the value of the transaction, any excise tax gross-up obligations, the tenure and position of the executives in question before and after the transaction, any new or amended employment agreements entered into in connection with the transaction, and the type of triggers involved (i.e., single vs. double). In cases where new problematic features, such as excise tax gross-up obligations or new and excessive single-trigger entitlements, are introduced in a golden parachute proposal, such features may contribute to a negative recommendation not only for the golden parachute proposal under review, but for the next say-on-pay proposal of any involved corporate parties, as well as recommendations against their compensation committee as appropriate.

Equity-Based Compensation Proposals

We believe that equity compensation awards, when not abused, are useful for retaining employees and providing an incentive for them to act in a way that will improve company performance. Glass Lewis recognizes that equity-based compensation plans are critical components of a company's overall compensation program, and we analyze such plans accordingly based on both quantitative and qualitative factors.

Our quantitative analysis assesses the plan's cost and the company's pace of granting utilizing a number of different analyses, comparing the program with absolute limits we believe are key to equity value creation and with a carefully chosen peer group. In general, our model seeks to determine whether the proposed plan is either absolutely excessive or is more than one standard deviation away from the average plan for the peer group on a range of criteria, including dilution to shareholders and the projected annual cost relative to the company's financial performance. Each of the analyses (and their constituent parts) is weighted and the plan is scored in accordance with that weight.

We compare the program's expected annual expense with the business's operating metrics to help determine whether the plan is excessive in light of company performance. We also compare the plan's expected annual cost to the enterprise value of the firm rather than to market capitalization because the employees, managers and directors of the firm contribute to the creation of enterprise value but not necessarily market capitalization

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(the biggest difference is seen where cash represents the vast majority of market capitalization). Finally, we do not rely exclusively on relative comparisons with averages because, in addition to creeping averages serving to inflate compensation, we believe that some absolute limits are warranted.

We then consider qualitative aspects of the plan such as plan administration, the method and terms of exercise, repricing history, express or implied rights to reprice, and the presence of evergreen provisions. We also closely review the choice and use of, and difficulty in meeting, the awards' performance metrics and targets, if any. We believe significant changes to the terms of a plan should be explained for shareholders and clearly indicated. Other factors such as a company's size and operating environment may also be relevant in assessing the severity of concerns or the benefits of certain changes. Finally, we may consider a company's executive compensation practices in certain situations, as applicable.

We evaluate equity plans based on certain overarching principles:

● Companies should seek more shares only when needed;

● Requested share amounts or share reserves should be conservative in size so that companies must seek shareholder approval every three to four years (or more frequently);

● If a plan is relatively expensive, it should not grant options solely to senior executives and board members;

● Dilution of annual net share count or voting power, along with the "overhang" of incentive plans, should be limited;

● Annual cost of the plan (especially if not shown on the income statement) should be reasonable as a percentage of financial results and should be in line with the peer group;

● The expected annual cost of the plan should be proportional to the business's value;

● The intrinsic value that option grantees received in the past should be reasonable compared with the business's financial results;

● Plans should not permit repricing of stock options without shareholder approval;

● Plans should not contain excessively liberal administrative or payment terms;

● Plans should not count shares in ways that understate the potential dilution, or cost, to common shareholders. This refers to "inverse" full-value award multipliers;

● Selected performance metrics should be challenging and appropriate, and should be subject to relative performance measurements; and

● Stock grants should be subject to minimum vesting and/or holding periods sufficient to ensure sustainable performance and promote retention.

Meanwhile, for individual equity award proposals where the recipient of the proposed grant is also a large shareholder of the company whose vote can materially affect the passage of the proposal, we believe that the company should strongly consider the level of approval from disinterested shareholders before proceeding with the proposed grant. Glass Lewis recognizes potential conflicts of interests when vote outcomes can be heavily influenced by the recipient of the grant. A required abstention vote or non-vote from the recipient for an equity award proposal in these situations can help to avoid such conflicts. This favorable feature will be weighed alongside the structure, disclosure, dilution, provided rationale, and other provisions related to the individual award to assess the award's alignment with long-term shareholder interests.

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Option Exchanges and Repricing

Glass Lewis is generally opposed to the repricing of employee and director options regardless of how it is accomplished. Employees should have some downside risk in their equity-based compensation program and repricing eliminates any such risk. As shareholders have substantial risk in owning stock, we believe that the equity compensation of employees and directors should be similarly situated to align their interests with those of shareholders. We believe this will facilitate appropriate risk- and opportunity-taking for the company by employees.

We are concerned that option grantees who believe they will be "rescued" from underwater options will be more inclined to take unjustifiable risks. Moreover, a predictable pattern of repricing or exchanges substantially alters a stock option's value because options that will practically never expire deeply out of the money are worth far more than options that carry a risk of expiration.

In short, repricings and option exchange programs change the bargain between shareholders and employees after the bargain has been struck.

There is one circumstance in which a repricing or option exchange program may be acceptable: if macroeconomic or industry trends, rather than specific company issues, cause a stock's value to decline dramatically and the repricing is necessary to motivate and retain employees. In viewing the company's stock decline as part of a larger trend, we would expect the impact to approximately reflect the market or industry price decline in terms of timing and magnitude. In this circumstance, we think it fair to conclude that option grantees may be suffering from a risk that was not foreseeable when the original "bargain" was struck. In such a scenario, we may opt to support a repricing or option exchange program only if sufficient conditions are met. We look for the following features in a repricing or exchange proposal:

● Officers and board members cannot participate in the program; and

● The exchange is value-neutral or value-creative to shareholders using very conservative assumptions.

In our evaluation of the appropriateness of the program design, we also consider the inclusion of the following features:

● The vesting requirements on exchanged or repriced options are extended beyond one year;

● Shares reserved for options that are reacquired in an option exchange will permanently retire (i.e., will not be available for future grants) so as to prevent additional shareholder dilution in the future; and

● Management and the board make a cogent case for needing to motivate and retain existing employees, such as being in a competitive employment market.

Option Backdating, Spring-Loading and Bullet-Dodging

Glass Lewis views option backdating, and the related practices of spring-loading and bullet-dodging, as egregious actions that warrant holding the appropriate management and board members responsible. These practices are similar to repricing options and eliminate much of the downside risk inherent in an option grant that is designed to induce recipients to maximize shareholder return.

Backdating an option is the act of changing an option's grant date from the actual grant date to an earlier date when the market price of the underlying stock was lower, resulting in a lower exercise price for the option. In

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past studies, Glass Lewis identified over 270 companies that have disclosed internal or government investigations into their past stock-option grants.

Spring-loading is granting stock options while in possession of material, positive information that has not been disclosed publicly. Bullet-dodging is delaying the grants of stock options until after the release of material, negative information. This can allow option grants to be made at a lower price either before the release of positive news or following the release of negative news, assuming the stock's price will move up or down in response to the information. This raises a concern similar to that of insider trading, or the trading on material non-public information.

The exercise price for an option is determined on the day of grant, providing the recipient with the same market risk as an investor who bought shares on that date. However, where options were backdated, the executive or the board (or the compensation committee) changed the grant date retroactively. The new date may be at or near the lowest price for the year or period. This would be like allowing an investor to look back and select the lowest price of the year at which to buy shares.

A 2006 study of option grants made between 1996 and 2005 at 8,000 companies found that option backdating can be an indication of poor internal controls. The study found that option backdating was more likely to occur at companies without a majority independent board and with a long-serving CEO; both factors, the study concluded, were associated with greater CEO influence on the company's compensation and governance practices.<sup>43</sup>

Where a company granted backdated options to an executive who is also a director, Glass Lewis will recommend voting against that executive/director, regardless of who decided to make the award. In addition, Glass Lewis will recommend voting against those directors who either approved or allowed the backdating. Glass Lewis feels that executives and directors who either benefited from backdated options or authorized the practice have failed to act in the best interests of shareholders.

Given the severe tax and legal liabilities to the company from backdating, Glass Lewis will consider recommending voting against members of the audit committee who served when options were backdated, a restatement occurs, material weaknesses in internal controls exist and disclosures indicate there was a lack of documentation. These committee members failed in their responsibility to ensure the integrity of the company's financial reports.

When a company has engaged in spring-loading or bullet-dodging, Glass Lewis will consider recommending voting against the compensation committee members where there has been a pattern of granting options at or near historic lows. Glass Lewis will also recommend voting against executives serving on the board who benefited from the spring-loading or bullet-dodging.

<sup>43</sup> Lucian Bebchuk, Yaniv Grinstein and Urs Peyer. "LUCKY CEOs." November, 2006.

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Director Compensation Plans

Glass Lewis believes that non-employee directors should receive reasonable and appropriate compensation for the time and effort they spend serving on the board and its committees. However, a balance is required. Fees should be competitive in order to retain and attract qualified individuals, but excessive fees represent a financial cost to the company and potentially compromise the objectivity and independence of non-employee directors. We will consider recommending support for compensation plans that include option grants or other equity- based awards that help to align the interests of outside directors with those of shareholders. However, to ensure directors are not incentivized in the same manner as executives but rather serve as a check on imprudent risk-taking in executive compensation plan design, equity grants to directors should not be performance-based. Where an equity plan exclusively or primarily covers non-employee directors as participants, we do not believe that the plan should provide for performance-based awards in any capacity.

When non-employee director equity grants are covered by the same equity plan that applies to a company's broader employee base, we will use our proprietary model and analyst review of this model to guide our voting recommendations. If such a plan broadly allows for performance-based awards to directors or explicitly provides for such grants, we may recommend against the overall plan on this basis, particularly if the company has granted performance-based awards to directors in past.

Employee Stock Purchase Plans

Glass Lewis believes that employee stock purchase plans (ESPPs) can provide employees with a sense of ownership in their company and help strengthen the alignment between the interests of employees and shareholders. We evaluate ESPPs by assessing the expected discount, purchase period, expected purchase activity (if previous activity has been disclosed) and whether the plan has a "lookback" feature. Except for the most extreme cases, Glass Lewis will generally support these plans given the regulatory purchase limit of $25,000 per employee per year, which we believe is reasonable. We also look at the number of shares requested to see if a ESPP will significantly contribute to overall shareholder dilution or if shareholders will not have a chance to approve the program for an excessive period of time. As such, we will generally recommend against ESPPs that contain "evergreen" provisions that automatically increase the number of shares available under the ESPP each year.

Executive Compensation Tax Deductibility — Amendment to IRC 162(M)

The "Tax Cut and Jobs Act" had significant implications on Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, a provision that allowed companies to deduct compensation in excess of $1 million for the CEO and the next three most highly compensated executive officers, excluding the CFO, if the compensation is performance-based and is paid under shareholder-approved plans. Glass Lewis does not generally view amendments to equity plans and changes to compensation programs in response to the elimination of tax deductions under 162(m) as problematic. This specifically holds true if such modifications contribute to the maintenance of a sound performance-based compensation program.

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As grandfathered contracts may continue to be eligible for tax deductions under the transition rule for Section 162(m), companies may therefore submit incentive plans for shareholder approval to take of advantage of the tax deductibility afforded under 162(m) for certain types of compensation.

We believe the best practice for companies is to provide robust disclosure to shareholders so that they can make fully informed judgments about the reasonableness of the proposed compensation plan. To allow for meaningful shareholder review, we prefer that disclosure should include specific performance metrics, a maximum award pool, and a maximum award amount per employee. We also believe it is important to analyze the estimated grants to see if they are reasonable and in line with the company's peers.

We typically recommend voting against a 162(m) proposal where: (i) a company fails to provide at least a list of performance targets; (ii) a company fails to provide one of either a total maximum or an individual maximum; or (iii) the proposed plan or individual maximum award limit is excessive when compared with the plans of the company's peers.

The company's record of aligning pay with performance (as evaluated using our proprietary pay-for- performance model) also plays a role in our recommendation. Where a company has a record of setting reasonable pay relative to business performance, we generally recommend voting in favor of a plan even if the plan caps seem large relative to peers because we recognize the value in special pay arrangements for continued exceptional performance.

As with all other issues we review, our goal is to provide consistent but contextual advice given the specifics of the company and ongoing performance. Overall, we recognize that it is generally not in shareholders' best interests to vote against such a plan and forgo the potential tax benefit since shareholder rejection of such plans will not curtail the awards; it will only prevent the tax deduction associated with them.

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Governance Structure and the Shareholder Franchise

Anti-Takeover Measures

Poison Pills (Shareholder Rights Plans)

Glass Lewis believes that poison pill plans are not generally in shareholders' best interests. They can reduce management accountability by substantially limiting opportunities for corporate takeovers. Rights plans can thus prevent shareholders from receiving a buy-out premium for their stock. Typically we recommend that shareholders vote against these plans to protect their financial interests and ensure that they have an opportunity to consider any offer for their shares, especially those at a premium.

We believe boards should be given wide latitude in directing company activities and in charting the company's course. However, on an issue such as this, where the link between the shareholders' financial interests and their right to consider and accept buyout offers is substantial, we believe that shareholders should be allowed to vote on whether they support such a plan's implementation. This issue is different from other matters that are typically left to board discretion. Its potential impact on and relation to shareholders is direct and substantial. It is also an issue in which management interests may be different from those of shareholders; thus, ensuring that shareholders have a voice is the only way to safeguard their interests.

In certain circumstances, we will support a poison pill that is limited in scope to accomplish a particular objective, such as the closing of an important merger, or a pill that contains what we believe to be a reasonable qualifying offer clause. We will consider supporting a poison pill plan if the qualifying offer clause includes each of the following attributes:

● The form of offer is not required to be an all-cash transaction;

● The offer is not required to remain open for more than 90 business days;

● The offeror is permitted to amend the offer, reduce the offer, or otherwise change the terms;

● There is no fairness opinion requirement; and

● There is a low to no premium requirement.

Where these requirements are met, we typically feel comfortable that shareholders will have the opportunity to voice their opinion on any legitimate offer.

NOL Poison Pills

Similarly, Glass Lewis may consider supporting a limited poison pill in the event that a company seeks shareholder approval of a rights plan for the express purpose of preserving Net Operating Losses (NOLs). While companies with NOLs can generally carry these losses forward to offset future taxable income, Section 382

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of the Internal Revenue Code limits companies' ability to use NOLs in the event of a "change of ownership."<sup>44</sup> In this case, a company may adopt or amend a poison pill (NOL pill) in order to prevent an inadvertent change of ownership by multiple investors purchasing small chunks of stock at the same time, and thereby preserve the ability to carry the NOLs forward. Often such NOL pills have trigger thresholds much lower than the common 15% or 20% thresholds, with some NOL pill triggers as low as 5%.

In many cases, companies will propose the adoption of bylaw amendments specifically restricting certain share transfers, in addition to proposing the adoption of a NOL pill. In general, if we support the terms of a particular NOL pill, we will generally support the additional protective amendment in the absence of significant concerns with the specific terms of that proposal.

As with traditional poison pills, NOL pills may deter shareholders and potentially serve as entrenchment mechanisms. Certain features such as low thresholds combined with acting in concert provisions, among other concerning terms, may disempower shareholders and insulate the board and management. When acting in concert provisions are present within the terms of a NOL pill, we believe this may raise concerns as to the true objective of the pill.

Acting in concert provisions broaden the definition of beneficial ownership to prohibit parallel conduct, or multiple shareholders party to a formal or informal agreement collaborating to influence the board and management of a company, and aggregate the ownership of such shareholders towards the triggering threshold. In our view, acting in concert provisions broadly limit the voice of shareholders and may diminish their ability to engage in a productive dialogue with the company and with other shareholders. When a board adopts defensive measures without engaging with shareholders, we take a dim view of the board and the overall governance of the company.

As such, Glass Lewis evaluates NOL pills on a strictly case-by-case basis, taking into consideration, among other factors: (i) the value of the NOLs to the company; (ii) the likelihood of a change of ownership based on the size of the holdings and the nature of the larger shareholders; (iii) the trigger threshold; (iv) the duration of the plan (i.e., whether it contains a reasonable "sunset" provision, generally one year or less); (v) the inclusion of an acting in concert provision; (vi) whether the pill is implemented following the filing of a Schedule 13D by a shareholder or there is evidence of hostile activity or shareholder activism; and (vii) if the pill is subject to periodic board review and/or shareholder ratification.

We believe that shareholders should be offered the opportunity to vote on any adoption or renewal of a NOL pill regardless of any potential tax benefit that it offers a company. As such, we will consider recommending voting against those members of the board who served at the time when an NOL pill was adopted without shareholder approval within the prior twelve months and where the NOL pill is not subject to shareholder ratification.

<sup>44</sup> Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code refers to a "change of ownership" of more than 50 percentage points by one or more 5% shareholders within a three-year period. The statute is intended to deter the "trafficking" of net operating losses.

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Fair Price Provisions

Fair price provisions, which are rare, require that certain minimum price and procedural requirements be observed by any party that acquires more than a specified percentage of a corporation's common stock. The provision is intended to protect minority shareholder value when an acquirer seeks to accomplish a merger or other transaction which would eliminate or change the interests of the minority shareholders. The provision is generally applied against the acquirer unless the takeover is approved by a majority of "continuing directors" and holders of a majority, in some cases a supermajority as high as 80%, of the combined voting power of all stock entitled to vote to alter, amend, or repeal the above provisions.

The effect of a fair price provision is to require approval of any merger or business combination with an "interested shareholder" by 51% of the voting stock of the company, excluding the shares held by the interested shareholder. An interested shareholder is generally considered to be a holder of 10% or more of the company's outstanding stock, but the trigger can vary.

Generally, provisions are put in place for the ostensible purpose of preventing a back-end merger where the interested shareholder would be able to pay a lower price for the remaining shares of the company than he or she paid to gain control. The effect of a fair price provision on shareholders, however, is to limit their ability to gain a premium for their shares through a partial tender offer or open market acquisition which typically raise the share price, often significantly. A fair price provision discourages such transactions because of the potential costs of seeking shareholder approval and because of the restrictions on purchase price for completing a merger or other transaction at a later time.

Glass Lewis believes that fair price provisions, while sometimes protecting shareholders from abuse in a takeover situation, more often act as an impediment to takeovers, potentially limiting gains to shareholders from a variety of transactions that could significantly increase share price. In some cases, even the independent directors of the board cannot make exceptions when such exceptions may be in the best interests of shareholders. Given the existence of state law protections for minority shareholders such as Section 203 of the Delaware Corporations Code, we believe it is in the best interests of shareholders to remove fair price provisions.

Control Share Statutes

Certain states, including Delaware, have adopted control share acquisition statutes as an anti-takeover defense for certain closed-end investment companies and business development companies. Control share statutes may prevent changes in control by limiting voting rights of a person that acquires the ownership of "control shares." Control shares are shares of stock equal to or exceeding specified percentages of company voting power, and a control share statute prevents shares in excess of the specified percentage from being voted, unless: (i) the board approves them to be voted; or (ii) the holder of the "control shares"receives approval from a supermajority of "non-interested" shareholders.

Depending on the state of incorporation, companies may automatically rely on control share statutes unless the fund's board of trustees eliminates the application of the control share statute to any or all fund share acquisitions, through adoption of a provision in the fund's governing instrument or by fund board action alone. In certain other states, companies must adopt control share statutes.

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In our view, control share statues disenfranchise shareholders by reducing their voting power to a level less than their economic interest and effectively function as an anti-takeover device. We believe all shareholders should have an opportunity to vote all of their shares. Moreover, anti-takeover measures may prevent shareholders from receiving a buy-out premium for their stock.

As such, we will generally recommend voting for proposals to opt out of control share acquisition statutes, unless doing so would allow the completion of a takeover that is not in the best interests of shareholders; and against proposals to amend the charter to include control share acquisition provisions.

Further, in cases where a closed-end fund or business development company has received a public buyout offer and has relied on a control share statute as a defense mechanism in the prior year, we will generally recommend shareholders vote against the chair of the nominating and governance committee, absent a compelling rationale as to why a rejected acquisition was not in the best interests of shareholders.

Quorum Requirements

Glass Lewis believes that a company's quorum requirement should be set at a level high enough to ensure that a broad range of shareholders are represented in person or by proxy, but low enough that the company can transact necessary business. Companies in the U.S. are generally subject to quorum requirements under the laws of their specific state of incorporation. Additionally, those companies listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market are required to specify a quorum in their bylaws, provided however that such quorum may not be less than one- third of outstanding shares. Prior to 2013, the New York Stock Exchange required a quorum of 50% for listed companies, although this requirement was dropped in recognition of individual state requirements and potential confusion for issuers. Delaware, for example, required companies to provide for a quorum of no less than one-third of outstanding shares; otherwise such quorum shall default to a majority.

We generally believe a majority of outstanding shares entitled to vote is an appropriate quorum for the transaction of business at shareholder meetings. However, should a company seek shareholder approval of a lower quorum requirement we will generally support a reduced quorum of at least one-third of shares entitled to vote, either in person or by proxy. When evaluating such proposals, we also consider the specific facts and circumstances of the company, such as size and shareholder base.

Director and Officer Indemnification

While Glass Lewis strongly believes that directors and officers should be held to the highest standard when carrying out their duties to shareholders, some protection from liability is reasonable to protect them against certain suits so that these officers feel comfortable taking measured risks that may benefit shareholders. As such, we find it appropriate for a company to provide indemnification and/or enroll in liability insurance to cover its directors and officers so long as the terms of such agreements are reasonable.

Officer Exculpation

In August 2022, the Delaware General Assembly amended Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law ("DGCL") to authorize corporations to adopt a provision in their certificate of incorporation to

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eliminate or limit monetary liability of certain corporate officers for breach of fiduciary duty of care. Previously, the DGCL allowed only exculpation of corporate directors from breach of fiduciary duty of care claims if the corporation's certificate of incorporation includes an exculpation provision.

The amendment authorizes corporations to provide for exculpation of the following officers: (i) the corporation's president, chief executive officer, chief operating officer, chief financial officer, chief legal officer, controller, treasurer or chief accounting officer, (ii) "named executive officers" identified in the corporation's SEC filings, and (iii) individuals who have agreed to be identified as officers of the corporation.

Corporate exculpation provisions under the DGCL only apply to claims for breach of the duty of care, and not to breaches of the duty of loyalty. Exculpation provisions also do not apply to acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct, knowing violations of the law, or transactions involving the receipt of any improper personal benefits. Furthermore, officers may not be exculpated from claims brought against them by, or in the right of, the corporation (i.e., derivative actions).

Under Section 102(b)(7), a corporation must affirmatively elect to include an exculpation provision in its certificate of incorporation. We will closely evaluate proposals to adopt officer exculpation provisions on a case- by-case basis. We will generally recommend voting against such proposals eliminating monetary liability for breaches of the duty of care for certain corporate officers, unless compelling rationale for the adoption is provided by the board, and the provisions are reasonable.

Reincorporation

In general, Glass Lewis believes that the board is in the best position to determine the appropriate jurisdiction of incorporation for the company. We review all proposals to reincorporate to a different state or country on a case-by-case basis. Our review includes the changes in corporate governance provisions, especially those relating to shareholder rights, material differences in corporate statutes and legal precedents,and relevant financial benefits, among other factors, resulting from the change in domicile.

Glass Lewis closely examines the impact on shareholder rights arising from a change in domicile and governing law, including the following:

● Will shareholders gain/retain certain rights (i.e. the right to call special meetings, the right to act by written consent, the ability to remove directors)?

● Does the proposed new jurisdiction allow for director and officer exculpation and/or exclusive forum provisions?

● What are the fiduciary duties (if any) of directors, officers, and majority shareholders under the new jurisdiction's statutes?

● What are the material differences in corporate statutes, case law, and judicial systems?

● Is the company proposing to reincorporate to a jurisdiction considered to be a "tax haven"?

In addition, when examining a proposal to reincorporate, we will also consider the overall governance of the company, including, but not limited to, the following:

● Does the company have anti-takeover protections such as a poison pill or classified board in place?

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● Does the company have a significant shareholder or is the company otherwise considered controlled?<sup>45</sup>

● Has the board been previously unresponsive to shareholders (such as failing to implement a shareholder proposal that received majority shareholder support)?

● Does the company have an independent chair and is the board sufficiently independent?

● Are there other material governance issues of concern at the company? Has the company's performance matched or exceeded its peers in the past one and three years?

● How has the company ranked in Glass Lewis' pay-for-performance analysis during the last three years?

Where there is a decline in shareholder rights, the financial benefits are de minimis, and the proposed jurisdiction has significantly worse shareholder protections, we will generally recommend voting against the transaction.

In addition, costly, shareholder-initiated reincorporations are typically not the best route to achieve the furtherance of shareholder rights. We believe shareholders are generally better served by proposing specific shareholder resolutions addressing pertinent issues which may be implemented at a lower cost, and perhaps even with board approval. However, when shareholders propose a shift into a jurisdiction with enhanced shareholder rights, Glass Lewis examines the significant ways the company would benefit from shifting jurisdictions including an evaluation of the criteria listed above. We note, however, that we will only support shareholder proposals to change a company's place of incorporation in exceptional circumstances.

Exclusive Forum and Fee-Shifting Bylaw Provisions

Glass Lewis recognizes that companies may be subject to frivolous and opportunistic lawsuits, particularly in conjunction with a merger or acquisition, that are expensive and distracting. In response, companies have sought ways to prevent or limit the risk of such suits by adopting bylaws regarding where the suits must be brought or shifting the burden of the legal expenses to the plaintiff, if unsuccessful at trial.

Glass Lewis believes that charter or bylaw provisions limiting a shareholder's choice of legal venue are not in the best interests of shareholders. Such clauses may effectively discourage the use of shareholder claims by increasing their associated costs and making them more difficult to pursue. As such, shareholders should be wary about approving any limitation on their legal recourse including limiting themselves to a single jurisdiction (e.g., Delaware or federal courts for matters arising under the Securities Act of 1933) without compelling evidence that it will benefit shareholders.

For this reason, we recommend that shareholders vote against any bylaw or charter amendment seeking to adopt an exclusive forum provision unless the company: (i) provides a compelling argument on why the provision would directly benefit shareholders; (ii) provides evidence of abuse of legal process in other, non- favored jurisdictions; (iii) narrowly tailors such provision to the risks involved; and (iv) maintains a strong record of good corporate governance practices.

<sup>45</sup> In cases where a controlled company is seeking to change its domicile, we will closely evaluate how the independent members of the board came to its recommendation, if the controlling shareholder had any ability to influence the board, and if the proposal is also put to a vote of disinterested shareholders.

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Moreover, in the event a board seeks shareholder approval of a forum selection clause pursuant to a bundled bylaw amendment rather than as a separate proposal, we will weigh the importance of the other bundled provisions when determining the vote recommendation on the proposal. We will nonetheless recommend voting against the chair of the governance committee for bundling disparate proposals into a single proposal (refer to our discussion of nominating and governance committee performance in Section I of the guidelines).

Similarly, some companies have adopted bylaws requiring plaintiffs who sue the company and fail to receive a judgment in their favor pay the legal expenses of the company. These bylaws, also known as "fee-shifting" or "loser pays" bylaws, will likely have a chilling effect on even meritorious shareholder lawsuits as shareholders would face an strong financial disincentive not to sue a company. Glass Lewis therefore strongly opposes the adoption of such fee-shifting bylaws and, if adopted without shareholder approval, will recommend voting against the governance committee. While we note that in June of 2015 the State of Delaware banned the adoption of fee-shifting bylaws, such provisions could still be adopted by companies incorporated in other states.

Authorized Shares

Glass Lewis believes that adequate capital stock is important to a company's operation. When analyzing a request for additional shares, we typically review four common reasons why a company might need additional capital stock:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. **Stock Split** — We typically consider three metrics when evaluating whether we think a stock split is likely or necessary: The historical stock pre-split price, if any; the current price relative to the company's most common trading price over the past 52 weeks; and some absolute limits on stock price that, in our view, either always make a stock split appropriate if desired by management or would almost never be a reasonable price at which to split a stock.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. **Shareholder Defenses** — Additional authorized shares could be used to bolster takeover defenses such as a poison pill. Proxy filings often discuss the usefulness of additional shares in defending against or discouraging a hostile takeover as a reason for a requested increase. Glass Lewis is typically against such defenses and will oppose actions intended to bolster such defenses.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. **Financing for Acquisitions** — We look at whether the company has a history of using stock for acquisitions and attempt to determine what levels of stock have typically been required to accomplish such transactions. Likewise, we look to see whether this is discussed as a reason for additional shares in the proxy.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4. **Financing for Operations** — We review the company's cash position and its ability to secure financing through borrowing or other means. We look at the company's history of capitalization and whether the company has had to use stock in the recent past as a means of raising capital.

Issuing additional shares generally dilutes existing holders in most circumstances. Further, the availability of additional shares, where the board has discretion to implement a poison pill, can often serve as a deterrent to interested suitors. Accordingly, where we find that the company has not detailed a plan for use of the proposed shares, or where the number of shares far exceeds those needed to accomplish a detailed plan, we typically recommend against the authorization of additional shares. Similar concerns may also lead us to recommend

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against a proposal to conduct a reverse stock split if the board does not state that it will reduce the number of authorized common shares in a ratio proportionate to the split.

With regard to authorizations and/or increases in preferred shares, Glass Lewis is generally against such authorizations, which allow the board to determine the preferences, limitations and rights of the preferred shares (known as "blank-check preferred stock"). We believe that granting such broad discretion should be of concern to common shareholders, since blank-check preferred stock could be used as an anti-takeover device or in some other fashion that adversely affects the voting power or financial interests of common shareholders. Therefore, we will generally recommend voting against such requests, unless the company discloses a commitment to not use such shares as an anti-takeover defense or in a shareholder rights plan, or discloses a commitment to submit any shareholder rights plan to a shareholder vote prior to its adoption.

While we think that having adequate shares to allow management to make quick decisions and effectively operate the business is critical, we prefer that, for significant transactions, management come to shareholders to justify their use of additional shares rather than providing a blank check in the form of a large pool of unallocated shares available for any purpose.

Advance Notice Requirements

We typically recommend that shareholders vote against proposals that would require advance notice of shareholder proposals or of director nominees.

These proposals typically attempt to require a certain amount of notice before shareholders are allowed to place proposals on the ballot. Notice requirements typically range between three to six months prior to the annual meeting. Advance notice requirements typically make it impossible for a shareholder who misses the deadline to present a shareholder proposal or a director nominee that might be in the best interests of the company and its shareholders.

We believe shareholders should be able to review and vote on all proposals and director nominees. Shareholders can always vote against proposals that appear with little prior notice. Shareholders, as owners of a business, are capable of identifying issues on which they have sufficient information and ignoring issues on which they have insufficient information. Setting arbitrary notice restrictions limits the opportunity for shareholders to raise issues that may come up after the window closes.

Virtual Shareholder Meetings

A growing contingent of companies have elected to hold shareholder meetings by virtual means only. Glass Lewis believes that virtual meeting technology can be a useful complement to a traditional, in-person shareholder meeting by expanding participation of shareholders who are unable to attend a shareholder meeting in person (i.e., a "hybrid meeting"). However, we also believe that virtual-only meetings have the potential to curb the ability of a company's shareholders to meaningfully communicate with the company's management.

Prominent shareholder rights advocates, including the Council of Institutional Investors, have expressed concerns that such virtual-only meetings do not approximate an in-person experience and may serve to reduce

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the board's accountability to shareholders. When analyzing the governance profile of companies that choose to hold virtual-only meetings, we look for robust disclosure in a company's proxy statement which assures shareholders that they will be afforded the same rights and opportunities to participate as they would at an in- person meeting.

Examples of effective disclosure include: (i) addressing the ability of shareholders to ask questions during the meeting, including time guidelines for shareholder questions, rules around what types of questions are allowed, and rules for how questions and comments will be recognized and disclosed to meeting participants; (ii) procedures, if any, for posting appropriate questions received during the meeting and the company's answers, on the investor page of their website as soon as is practical after the meeting; (iii) addressing technical and logistical issues related to accessing the virtual meeting platform; and (iv) procedures for accessing technical support to assist in the event of any difficulties accessing the virtual meeting.

We will generally recommend voting against members of the governance committee where the board is planning to hold a virtual-only shareholder meeting and the company does not provide such disclosure.

Voting Structure

Multi-Class Share Structures

Glass Lewis believes multi-class voting structures are typically not in the best interests of common shareholders. Allowing one vote per share generally operates as a safeguard for common shareholders by ensuring that those who hold a significant minority of shares are able to weigh in on issues set forth by the board.

Furthermore, we believe that the economic stake of each shareholder should match their voting power and that no small group of shareholders, family or otherwise, should have voting rights different from those of other shareholders. On matters of governance and shareholder rights, we believe shareholders should have the power to speak and the opportunity to effect change. That power should not be concentrated in the hands of a few for reasons other than economic stake.

We generally consider a multi-class share structure to reflect negatively on a company's overall corporate governance. Because we believe that companies should have share capital structures that protect the interests of non-controlling shareholders as well as any controlling entity, we typically recommend that shareholders vote in favor of recapitalization proposals to eliminate dual-class share structures. Similarly, we will generally recommend against proposals to adopt a new class of common stock. We will generally recommend voting against the chair of the governance committee at companies with a multi-class share structure and unequal voting rights when the company does not provide for a reasonable sunset of the multi-class share structure (generally seven years or less).

In the case of a board that adopts a multi-class share structure in connection with an IPO, spin-off, or direct listing within the past year, we will generally recommend voting against all members of the board who served at the time of the IPO if the board: (i) did not also commit to submitting the multi-class structure to a shareholder vote at the company's first shareholder meeting following the IPO; or (ii) did not provide for a reasonable sunset of the multi-class structure (generally seven years or less). If the multi-class share structure is put to a

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shareholder vote, we will examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders when determining the vote outcome.

At companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will carefully examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders when determining whether board responsiveness is warranted. In the case of companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will generally examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders on a "one share, one vote" basis. At controlled and multi-class companies, when at least 20% or more of unaffiliated shareholders vote contrary to management, we believe that boards should engage with shareholders and demonstrate some initial level of responsiveness, and when a majority or more of unaffiliated shareholders vote contrary to management we believe that boards should engage with shareholders and provide a more robust response to fully address shareholder concerns.

Cumulative Voting

Cumulative voting increases the ability of minority shareholders to elect a director by allowing shareholders to cast as many shares of the stock they own multiplied by the number of directors to be elected. As companies generally have multiple nominees up for election, cumulative voting allows shareholders to cast all of their votes for a single nominee, or a smaller number of nominees than up for election, thereby raising the likelihood of electing one or more of their preferred nominees to the board. It can be important when a board is controlled by insiders or affiliates and where the company's ownership structure includes one or more shareholders who control a majority-voting block of company stock.

Glass Lewis believes that cumulative voting generally acts as a safeguard for shareholders by ensuring that those who hold a significant minority of shares can elect a candidate of their choosing to the board. This allows the creation of boards that are responsive to the interests of all shareholders rather than just a small group of large holders.

We review cumulative voting proposals on a case-by-case basis, factoring in the independence of the board and the status of the company's governance structure. But we typically find these proposals on ballots at companies where independence is lacking and where the appropriate checks and balances favoring shareholders are not in place. In those instances we typically recommend in favor of cumulative voting.

Where a company has adopted a true majority vote standard (i.e., where a director must receive a majority of votes cast to be elected, as opposed to a modified policy indicated by a resignation policy only), Glass Lewis will recommend voting against cumulative voting proposals due to the incompatibility of the two election methods. For companies that have not adopted a true majority voting standard but have adopted some form of majority voting, Glass Lewis will also generally recommend voting against cumulative voting proposals if the company has not adopted anti-takeover protections and has been responsive to shareholders.

Where a company has not adopted a majority voting standard and is facing both a shareholder proposal to adopt majority voting and a shareholder proposal to adopt cumulative voting, Glass Lewis will support only the majority voting proposal. When a company has both majority voting and cumulative voting in place, there is a higher likelihood of one or more directors not being elected as a result of not receiving a majority vote. This is because shareholders exercising the right to cumulate their votes could unintentionally cause the failed election of one or more directors for whom shareholders do not cumulate votes.

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Supermajority Vote Requirements

Glass Lewis believes that supermajority vote requirements impede shareholder action on ballot items critical to shareholder interests. An example is in the takeover context, where supermajority vote requirements can strongly limit the voice of shareholders in making decisions on such crucial matters as selling the business. This in turn degrades share value and can limit the possibility of buyout premiums to shareholders. Moreover, we believe that a supermajority vote requirement can enable a small group of shareholders to overrule the will of the majority shareholders. We believe that a simple majority is appropriate to approve all matters presented to shareholders.

Transaction of Other Business

We typically recommend that shareholders not give their proxy to management to vote on any other business items that may properly come before an annual or special meeting. In our opinion, granting unfettered discretion is unwise.

Anti-Greenmail Proposals

Glass Lewis will support proposals to adopt a provision preventing the payment of greenmail, which would serve to prevent companies from buying back company stock at significant premiums from a certain shareholder. Since a large or majority shareholder could attempt to compel a board into purchasing its shares at a large premium, the anti-greenmail provision would generally require that a majority of shareholders other than the majority shareholder approve the buyback.

Mutual Funds: Investment Policies and Advisory Agreements

Glass Lewis believes that decisions about a fund's structure and/or a fund's relationship with its investment advisor or sub-advisors are generally best left to management and the members of the board, absent a showing of egregious or illegal conduct that might threaten shareholder value. As such, we focus our analyses of such proposals on the following main areas:

● The terms of any amended advisory or sub-advisory agreement;

● Any changes in the fee structure paid to the investment advisor; and

● Any material changes to the fund's investment objective or strategy.

We generally support amendments to a fund's investment advisory agreement absent a material change that is not in the best interests of shareholders. A significant increase in the fees paid to an investment advisor would be reason for us to consider recommending voting against a proposed amendment to an investment advisory agreement or fund reorganization. However, in certain cases, we are more inclined to support an increase in advisory fees if such increases result from being performance-based rather than asset-based. Furthermore, we

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generally support sub-advisory agreements between a fund's advisor and sub-advisor, primarily because the fees received by the sub-advisor are paid by the advisor, and not by the fund.

In matters pertaining to a fund's investment objective or strategy, we believe shareholders are best served when a fund's objective or strategy closely resembles the investment discipline shareholders understood and selected when they initially bought into the fund. As such, we generally recommend voting against amendments to a fund's investment objective or strategy when the proposed changes would leave shareholders with stakes in a fund that is noticeably different than when originally purchased, and which could therefore potentially negatively impact some investors' diversification strategies.

Real Estate Investment Trusts

The complex organizational, operational, tax and compliance requirements of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) provide for a unique shareholder evaluation. In simple terms, a REIT must have a minimum of 100 shareholders (the 100 Shareholder Test) and no more than 50% of the value of its shares can be held by five or fewer individuals (the "5/50 Test"). At least 75% of a REITs' assets must be in real estate, it must derive 75% of its gross income from rents or mortgage interest, and it must pay out 90% of its taxable earnings as dividends. In addition, as a publicly traded security listed on a stock exchange, a REIT must comply with the same general listing requirements as a publicly traded equity.

In order to comply with such requirements, REITs typically include percentage ownership limitations in their organizational documents, usually in the range of 5% to 10% of the REITs outstanding shares. Given the complexities of REITs as an asset class, Glass Lewis applies a highly nuanced approach in our evaluation of REIT proposals, especially regarding changes in authorized share capital, including preferred stock.

Preferred Stock Issuances at REITs

Glass Lewis is generally against the authorization of "blank-check preferred stock." However, given the requirement that a REIT must distribute 90% of its net income annually, it is inhibited from retaining capital to make investments in its business. As such, we recognize that equity financing likely plays a key role in a REIT's growth and creation of shareholder value. Moreover, shareholder concern regarding the use of preferred stock as an anti-takeover mechanism may be allayed by the fact that most REITs maintain ownership limitations in their certificates of incorporation. For these reasons, along with the fact that REITs typically do not engage in private placements of preferred stock (which result in the rights of common shareholders being adversely impacted), we may support requests to authorize shares of blank-check preferred stock at REITs.

Business Development Companies

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similar to those of REITs—the most evident of which is that BDCs must distribute at least 90% of their taxable earnings as dividends.

Authorization to Sell Shares at a Price Below Net Asset Value

Considering that BDCs are required to distribute nearly all their earnings to shareholders, they sometimes need to offer additional shares of common stock in the public markets to finance operations and acquisitions. However, shareholder approval is required in order for a BDC to sell shares of common stock at a price below Net Asset Value (NAV). Glass Lewis evaluates these proposals using a case-by-case approach, but will recommend supporting such requests if the following conditions are met:

● The authorization to allow share issuances below NAV has an expiration date of one year or less from the date that shareholders approve the underlying proposal (i.e., the meeting date);

● The proposed discount below NAV is minimal (ideally no greater than 20%);

● The board specifies that the issuance will have a minimal or modest dilutive effect (ideally no greater than 25% of the company's then-outstanding common stock prior to the issuance); and

● A majority of the company's independent directors who do not have a financial interest in the issuance approve the sale.

In short, we believe BDCs should demonstrate a responsible approach to issuing shares below NAV, by proactively addressing shareholder concerns regarding the potential dilution of the requested share issuance, and explaining if and how the company's past below-NAV share issuances have benefitted the company.

Auditor Ratification and Below-NAV Issuances

When a BDC submits a below-NAV issuance for shareholder approval, we will refrain from recommending against the audit committee chair for not including auditor ratification on the same ballot. Because of the unique way these proposals interact, votes may be tabulated in a manner that is not in shareholders' interests. In cases where these proposals appear on the same ballot, auditor ratification is generally the only "routine proposal," the presence of which triggers a scenario where broker non-votes may be counted toward shareholder quorum, with unintended consequences.

Under the 1940 Act, below-NAV issuance proposals require relatively high shareholder approval. Specifically, these proposals must be approved by the lesser of: (i) 67% of votes cast if a majority of shares are represented at the meeting; or (ii) a majority of outstanding shares. Meanwhile, any broker non-votes counted toward quorum will automatically be registered as "against" votes for purposes of this proposal. The unintended result can be a case where the issuance proposal is not approved, despite sufficient voting shares being cast in favor. Because broker non-votes result from a lack of voting instruction by the shareholder, we do not believe shareholders' ability to weigh in on the selection of auditor outweighs the consequences of failing to approve an issuance proposal due to such technicality.

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Special Purpose Acquisition Companies

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs), also known as "blank check companies," are publicly traded entities with no commercial operations and are formed specifically to pool funds in order to complete a merger or acquisition within a set time frame. In general, the acquisition target of a SPAC is either not yet identified or otherwise not explicitly disclosed to the public even when the founders of the SPAC may have at least one target in mind. Consequently, IPO investors often do not know what company they will ultimately be investing in.

SPACs are therefore very different from typical operating companies. Shareholders do not have the same expectations associated with an ordinary publicly traded company and executive officers of a SPAC typically do not continue in employment roles with an acquired company.

Extension of Business Combination Deadline

Governing documents of SPACs typically provide for the return of IPO proceeds to common shareholders if no qualifying business combination is consummated before a certain date. Because the time frames for the consummation of such transactions are relatively short, SPACs will sometimes hold special shareholder meetings at which shareholders are asked to extend the business combination deadline. In such cases, an acquisition target will typically have been identified, but additional time is required to allow management of the SPAC to finalize the terms of the deal.

Glass Lewis believes management and the board are generally in the best position to determine when the extension of a business combination deadline is needed. We therefore generally defer to the recommendation of management and support reasonable extension requests.

SPAC Board Independence

The board of directors of a SPAC's acquisition target is in many cases already established prior to the business combination. In some cases, however, the board's composition may change in connection with the business combination, including the potential addition of individuals who served in management roles with the SPAC. The role of a SPAC executive is unlike that of a typical operating company executive. Because the SPAC's only business is identifying and executing an acquisition deal, the interests of a former SPAC executive are also different. Glass Lewis does not automatically consider a former SPAC executive to be affiliated with the acquired operating entity when their only position on the board of the combined entity is that of an otherwise independent director. Absent any evidence of an employment relationship or continuing material financial interest in the combined entity, we will therefore consider such directors to be independent.

Director Commitments of SPAC Executives

We believe the primary role of executive officers at SPACs is identifying acquisition targets for the SPAC and consummating a business combination. Given the nature of these executive roles and the limited business operations of SPACs, when a directors' only executive role is at a SPAC, we will generally apply our higher limit for company directorships. As a result, we generally recommend that shareholders vote against a director who serves in an executive role only at a SPAC while serving on more than five public company boards.

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Shareholder Proposals

Glass Lewis believes that shareholders should seek to promote governance structures that protect shareholders, support effective ESG oversight and reporting, and encourage director accountability. Accordingly, Glass Lewis places a significant emphasis on promoting transparency, robust governance structures and companies' responsiveness to and engagement with shareholders. We also believe that companies should be transparent on how they are mitigating material ESG risks, including those related to climate change, human capital management, and stakeholder relations.

To that end, we evaluate all shareholder proposals on a case-by-case basis with a view to protecting long-term shareholder value. While we are generally supportive of those that promote board accountability, shareholder rights, and transparency, we consider all proposals in the context of a company's unique operations and risk profile.

For a detailed review of our policies concerning compensation, environmental, social, and governance shareholder proposals, please refer to our comprehensive *Proxy Paper Guidelines for Shareholder Proposals & ESG-Related Issues*, available at www.glasslewis.com/voting-policies-current/.

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Overall Approach to Environmental, Social & Governance Issues

Glass Lewis evaluates all environmental and social issues through the lens of long-term shareholder value. We believe that companies should be considering material environmental and social factors in all aspects of their operations and that companies should provide shareholders with disclosures that allow them to understand how these factors are being considered and how attendant risks are being mitigated. We also are of the view that governance is a critical factor in how companies manage environmental and social risks and opportunities and that a well-governed company will be generally managing these issues better than one without a governance structure that promotes board independence and accountability.

We believe part of the board's role is to ensure that management conducts a complete risk analysis of company operations, including those that have material environmental and social implications. We believe that directors should monitor management's performance in both capitalizing on environmental and social opportunities and mitigating environmental and social risks related to operations in order to best serve the interests of shareholders. Companies face significant financial, legal and reputational risks resulting from poor environmental and social practices, or negligent oversight thereof. Therefore, in cases where the board or management has neglected to take action on a pressing issue that could negatively impact shareholder value, we believe that shareholders should take necessary action in order to effect changes that will safeguard their financial interests.

Given the importance of the role of the board in executing a sustainable business strategy that allows for the realization of environmental and social opportunities and the mitigation of related risks, relating to environmental risks and opportunities, we believe shareholders should seek to promote governance structures that protect shareholders and promote director accountability. When management and the board have displayed disregard for environmental or social risks, have engaged in egregious or illegal conduct, or have failed to adequately respond to current or imminent environmental and social risks that threaten shareholder value, we believe shareholders should consider holding directors accountable. In such instances, we will generally recommend against responsible members of the board that are specifically charged with oversight of the issue in question.

When evaluating environmental and social factors that may be relevant to a given company, Glass Lewis does so in the context of the financial materiality of the issue to the company's operations. We believe that all companies face risks associated with environmental and social issues. However, we recognize that these risks manifest themselves differently at each company as a result of a company's operations, workforce, structure, and geography, among other factors. Accordingly, we place a significant emphasis on the financial implications of a company's actions with regard to impacts on its stakeholders and the environment.

When evaluating environmental and social issues, Glass Lewis examines companies':

**Direct environmental and social risk** — Companies should evaluate financial exposure to direct environmental risks associated with their operations. Examples of direct environmental risks include those associated with oil or gas spills, contamination, hazardous leakages, explosions, or reduced water or air quality, among others. Social risks may include non-inclusive employment policies, inadequate human rights policies, or issues that

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adversely affect the company's stakeholders. Further, we believe that firms should consider their exposure to risks emanating from a broad range of issues, over which they may have no or only limited control, such as insurance companies being affected by increased storm severity and frequency resulting from climate change

**Risk due to legislation and regulation** — Companies should evaluate their exposure to changes or potential changes in regulation that affect current and planned operations. Regulation should be carefully monitored in all jurisdictions in which the company operates. We look closely at relevant and proposed legislation and evaluate whether the company has responded proactively.

**Legal and reputational risk** — Failure to take action on important environmental or social issues may carry the risk of inciting negative publicity and potentially costly litigation. While the effect of high-profile campaigns on shareholder value may not be directly measurable, we believe it is prudent for companies to carefully evaluate the potential impacts of the public perception of their impacts on stakeholders and the environment. When considering investigations and lawsuits, Glass Lewis is mindful that such matters may involve unadjudicated allegations or other charges that have not been resolved. Glass Lewis does not assume the truth of such allegations or charges or that the law has been violated. Instead, Glass Lewis focuses more broadly on whether, under the particular facts and circumstances presented, the nature and number of such concerns, lawsuits or investigations reflects on the risk profile of the company or suggests that appropriate risk mitigation measures may be warranted.

**Governance risk** — Inadequate oversight of environmental and social issues carries significant risks to companies. When leadership is ineffective or fails to thoroughly consider potential risks, such risks are likely unmitigated and could thus present substantial risks to the company, ultimately leading to loss of shareholder value.

Glass Lewis believes that one of the most crucial factors in analyzing the risks presented to companies in the form of environmental and social issues is the level and quality of oversight over such issues. When management and the board have displayed disregard for environmental risks, have engaged in egregious or illegal conduct, or have failed to adequately respond to current or imminent environmental risks that threaten shareholder value, we believe shareholders should consider holding directors accountable. When companies have not provided for explicit, board-level oversight of environmental and social matters and/or when a substantial environmental or social risk has been ignored or inadequately addressed, we may recommend voting against members of the board. In addition, or alternatively, depending on the proposals presented, we may also consider recommending voting in favor of relevant shareholder proposals or against other relevant management-proposed items, such as the ratification of auditor, a company's accounts and reports, or ratification of management and board acts.

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Connect with Glass Lewis

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| Corporate Website | \| | www.glasslewis.com | www.glasslewis.com |
| Email | \| | info@glasslewis.com | info@glasslewis.com |
| Social | \| | ![](proxy_002.jpg)@glasslewis | ![](proxy_003.jpg) <u>Glass, Lewis & Co</u>. |

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Global Locations

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| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**North** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**United States** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**Europe** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**Ireland** |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**America** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *Headquarters*<br> 100 Pine Street, |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 15 Henry Street Limerick V94 V9T4 |
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DISCLAIMER© 2024 Glass, Lewis & Co., and/or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.

This document is intended to provide an overview of Glass Lewis' proxy voting guidelines. It is not intended to be exhaustive and does not address all potential voting issues. Glass Lewis' proxy voting guidelines, as they apply to certain issues or types of proposals, are further explained in supplemental guidelines and reports that are made available on Glass Lewis' website – http://www.glasslewis.com. These guidelines have not been set or approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or any other regulatory body. Additionally, none of the information contained herein is or should be relied upon as investment advice. The content of this document has been developed based on Glass Lewis' experience with proxy voting and corporate governance issues, engagement with clients and issuers, and review of relevant studies and surveys, and has not been tailored to any specific person or entity.

Glass Lewis' proxy voting guidelines are grounded in corporate governance best practices, which often exceed minimum legal requirements. Accordingly, unless specifically noted otherwise, a failure to meet these guidelines should not be understood to mean that the company or individual involved has failed to meet applicable legal requirements.

No representations or warranties express or implied, are made as to the accuracy or completeness of any information included herein. In addition, Glass Lewis shall not be liable for any losses or damages arising from or in connection with the information contained herein or the use, reliance on, or inability to use any such information. Glass Lewis expects its subscribers possess sufficient experience and knowledge to make their own decisions entirely independent of any information contained in this document and subscribers are ultimately and solely responsible for making their own decisions, including, but not limited to, ensuring that such decisions comply with all agreements, codes, duties, laws, ordinances, regulations, and other obligations applicable to such subscriber.

All information contained in this report is protected by law, including, but not limited to, copyright law, and none of such information may be copied or otherwise reproduced, repackaged, further transmitted, transferred, disseminated, redistributed or resold, or stored for subsequent use for any such purpose, in whole or in part, in any form or manner, or by any means whatsoever, by any person without Glass Lewis' prior written consent.

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**APPENDIX B – DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS**

**Corporate and Municipal Long-Term Bond Ratings**

Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC ("S&P") Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings:

*The following descriptions of S&P's long-term issue credit ratings have been published by Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC.*

**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.

Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") Global Long-Term Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Moody's long-term corporate bond ratings have been published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. and Moody's Analytics Inc.*

**Aaa** - Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, with minimal 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 considered upper medium-grade and are subject to low credit risk.

**Baa** - Obligations rated Baa are subject to moderate credit risk. They are considered medium-grade and as such may possess speculative characteristics.

**Ba** - Obligations rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements 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 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 in principal and interest.

**C** - Obligations rated C are the lowest-rated class of bonds and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal and interest.

Modifiers: 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.

Additionally, a "(hyb)" indicator is appended to all ratings of hybrid securities issued by banks, insurers, finance companies, and securities firms. By their terms, hybrid securities allow for the omission of scheduled dividends, interest, or principal payments, which can potentially result in impairment if such an omission occurs. Hybrid securities may also be subject to contractually allowable write-downs of principal that could result in impairment. Together with the hybrid indicator, the long-term obligation rating assigned to a hybrid security is an expression of the relative credit risk associated with that security.

Moody's U.S. Municipal Long-Term Bond Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Moody's long-term municipal bond ratings have been published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. and Moody's Analytics Inc.*

**Aaa** - Issuers or issues rated Aaa demonstrate the strongest creditworthiness relative to other U.S. municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.

**Aa** - Issuers or issues rated Aa demonstrate very strong creditworthiness relative to other U.S. municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.

**A** - Issuers or issues rated A present above-average creditworthiness relative to other U.S. municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.

**Baa** - Issuers or issues rated Baa represent average creditworthiness relative to other U.S. municipal or tax- exempt issuers or issues.

**Ba** - Issuers or issues rated Ba demonstrate below-average creditworthiness relative to other U.S. municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.

**B** - Issuers or issues rated B demonstrate weak creditworthiness relative to other U.S. municipal or tax- exempt issuers or issues.

**Caa** - Issuers or issues rated Caa demonstrate very weak creditworthiness relative to other U.S. municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.

**Ca** - Issuers or issues rated Ca demonstrate extremely weak creditworthiness relative to other U.S. municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.

**C** - Issuers or issues rated C demonstrate the weakest creditworthiness relative to other U.S. municipal or tax-exempt issuers or issues.

Modifiers: Moody's appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating category from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the issuer or 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.

Fitch Ratings Ltd. ("Fitch") Corporate Finance Obligations Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Fitch's long-term corporate bond ratings have been published by Fitch Ratings, Inc. and Fitch Ratings Ltd.*

**AAA** - 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** - 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** - 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** - 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** - Speculative. '**BB**' ratings indicate 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** - Highly speculative. '**B**' ratings indicate that material credit risk is present.

**CCC** - Substantial credit risk. '**CCC**' ratings indicate that substantial credit risk is present.

**CC** - Very high levels of credit risk. '**CC**' ratings indicate very high levels of credit risk.

**C** - Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. '**C**' indicates exceptionally high levels of credit risk.

Corporate Finance 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. This approach better aligns obligations that have comparable overall expected loss but varying vulnerability to default and loss.

**Plus (+)** or **Minus (-)** - The modifiers "+" or "–" may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to 'AAA' ratings and ratings below the 'CCC' category.

Fitch's credit rating scale for issuers and issues is expressed using the categories 'AAA' to 'BBB' (investment grade) and 'BB' to 'D' (speculative grade) with an additional +/– for 'AA' through 'CCC' levels, indicating relative differences of probability of default or recovery for issues. The terms "investment grade" and "speculative grade" are market conventions and do not imply any recommendation or endorsement of a specific security for investment purposes. Investment-grade categories indicate relatively low to moderate credit risk, while ratings in the speculative categories signal either a higher level of credit risk or that a default already occurred.

Fitch's Municipal Bond Long-Term Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Fitch's long-term municipal bond ratings have been published by Fitch Ratings, Inc. and Fitch Ratings Ltd.*

**AAA** - Highest credit quality. '**AAA**' ratings denote the lowest expectation of default 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** - Very high credit quality. '**AA**' ratings denote expectations of very low default risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

**A** - High credit quality. '**A**' ratings denote expectations of low default 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** - Good credit quality. '**BBB**' ratings indicate that expectations of default 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** - Speculative. '**BB**' ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to default risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time.

**B** - Highly speculative. '**B**' ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the business and economic environment.

**CCC** - Substantial credit risk. '**CCC**' ratings indicate very low margin for safety. Default is a real possibility.

**CC** - Very high levels of credit risk. '**CC**' ratings indicate default of some kind appears probable.

**C** - Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. '**C**' ratings indicate default appears imminent or inevitable.

**D** - Default. '**D**' ratings indicates a default. Default generally is defined as one of the following:

● failure to make payment of principal and/or interest under the contractual terms of the rated obligation;

● bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other winding-up or cessation of the business of an issuer/obligor where payment default on an obligation is a virtual certainty; or

● distressed exchange of an obligation, where creditors were offered securities with diminished structural or economic terms compared with the existing obligation to avoid a probable payment default.

**Structured Finance Defaults -** Imminent default, categorized under 'C', typically refers to the occasion where a payment default has been intimated by the issuer and is all but inevitable. This may, for example, be where an issuer has missed a scheduled payment but (as is typical) has a grace period during which it may cure the payment default. Another alternative would be where an issuer has formally announced a distressed debt exchange, but the date of the exchange still lies several days or weeks in the immediate future.

Additionally, in structured finance transactions, where analysis indicates that an instrument is irrevocably impaired such that it is not expected to pay interest and/or principal in full in accordance with the terms of the obligation's documentation during the life of the transaction, but where no payment default in accordance with the terms of the documentation is imminent, the obligation will typically be rated in the 'C' category.

**Structured Finance Write-Downs** - Where an instrument has experienced an involuntary and, in the agency's opinion, irreversible write-down of principal (i.e. other than through amortization, and resulting in a loss to the investor), a credit rating of 'D' will be assigned to the instrument. Where the agency believes the write-down may prove to be temporary (and the loss may be written up again in future if and when performance improves), then a credit rating of 'C' will typically be assigned. Should the write-down then later be reversed, the credit rating will be raised to an appropriate level for that instrument. Should the write-down later be deemed as irreversible, the credit rating will be lowered to 'D'.

Notes: In the case of structured finance, while the ratings do not address the loss severity given default of the rated liability, loss severity assumptions on the underlying assets are nonetheless typically included as part of the analysis. Loss severity assumptions are used to derive pool cash flows available to service the rated liability. The suffix 'sf' denotes an issue that is a structured finance transaction.

**Plus (+) or Minus (-)** - The modifiers "+" or "-" 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 ratings below the 'CCC' category.

**Municipal Short-Term Bond Ratings**

S&P's Municipal Short-Term Note Ratings:

*The following descriptions of S&P's short-term municipal ratings have been published by Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC.*

**SP-1** - 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** - Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.

**SP-3** - Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.

**D** - 'D' 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 Global Short-Term Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Moody's short-term municipal ratings have been published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. and Moody's Analytics Inc.*

**P-1** - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

**P-2** - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

**P-3** - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have 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.

Note: Canadian issuers rated P-1 or P-2 have their short-term ratings enhanced by the senior-most long-term rating of the issuer, its guarantor or support-provider.

Fitch's Short-Term Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Fitch's short-term ratings have been published by Fitch Ratings, Inc. and Fitch Ratings Ltd.*

**F1** - Highest short-term credit quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added '+' to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

**F2** - Good short-term credit quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

**F3** - Fair short-term credit quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

**B** - Speculative short-term credit quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

**C** - 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.

The modifiers "+" or "-" may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. For the short-term rating category of 'F1', a '+' may be appended.

**Commercial Paper Ratings**

S&P's Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings:

*The following descriptions of S&P's commercial paper ratings have been published by Standard & Poor's Financial Service LLC.*

**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 commitments 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.

**Dual Ratings** – S&P may assign dual ratings to debt issues that have a put option or demand feature. The first component of the rating addresses the likelihood of repayment of principal and interest as due, and the second component of the rating addresses only the demand feature. The first component of the rating can relate to either a short-term or long-term transaction and accordingly use either short-term or long-term rating symbols. The second component of the rating relates to the put option and is assigned a short-term rating symbol (for example, 'AAA/A-1+' or 'A-1+/A-1'). With U.S. municipal short-term demand debt, the U.S. municipal short-term note rating symbols are used for the first component of the rating (for example, 'SP-1+/A-1+').

Moody's U.S. Municipal Short-Term Debt Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Moody's commercial paper ratings have been published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. and Moody's Analytics Inc.*

**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.

Fitch's Commercial Paper Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Fitch's commercial paper ratings have been published by Fitch Ratings, Inc. and Fitch Ratings Ltd.*

**F1 -** Highest short-term credit quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added '+' to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

**F2 -** Good short-term credit quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

**F3 -** Fair short-term credit quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

**B -** Speculative short-term credit quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

**C -** 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.

The modifiers "+" or "-" may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the 'AAA' Long-term rating category, to categories below 'CCC', or to Short-term ratings other than 'F1'.

**KraneShares Trust**

**STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION**

**August 1, 2025**

**KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF – (KBAB)**<br> **KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF – (KPDD)**<br>

Shares of each Fund are traded on the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC.

This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") relates to the above listed funds (collectively, the "Funds"), each a series of the KraneShares Trust (the "Trust"). This SAI is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the current prospectus for the Funds, dated August 1, 2025, as it may be revised from time to time (the "Prospectus"). Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. The audited financial statements with respect to the Funds for the most recent fiscal year or period are incorporated in this SAI by reference to the Funds' Form N-CSR for the period ending March 31, 2025. A copy of the Prospectus, this SAI, and/or the most recent annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders may be obtained, without charge, by calling 1.855.857.2638, visiting <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>, or writing to the Trust at 280 Park Ave, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017.

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| [GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUNDS](#sai-kbab_001) | 1 |
| [INVESTMENT POLICIES, TECHNIQUES AND RISK FACTORS](#sai-kbab_002) | 1 |
| [INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS](#sai-kbab_003) | 39 |
| [CONTINUOUS OFFERING](#sai-kbab_004) | 40 |
| [MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST](#sai-kbab_005) | 41 |
| [INVESTMENT Adviser](#sai-kbab_006) | 47 |
| [PORTFOLIO MANAGERS](#sai-kbab_007) | 49 |
| [CODES OF ETHICS](#sai-kbab_008) | 50 |
| [PROXY VOTING POLICY](#sai-kbab_009) | 50 |
| [ADMINISTRATOR](#sai-kbab_010) | 50 |
| [CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER AGENT](#sai-kbab_011) | 51 |
| [DISTRIBUTOR AND DISTRIBUTION ARRANGEMENTS](#sai-kbab_012) | 51 |
| [control persons AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES](#sai-kbab_013) | 53 |
| [EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING](#sai-kbab_014) | 53 |
| [BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM](#sai-kbab_015) | 54 |
| [BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS](#sai-kbab_016) | 55 |
| [CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS](#sai-kbab_017) | 58 |
| [tAXES](#sai-kbab_018) | 65 |
| [DETERMINATION OF NAV](#sai-kbab_019) | 73 |
| [DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS](#sai-kbab_020) | 76 |
| [OTHER INFORMATION](#sai-kbab_021) | 76 |
| [COUNSEL](#sai-kbab_022) | 77 |
| [INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM](#sai-kbab_023) | 77 |
| [Financial Statements](#sai-kbab_024) | 77 |
| [APPENDIX A – PROXY VOTING POLICY](#sai-kbab_025) | A-1 |
| [APPENDIX b – DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS](#sai-kbab_026) | B-1 |

---

i

**GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUNDS**

The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on February 3, 2012 and is permitted to offer multiple, separate series (*i.e.*, funds). As of the date of this SAI, the Trust offers 40 separate funds, including the Funds and other funds not offered in this SAI. The Trust is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), and each Fund is a non-diversified series of the Trust. The offering of the Trust's shares is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). All payments received by the Trust for shares of any fund belong to that fund. Each Fund will have its own assets and liabilities. Shares of each Fund will only be issued against full payment, as further described in the Prospectus and this Statement of Additional Information.

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or the "Adviser") serves as the investment adviser to each Fund and is responsible for continuously reviewing, supervising and administering each Fund's investment program. SEI Investments Distribution Co. serves as the distributor (the "Distributor") of the shares of each Fund.

**<u>Exchange-Traded Fund ("ETF") Operations</u>**

Each Fund issues and redeems Shares at net asset value ("NAV") only in aggregations of a specified number of Shares ("Creation Units"), generally in exchange for a basket of securities ("Basket"), together with a specified cash payment, or, in certain circumstances, for an all cash payment. Unlike mutual funds, Shares are not individually redeemable.

Certain employees of the Adviser are responsible for interacting with market participants that transact in Baskets for one or more Creation Units. As part of these discussions, these employees may discuss with a market participant the securities a Fund is willing to accept in connection with a purchase ("creation") of shares, and securities that the Fund will provide on a redemption of shares. The Adviser's employees may also discuss portfolio holdings-related information with broker/dealers in connection with settling the Fund's transactions, as may be necessary to conduct business in the ordinary course.

Shares of each Fund are listed on a national securities exchange, such as NASDAQ Stock Market LLC ("Exchange"), and trade in the secondary market, where most investors will buy and sell them at market prices that change throughout the day. Such market prices may be lower, higher or equal to NAV. Accordingly, when transacting in the secondary market, investors may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling shares. They may also be subject to brokerage commissions and charges.

**INVESTMENT POLICIES, TECHNIQUES AND RISK FACTORS**

**<u>General</u>**

Each Fund's principal investment strategies and risks are discussed in its Prospectus. The investment techniques discussed below and in the Prospectus may, consistent with a Fund's investment objectives and investment limitations, be used by a Fund. Each Fund is free to reduce or eliminate its activity with respect to any of the investment techniques discussed below consistent with its fundamental investment policies. There is no assurance that a Fund's strategies or any other methods of investment will result in the achievement of the Fund's objective. Each Fund may change its investment objective.

**<u>Cash and Cash Equivalents</u>**

Each Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. Holding cash or cash equivalents, even strategically, may lead to missed investment opportunities. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which a Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If a Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**<u>Debt Securities</u>**

Each Fund may invest in debt securities. A debt security is a security consisting of a certificate or other evidence of a debt (secured or unsecured) on which the issuer promises to pay the holder thereof a fixed, variable, or floating rate of interest for a specified length of time, and to repay the debt on the specified maturity date. Some debt securities, such as zero coupon bonds, do not make regular interest payments but are issued at a discount to their principal or maturity value. Debt securities include a variety of fixed income obligations, including, but not limited to, corporate bonds, government securities, municipal securities, convertible securities, mortgage-backed securities, and asset-backed securities. Debt securities include investment-grade securities, non-investment-grade securities, and unrated securities. Debt securities are subject to a variety of risks, such as interest rate risk, income risk, call/prepayment risk, inflation risk, credit risk, and (in the case of foreign securities) country risk and currency risk.

The market value of the debt securities in which a Fund invests will change in response to interest rate changes and other factors. During periods of falling interest rates, the values of outstanding debt securities generally rise. Conversely, during periods of rising interest rates, the values of such securities generally decline. Moreover, while securities with longer maturities tend to produce higher yields, the prices of longer maturity securities are also subject to greater market fluctuations as a result of changes in interest rates. Changes in the value of these securities will not necessarily affect cash income derived from these securities but will affect a Fund's NAV. Additional information regarding debt securities is described below.

**Credit Ratings.** Credit risk is the risk that a borrower or issuer of a debt will be unable or unwilling to repay its obligations under the debt. Certain debt securities may be rated by a credit rating agency. Changes by such agencies in the rating of any debt security and in the ability of an issuer to make payments of interest and principal, or the perception thereof, may affect the value of these investments.

**U.S. Credit Ratings.** The rating criteria and methodology used by U.S. rating agencies may not be fully transparent and such ratings may not accurately reflect the risk of investing in such instruments.

**Chinese Credit Ratings.** The rating criteria and methodology used by Chinese rating agencies may be different from those adopted by most of the established international credit rating agencies. Therefore, such rating systems may not provide an equivalent standard for comparison with securities rated by international credit rating agencies. The rating criteria and methodology used by Chinese credit ratings agencies also may not be fully transparent and such ratings may not accurately reflect the risk of investing in such instruments.

**Duration.** Duration is a measure of the expected change in value of a debt security for a given change in interest rates. For example, if interest rates changed by one percent, the value of a security having an effective duration of two years generally would vary by two percent. Duration takes the length of the time intervals between the present time and time that the interest and principal payments are scheduled, or in the case of a callable bond, expected to be received, and weighs them by the present values of the cash to be received at each future point in time.

**Pay-In-Kind and Step-Up Coupon Securities.** A pay-in-kind security pays no interest in cash to its holder during its life. Similarly, a step-up coupon security is a debt security that may not pay interest for a specified period of time and then, after the initial period, may pay interest at a series of different rates. Accordingly, pay-in kind and step-up coupon securities will be subject to greater fluctuations in market value in response to changing interest rates than debt obligations of comparable maturities that make current, periodic distribution of interest in cash.

**Perpetual Bonds.** Perpetual bonds offer a fixed return with no maturity date. Because they never mature, perpetual bonds can be more volatile than other types of bonds that have a maturity date and may be more sensitive to changes in interest rates. If market interest rates rise significantly, the interest rate paid by a perpetual bond may be much lower than the prevailing interest rate. Perpetual bonds are also subject to credit risk with respect to the issuer. In addition, because perpetual bonds may be callable after a set period of time, there is the risk that the issuer may recall the bond.

**Variable and Floating Rate Securities.** Variable and floating rate instruments involve certain obligations that may carry variable or floating rates of interest, and may involve a conditional or unconditional demand feature. Such instruments bear interest at rates which are not fixed, but which vary with changes in specified market rates or indices. The interest rates on these securities may be reset daily, weekly, quarterly, or some other reset period, and may have a set floor or ceiling on interest rate changes. There is a risk that the current interest rate on such obligations may not accurately reflect existing market interest rates.

**Corporate Debt Securities.** Each Fund may invest in corporate debt securities. The selection of such securities will generally not be dependent on independent credit analysis or fundamental analysis performed by Krane or a Fund sub-adviser, if applicable. Each Fund may invest in all grades of corporate debt securities including below investment grade as discussed below. See Appendix B for a description of corporate bond ratings. Each Fund may also invest in unrated securities.

Corporate debt securities are typically fixed-income securities issued by businesses to finance their operations, but may also include bank loans to companies. Notes, bonds, debentures and commercial paper are the most common types of corporate debt securities. The primary differences between the different types of corporate debt securities are their maturities and secured or un-secured status. Commercial paper has the shortest term and is usually unsecured. The broad category of corporate debt securities includes debt issued by domestic or foreign companies of all kinds, including those with small-, mid- and large-capitalizations. Corporate debt may be rated investment-grade, below investment-grade or unrated and may carry variable or floating rates of interest.

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

Corporate debt securities carry both credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk is the risk that a Fund could lose money if the issuer of a corporate debt security does not pay interest or principal when it is due. The credit risk of a particular issuer's debt security may vary based on its priority for repayment. For example, higher ranking (senior) debt securities have a higher priority than lower ranking (subordinated) securities. This means that the issuer might not make payments on subordinated securities while continuing to make payments on senior securities. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy, holders of higher-ranking senior securities may receive amounts otherwise payable to the holders of more junior securities. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of certain corporate debt securities will tend to fall when interest rates rise. In general, corporate debt securities with longer terms tend to fall more in value when interest rates rise than corporate debt securities with shorter terms.

**High Yield Securities.** High yield securities are commonly referred to as "junk bonds." Investing in these securities involves special risks in addition to the risks associated with investments in higher-rated fixed income securities. While offering a greater potential opportunity for capital appreciation and higher yields, high yield securities typically entail greater credit risk and potential price volatility and may be less liquid than higher-rated securities. A Fund may have difficulty selling certain junk bonds because they may have a thin trading market. The lack of a liquid secondary market may have an adverse effect on the market price and a Fund's ability to dispose of particular issues, including to honor redemptions, and may also make it more difficult for the Fund to obtain accurate market quotations in valuing these assets. High yield securities are regarded as inherently speculative with respect to the issuer's continuing ability to meet principal and interest payments. They may also be more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions and changes than higher-rated securities. Issuers of securities in default may fail to resume principal or interest payments, in which case a Fund may lose its entire investment.

Companies that issue high yield bonds are often highly leveraged and may not have more traditional methods of financing available to them. During an economic downturn or recession, highly leveraged issuers of high-yield securities may experience financial stress, and may not have sufficient revenues to meet their interest payment obligations. Economic downturns tend to disrupt the market for high yield bonds, lowering their values and increasing their price volatility. The risk of issuer default is higher with respect to high yield bonds because such issues may be subordinated to other creditors of the issuer and because they may be issued by less financially stable entities.

The credit rating of a high yield bond does not necessarily address its market value risk, and ratings may from time to time change to reflect developments regarding the issuer's financial condition. The lower the rating of a high yield bond, the more speculative its characteristics.

Unrated debt securities may face the same or more severe risks than high yield securities.

**U.S. Dollar-Denominated Foreign Debt Securities.** Foreign debt securities denominated in U.S. dollars may behave very differently from debt securities issued in local currencies, and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the two. For example, changes to currency exchange rates may impact issuers of foreign debt securities denominated in U.S. dollars differently than issuers of debt securities issued in local currencies. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably, which may adversely affect the Fund. In addition, if the U.S. dollar increases in value against the local currency of a U.S. dollar-denominated debt issue, the issuer may be subject to a greater risk of default on their obligations (*i.e.*, are unable to make scheduled interest or principal payments to investors).

**Commercial Paper.** Each Fund may invest in commercial paper of U.S. or foreign issuers. U.S. commercial paper generally consists of unsecured short-term promissory notes with a fixed maturity of no more than 270 days issued by corporations, generally to finance short-term business needs. Chinese commercial paper that may be purchased by a Fund generally will have no more than one year of remaining maturity. A Fund may purchase commercial paper of any rating or that is unrated. Commercial paper issues in which a Fund may invest include securities issued by corporations without registration under the Securities Act in reliance on the exemption from such registration afforded by Section 3(a)(3) thereof, and commercial paper issued in reliance on the so-called "private placement" exemption from registration, which is afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act ("Section 4(a)(2) paper"). Section 4(a)(2) paper is restricted as to disposition under the federal securities laws in that any resale must similarly be made in an exempt transaction. Section 4(a)(2) paper is normally resold to other institutional investors through or with the assistance of investment dealers who make a market in Section 4(a)(2) paper, which may provide some liquidity.

**Mortgage-Backed Securities.** Each Fund may invest in mortgage-backed securities, including collateralized mortgage obligations and mortgage pass-through securities. These securities represent interests in pools of mortgage loans. The payments of principal and interest on the underlying loans pass through to investors. Although the underlying mortgage loans are for specified periods of time, such as fifteen to thirty years, the borrowers can, and often do, repay them sooner. Thus, the security holders may receive prepayments of principal, in addition to the regular interest and principal.

There are three types of interest rate-related risks associated with mortgage-backed securities. The first is interest rate risk. The values of mortgage-backed securities will generally fluctuate inversely with interest rates. The second is prepayment risk. This is the risk that borrowers will repay their mortgages earlier than anticipated. A borrower is more likely to prepay a mortgage that bears a relatively high rate of interest. Thus, in times of declining interest rates, some higher yielding mortgages might be repaid resulting in larger cash payments to the Fund, and a Fund will be forced to accept lower interest rates when that cash is used to purchase additional securities. The third is extension risk. When interest rates rise, prepayments often drop, which should extend the average maturity of the mortgage-backed security. This makes mortgage-backed securities more sensitive to interest rate changes.

Mortgage-backed securities may also be subject to credit risk. Payment of principal and interest on many mortgage pass-through securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies whose obligations are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association) or may be guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government whose obligations are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (such as the Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae") or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac")). Mortgage pass-through securities may also be issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers). Some of these mortgage pass-through securities may be supported by various forms of insurance or guarantees but may otherwise be subject to a greater risk of loss.

**Other Asset-Backed Securities.** Each Fund may invest in other forms of asset-backed securities in addition to asset-based commercial paper and mortgage-backed securities. These securities, issued by trusts and special purpose corporations, are backed by a pool of assets, such as credit card receivables, automobile loans, airplane leases, equipment leases, or other forms of receivables. These securities present certain risks in addition to those normally associated with debt securities. For instance, these securities may not have the benefit of any security interest in any collateral that could ensure payment of the receivable. For example, credit card receivables are generally unsecured. The obligors may also be entitled to the protection of a number of state and federal credit laws. Moreover, even if there are perfected security interests in the underlying collateral, there is the possibility that recoveries on repossessed collateral may not be sufficient to support payments on these securities.

To lessen the effect of failures by obligors on underlying assets to make payments, asset-backed securities may contain elements of credit support which fall into two categories: (i) liquidity protection and (ii) protection against losses resulting from ultimate default by an obligor on the underlying assets. Liquidity protection refers to the provision of advances, to ensure that the receipt of payments on the underlying pool occurs in a timely fashion. Protection against losses resulting from ultimate default ensures payment through insurance policies or letters of credit obtained by the issuer or sponsor from third parties. The degree of credit support provided for each issue is generally based on historical information respecting the level of credit risk associated with the underlying assets. Delinquency or loss in excess of that anticipated or failure of the credit support could adversely affect the return on an investment in such a security. Credit supports, if any, do not protect against fluctuation in the market values of asset-backed securities. Moreover, a credit support depends upon the financial ability of its issuer to honor the support.

**Sovereign and Quasi-Sovereign Debt Obligations.** Each Fund may invest in sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt obligations. Sovereign debt obligations are issued or guaranteed by a foreign government or one of its agencies, authorities, instrumentalities, political subdivisions or by a supra-national organization. Investments in sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt obligations involve special risks not present in corporate debt obligations. The issuer of the sovereign or quasi-sovereign debt or the governmental authorities that control the repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal or interest when due, and a Fund may have limited recourse in the event of a default. Quasi-sovereign debt typically is not guaranteed by a sovereign entity. During periods of economic uncertainty, the market prices of sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt, and a Fund's net asset value, may be more volatile than prices of U.S. debt obligations. In the past, certain non-U.S. markets have encountered difficulties in servicing their debt obligations, withheld payments of principal and interest and declared moratoria on the payment of principal and interest on their sovereign debts.

A sovereign or quasi-sovereign debtor's willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation, the extent of its foreign currency reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange, the relative size of the debt service burden, politics, the sovereign debtor's policy toward principal international lenders and local political constraints. Sovereign and quasi-sovereign debtors may also be dependent on expected disbursements from foreign governments, multilateral agencies and other entities to reduce principal and interest arrearages on their debt. The failure of a sovereign or quasi-sovereign debtor to implement economic reforms, achieve specified levels of economic performance or repay principal or interest when due may result in the cancellation of third-party commitments to lend funds to the sovereign or quasi- sovereign debtor, which may further impair such debtor's ability or willingness to service its debts.

**Debt Securities Issued by the World Bank for Reconstruction and Development ("World Bank").** Each Fund may invest in debt securities issued by the World Bank. Debt securities issued by the World Bank may include high quality global bonds backed by member governments, including the United States, Japan, Germany, France and the United Kingdom, as well as in bonds in "non-core" currencies, including emerging markets and European accession countries, structured notes, and discount notes represented by certificates, in bearer form only, or in un-certified form (Book Entry Discount Notes) with maturities of 360 days or less at a discount, and in the case of Discount Notes, in certified form only and on an interest bearing basis in the U.S. and Eurodollar markets.

**U.S. Government Securities.** The Funds 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, the government National Mortgage Association ("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 National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation.

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 federal agencies, such as those securities issued by Fannie Mae, are not guaranteed by the U.S. government. No assurance can be given that the U.S. government will provide financial support to such issuers 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.

Since 2008, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been in conservatorship and have received significant capital support through U.S. Treasury preferred stock purchases, as well as U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve purchases of their mortgage-backed securities. The Federal Housing Finance Agency ("FHFA") and the U.S. Treasury (through its agreement to purchase Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac preferred stock) have imposed strict limits on the size of their mortgage portfolios. The mortgage-backed security purchase programs ended in 2010. An FHFA stress test suggested that in a "severely adverse scenario" significant additional Treasury support might be required. No assurance can be given that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will remain successful in meeting their obligations with respect to the debt and mortgage-backed securities that they issue.

In addition, the problems faced by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, resulting in their being placed into federal conservatorship and receiving significant U.S. government support, have sparked serious debate among federal policy makers regarding the continued role of the U.S. government in providing liquidity for mortgage loans. In December 2011, Congress enacted the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011 which, among other provisions, requires that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac increase their single-family guaranty fees by at least 10 basis points and remit this increase to Treasury with respect to all loans acquired by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac on or after April 1, 2012 and before January 1, 2022. Nevertheless, discussions among policymakers have continued as to whether Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should be nationalized, privatized, restructured, or eliminated altogether. Fannie Mae has reported that there is "significant uncertainty regarding the future of our company, including how long the company will continue to exist in its current form, the extent of our role in the market, how long we will be in conservatorship, what form we will have and what ownership interest, if any, our current common and preferred stockholders will hold in us after the conservatorship is terminated, and whether we will continue to exist following conservatorship." Freddie Mac faces similar uncertainty about its future role. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac also are the subject of several continuing legal actions and investigations related to certain accounting, disclosure, or corporate governance matters, which (along with any resulting financial restatements) may continue to have an adverse effect on the guaranteeing entities. Congress is currently considering several pieces of legislation that would reform U.S. government sponsored enterprises, proposing to address their structure, mission, portfolio limits, and guarantee fees, among other issues.

**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 typically 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 U.S. 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 a Fund's shares.

**<u>Foreign Securities</u>**

Each Fund may invest in non-U.S. securities and instruments, or in instruments that provide exposure to such securities and instruments. These instruments may include debt or equity securities. Investments in non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities. For example, investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. There may be less information publicly available about non-U.S. issuers. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, financial reporting and investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks (including restrictions on the transfers of securities). With respect to certain countries, there is the possibility of government intervention and expropriation or nationalization of assets. Because legal systems differ, there is also the possibility that it will be difficult to obtain or enforce legal judgments in certain countries.

Non-U.S. markets may not be as developed or efficient as, and may be more volatile than, those in the U.S. While the volume of shares traded on non-U.S. markets generally have been growing, such markets usually have substantially less volume than U.S. markets. Therefore, a Fund's investments in non-U.S. securities may be less liquid and subject to more rapid and erratic price movements than comparable securities trading in the U.S. For example, non-U.S. equity securities may trade at price/earnings multiples higher than comparable U.S. securities and such levels may not be sustainable. There may be less government supervision and regulation of foreign stock exchanges, brokers, banks and listed companies abroad than in the U.S. Moreover, settlement practices for transactions in foreign markets may differ from those in U.S. markets. Such differences may include delays beyond periods customary in the U.S. and practices, such as delivery of securities prior to receipt of payment, that increase the likelihood of a failed settlement, which can result in losses to a Fund. Foreign exchanges may be open on days when a Fund does not price its shares, thus, the value of the securities in a Fund's portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell a Fund's shares. Conversely, Fund shares may trade on days when foreign exchanges are closed. Each of these factors can make investments in a Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments. In addition, a Fund may change its creation or redemption procedures without notice in connection with restrictions on the transfer of securities. For more information on creation and redemption procedures, see "Creation and Redemption of Creation Units" herein.

Foreign brokerage commissions, custodial expenses and other fees are also generally higher than for securities traded in the U.S. This may cause a Fund to incur higher portfolio transaction costs than domestic funds. Fluctuations in exchange rates may also affect the earning power and asset value of the foreign entity issuing a security, even one denominated in U.S. dollars. Dividend and interest payments may be repatriated based on the exchange rate at the time of disbursement, but restrictions on capital flows may be imposed.

Economic conditions, such as volatile currency exchange rates and interest rates, political events and other conditions may, without prior warning, lead to government intervention and the imposition of "capital controls." Countries use these controls to restrict volatile movements of capital entering (inflows) and exiting (outflows) their country to respond to certain economic conditions. Capital controls include the prohibition of, or restrictions on, the ability to transfer currency, securities or other assets. Levies may be placed on profits repatriated by foreign entities (such as a Fund). Capital controls may impact the ability of a Fund to create and redeem Creation Units, adversely affect the trading market for shares of a Fund, and cause shares of a Fund to trade at prices materially different from NAV. There can be no assurance that a country in which a Fund invests will not impose a form of capital control to the possible detriment of a Fund and its shareholders. A Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies for the purpose of purchasing foreign securities. This may hinder a Fund's performance, since any delay could result in a Fund missing an investment opportunity and purchasing securities at a higher price than originally intended, or incurring cash drag.

Investing in foreign companies may involve risks not typically associated with investing in companies domiciled in the United States. The value of securities denominated in foreign currencies, and of dividends from such securities, can change significantly when foreign currencies strengthen or weaken relative to the U.S. dollar. Foreign securities markets generally have less trading volume and less liquidity than U.S. markets, and prices in some foreign markets can be very volatile. Many foreign countries lack uniform accounting and disclosure standards comparable to those that apply to U.S. companies, and it may be more difficult to obtain reliable information regarding a foreign issuer's financial condition and operations. In addition, the costs of foreign investing, including withholding taxes, brokerage commissions, and custodial fees, generally are higher than for U.S. investments. Investing in companies located abroad also carries political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the United States. Foreign investment may be affected by actions of foreign governments adverse to the interests of U.S. investors, including the possibility of seizure, expropriation or nationalization of assets, including foreign deposits, confiscatory taxation, restrictions on U.S. investment, or on the ability to repatriate assets or to convert currency into U.S. dollars. There may be a greater possibility of default by foreign governments or foreign-government sponsored enterprises. Investments in foreign countries also involve a risk of local political, economic, or social instability, military action or unrest, or adverse diplomatic developments.

**Geographic Focus.** Funds that are less diversified across countries or geographic regions are generally riskier than more geographically diversified funds. To the extent a Fund focuses on a specific region, it will be more exposed to that region's economic cycles, currency exchange rates, stock market valuations and political risks, among others, compared with a more geographically diversified fund. The economies and financial markets of certain regions, such as Asia, can be interdependent and may be adversely affected by the same events. Set forth below for certain markets in which a Fund may invest are brief descriptions of some of the conditions and risks in each such market.

**Investments in Emerging Markets Securities.** A Fund may invest in markets that are considered to be "emerging." Investing in securities listed and traded in emerging markets may be subject to additional risks associated with emerging market economies. Such risks may include: (i) greater market volatility, (ii) greater risk of asset seizures and capital controls, (iii) lower trading volume and liquidity, (iv) greater social, political and economic uncertainty, (v) governmental controls on foreign investments and limitations on repatriation of invested capital, (vi) lower disclosure, corporate governance, auditing and financial reporting standards, (vii) fewer protections of property rights, (viii) restrictions on the transfer of securities or currency, and (ix) settlement and trading practices that differ from U.S. markets. Emerging markets are generally less liquid and less efficient than developed securities markets.

**Investments in Frontier Market Securities.** Frontier market countries generally have smaller economies and less developed capital markets or legal, regulatory and political systems than traditional emerging market countries. As a result, the risks of investing in emerging market countries are magnified in frontier market countries.

**Investments in Asia.** Investments in securities of issuers in Asian countries involve risks not typically associated with investments in securities of issuers in other regions. Such heightened risks include, among others, expropriation and/or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, political instability, including authoritarian and/or military involvement in governmental decision-making, armed conflict and social instability as a result of religious, ethnic and/or socio-economic unrest. Certain Asian economies have experienced rapid rates of economic growth and industrialization in recent years, and there is no assurance that these rates of economic growth and industrialization will be maintained.

Certain Asian countries have democracies with relatively short histories, which may increase the risk of political instability. These countries have faced political and military unrest, and further unrest could present a risk to their local economies and securities markets. Indonesia and the Philippines have each experienced violence and terrorism, which has negatively impacted their economies. North Korea and South Korea each have substantial military capabilities, and historical tensions between the two countries present the risk of war; in the recent past, these tensions have escalated. Any outbreak of hostilities between the two countries could have a severe adverse effect on the South Korean economy and securities market. Increased political and social unrest in these geographic areas could adversely affect the performance of investments in this region.

Certain governments in this region administer prices on several basic goods, including fuel and electricity, within their respective countries. Certain governments may exercise substantial influence over many aspects of the private sector in their respective countries and may own or control many companies. Future government actions could have a significant effect on the economic conditions in this region, which in turn could have a negative impact on private sector companies. There is also the possibility of diplomatic developments adversely affecting investments in the region.

Corruption and the perceived lack of a rule of law in dealings with international companies in certain Asian countries may discourage foreign investment and could negatively impact the long-term growth of certain economies in this region. In addition, certain countries in the region are experiencing high unemployment and corruption, and have fragile banking sectors. Their securities markets are not as developed as those of other countries and, therefore, are subject to additional risks such as trading halts.

Some economies in this region are dependent on a range of commodities, including oil, natural gas and coal. Accordingly, they are strongly affected by international commodity prices and particularly vulnerable to any weakening in global demand for these products. The market for securities in this region may also be directly influenced by the flow of international capital, and by the economic and market conditions of neighboring countries. Adverse economic conditions or developments in neighboring countries may increase investors' perception of the risk of investing in the region as a whole, which may adversely impact the market value of the securities issued by companies in the region.

**Investments in Brazil.** Brazil has experienced economic instability resulting from, among other things, periods of very high inflation, persistent structural public sector deficits and significant devaluations of its currency, leading also to a high degree of price volatility in both the Brazilian equity and foreign currency markets. Brazilian companies may also be adversely affected by high interest and unemployment rates, fluctuations in commodity prices, significant public health concerns, and associated declines in tourism.

**Investments in China.** The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions and policy in China and surrounding Asian countries. Investments in Chinese securities, including those that are Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, subject the Fund to risks specific to China. The economy of China, which has been in a state of transition from a planned economy to a more market oriented economy, differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the level of government involvement, its state of development, its growth rate, control of foreign exchange, and allocation of resources.

Although the majority of productive assets in China are still owned by the Chinese government at various levels, the Chinese government has implemented economic reform measures emphasizing utilization of market forces in the development of the economy of China and a high level of management autonomy. The economy of China has experienced significant growth in the past 20 years, but growth has been uneven both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. Economic growth has often been accompanied by periods of high inflation in China. The Chinese government has implemented various measures from time to time to control inflation and restrain the rate of economic growth.

The Chinese government has carried out economic reforms to achieve decentralization and utilization of market forces to develop the economy of China. These reforms have resulted in significant economic growth and social progress. There can, however, be no assurance that the Chinese government will continue to pursue such economic policies or, if it does, that those policies will continue to be successful. Any such adjustment and modification of those economic policies may have an adverse impact on the securities market in China, the portfolio securities of a Fund or a Fund itself. Further, the Chinese government may from time to time adopt corrective measures to control the growth of the Chinese economy, which may also have an adverse impact on the capital growth and performance of a Fund. Political changes, social instability and adverse diplomatic developments in China could result in the imposition of additional government restrictions including expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxes or nationalization of some or all of the property held by the underlying issuers of a Fund's portfolio securities. As the Chinese economy develops, its growth may slow significantly and sometimes unexpectedly. The laws, regulations, including the investment regulations allowing foreigners to invest in Chinese securities, government policies and political and economic climate in China may change with little or no advance notice. Any such change could adversely affect market conditions and the performance of the Chinese economy and, thus, the value of securities in a Fund's portfolio.

The Chinese government continues to be an active participant in many economic sectors through ownership positions and regulation. The allocation of resources in China is subject to a high level of government control. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. Through its policies, the government may provide preferential treatment to particular industries or companies. The policies set by the government could have a substantial effect on the Chinese economy and a Fund's investments. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy, and may introduce new laws and regulations that have an adverse effect on a Fund.

In addition, the Chinese economy is export-driven and highly reliant on trade. Recent developments in relations between the United States and China have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the two countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, oversupply of certain manufactured goods, substantial price reductions of goods and possible failure of individual companies and/or large segments of China's export industry, all of which could have a negative impact on China's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on a Fund. In addition, worsening trade relations between the two countries could adversely impact a Fund, particularly to the extent that the Chinese government restricts foreign investments in on-shore Chinese companies or the U.S. government restricts investments by U.S. investors in China including by limiting the ability of Chinese issuers to list on the U.S. exchanges. Worsening trade relations may also result in market volatility and volatility in the price of Fund shares. In addition, the U.S government has imposed restrictions on the ability of U.S. investors to hold and/or acquire securities of certain Chinese companies, which may adversely impact a Fund, may mean that the Fund's underlying index, if any, may need to adjust its methodology or could increase tracking error for the Fund.

A Fund's underlying index, if any, may include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government and a Fund that seeks to track an underlying index is generally expected to invest in such companies as long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments.

There has been increased attention to Chinese companies from the U.S. government and U.S. regulators, including the Department of the Treasury ("DOT") and its Office of Foreign Assets Control. On June 3, 2021, an amending executive order was issued to an executive order that was issued in November 2020, which established a new sanctions program designed to prohibit U.S. persons from entering into transactions in certain publicly traded securities, as well as derivatives and securities designed to provide investment exposure to such securities, of certain companies specified in the executive order. A number of Chinese issuers have been designated under this program and more could be added. Under current guidance, U.S. investors may purchase interests in an investment fund that does not make any new purchases of designated securities and is "seeking to" divest its holdings of such securities during the applicable divestment period. On August 9, 2023, the DOT issued regulations which will prohibit or require notification of investments by certain U.S. persons in certain sub-sets of national security technologies and products including semiconductors and microelectronics, quantum information technologies and certain artificial intelligence systems in or related to "countries of concern," defined as China including Hong Kong and Macau. These regulations are in effect as of January 2, 2025. As a result, the executive orders and related guidance may significantly reduce the liquidity of such securities, force a Fund to sell certain positions at inopportune times or for unfavorable prices, and restrict future investments by a Fund.

The performance of the Chinese economy may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross domestic product, rate of inflation, currency depreciation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position. Adverse changes to the economic conditions of its primary trading partners, such as the United States, Japan and South Korea, would adversely impact the Chinese economy and a Fund's investments. A downturn in the economies of China's primary trading partners could also slow or eliminate the growth of the Chinese economy and adversely impact a Fund's investments. Moreover, the slowdown in other significant economies of the world, such as the United States, the European Union ("EU") and certain Asian countries, may adversely affect economic growth in China. An economic downturn in China would likely adversely affect a Fund's investments.

The regulatory and legal framework for capital markets in China may not be as well developed as those of developed countries. Chinese laws and regulations affecting securities markets are relatively new and evolving, and enforcement of these regulations involve significant uncertainties. No assurance can be given that changes in such laws and regulations, their interpretation or their enforcement will not have a material adverse effect on their business operations or on a Fund.

A Fund may obtain exposure to companies based or operated in the People's Republic of China ("PRC") by investing through legal structures known as variable interest entities ("VIEs"). Because of Chinese governmental restrictions on non-Chinese ownership of companies in certain industries in the PRC, certain Chinese companies have used VIEs to facilitate foreign investment without distributing direct ownership of companies based or operated in the PRC. In such cases, the Chinese operating company establishes an offshore entity, and the offshore entity enters into contractual arrangements (such as powers of attorney, equity pledge agreements and other services or business cooperation agreements) with the operating company. These contractual arrangements are intended to give the offshore entity the ability to exercise power over and obtain economic rights from the operating company. Shares of the offshore entity, in turn, are listed and traded on exchanges outside of the PRC and are available to non-Chinese investors such as a Fund. This arrangement allows non-Chinese investors in the offshore entity to obtain economic exposure to the Chinese company without direct equity ownership in the Chinese company.

Although VIEs are a longstanding industry practice and well known to officials and regulators in the PRC, VIEs are not formally recognized under Chinese law. There is a risk that the PRC may cease to tolerate VIEs at any time or impose new restrictions on the structure, in each case either generally or with respect to specific industries, sectors or companies. Investments involving a VIE may also pose additional risks because such investments are made through an entity whose interests in the underlying operating company are established through contract rather than through equity ownership. For example, in the event of a dispute, the offshore entity's contractual claims with respect to the operating company may be deemed unenforceable in the PRC, thus limiting (or eliminating) the remedies and rights available to the offshore entity and its investors. Such legal uncertainty may also be exploited against the interests of the offshore entity and its investors. Further, the interests of the equity owners of the operating company may conflict with the interests of the investors of the offshore entity, and the fiduciary duties of the officers and directors of the operating company may differ from, or conflict with, the fiduciary duties of the officers and directors of the offshore entity. Foreign companies listed on U.S. exchanges, including offshore entities that utilize a VIE structure, also could face delisting or other ramifications for failure to meet the requirements of the SEC, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board ("PCAOB") or other United States regulators or due to worsening relations between the countries, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities. Audits performed by PCAOB-registered accounting firms in mainland China and Hong Kong may be less reliable than those performed by firms subject to PCAOB inspection. Accordingly, information about the Chinese securities in which a Fund invests may be less reliable or complete. Under amendments to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act enacted in December 2020, which requires that the PCAOB be permitted to inspect the accounting firm of a U.S.-listed Chinese issuer, Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if the PCAOB is unable to inspect the accounting firm. Any of the foregoing risks and events could negatively impact a Fund's performance.

Although China has begun the process of privatizing certain sectors of its economy, privatized entities may lose money and/or be re-nationalized. Accordingly, an investment in a Fund involves a risk of total loss. In the Chinese securities markets, a small number of issuers may represent a large portion of the entire market. The Chinese securities markets are characterized by relatively frequent trading halts and low trading volume, resulting in substantially less liquidity and greater price volatility. These risks may be more pronounced for the A Share market than for Chinese equity securities markets generally because the A Share market is subject to greater government restrictions and control, including the risk of nationalization or expropriation of private assets which could result in a total loss of an investment in a Fund.

Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Incidents involving China's or the region's security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments.

Repatriations of gains and income on PRC securities may require the approval of China's State Administration of Foreign Exchange ("SAFE") and principal invested pursuant to the PRC securities quota may be subject to repatriation restrictions, depending on the license used and the period from remittance of funds into China.

Currently, there are two stock exchanges in mainland China, the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges. The Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges are supervised by the China Securities Regulatory Commission ("CSRC") and are highly automated with trading and settlement executed electronically. The Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges are substantially smaller, less liquid and more volatile than the major securities markets in the United States.

The Shanghai Stock Exchange commenced trading on December 19, 1990, the Shenzhen Stock Exchange commenced trading on July 3, 1991 and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange commenced trading on April 2, 1986. The Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges divide listed shares into two classes: A-Shares and B-Shares. Companies whose shares are traded on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges that are incorporated in mainland China may issue both A-Shares and B-Shares. In China, the A-Shares and B-Shares of an issuer trade on one exchange. A-Shares and B-Shares may both be listed on either the Shanghai or Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Both classes represent an ownership interest comparable to a share of common stock. A-Shares are traded on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges in Chinese currency. B-Shares are traded on the Shenzhen and Shanghai Stock Exchanges in Hong Kong dollars and U.S. dollars, respectively.

Foreign investors had historically been unable to participate in the PRC securities market. However, in late 2002, Investment Regulations promulgated by the CSRC came into effect, which were replaced by the updated Investment Regulations (i.e., "Measures for the Administration of the Securities Investments of Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors in the PRC"), which came into effect on September 1, 2006, that provided a legal framework for certain Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors ("QFIIs") to invest in PRC securities and certain other securities historically not eligible for investment by non-Chinese investors, through quotas granted by SAFE to those QFIIs which have been approved by the CSRC. The RMB QFII ("RQFII") program was instituted in December 2011 and is substantially similar to the QFII program, but provides for greater flexibility in repatriating assets. In 2020, the PRC government eliminated QFII and RQFII quotas, meaning that entities registered with the appropriate Chinese regulator will no longer be subject to quotas when investing in PRC securities (but will remain subject to foreign shareholder limits), and merged the two programs into the Qualified Foreign Investor regime ("QFI").

In November 2014, the PRC government launched the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect program, which allows investors with brokerage accounts in Hong Kong to invest in certain A-Shares without a QFI license. A similar stock connect program, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect program, launched in November 2016, and the Shanghai-London Stock Connect Program and the China-Japan Stock Connect both launched in June 2019 (together, the "Stock Connect Programs").

In February 2016, the People's Bank of China established a program that permits foreign investors to invest directly in securities traded on the Chinese Interbank Bond Market ("CIBM"), even without a QFI license ("CIBM Program"). If a Fund participates in the CIBM Program, a PRC onshore settlement agent will be appointed for a Fund, which is required by the CIBM Program.

Bond Connect, a mutual market access scheme, commenced trading on July 3, 2017 and represents an exception to Chinese laws that generally restrict foreign investment in RMB Bonds. In August 2018, Bond Connect enhanced its settlement system to fully implement real-time delivery-versus-payment settlement of trades, which has resulted in increased adoption of Bond Connect by investors. However, if a Fund participates in Bond Connect, there is a risk that Chinese regulators may alter all or part of the structure and terms of, as well as the Fund's access to, Bond Connect in the future or eliminate it altogether, which may limit or prevent the Fund from investing directly in or selling its RMB Bonds.

There is no guarantee that any applicable quota received by Krane to invest in PRC securities will not be modified or revoked in the future. Additionally, given that the PRC securities markets are considered volatile and unstable, the creation and redemption of Creation Units may also be disrupted. A participating dealer may not redeem or create Creation Units of a Fund for securities if it believes PRC securities are not available.

<u>PRC Custodian and Dealer/Settlement Agent</u>.

A Fund is responsible for selecting the PRC Dealer/Settlement Agent to execute certain transactions for a Fund in the PRC markets. Krane can currently only use a limited number of PRC Dealers/Settlement Agents and may use more than one PRC Dealer/Settlement Agent for accessing some securities. Should, for any reason, a Fund's ability to use a given PRC Dealer/Settlement Agent be affected, this could disrupt the operations of a Fund or cause a premium or a discount to the trading price of a Fund's shares. A Fund may also incur losses due to the acts or omissions of either the relevant PRC Dealer/Settlement Agent or the PRC Custodian in the execution or settlement of any transaction or in the transfer of any funds or securities. Subject to the applicable laws and regulations in the PRC, Krane will make arrangements to ensure that the PRC Dealers/Settlement Agents and PRC Custodian have appropriate procedures to properly seek to safe-keep a Fund's assets.

According to the applicable Chinese regulations and market practice, the securities and cash accounts for a Fund held in the PRC pursuant to a QFI license are to be maintained in the joint names of Krane as the QFI holder and the Fund. Krane may not use the account for any other purpose than for maintaining a Fund's assets. However, given that the securities trading account will or would be maintained in the joint names of Krane and the Fund, the Fund's assets may not be as well protected as they would be if it were possible for them to be registered and held solely in the name of the Fund. In particular, there is a risk that creditors of Krane or the sub-adviser may assert that the securities are owned by Krane and not the Fund, and that a court would uphold such an assertion, in which case creditors of Krane or the sub-adviser could seize assets of the Fund. Because the QFI license would be in the name of Krane or the sub-adviser and the Fund, there is also a risk that regulatory actions taken against Krane or the sub-adviser by PRC government authorities may affect the Fund.

Investors should note that cash deposited in the cash account of a Fund with the PRC Custodian will not be segregated but will be a debt owing from the PRC Custodian to a Fund as a depositor. Such cash will be co-mingled with cash belonging to other clients of the PRC Custodian. In the event of bankruptcy or liquidation of the PRC Custodian, a Fund will not have any proprietary rights to the cash deposited in such cash account, and a Fund will become an unsecured creditor, ranking pari passu with all other unsecured creditors, of the PRC Custodian. A Fund may face difficulty and/or encounter delays in recovering such debt, or may not be able to recover it in full or at all, in which case a Fund will suffer losses.

In the event of any default of either the relevant PRC Dealer/Settlement Agent or the PRC Custodian (directly or through its delegate) in the execution or settlement of any transaction or in the transfer of any funds or securities in the PRC, a Fund may encounter delays in recovering its assets which may in turn adversely impact the NAV of that Fund.

<u>Specific Risks of Investing in the A-Shares Market</u>

The Funds may invest in A-Shares through a QFI license from CSRC and an A-Shares quota from SAFE, the Stock Connect Programs, and other investment companies, including other exchange-traded funds ("ETFs") which may be advised or otherwise serviced by Krane. The Stock Connect Programs are exceptions to Chinese law, which generally restricts foreign investment in A Shares. These programs are novel. Chinese regulators may alter or eliminate these programs at any time.

Because restrictions continue to exist and capital therefore cannot flow freely into and out of the A-Share market, it is possible that in the event of a market disruption, the liquidity of the A-Share market and trading prices of A-Shares could be more severely affected than the liquidity and trading prices of markets where securities are freely tradable and capital therefore flows more freely. A Fund cannot predict the nature or duration of such a market disruption or the impact that it may have on the A-Share market and the short-term and long-term prospects of its investments in the A-Share market. In the event that a Fund invests in A-Shares directly, a Fund may incur significant losses, or may not be able fully to implement or pursue its investment objectives or strategies, due to investment restrictions on QFIs, illiquidity of the Chinese securities markets, or delay or disruption in execution or settlement of trades. A-Shares may become subject to frequent and widespread trading halts.

The Chinese government has in the past taken actions that benefitted holders of A-Shares. As A-Shares become more available to foreign investors, such as a Fund, the Chinese government may be less likely to take action that would benefit holders of A-Shares. In addition, there is no guarantee that an A-Shares quota will be sufficient for a Fund's intended scope of investment.

The regulations which apply to investments by QFIs are relatively new and are unique to PRC investment schemes. The application and interpretation of such regulations are therefore relatively untested. In addition, there is little precedent or certainty evidencing how such discretion may be exercised now or in the future; and even if there were precedent, it may provide little guidance as PRC authorities would likely continue to have broad discretion.

If a Fund obtains a QFI license to invest in A-Shares, Krane will be required to transfer the entire investment principal into a local sub-custodian account within such time period as specified by SAFE. These limitations may also prevent a Fund from making certain distributions to shareholders.

Repatriations by QFIs are currently permitted daily and are not subject to repatriation restrictions or prior regulatory approval. However, there is no assurance that PRC rules and regulations will not change or that repatriation restrictions will not be imposed in the future. Further, such changes to the PRC rules and regulations may be applied retroactively. Any restrictions on repatriation of a Fund's portfolio investments could have an adverse effect on a Fund's ability to meet redemption requests.

If a Fund invests in A-Shares directly through a QFI license, it would be required to select a PRC sub-custodian for its investments in A-Shares, which is a mainland commercial bank qualified as a custodian for QFIs ("PRC custodian"). Given that the securities in an A-Shares trading account would be maintained in the joint names of Krane and a Fund, a Fund's assets may not be as well protected as they would be if it were possible for them to be registered and held solely in the name of a Fund. In particular, there is a risk that creditors of Krane may assert that the securities are owned by Krane and not a Fund, and that a court would uphold such an assertion, in which case creditors of Krane could seize assets of a Fund. There would also be a risk that regulatory actions taken against Krane might affect a Fund.

The Chinese government limits foreign investment in the securities of certain Chinese issuers and prohibits certain investments entirely. For example, currently, no single underlying foreign investor may hold more than 10% of the total outstanding shares in one listed company and all foreign investors may not hold, in aggregate, more than 30% of the total outstanding shares in one listed company. Such limits may not apply where foreign investors make strategic investment in listed companies in accordance with the Measures for the Administration of Strategic Investments in Listed Companies by Foreign Investors. Any restrictions or limitations could have adverse effects on the liquidity and performance of a Fund's holdings, which would increase the risk of tracking error and, at the worst, result in a Fund not being able to achieve its investment objective.

Regulations adopted by the CSRC and SAFE specify that all A-Shares purchased or sold through a QFI license must be executed through a specified set of brokers per exchange. Should a Fund's ability to use the relevant PRC broker be affected for any reason, it could disrupt the operations of a Fund, causing a premium or discount in the trading price of a Fund's shares relative to NAV. A Fund may also incur losses due to the acts or omissions of the PRC broker in the execution of any transaction or the transfer of funds or securities. In addition, limiting transactions to a particular PRC broker may result in higher brokerage commissions paid by a Fund.

If a Fund purchases A-Shares through a QFI license, a Fund, per Chinese regulations, would be required to maintain its securities and cash accounts in the PRC in the joint names of a Fund and the QFI holder. Although the accounts cannot be used for any purpose other than maintaining a Fund's assets, such assets may not be as well protected as they would be if they were registered and held solely in the name of a Fund. In particular, there is a risk that creditors of the QFI holder may seek to assert ownership in the event of such entity's bankruptcy or the like. Adverse actions taken against the QFI holder may also adversely impact the accounts.

If a Fund purchases A-Shares through a QFI license, cash deposited in the cash account of a Fund with the PRC custodian would not normally be, in fact, segregated for the benefit of a Fund, but will likely be deemed a general debt of the PRC custodian owing to a Fund as depositor. Such cash accordingly would be commingled with the cash of other clients of the PRC custodian. In the event of such custodian's bankruptcy or the like, it is unlikely that a Fund would have proprietary rights to the cash it deposited. Instead, a Fund would likely become an unsecured creditor, ranking pari passu with all other unsecured creditors of the custodian. A Fund may face delays in recovering the cash and may be unable to recover it at all.

In addition to investing directly in A-Shares, a Fund may seek exposure to China A-Shares by investing in depositary receipts, H shares or B-Shares on the component securities. The A Shares market may behave very differently from the B-Shares, H-Shares, and N-Shares and there may be little to no correlation between their performance. A Fund may also use derivatives or invest in ETFs that provide comparable exposures. If necessary, a Fund may suspend the sale of shares in Creation Units until it is determined that the requisite exposure to the component securities of the underlying index, if any, is obtainable. During the period that creations are suspended, Fund shares may trade at a significant premium or discount to net asset value (the "NAV"). Alternatively, a Fund may change its investment objective and track another index of Chinese-related stocks. In extreme circumstances beyond the control of a Fund, a Fund may incur significant losses due to limited investment capabilities, including based on the illiquidity of the Chinese securities markets, or delay or disruption in execution or settlement of trades. A-Shares may be subject to more frequent and/or extended trading halts than other exchange-traded securities.

The ability of a Fund to buy and sell A-Shares through the Stock Connect Programs on a particular day may be affected by public holidays of the participating exchanges, which differ.

*Tax Risk.* Per a circular (Caishui [2014] 79), the Fund is temporarily exempt from the Chinese tax on capital gains ("CGT") on trading in A-Shares as a QFI on the Shanghai Stock Exchange through the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect as of November 17, 2014, and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange through the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect as of December 5, 2016. There is no indication as to how long the temporary exemption will remain in effect. Accordingly, the Funds may be subject to such taxes in the future.

When the QFI transfers A-Shares and B-Shares, PRC Stamp Duty is currently imposed on the seller but not on the purchaser, at a rate of 0.1% on the transacted value. In addition, under the current PRC Business Tax ("BT") Law, which came into effect on January 1, 2009, taxpayer would be subject to PRC BT at a rate of 5% in respect of capital gains derived from the trading of A-Shares. However, Caishui [2005] 155 grants BT exemption to QFIs in respect of their gains derived from the trading of PRC securities (including A-Shares). The new BT Law, which came into effect on January 1, 2009, has not changed this exemption treatment at the time of this Prospectus. Dividend income or profit distributions on equity investment derived from China are not included in the taxable scope of BT.

Urban maintenance and construction tax (currently at the rate ranging from 1% to 7%), educational surcharges (currently at the rate of 3%) and local educational surcharges (currently at the rate of 2%) are imposed based on the business tax liabilities.

Each Fund reserves the right to establish a reserve for taxes which present uncertainty as to whether they will be assessed, although it currently does not do so. If a Fund establishes such a reserve but is not ultimately subject to these taxes, shareholders who redeemed or sold their shares while the reserve was in place will effectively bear the tax and may not benefit from the later release, if any, of the reserve. Conversely, if a Fund does not establish such a reserve but ultimately is subject to the tax, shareholders who redeemed or sold their shares prior to the tax being withheld, reserved or paid will have effectively avoided the tax. Investors should note that such provision, if any, may be excessive or inadequate to meet actual tax liabilities (which could include interest and penalties) on a Fund's investments. As a result, investors may be advantaged or disadvantaged depending on the final rules of the relevant tax authorities.

Investments in swaps and other derivatives may be subject to special U.S. federal income tax rules that could adversely affect the character, timing and amount of income earned by a Fund (e.g., by causing amounts that would be capital gain to be taxed as ordinary income or to be taken into income earlier than would otherwise be necessary). Also, a Fund may be required to periodically adjust its positions in its swaps and derivatives to comply with certain regulatory requirements which may further cause these investments to be less efficient than a direct investment in the securities themselves. For example, swaps in which a Fund may invest may need to be reset on a regular basis in order to maintain compliance with the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), which may increase the likelihood that a Fund will generate short-term capital gains. In addition, because the application of these special rules may be uncertain, it is possible that the manner in which they are applied by a Fund may be determined to be incorrect. In that event, a Fund may be found to have failed to maintain its qualification as a RIC or to be subject to additional U.S. tax liability. Moreover, a Fund may make investments, both directly and through swaps or other derivative positions, in companies classified as passive foreign investment companies ("PFICs") for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Investments in PFICs are subject to special tax rules which may result in adverse tax consequences to a Fund and its shareholders.

*Currency, Capital Controls and Currency Conversion Risk.* Economic conditions and political events may lead to foreign government intervention and the imposition of additional or renewed capital controls in China, which may impact the ability of a Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities or currency, and limit a Fund's ability to pay redemptions, and cause a Fund to decline in value. Although the RMB is not presently freely convertible, there is no assurance that repatriation restrictions will not be (re-)imposed in the future. Because each Fund's NAV is determined on the basis of U.S. dollars, a Fund may lose value if the RMB depreciates against the U.S. dollar, even if the local currency value of a Fund's holdings goes up. A Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to RMB for the purpose of purchasing A Shares. This may hinder its performance, including because any delay could result in the Fund missing an investment opportunity and purchasing securities at a higher price than originally intended, or incurring cash drag.

<u>China B-Shares</u>. The Funds may invest in shares of companies incorporated in mainland China that are traded in the mainland B-Share markets. B-Shares were originally intended to be available only to foreign investors or foreign institutions. However, since February 2001, B-Shares have been available to domestic individual investors who trade through legal foreign currency accounts. Unlike prices in the A-Share market, the prices of B-Shares are quoted in foreign currencies. The B-Share market commenced operations in April 1991 and was originally opened exclusively for foreign investors. In 2001, the B-Share market opened to Chinese domestic individual investors as well. However, Chinese domestic individual investors must trade with legal foreign currency accounts. The China B-Share market is composed of the Shanghai Stock Exchange (which settles in U.S. dollars) and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (which settles in Hong Kong dollars). The China B-Share market is generally smaller, less liquid and has a smaller issuer base than the China A-Share market. The A-Shares market may behave very differently from the B-Shares market, and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the two.

<u>China H-Shares</u>. The Funds may invest in shares of companies incorporated in mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. H-Shares are traded in Hong Kong dollars on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and must meet Hong Kong's listing and disclosure requirements. H-Shares may be traded by foreigners and offer a vehicle to foreigners to gain exposure to Chinese securities. Because they are traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, H-Shares involve a number of risks not typically associated with investing in countries with more democratic governments or more established economies or securities markets. Such risks may include the risk of nationalization or expropriation; greater social, economic and political uncertainty; increased competition from Asia's other low-cost emerging economies; currency exchange rate fluctuations; higher rates of inflation; controls on foreign investment and limitations on repatriation of invested capital; and greater governmental involvement in and control over the economy. Fluctuations in the value of the Hong Kong dollar will affect a Fund's holdings of H-Shares. The Hong Kong stock market may behave very differently from the domestic Chinese stock market and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the Hong Kong stock market and the domestic Chinese stock market.

<u>China N-Shares</u>. The Funds may invest in shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on an American stock exchange, such as NYSE or Nasdaq. N-Shares are traded in U.S. dollars. N-Shares are issued by companies incorporated anywhere, but many are registered in Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, or the United States. Because companies issuing N-Shares often have business operations in China, they are subject to certain political and economic risks in China.

<u>P-Chip Companies</u>*.* The Funds may invest in shares of companies with controlling private Chinese shareholders that are incorporated outside mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. These businesses are often run by the private sector and have a majority of their business operations in mainland China. P-Chip shares are traded in Hong Kong dollars on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and may also be traded by foreigners. Because they are traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, P-Chips are also subject to risks similar to those associated with investments in H-Shares. They are also subject to risks affecting their jurisdiction of incorporation, including any legal or tax changes. Private Chinese companies may be more indebted, more susceptible to adverse changes in the economy, subject to asset seizures and nationalization, and negative political or legal developments.

<u>Red Chip Companies</u>. The Funds may invest in shares of companies with controlling Chinese shareholders that are incorporated outside mainland China, have a majority of their business operations in mainland China, and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. These businesses are controlled, either directly or indirectly, by the central, provincial or municipal governments of the PRC. Red Chip shares are traded in Hong Kong dollars on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and may also be traded by foreigners. Because Red Chip companies are controlled by various PRC governmental authorities, investing in Red Chips involves risks that political changes, social instability, regulatory uncertainty, adverse diplomatic developments, asset expropriation or nationalization, or confiscatory taxation could adversely affect the performance of Red Chip companies. Red Chip companies may be less efficiently run and less profitable than other companies.

<u>S-Chip Companies</u>. The Funds may invest in shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on the Singapore Exchange ("S-Chips"). S-Chip shares are issued by companies incorporated anywhere, but many are registered in Singapore, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, or Bermuda. They are subject to risks affecting their jurisdiction of incorporation, including any legal or tax changes. S-Chip companies may or may not be owned at least in part by a Chinese central, provincial or municipal government and be subject to the types of risks that come with such ownership described herein. There may be little or no correlation between the performance of the Singapore stock market and the mainland Chinese stock market.

<u>Disclosure of Interests and Short Swing Profit Rule</u>*.* The Funds may be subject to shareholder disclosure of interest regulations promulgated by the CSRC. These regulations currently require a Fund to make certain public disclosures when a Fund and parties acting in concert with a Fund acquire 5% or more of the issued securities of a listed company. If the reporting requirement is triggered, a Fund will be required to report information which includes, but is not limited to: (a) information about a Fund and the type and extent of its holdings in the company; (b) a statement of a Fund's purposes for the investment and whether a Fund intends to increase its holdings over the following 12-month period; (c) a statement of a Fund's historical investments in the company over the previous six months; (d) the time of, and other information relating to, the transaction that triggered a Fund's holding in the listed company reaching the 5% reporting threshold; and (e) other information that may be required by the CSRC or the stock exchange. Additional information may be required if a Fund and its concerted parties constitute the largest shareholder or actual controlling shareholder of the listed company. The report must be made to the CSRC, the stock exchange, the invested company, and the CSRC local representative office where the listed company is located. A Fund would also be required to make a public announcement through a media outlet designated by the CSRC. The public announcement must contain the same content as the official report.

The relevant PRC regulations presumptively treat all affiliated investors and investors under common control as parties acting in concert. As such, under a conservative interpretation of these regulations, a Fund may be deemed as a "concert party" of other funds managed by Krane and/or its affiliates and therefore may be subject to the risk that a Fund's holdings may be required to be reported in the aggregate with the holdings of such other funds should the aggregate holdings trigger the reporting threshold under the PRC law.

If the 5% shareholding threshold is triggered by a Fund and parties acting in concert with the Fund, the Fund would be required to file its report within three days of the date the threshold is reached. During the time limit for filing the report, a trading freeze applies and the Fund would not be permitted to make subsequent trades in the invested company's securities. Any such trading freeze may impair the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective and undermine the Fund's performance, if a Fund would otherwise make trades during that period but is prevented from doing so by the regulation.

Once a Fund and parties acting in concert reach the 5% trading threshold as to any listed company, any subsequent incremental increase or decrease of 5% or more will trigger a further reporting requirement and an additional three-day trading freeze, and also an additional freeze on trading within two days of a Fund's report and announcement of the incremental change. These trading freezes may undermine a Fund's performance as described above. Also, Shanghai Stock Exchange requirements currently require a Fund and parties acting in concert, once they have reach the 5% threshold, to disclose whenever their shareholding drops below this threshold (even as a result of trading which is less than the 5% incremental change that would trigger a reporting requirement under the relevant CSRC regulation). CSRC regulations also contain additional disclosure (and tender offer) requirements that apply when an investor and parties acting in concert reach thresholds of 20% and greater than 30% shareholding in a company.

Subject to the interpretation of PRC courts and PRC regulators, the operation of the PRC short swing profit rule may prevent a Fund from reducing its holdings in a PRC company within six months of the last purchase of shares of the company if the Fund's holding in that company exceeds the threshold prescribed by the relevant exchange on which the PRC company's shares are listed. If a Fund's holdings are aggregated with other investors deemed as acting as concert parties of a Fund, a Fund will be subject to these restrictions even though it may not have caused or benefited by the activity. If a Fund violates the rule, it may be required by the listed company to return any profits realized from such trading to the listed company. In addition, the rule limits the ability of a Fund to repurchase securities of the listed company within six months of such sale. Moreover, under PRC civil procedures, a Fund's assets may be frozen to the extent of the claims made by the company in question. These risks may greatly impair the performance of a Fund.

**Investments in Eastern Europe.** Many countries in Eastern Europe are in their infancy and are developing rapidly, but such countries may lack the social, political and economic stability of more developed countries. Emerging market countries in Europe will be significantly affected by the fiscal and monetary controls of the European Monetary Union. Changes in regulations on trade, decreasing imports or exports, changes in the exchange rate of the euro and recessions among European countries may have a significant adverse effect on the economies of other European countries including those of Eastern Europe. The markets in Eastern Europe remain relatively undeveloped and can be particularly sensitive to political and economic developments, including those relating to Russia. Additionally, the small size and inexperience of the securities markets in Eastern European countries and the limited volume of trading in securities in those markets may make a Fund's investments in such countries illiquid or more volatile than investments in more developed countries.

**Investments in Germany.** Investment in German issuers subjects a Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risks specific to Germany. Recently, new concerns have emerged in relation to the economic health of the European Union. These concerns have led to downward pressure on the earnings of certain European issuers, including German financial services companies. Secessionist movements, such as the Catalan movement in Spain, may have an adverse effect on the German economy. The German economy is dependent to a significant extent on the economies of certain key trading partners, including the Netherlands, China, United States, United Kingdom, France, Italy and other European countries. Reduction in spending on German products and services, or changes in any of its key trading partners' economies may have an adverse impact on the German economy. Recent developments in relations between the United States and its trading partners have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on Germany's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on a Fund. In addition, heavy regulation of labor, energy and product markets in Germany may have an adverse impact on German issuers. Such regulations may negatively impact economic growth or cause prolonged periods of recession.

**Investments in Hong Kong.** The Funds may invest in securities listed and traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. In addition to the risks of investing in non-U.S. securities, investing in securities listed and traded in Hong Kong involves special considerations not typically associated with investing in countries with more democratic governments or more established economies or securities markets. Such risks may include: (i) the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets or confiscatory taxation; (ii) greater social, economic and political uncertainty (including the risk of war); (iii) dependency on exports and the corresponding importance of international trade; (iv) increasing competition from Asia's other low-cost emerging economies; (v) currency exchange rate fluctuations and the lack of available currency hedging instruments; (vi) higher rates of inflation; (vii) controls on foreign investment and limitations on repatriation of invested capital and on a Fund's ability to exchange local currencies for U.S. dollars; (viii) greater governmental involvement in and control over the economy; (ix) the risk that the Chinese government may decide not to continue to support the economic reform programs implemented since 1978 and could return to the prior, completely centrally planned, economy; (x) the fact that Chinese companies, particularly those located in China, may be smaller, less seasoned and newly organized; (xi) the differences in, or lack of, auditing and financial reporting standards which may result in unavailability of material information about issuers, particularly in China; (xii) the fact that statistical information regarding the economy of China may be inaccurate or not comparable to statistical information regarding the U.S. or other economies; (xiii) the less extensive, and still developing, regulation of the securities markets, business entities and commercial transactions; (xiv) the fact that the settlement period of securities transactions in foreign markets may be longer; (xv) the fact that the willingness and ability of the Chinese government to support the Chinese and Hong Kong economies and markets is uncertain; (xvi) the risk that it may be more difficult, or impossible, to obtain and/or enforce a judgment than in other countries; (xvii) the rapidity and erratic nature of growth, particularly in China, resulting in inefficiencies and dislocations; (xviii) the risk that, because of the degree of interconnectivity between the economies and financial markets of China and Hong Kong, any sizable reduction in the demand for goods from China, or an economic downturn in China, could negatively affect the economy and financial market of Hong Kong as well; and (xix) the risk that certain companies in a Fund's underlying index, if any, may have dealings with countries subject to sanctions or embargoes imposed by the U.S. Government or identified as state sponsors of terrorism.

Investments in Hong Kong are also subject to certain political risks. Following the establishment of the People's Republic of China by the Communist Party in 1949, the Chinese government renounced various debt obligations incurred by China's predecessor governments, which obligations remain in default, and expropriated assets without compensation. There can be no assurance that the Chinese government will not take similar action in the future. An investment in a Fund involves risk of a total loss. China has committed by treaty to preserve Hong Kong's autonomy and its economic, political and social freedoms for 50 years from the July 1, 1997 transfer of sovereignty from Great Britain to China. However, if China would exert its authority so as to alter the economic, political or legal structures or the existing social policy of Hong Kong, or is followed by political or economic disruptions, investor and business confidence in Hong Kong could be negatively affected, which in turn could negatively affect markets and business performance. These and other factors could have a negative impact on a Fund's performance.

**Investments in India.** Foreign investment in the securities of issuers in India is usually restricted or controlled to some degree. Under normal circumstances, income, gains and initial capital with respect to such investments are freely repatriable, subject to payment of applicable Indian taxes. There can be no assurance that these investment control regimes will not change in a way that makes it more difficult or impossible for a Fund to implement its investment objective or repatriate its income, gains and initial capital from India.

The Indian government exercises significant influence over many aspects of the economy. Government actions, bureaucratic obstacles and inconsistent economic reform could have a significant effect on the economy and a Fund's investments in India. There can be no assurance that the Indian government in the future, whether for purposes of managing its balance of payments or for other reasons, will not impose restrictions on foreign capital remittances abroad or otherwise modify the exchange control regime applicable to foreign institutional investors in such a way that may adversely affect the ability of a Fund to repatriate its income and capital.

Founders and their families control many Indian companies. Corporate governance standards of family-controlled companies may be weaker and less transparent, which increases the potential for loss and unequal treatment of investors. The securities market in India is substantially smaller, less liquid and significantly more volatile than the securities market in the U.S. Exchanges have also experienced problems such as temporary exchange closures, broker defaults, settlement delays and broker strikes that, if they occur again in the future, could affect the market prices and liquidity of the Indian securities in which a Fund invests. In addition, the governing bodies of the various Indian stock exchanges have from time to time imposed restrictions on trading in certain securities, limits on price movements and margin requirements. The relatively small market capitalizations of, and trading values on, the principal stock exchanges may cause a Fund's investments in securities listed on these exchanges to be comparatively less liquid and subject to greater price volatility than comparable U.S. investments.

Religious, cultural and border disputes persist in India. The Indian government has confronted separatist movements in several Indian states. The longstanding dispute with Pakistan over the bordering Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir remains unresolved. If the Indian government is unable to control the violence and disruption associated with these tensions (including both domestic and external sources of terrorism), the results could destabilize the economy and, consequently, adversely affect a Fund's investments. Both India and Pakistan have tested nuclear weapons, and the threat of deploying such weapons could hinder development of the Indian economy, and escalating tensions could impact the broader region, including China.

**Investments in Indonesia.** Indonesia is subject to a considerable degree of economic, political and social instability. Indonesia has experienced currency devaluations, substantial rates of inflation, widespread corruption and economic recessions. Indonesia is considered an emerging market, and its securities laws are unsettled. Judicial enforcement of contracts with foreign entities is inconsistent and, as a result of pervasive corruption, subject to the risk that cases will not be judged impartially. Indonesia has a history of political and military unrest and has recently experienced acts of terrorism that have targeted foreigners. Such acts of terrorism have had a negative impact on tourism, an important sector of the Indonesian economy. Additionally, Indonesia has faced violent separatist movements on the islands of Sumatra and Timor, as well as outbreaks of violence amongst religious and ethnic groups. Although the Indonesian government has recently revised policies intended to coerce cultural assimilation of ethnic minorities, a history of discrimination, official persecution, and populist violence continues to heighten the risk of economic disruption in Indonesia due to ethnic tensions. In addition, the Indonesian economy is heavily dependent on trading relationships with certain key trading partners, including China, Japan, Singapore and the United States.

**Investment in Japan.** The Japanese yen has shown volatility over the past two decades and such volatility could affect returns in the future. The yen may also be affected by currency volatility elsewhere in Asia. Depreciation of the yen, and any other currencies in which a Fund's securities are denominated, will decrease the value of the Fund's holdings.

Japan's growth prospects appear to be dependent on its export capabilities. Japan's neighbors, in particular China, have become increasingly important export markets. Despite a strengthening in the economic relationship between Japan and China, the countries' political relationship has at times been strained in recent years. Should political tension increase, it could adversely affect the economy and destabilize the region as a whole. Japan also remains heavily dependent on oil imports, and higher commodity prices could therefore have a negative impact on the economy. The natural disasters that have impacted Japan and the ongoing recovery efforts have had a negative effect on Japan's economy. Japan has an aging population and, as a result, Japan's workforce is shrinking. Japan's economy may suffer if this trend continues.

**Investments in Latin America.** Latin America, including Brazil and Mexico, has long suffered from political, economic, and social instability. For investors, this has meant additional risk caused by periods of regional conflict, political corruption, totalitarianism, protectionist measures, nationalization, hyperinflation, debt crises and defaults, sudden and large currency devaluation, and intervention by the military in civilian and economic spheres. For example, the government of Brazil imposes a tax on foreign investment in Brazilian stocks and bonds, which may affect the value of a Fund's investments in Brazilian issuers. While some Latin American governments have experienced privatization of state-owned companies and relaxation of trade restrictions, future free-market economic reforms are uncertain, and political unrest could result in significant disruption in securities markets in the region. The economies of certain Latin American countries have experienced high interest rates, economic volatility, inflation and high unemployment rates. Adverse economic events in one country may have a significant adverse effect on other Latin American countries.

Commodities (such as oil, gas and minerals) represent a significant percentage of the region's exports and many economies in this region are particularly sensitive to fluctuations in commodity prices. Some markets are in areas that have historically been prone to natural disasters or are economically sensitive to environmental events, and a natural disaster could have a significant adverse impact on the economies in the geographic region.

Many Latin American countries have high levels of debt, which may stifle economic growth, contribute to prolonged periods of recession and adversely impact a Fund's investments. Most countries have been forced to restructure their loans or risk default on their debt obligations. Interest on debt is subject to market conditions and may reach levels that would impair economic activity and create a difficult and costly environment for borrowers. Governments may be forced to reschedule or freeze their debt repayment, which could negatively affect local markets.

**Investments in Middle East.** Many Middle Eastern countries are prone to political turbulence, which may have an adverse impact on a Fund. Many economies in the Middle East are highly reliant on income from the sale of oil or trade with countries involved in the sale of oil, and their economies are therefore vulnerable to changes in the market for oil and foreign currency values. As global demand for oil fluctuates, many Middle Eastern economies may be significantly impacted.

In addition, many Middle Eastern governments have exercised and continue to exercise substantial influence over many aspects of the private sector. In certain cases, a Middle Eastern country's government may own or control many companies, including some of the largest companies in the country. Accordingly, governmental actions in the future could have a significant effect on economic conditions in Middle Eastern countries. This could affect private sector companies and a Fund, as well as the value of securities in a Fund's portfolio.

Certain Middle Eastern markets are in the earliest stages of development. As a result, there may be 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 investors and financial intermediaries. Brokers in Middle Eastern countries typically are fewer in number and less well capitalized than brokers in the United States.

The legal systems in certain Middle Eastern countries also may have an adverse impact on a Fund. For example, the potential liability of a shareholder in a U.S. corporation with respect to acts of the corporation generally is limited to the amount of the shareholder's investment. However, the notion of limited liability is less clear in certain Middle Eastern countries. A Fund therefore may be liable in certain Middle Eastern countries for the acts of a corporation in which it invests for an amount greater than its actual investment in that corporation. Similarly, the rights of investors in Middle Eastern issuers may be more limited than those of shareholders of a U.S. corporation. It may be difficult or impossible to obtain or enforce a legal judgment in a Middle Eastern country. Some Middle Eastern countries prohibit or impose substantial restrictions on investments in their capital markets, particularly their equity markets, by foreign entities such as a Fund. For example, certain countries may require governmental approval prior to investment by foreign persons or limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular issuer. Certain Middle Eastern countries may also limit the investment by foreign persons to only a specific class of securities of an issuer that may have less advantageous terms (including price) than securities of the issuer available for purchase by nationals.

The manner in which foreign investors may invest in companies in certain Middle Eastern countries, as well as limitations on those investments, may have an adverse impact on the operations of a Fund. For example, in certain of these countries, a Fund may be required to invest initially through a local broker or other entity and then have the shares that were purchased re-registered in the name of a Fund. Re-registration in some instances may not be possible on a timely basis. This may result in a delay during which a Fund may be denied certain of its rights as an investor, including rights as to dividends or to be made aware of certain corporate actions. There also may be instances where a Fund places a purchase order but is subsequently informed, at the time of re-registration, that the permissible allocation of the investment to foreign investors has been filled.

Substantial limitations may exist in certain Middle Eastern countries with respect to a Fund's ability to repatriate investment income or capital gains. A Fund could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, any required governmental approval for repatriation of capital, as well as by the application to a Fund of any restrictions on investment.

Certain Middle Eastern countries may be heavily dependent upon international trade and, consequently, have been and may continue to be negatively affected by trade barriers, exchange controls, managed adjustments in relative currency values and other protectionist measures imposed or negotiated by the countries with which they trade. These countries also have been and may continue to be adversely impacted by economic conditions in the countries with which they trade. In addition, certain issuers located in Middle Eastern countries in which a Fund invests may operate in, or have dealings with, countries subject to sanctions and/or embargoes imposed by the U.S. government and the United Nations, and/or countries identified by the U.S. government as state sponsors of terrorism. As a result, an issuer may sustain damage to its reputation if it is identified as an issuer which operates in, or has dealings with, such countries. A Fund, as an investor in such issuers, will be indirectly subject to those risks.

Certain Middle Eastern countries have strained relations with other Middle Eastern countries due to territorial disputes, historical animosities or defense concerns, which may adversely affect the economies of these Middle Eastern countries. Certain Middle Eastern countries experience significant unemployment, as well as widespread underemployment. Recently, many Middle Eastern countries have experienced political, economic and social unrest as protestors have called for widespread reform. These protests may adversely affect the economies of these Middle Eastern countries.

**Investments in Russia.** Russia has experienced political and economic turbulence and has endured decades of communist rule under which its citizens were collectivized into state agricultural and industrial enterprises. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia's government has been faced with the task of stabilizing and modernizing its economy. Investors in Russia have experienced significant losses due to expropriation, nationalization, confiscation of assets and property or the imposition of restrictions on foreign investments and repatriation of capital invested. There is no assurance that similar losses will not recur. The current government regime has become increasingly authoritarian, especially in its dealings with successful Russian companies. In this environment, there is always a risk that the government will abandon elements of a market economy and replace them with radically different political and economic policies that would be detrimental to the interests of foreign investors.

The Russian economy is heavily dependent upon the export of a range of commodities including industrial metals, forestry products, oil, and gas. Accordingly, it is strongly affected by international commodity prices and is particularly vulnerable to any weakening in global demand for these products. Foreign investors also face a high degree of currency risk when investing in Russian securities and a lack of available currency hedging instruments. In addition, Eastern European markets remain relatively underdeveloped and can be particularly sensitive to political and economic developments; adverse events in Eastern European countries may greatly impact the Russian economy.

Because of the recent formation of the Russian securities market as well as the underdeveloped state of the banking and telecommunications systems, settlement, clearing and registration of securities transactions are subject to significant risks. There is no central registration system for shareholders and these services are carried out by the companies themselves or by registrars located throughout Russia. These registrars are not necessarily subject to effective state supervision nor are they licensed with any governmental entity and it is possible for a Fund to lose share registration through fraud or negligence. In addition, while applicable Russian regulations impose liability on registrars for losses resulting from their errors, it may be difficult for a Fund to enforce any rights it may have against the registrar or issuer of the securities in the event of loss of share registration. Furthermore, significant delays or problems may occur in registering the transfer of securities, which could cause a Fund to incur losses due to a counterparty's failure to pay for securities a Fund has delivered or a Fund's inability to complete its contractual obligations because of theft or other reasons.

Poor accounting standards, inept management, pervasive corruption, insider trading and crime, and inadequate regulatory protection all pose significant risks, particularly to foreign investors. In addition, there is a risk that the Russian tax system will not be reformed to prevent inconsistent, retroactive and/or punitive taxation, or, in the alternative, a risk that a reformed tax system may result in inconsistent and unpredictable enforcement of the new tax laws. The Russian securities market is relatively new and a substantial proportion of securities transactions in Russia are privately negotiated outside the stock exchanges. The inexperience of the Russian securities market and the limited volume of trading in securities in the market may make obtaining accurate prices on portfolio securities from independent sources more difficult than in more developed markets. Additionally, little information is available to investors. As a result, it may be difficult to assess the value of an investment in Russian companies. Because of the recent formation of the Russian securities market and the underdeveloped state of the banking and telecommunications systems, securities transactions are subject to significant risks.

In addition, Russia also may attempt to assert its influence in the region through economic or even military measures, as it did with Georgia in the summer of 2008 and the Ukraine in 2014 and 2022. Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The extent and duration of the military action, resulting sanctions and resulting future market disruptions, including declines in its stock markets and the value of the ruble against the U.S. dollar, are impossible to predict, but could be significant. Any such disruptions caused by Russian military action or other actions (including cyberattacks and espionage) or resulting actual and threatened responses to such activity, including purchasing and financing restrictions, boycotts or changes in consumer or purchaser preferences, sanctions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Russian government, Russian companies or Russian individuals, including politicians, may impact Russia's economy and Russian issuers of securities in which the Fund invests. Actual and threatened responses to such activity, including purchasing restrictions, sanctions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Russian government or Russian companies, may impact Russia's economy and Russian issuers of securities in which the Fund invests. Actual and threatened responses to such military action may also impact the markets for certain Russian commodities, such as oil and natural gas, as well as other sectors of the Russian economy, and may likely have collateral impacts on such sectors globally.

The United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on certain Russian individuals and issuers, particularly in response to its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The United States and other nations or international organizations may impose additional, broader economic sanctions or take other actions that may adversely affect Russian-related issuers in the future. These sanctions, any future sanctions or other actions, or even the threat of further sanctions or other actions, may negatively affect the value and liquidity of a Fund's investments. For example, a Fund may be prohibited from investing in securities issued by companies subject to such sanctions. In addition, the sanctions may require a Fund to freeze its existing investments in Russian companies, prohibiting a Fund from buying, selling or otherwise transacting in these investments. Russia may undertake countermeasures or retaliatory actions which may further impair the value and liquidity of a Fund's portfolio and potentially disrupt its operations.

For these or other reasons, to the extent permitted by law, a Fund could seek to suspend creations and/or redemptions of Creation Units, including in the event that an emergency exists in which it is not reasonably practicable for a Fund to dispose of its securities or to determine its net asset value. During the period that creations or redemptions are affected, a Fund's shares could trade at a significant premium or discount to their net asset value. In the case of a period during which creations are suspended, a Fund could experience substantial redemptions, which may cause a Fund to experience increased transaction costs and make greater taxable distributions to shareholders of a Fund. A Fund could liquidate all or a portion of its assets, which may be at unfavorable prices.

**Investments in South Africa.** South Africa's two-tiered economy, with one rivaling developed countries and the other exhibiting many characteristics of developing countries, is characterized by uneven distribution of wealth and income and high rates of unemployment. This may cause civil and social unrest, which could adversely impact the South African economy. Ethnic and civil conflict could result in the abandonment of many of South Africa's free market reforms. In addition, South Africa has experienced high rates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and HIV remains a prominent health concern. Although economic reforms have been enacted to promote growth and foreign investments, there can be no assurance that these programs will achieve the desired results. South Africa's inadequate currency reserves have left its currency vulnerable, at times, to devaluation. South Africa has privatized or has begun the process of privatization of certain entities and industries.

In some instances, investors in certain newly privatized entities have suffered losses due to the inability of the newly privatized entities to adjust quickly to a competitive environment or to changing regulatory and legal standards. There is no assurance that such losses will not recur. Despite significant reform and privatization, the South African government continues to control a large share of South African economic activity. Heavy regulation of labor and product markets is pervasive and may stifle South African economic growth or cause prolonged periods of recession. The agriculture and mining sectors of South Africa's economy account for a large portion of its exports, and thus the South African economy is susceptible to fluctuations in these commodity markets. Moreover, the South African economy is heavily dependent upon the economies of Europe, Asia (particularly Japan) and the United States. Reduction in spending by these economies on South African products and services or negative changes in any of these economies may cause an adverse impact on the South African economy. South Africa has historically experienced acts of terrorism and strained international relations related to border disputes, historical animosities, racial tensions and other defense concerns. These situations may cause uncertainty in the South African market and may adversely affect the South African economy.

**Investments in South Korea.** The South Korean economy is heavily dependent on trading exports and on the economies of other Asian countries, especially China or Southeast Asia, and the United States as key trading partners. Distributions in trade activity, reductions in spending by these economies on South Korean products and services or negative changes in any of these economies may have an adverse impact on the South Korean economy. Furthermore, South Korea's economy may be impacted by currency fluctuations and increasing competition from Asia's other low-cost emerging economies. Finally, South Korea's economic growth potential has recently been on a decline due to, among other factors, a rapidly aging population and structural problems.

Substantial tensions with North Korea may cause further uncertainty in the political and economic climate of South Korea. North and South Korea each have substantial military capabilities, and historical tensions between the two present the ongoing risk of war. Recent events involving the North Korean military have escalated tensions between North and South Korea. Any outbreak of hostilities between the two countries, or even the threat of an outbreak of hostilities, may have a severe adverse effect on the South Korean economy and any investments in South Korea.

**Investments in Taiwan.** The political reunification of China and Taiwan, over which China continues to claim sovereignty, remains tense and is unlikely to be settled in the near future. China has staged frequent military drills off the coast of Taiwan and relations between China and Taiwan have been hostile at times. This continuing hostility between China and Taiwan may have an adverse impact on the values of a Fund's investments in China or Taiwan, or make such investments impracticable or impossible. Any escalation of hostility between China and Taiwan would likely have a significant adverse impact on the value of a Fund's investments in both countries and the region. In addition, certain Asian economies have experienced over-extension of credit, currency devaluations and restrictions, high unemployment, high inflation, decreased exports and economic recessions. Economic events in any one country may have a significant economic effect on the entire Asian region and any adverse events in the Asian markets may have a significant adverse effect on Taiwanese companies.

Taiwan's growth has been export-driven to a significant degree. As a result, Taiwan is affected by changes in the economies of its main trading partners. If growth in the export sector declines, future growth will be increasingly reliant on domestic demand. Taiwan has limited natural resources, resulting in dependence on foreign sources for certain raw materials and vulnerability to global fluctuations of price and supply. This dependence is especially pronounced in the energy sector. Any fluctuations or shortages in the commodity markets could have a negative impact on Taiwan's economy. A significant increase in energy prices could have an adverse impact on Taiwan's economy.

**Investments in the United Kingdom.** The United Kingdom has one of the largest economies in Europe and is heavily dependent on trade with the European Union ("EU"), and to a lesser extent the United States and China. As a result, the economy of the United Kingdom may be impacted by changes to the economic health of EU member counties, the United States and China. In 2016, the United Kingdom voted via referendum to exit the EU, commonly referred to as "Brexit". On December 31, 2020, the United Kingdom left the European Union. The United Kingdom and the European Union reached a trade agreement on December 31, 2020, which became effective on May 1, 2021 after being ratified by all applicable United Kingdom and European Union governmental bodies. The period following the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union is expected to be one of significant political and economic uncertainty particularly until the United Kingdom government and European Union member states agree and implement the terms of the United Kingdom's future relationship with the European Union. Brexit may create additional economic stresses for the United Kingdom, which may include causing a contraction of the United Kingdom economy and price volatility in United Kingdom stocks, decreased trade, capital outflows, devaluation of pounds sterling, and wider corporate bond spreads due to uncertainty and declines in business and consumer spending as well as foreign direct investment. The Fund may be negatively impacted by changes in law and tax treatment resulting from or following Brexit. Until the economic effects of Brexit become clearer, and while a period of political, regulatory and commercial uncertainty continues, there remains a risk that Brexit may negatively impact the value of investments held by the Fund. In addition, if one or more other countries were to exit the EU or abandon the use of the euro as a currency, the value of investments tied to those countries or the euro could decline significantly and unpredictably.

**<u>Currency Transactions</u>**

The Funds may enter into spot currency transactions, foreign currency forward and foreign currency futures contracts. Foreign currency forward and foreign currency futures contracts are derivatives and are subject to derivatives risk.

**Forward Foreign Currency Contracts.** A forward foreign currency exchange contract ("forward contract") involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts are principally traded in the interbank market conducted directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. A forward contract generally has no margin deposit requirement.

A non-deliverable forward contract is a forward contract where there is no physical settlement of two currencies at maturity. Non-deliverable forward contracts are contracts between parties in which one party agrees to make a payment to the other party (the "Counterparty") based on the change in market value or level of a specified currency. In return, the Counterparty agrees to make payment to the first party based on the return of a different specified currency. Non-deliverable forward contracts will usually be done on a net basis, with a Fund receiving or paying only the net amount of the two payments. The net amount of the excess, if any, of a Fund's obligations over its entitlements with respect to each non-deliverable forward contract is accrued on a daily basis and an amount of cash or highly liquid securities having an aggregate value at least equal to the accrued excess is maintained in an account at the Trust's custodian bank. The risk of loss with respect to non-deliverable forward contracts generally is limited to the net amount of payments that a Fund is contractually obligated to make or receive.

**Foreign Currency Futures Contracts.** A foreign currency futures contract is a contract involving an obligation to deliver or acquire the specified amount of a specific currency, at a specified price and at a specified future time. Futures contracts may be settled on a net cash payment basis rather than by the sale and delivery of the underlying currency.

Currency exchange transactions involve a significant degree of risk and the markets in which currency exchange transactions are effected are highly volatile, specialized and technical. Significant changes, including changes in liquidity and prices, can occur in such markets within very short periods of time, often within minutes. Currency exchange trading risks include, but are not limited to, exchange rate risk, maturity gap, interest rate risk, and potential interference by foreign governments through regulation of local exchange markets, foreign investment or particular transactions in foreign currency. If a Fund utilizes foreign currency transactions at an inappropriate time, such transactions may lower a Fund's return. A Fund could experience losses if the value of any currency forwards and futures positions is poorly correlated with its other investments or if it could not close out its positions because of an illiquid market. Such contracts are subject to the risk that the counterparty will default on its obligations. In addition, a Fund will incur transaction costs, including trading commissions, in connection with certain foreign currency transactions.

**Foreign Exchange Spot Transactions.** The Funds may settle trades of holdings denominated in foreign currencies on a spot (*i.e.*, cash) basis at the prevailing rate in the foreign currency exchange market. A foreign exchange spot transaction, also known as FX spot, is an agreement between two parties to buy one currency against selling another currency at an agreed price for settlement on the spot date. The exchange rate at which the transaction is done is called the spot exchange rate. Unlike forward foreign currency exchange contracts and foreign currency futures contracts, which involve trading a particular amount of a currency pair at a predetermined price at some point in the future, the underlying currencies in a spot FX are exchanged following the settlement date.

**<u>Equity Securities</u>**

The Funds may invest in equity securities. Equity securities represent ownership interests in a company or partnership and include common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants to acquire common stock, securities convertible into common stock, and investments in master limited partnerships. 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 a Fund invests will cause the NAV of a Fund to fluctuate. Global stock markets, including the U.S. stock market, tend to be cyclical, with periods when stock prices generally rise and periods when stock prices generally decline. The Funds may purchase equity securities traded on exchanges or the over-the-counter ("OTC") market. The Funds may invest in the types of equity securities 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.

**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 a Fund is called for redemption or conversion, a 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 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 OTC 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.

**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.

**Rights.** A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights normally have a short life of usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price. An investment in rights may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. Investing in rights increases the potential profit or loss to be realized from the investment as compared with investing the same amount in the underlying securities.

**Depositary Receipts.** The Funds may invest in issuers located outside the United States directly, or in financial instruments that are indirectly linked to the performance of foreign issuers. Examples of such financial instruments include ADRs, Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs"), European Depositary Receipts ("EDRs"), International Depository Receipts ("IDRs"), "ordinary shares," and "New York shares" issued and traded in the United States. ADRs are U.S. dollar-denominated receipts typically issued by U.S. banks and trust companies that evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign issuer. The underlying securities may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. The underlying securities are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer's home country. The depositary bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions. Generally, ADRs in registered form are designed for use in domestic securities markets and are traded on exchanges or over-the-counter in the United States. GDRs, EDRs, and IDRs are similar to ADRs in that they are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer, however, GDRs, EDRs, and IDRs may be issued in bearer form and denominated in other currencies, and are generally designed for use in specific or multiple securities markets outside the United States. EDRs, for example, are designed for use in European securities markets while GDRs are designed for use throughout the world. Ordinary shares are shares of foreign issuers that are traded abroad and on a U.S. exchange. New York shares are shares that a foreign issuer has allocated for trading in the United States. ADRs, ordinary shares, and New York shares all may be purchased with and sold for U.S. dollars.

Depositary receipts may be sponsored or unsponsored. Although the two types of depositary receipt facilities (unsponsored or sponsored) are similar, there are differences regarding a holder's rights and obligations and the practices of market participants. A depository may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by (or acquiescence of) the underlying issuer; typically, however, the depository requests a letter of non-objection from the underlying issuer prior to establishing the facility. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of the facility. The depository usually charges fees upon the deposit and withdrawal of the underlying securities, the conversion of dividends into U.S. dollars or other currency, the disposition of non-cash distributions, and the performance of other services. The depository of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the underlying issuer or to pass through voting rights to depositary receipt holders with respect to the underlying securities.

Sponsored depositary receipt facilities are created in generally the same manner as unsponsored facilities, except that sponsored depositary receipts are established jointly by a depository and the underlying issuer through a deposit agreement. The deposit agreement sets out the rights and responsibilities of the underlying issuer, the depository, and the depositary receipt holders. With sponsored facilities, the underlying issuer typically bears some of the costs of the depositary receipts (such as dividend payment fees of the depository), although most sponsored depositary receipts holders may bear costs such as deposit and withdrawal fees. Depositories of most sponsored depositary receipts agree to distribute notices of shareholder meetings, voting instructions, and other shareholder communications and information to the depositary receipt holders at the underlying issuer's request.

Depositary receipts may be unregistered and unlisted. A Fund's investments may also include ADRs that are not purchased in the public markets and are restricted securities that can be offered and sold only to "qualified institutional buyers" under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Depositary receipts may become illiquid. If adverse market conditions were to develop during the period between a Fund's decision to sell these types of ADRs and the point at which a Fund is permitted or able to sell such security, a Fund might obtain a price less favorable than the price that prevailed when it decided to sell.

**<u>Real Estate Investment Trusts</u>**

The Funds may invest in the securities of real estate investment trusts ("REITs"). Risks associated with investments in securities of REITs include decline in the value of real estate, risks related to general and local economic conditions, overbuilding and increased competition, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws, casualty or condemnation losses, variations in rental income, changes in neighborhood values, the appeal of properties to tenants, and increases in interest rates. In addition, equity REITs may be affected by changes in the values of the underlying property owned by the trusts, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of credit extended. REITs are dependent upon management skills, may not be diversified and are subject to the risks of financing projects. REITs are also subject to heavy cash-flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, self-liquidation and the possibility of failing to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income and net gains under the Code and to maintain exemption from the 1940 Act. If an issuer of debt securities collateralized by real estate defaults, it is conceivable that the REITs could end up holding the underlying real estate. Because REITs have ongoing fees and expenses, which may include management, operating and administration expenses, REIT shareholders, including a Fund, will indirectly bear a proportionate share of those expenses in addition to the expenses of a Fund. However, such expenses are not considered to be Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and, therefore, are not reflected as such in a Fund's fee table.

**<u>Privately-Issued Securities</u>**

The Funds may invest in privately-issued securities, including those that are normally purchased pursuant to Rule 144A or Regulation S under the Securities Act. Privately-issued securities typically may be resold only to "qualified institutional buyers," in a privately negotiated transaction, to a limited number of purchasers or in limited quantities after they have been held for a specified period of time and other conditions are met for an exemption from registration. Because there may be relatively few potential purchasers for such securities, especially under adverse market or economic conditions or in the event of adverse changes in the financial condition of the issuer, a Fund may find it more difficult to sell such securities when it may be advisable to do so or it may be able to sell such securities only at prices lower than if such securities were more widely held and traded. At times, it also may be more difficult to determine the fair value of such securities for purposes of computing the Fund's NAV due to the absence of an active trading market. There can be no assurance that a privately-issued security that is deemed to be liquid when purchased will continue to be liquid for as long as it is held by the Fund, and its value may decline as a result.

**<u>Derivatives</u>**

The Funds may use derivative instruments as part of their investment strategies. Generally, derivatives are financial contracts the value of which depends upon, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate or index, and may relate to bonds, interest rates, currencies, commodities, and related indexes. Examples of derivative instruments include forward currency contracts, currency and interest rate swaps, currency options, futures contracts, including index futures, options, options on futures contracts, structured notes, and swap contracts.

Because a Fund may enter into (or "open") certain derivatives contracts with an initial investment that is less than the notional value of the contract, such contracts provide inherent economic leverage equal to the difference between the initial investment requirement (also known as initial margin requirement) and the notional value of the contract. A Fund's use of derivatives may be limited by the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") for qualification as a regulated investment company for U.S. federal tax purposes.

The SEC adopted Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act, which regulates the use of derivatives for certain funds registered under the Investment Company Act ("Rule 18f-4"). Unless a fund qualifies as a "limited derivatives user" as defined in Rule 18f-4, Rule 18f-4, among other things, requires the fund to establish a comprehensive derivatives risk management program, to comply with certain value-at-risk based leverage limits, to appoint a derivatives risk manager and to provide additional disclosure both publicly and to the SEC regarding its derivatives positions. For funds that qualify as limited derivatives users, Rule 18f-4 requires a fund to have policies and procedures to manage its aggregate derivatives risk.

To the extent a Fund transacts in commodity interests (*e.g.*, futures contracts, swap agreements, non-deliverable forward contracts), it will do so only in accordance with Rule 4.5 of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC"). Krane, on behalf of each Fund, has filed or will file a notice of eligibility for exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" in accordance with Rule 4.5 so that it is not subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator under the Commodity Exchange Act ("CEA") with respect to such Funds.

**Swap Agreements.** The Funds may enter into swap agreements to manage or gain exposure to particular types of investments (including commodities, equity securities, interest rates or indices of equity securities in which a Fund otherwise could not invest efficiently), to help enhance the value of its portfolio or to help achieve its investment objective. The Funds may also enter into other types of swap agreements, including total return swaps, asset swaps, currency swaps and credit default swaps, and may write (sell) and purchase options thereon for hedging and non-hedging purposes.

Swap agreements historically have been individually negotiated and structured to include exposure to a variety of different types of investments or market factors. Swap agreements are two party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors. Swap agreements can vary in term like other fixed-income investments. Most swap agreements are currently traded over-the-counter. In a standard "swap" transaction, two parties agree to exchange one or more payments based, for example, on the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments (such as securities, indices, or other financial or economic interests). The gross payments to be exchanged (or "swapped") between the parties are calculated with respect to a notional amount, which is the predetermined dollar principal of the trade representing the hypothetical underlying quantity upon which payment obligations are computed. If a swap agreement provides for payment in different currencies, the parties may agree to exchange the principal amount. A swap also includes an instrument that is dependent on the occurrence, nonoccurrence or the extent of the occurrence of an event or contingency associated with a potential financial, economic or commercial consequence, such as a credit default swap.

Depending on how they are used, swap agreements may increase or decrease the overall volatility of a Fund's investments and its share price and yield. Swap agreements are subject to liquidity risk, meaning that a Fund may be unable to sell a swap agreement to a third party at a favorable price. Swap agreements may involve leverage and may be highly volatile; depending on how they are used, they may have a considerable impact on a Fund's performance. The risks of swap agreements depend upon a Fund's ability to terminate its swap agreements or reduce its exposure through offsetting transactions. Swaps are highly specialized instruments that require investment techniques and risk analyses different from those associated with stocks, bonds, and other traditional investments.

Some swaps currently are, and more in the future will be, centrally cleared. Swaps that are centrally cleared are subject to the creditworthiness of the clearing organization involved in the transaction. For example, an investor could lose margin payments it has deposited with its futures commission merchant as well as the net amount of gains not yet paid by the clearing organization if the clearing organization becomes insolvent or goes into bankruptcy. In the event of bankruptcy of the clearing organization, the investor may be entitled to the net amount of gains the investor is entitled to receive plus the return of margin owed to it only in proportion to the amount received by the clearing organization's other customers, potentially resulting in losses to the investor.

To the extent a swap is not centrally cleared, the use of a swap involves the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the insolvency or bankruptcy of the counterparty or the failure of the counterparty to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the agreement. If a counterparty's creditworthiness declines, the value of the swap might decline, potentially resulting in losses to a Fund. Changing conditions in a particular market area, whether or not directly related to the referenced assets that underlie the swap agreement, may have an adverse impact on the creditworthiness of the counterparty. If a default occurs by the counterparty to such a transaction, a Fund may have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction.

Following the passage of the Dodd-Frank Act and promulgation of related CFTC regulations, U.S. swap markets have undergone substantial change in recent years. Reporting and recordkeeping requirements are now required for all swap transactions in the U.S., and certain swaps may also be subject to margin, clearing and trade execution mandates, among other regulatory obligations. Regulations adopted by the CFTC, SEC and prudential regulators may require certain Fund counterparties to post and collect margin on OTC swaps, and exchanges also have minimum margin requirements for exchange-traded and cleared swaps. The prudential regulators issued final rules that require banks subject to their supervision to exchange variation and initial margin in respect of their obligations arising under OTC swap agreements with certain of their counterparties. The CFTC adopted similar rules that apply to CFTC-registered swap dealers that are not banks. Such rules will generally require a Fund to set aside additional eligible assets in order to meet the new variation and initial margin requirements when they enter into OTC swap agreements. The European Supervisory Authorities ("ESA"), various national regulators in Europe, the Australian Securities & Investment Commission, the Japanese Financial Services Agency and the Canadian Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions adopted rules and regulations that are similar to that of the U.S. prudential regulators. All such variation and initial margin requirements are now effective. Due to these regulations, a Fund may be required by its swap dealer counterparties to enter into additional documentation (including ISDA Credit Support Annexes), and post and collect margin related to its swap agreements.

CFTC regulations now also allow for the minimum transfer amount ("MTA") of initial and variation margin to apply separately to each separately managed investment account or sleeve ("SMA") that an asset manager is responsible for, rather than having to calculate the MTA across all accounts of a Fund or other counterparty. An SMA's MTA may be calculated separately from other SMAs of the same legal entity so long as it meets the following conditions: (1) the SMA is managed by an asset manager and is governed by an investment management agreement, pursuant to which the SMA owner has granted the asset manager authority with respect to certain of the owner's assets; (2) swaps are entered into by the asset manager on behalf of the SMA pursuant to the investment management agreement, and (3) the swaps of such SMA are subject to a master netting agreement that does not permit netting of initial or variation margin obligations across SMAs of the legal entity that have swaps outstanding with the applicable swap dealer counterparty; and (4) the MTA is no greater than $50,000 for each applicable SMA. As of the date of this SAI, the prudential regulators have not provided similar relief, although swaps dealers subject to a prudential regulator are expected to act in a manner consistent with the relief provided by the CFTC.

Regulations adopted by the prudential regulators require certain banks to include in a range of financial contracts, including swap agreements, terms delaying or restricting default, termination and other rights in the event that the bank and/or its affiliates become subject to certain types of resolution or insolvency proceedings. The regulations could limit a Fund's ability to exercise a range of cross-default rights if its counterparty, or an affiliate of the counterparty, is subject to bankruptcy or similar proceedings. Such regulations could further negatively impact a Fund's use of swaps.

Swap agreements can take many different forms and are known by a variety of names including, but not limited to, interest rate swaps, mortgage swaps, total return swaps, inflation swaps, asset swaps (where parties exchange assets, typically a debt security), currency swaps, equity swaps, credit default swaps, commodity-linked swaps, and contracts for differences. The Funds may also write (sell) and purchase options on swaps (swaptions).

<u>*Interest Rate Swaps, Mortgage Swaps, and Interest Rate "Caps," "Floors," and "Collars*</u>." In a typical interest rate swap agreement, one party agrees to make regular payments equal to a floating rate on a specified amount in exchange for payments equal to a fixed rate, or a different floating rate, on the same amount for a specified period. Mortgage swap agreements are similar to interest rate swap agreements, except the notional principal amount is tied to a reference pool of mortgages or index of mortgages. In an interest rate cap or floor, one party agrees, usually in return for a fee, to make payments under particular circumstances. For example, the purchaser of an interest rate cap has the right to receive payments to the extent a specified interest rate exceeds an agreed level; the purchaser of an interest rate floor has the right to receive payments to the extent a specified interest rate falls below an agreed level. An interest rate collar entitles the purchaser to receive payments to the extent a specified interest rate falls outside an agreed range.

Among other techniques, a Fund may use interest rate swaps to offset declines in the value of fixed income securities held by the Fund. In such an instance, a Fund may agree with a counterparty to pay a fixed rate (multiplied by a notional amount) and the counterparty to pay a floating rate multiplied by the same notional amount. If long-term interest rates rise, resulting in a diminution in the value of a Fund's portfolio, the Fund would receive payments under the swap that would offset, in whole or in part, such diminution in value; if interest rates fall, a Fund would likely lose money on the swap transaction. The Funds may also enter into constant maturity swaps, which are a variation of the typical interest rate swap. Constant maturity swaps are exposed to changes in long-term interest rate movements.

<u>*Total Return Swaps*</u>. The Funds may enter into total return swaps ("TRS") to obtain exposure to a security or market without owning or taking physical custody of such security or market. The Funds may be either a total return receiver or a total return payer. Generally, the total return payer sells to the total return receiver an amount equal to all cash flows and price appreciation on a defined security or asset payable at periodic times during the swap term (*i.e*., credit risk) in return for a periodic payment from the total return receiver based on a designated index (*e.g*., the London Interbank Offered Rate, known as LIBOR or the Secured Overnight Financing Rate, known as SOFR) and spread, plus the amount of any price depreciation on the reference security or asset. The total return payer does not need to own the underlying security or asset to enter into a total return swap. The final payment at the end of the swap term includes final settlement of the current market price of the underlying reference security or asset, and payment by the applicable party for any appreciation or depreciation in value. Usually, collateral must be posted by the total return receiver to secure the periodic interest-based and market price depreciation payments depending on the credit quality of the underlying reference security and creditworthiness of the total return receiver, and the collateral amount is marked-to-market daily equal to the market price of the underlying reference security or asset between periodic payment dates.

TRS may effectively add leverage to a Fund's portfolio because, in addition to its net assets, the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. If a Fund is the total return receiver in a TRS, then the credit risk for an underlying asset is transferred to the Fund in exchange for its receipt of the return (appreciation) on that asset. If a Fund is the total return payer, it is hedging the downside risk of an underlying asset but it is obligated to pay the amount of any appreciation on that asset.

<u>*Inflation Swaps*</u>. In an inflation swap, one party agrees to pay the cumulative percentage increase in a price index, such as the Consumer Price Index, over the term of the swap (with some lag on the referenced inflation index) and the other party agrees to pay a compounded fixed rate. Inflation swaps may be used to protect a Fund's NAV against an unexpected change in the rate of inflation measured by an inflation index.

<u>*Credit Default Swaps*</u>. In a credit default swap, the credit default protection buyer makes periodic payments, known as premiums, to the credit default protection seller. In return, the credit default protection seller will make a payment to the credit default protection buyer upon the occurrence of a specified credit event. A credit default swap can refer to a single issuer or asset, a basket of issuers or assets or index of assets, each known as the reference entity or underlying asset. The Funds may act as either the buyer or the seller of a credit default swap. A Fund may buy or sell credit default protection on a basket of issuers or assets, even if a number of the underlying assets referenced in the basket are lower-quality debt securities. In an unhedged credit default swap, a Fund buys credit default protection on a single issuer or asset, a basket of issuers or assets or index of assets without owning the underlying asset or debt issued by the reference entity. Credit default swaps involve greater and different risks than investing directly in the referenced asset, because, in addition to market risk, credit default swaps include liquidity, counterparty and operational risk.

Credit default swaps allow a Fund to acquire or reduce credit exposure to a particular issuer, asset or basket of assets. If a swap agreement calls for payments by a Fund, the Fund must be prepared to make such payments when due. If a Fund is the credit default protection seller, the Fund will experience a loss if a credit event occurs and the credit of the reference entity or underlying asset has deteriorated. If a Fund is the credit default protection buyer, the Fund will be required to pay premiums to the credit default protection seller. In the case of a physically settled credit default swap in which a Fund is the protection seller, the Fund must be prepared to pay par for and take possession of debt of a defaulted issuer delivered to the Fund by the credit default protection buyer. Any loss would be offset by the premium payments a Fund receives as the seller of credit default protection.

<u>*Commodity-Linked Swaps*</u>. Commodity-linked swaps are two party contracts in which the parties agree to exchange the return or interest rate on one instrument for the return of a particular commodity, commodity index or commodity futures or options contract. The payment streams are calculated by reference to an agreed upon notional amount. A one-period swap contract operates in a manner similar to a forward or futures contract because there is an agreement to swap a commodity for cash at only one forward date. The Funds may engage in swap transactions that have more than one period and therefore more than one exchange of payments. A Fund may invest in total return commodity swaps to gain exposure to the overall commodity markets. In a total return commodity swap, a Fund will receive the price appreciation of a commodity index, a portion of the index, or a single commodity in exchange for paying an agreed-upon fee. If a commodity swap is for one period, a Fund will pay a fixed fee, established at the outset of the swap. However, if the term of a commodity swap is more than one period, with interim swap payments, a Fund will pay an adjustable or floating fee. With "floating" rate, the fee is pegged to a base rate such as LIBOR or SOFR, and is adjusted each period. Therefore, if interest rates increase over the term of the swap contract, a Fund may be required to pay a higher fee at each swap reset date.

<u>*Currency Swaps*</u>. A currency swap involves the exchange by a Fund and another party of the cash flows on a notional amount of two or more currencies based on the relative value differential among them, such as exchanging a right to receive a payment in foreign currency for the right to receive U.S. dollars. The Funds may enter into currency swaps (where the parties exchange their respective rights to make or receive payments in specified currencies). Currency swap agreements may be entered into on a net basis or may involve the delivery of the entire principal value of one designated currency in exchange for the entire principal value of another designated currency. In such cases, the entire principal value of a currency swap is subject to the risk that the counterparty will default on its contractual delivery obligations.

<u>*Equity Swaps*</u>. Equity swaps are contracts that allow one party to exchange the returns, including any dividend income, on an equity security or group of equity securities for another payment stream. Under an equity swap, payments may be made at the conclusion of the equity swap or periodically during its term. The Funds may enter into equity swaps. An equity swap may be used to invest in a market without owning or taking physical custody of securities in circumstances in which direct investment may be restricted for legal reasons or is otherwise deemed impractical or disadvantageous. Furthermore, equity swaps may be illiquid and a Fund may be unable to terminate its obligations when desired. In addition, the value of some components of an equity swap (such as the dividends on a common stock) may also be sensitive to changes in interest rates.

<u>*Options on Swaps (Swaptions)*</u>. A swaption is an option to enter into a swap agreement. The purchaser of a swaption pays a premium for the option and obtains the right, but not the obligation, to enter into an underlying swap on agreed-upon terms. The seller of a swaption, in exchange for the premium, becomes obligated (if the option is exercised) to enter into an underlying swap on agreed-upon terms. Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, a Fund generally will incur a greater degree of risk when it writes a swaption than when it purchases a swaption. When a Fund purchases a swaption, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised.

<u>*Contracts for Differences*</u>. The Funds may purchase contracts for differences ("CFDs"). A CFD is a form of equity swap in which its value is based on the fluctuating value of some underlying instrument (e.g., a single security, stock basket or index). A CFD is a privately negotiated contract between two parties, buyer and seller, stipulating that the seller will pay to or receive from the buyer the difference between the nominal value of the underlying instrument at the opening of the contract and that instrument's value at the end of the contract. The buyer and seller are both required to post margin, which is adjusted daily, and adverse market movements against the underlying instrument may require the buyer to make additional margin payments. The buyer will also pay to the seller a financing rate on the notional amount of the capital employed by the seller less the margin deposit. A CFD is usually terminated at the buyer's initiative.

A CFD can be set up to take either a short or long position on the underlying instrument and enables a Fund to potentially capture movements in the share prices of the underlying instrument without the need to own the underlying instrument. By entering into a CFD transaction, a Fund could incur losses because it would face many of the same types of risks as owning the underlying instrument directly.

As with other types of swap transactions, CFDs also carry counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty to the CFD transaction may be unable or unwilling to make payments or to otherwise honor its financial obligations under the terms of the contract, that the parties to the transaction may disagree as to the meaning or application of contractual terms, or that the instrument may not perform as expected. If the counterparty were to do so, the value of the contract, and of a Fund's shares, may be reduced.

**Futures, Options and Options on Futures Contracts.** The Funds may enter into U.S. or foreign futures contracts, options and options on futures contracts. When a Fund purchases a futures contract, it agrees to purchase a specified underlying instrument at a specified future date. When a Fund sells a futures contract, it agrees to sell the underlying instrument at a specified future date. The price at which the purchase and sale will take place is fixed when a Fund enters into the contract. Futures can be held until their delivery dates, or can be closed out before then if a liquid secondary market is available.

The risk of loss in trading futures contracts or uncovered call options in some strategies (*e.g.*, selling uncovered stock index futures contracts) is potentially unlimited. The risk of a futures position may still be large as traditionally measured due to the low margin deposits required. In many cases, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in immediate and substantial loss or gain to the investor relative to the size of a required margin deposit.

When a Fund writes a call option, it is obligated to sell a security to a purchaser at a specified price at any time until a certain date if the purchaser decides to exercise the option. A Fund will receive a premium for writing a call option. So long as the obligation of the call option continues, a Fund may be assigned an exercise notice, requiring it to deliver the underlying security against payment of the exercise price. A Fund may be obligated to deliver securities underlying an option at less than the market price.

A call option is "covered" if a Fund simultaneously holds an equivalent position in the security underlying the option. When writing a covered call option, a Fund, in return for the premium, gives up the opportunity for profit from a price increase in the underlying security above the exercise price, but retains the risk of loss should the price of the security decline.

If a call option that a Fund has written expires unexercised, the Fund will realize a gain in the amount of the premium; however, that gain may be offset by a decline in the market value of the underlying security during the option period. If a call option that a Fund has written is exercised, the Fund will realize a gain or loss from the sale of the underlying security.

When a Fund purchases a call option, it pays a premium to the writer for the right to purchase a security from the writer for a specified amount at any time until a certain date. A Fund generally would purchase a call option to offset a previously written call option or to protect itself against an increase in the price of a security it intends to purchase.

When a Fund writes a put option, it is obligated to acquire a security at a certain price at any time until a certain date if the purchaser decides to exercise the option. A Fund will receive a premium for writing a put option. When writing a put option, a Fund, in return for the premium, takes the risk that it must purchase the underlying security at a price that may be higher than the current market price of the security. If a put option that a Fund has written expires unexercised, the Fund will realize a gain in the amount of the premium.

When a Fund purchases a put option, it pays a premium to the writer for the right to sell a security to the writer for a specified amount at any time until a certain date. A Fund generally would purchase a put option to protect itself against a decrease in the market value of a security it owns.

Utilization of futures and options on futures by a Fund involves the risk of imperfect or even negative correlation to the underlying index, if any, if the index underlying the futures contract differs from the underlying index, if any. There is also the risk of loss by a Fund of margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of a broker with whom a Fund has an open position in the futures contract or option. The purchase of put or call options will be based upon predictions by a Fund as to anticipated trends, which predictions could prove to be incorrect.

The potential for loss related to the purchase of an option on a futures contract is limited to the premium paid for the option plus transaction costs. Because the value of the option is fixed at the point of sale, there are no daily cash payments by the purchaser to reflect changes in the value of the underlying contract; however, the value of the option changes daily and that change would be reflected in the NAV of a Fund. The potential for loss related to writing options is unlimited.

*<u>General Information About Options on Securities</u>*. The exercise price of an option may be below, equal to, or above the market value of the underlying security at the time the option is written. Options normally have expiration dates between three and nine months from the date written. American-style options are exercisable at any time prior to their expiration date. European-style options are exercisable only immediately prior to their expiration date. The obligation under any option written by a Fund terminates upon expiration of the option or, at an earlier time, when the Fund offsets the option by entering into a "closing purchase transaction" to purchase an option of the same series. If an option is purchased by a Fund and is never exercised or closed out, the Fund will lose the entire amount of the premium paid.

Options are traded both on U.S. national securities exchanges and in the OTC market. Options also are traded on non-U.S. exchanges. Exchange-traded options are issued by a clearing organization affiliated with the exchange on which the option is listed; the clearing organization in effect guarantees completion of every exchange-traded option. In contrast, OTC options are contracts between a Fund and a counterparty, with no clearing organization guarantee. Thus, when a Fund sells (or purchases) an OTC option, it generally will be able to "close out" the option prior to its expiration only by entering into a closing transaction with the dealer to whom (or from whom) the Fund originally sold (or purchased) the option. There can be no assurance that a Fund would be able to liquidate an OTC option at any time prior to expiration. Unless a Fund is able to effect a closing purchase transaction in a covered OTC call option it has written, it will not be able to liquidate securities used as cover until the option expires or is exercised or until different cover is substituted. In the event of the counterparty's insolvency, a Fund may be unable to liquidate its options position and the associated cover.

The premium a Fund receives (or pays) when it writes (or purchases) an option is the amount at which the option is currently traded on the applicable market. The premium may reflect, among other things, the current market price of the underlying security, the relationship of the exercise price to the market price, the historical price volatility of the underlying security, the length of the option period, the general supply of and demand for credit, and the interest rate environment.

Closing transactions are effected in order to realize a profit (or minimize a loss) on an outstanding option, to prevent an underlying security from being called, or to permit the sale or the put of the underlying security. Furthermore, effecting a closing transaction permits a Fund to write another call option on the underlying security with a different exercise price or expiration date or both. There is, of course, no assurance that a Fund will be able to effect closing transactions at favorable prices. If a Fund cannot enter into such a transaction, it may be required to hold a security that it might otherwise have sold (or purchase a security that it might otherwise not have bought), in which case it would continue to be at market risk on the security.

A Fund will realize a profit or loss from a closing purchase transaction if the cost of the transaction is less or more than the premium received from writing the call or put option. Because increases in the market price of a call option generally reflect increases in the market price of the underlying security, any loss resulting from the repurchase of a call option is likely to be offset, in whole or in part, by appreciation of the underlying security owned by a Fund; however, a Fund could be in a less advantageous position than if it had not written the call option.

A Fund pays brokerage commissions or spreads in connection with purchasing or writing options, including those used to close out existing positions. From time to time, a Fund may purchase an underlying security for delivery in accordance with an exercise notice of a call option assigned to it, rather than deliver the security from its inventory. In those cases, additional brokerage commissions are incurred.

The hours of trading for options may not conform to the hours during which the underlying securities are traded. To the extent that the options markets close before the markets for the underlying securities close, significant price and rate movements can take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the options markets.

Additionally, volatility in the market for equity securities, which can impact a single stock or certain segments of stocks and can happen suddenly, can meaningfully increase the risk of loss associated with options.

**Structured Notes and Securities.** The Funds may invest in structured instruments, including, without limitation, participation notes, certificates and warrants and other types of notes on which the amount of principal repayment and interest payments are based on the movement of one or more specified factors, such as the movement of a particular stock or stock index. Structured instruments may be derived from or based on a single security or securities, an index, a commodity, debt issuance or a foreign currency (a "reference"), and their interest rate or principal may be determined by an unrelated indicator. Structured securities may be positively or negatively indexed, so that appreciation of the reference may produce an increase or a decrease in the value of the structured security at maturity, or in the interest rate of the structured security. Structured securities may entail a greater degree of risk than other types of securities because a Fund bears the risk of the reference in addition to the risk that the counterparty to the structured security will be unable or unwilling to fulfill its obligations under the structured security to a Fund when due. A Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received in connection with a structured security in the event of the default or bankruptcy of the counterparty to the structured security. Structured securities may also be more volatile, less liquid, and more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities or more traditional debt securities.

**<u>Exchange-Traded Notes</u>**

A Fund may invest in exchange-traded notes ("ETNs"). ETNs are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities whose returns are linked to the performance of a particular market benchmark or strategy, minus applicable fees. ETNs are traded on an exchange (*e.g.*, the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE")) during normal trading hours; however, investors can also hold the ETN until maturity. At maturity, the issuer pays to the investor a cash amount equal to the principal amount, subject to the day's market benchmark or strategy factor. ETNs do not make periodic coupon payments or provide principal protection. ETNs are subject to credit risk, including the credit risk of the issuer, and the value of the ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuer's credit rating, despite the underlying market benchmark or strategy remaining unchanged. The value of an ETN may also be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying assets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer's credit rating, and economic, legal, political, or geographic events that affect the referenced underlying asset. When a Fund invests in ETNs, it will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN. A decision by a Fund to sell ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. In addition, although an ETN may be listed on an exchange, the issuer may not be required to maintain the listing, and there can be no assurance that a secondary market will exist for an ETN.

ETNs are also subject to tax risk. No assurance can be given that the IRS will accept, or a court will uphold, how a Fund characterizes and treats ETNs for tax purposes.

An ETN that is tied to a specific market benchmark or strategy may not be able to replicate and maintain exactly the composition and relative weighting of securities, commodities or other components in the applicable market benchmark or strategy. Some ETNs that use leverage can, at times, be relatively illiquid, and thus they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Leveraged ETNs are subject to the same risk as other instruments that use leverage in any form.

The market value of ETNs may differ from their market benchmark or strategy. This difference in price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for ETNs at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the securities, commodities or other components underlying the market benchmark or strategy that the ETN seeks to track. As a result, there may be times when an ETN trades at a premium or discount to its market benchmark or strategy.

**<u>Investments in Other Investment Companies</u>**

The Funds may invest in the securities of other investment companies to the extent that such an investment would be consistent with the requirements of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, or any rule, regulation or order of the SEC or interpretation thereof. Generally, a Fund may invest in the securities of another investment company (the "acquired company") provided that a Fund, immediately after such purchase or acquisition, does not own: (i) more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the acquired company; (ii) securities issued by the acquired company having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the value of the total assets of a Fund; or (iii) securities issued by the acquired company and all other investment companies having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of a Fund. Section 12(d)(1)(B) prohibits another investment company from selling its shares to a Fund if, after the sale (i) a Fund owns more than 3% of the other investment company's voting stock or (ii) a Fund and other investment companies, and companies controlled by them, own more than 10% of the voting stock of such other investment company. In addition, a Fund will not purchase a security issued by a closed-end fund if after such purchase a Fund and any other investment companies with the same investment adviser would own more than 10% of the voting shares of the closed-end investment company.

The Fund, however, is permitted to invest in shares of certain investment companies beyond the limits contained in the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, if the Fund complies with the adopted framework for fund of funds arrangements under Rule 12d1-4. Pursuant to Rule 12d1-4, the Fund is permitted to exceed the limits of Section 12 of the 1940 Act if the Fund complies with Rule 12d1-4's conditions, which contain elements from the SEC's prior exemptive orders permitting fund of funds arrangements, including (i) limits on control and voting; (ii) required evaluations and findings; (iii) required fund of funds investment agreements; and (iv) limits on complex structures.

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

Consistent with the restrictions discussed above, a Fund may invest in several different types of investment companies from time to time, including mutual funds, ETFs, closed-end funds, foreign investment companies and business development companies ("BDCs"). For example, a Fund may elect to invest in another investment company when such an investment presents a more efficient investment option than buying securities individually. A Fund also may invest in investment companies that are included as components of an index, such as BDCs, to seek to track the performance of that index. A BDC is a less common type of closed-end investment company that more closely resembles an operating company than a typical investment company. BDCs generally focus on investing in, and providing managerial assistance to, small, developing, financially troubled, private companies or other companies that may have value that can be realized over time and with management assistance. Similar to an operating company, a BDC's total annual operating expense ratio typically reflects all of the operating expenses incurred by the BDC, and is generally greater than the total annual operating expense ratio of a mutual fund that does not bear the same types of operating expenses.

The main risk of investing in other investment companies is that a Fund will be exposed to the risks of the investments held by the other investment companies. The market prices of ETFs will fluctuate in accordance with both changes in the market value of their underlying portfolio securities and due to supply and demand for the instruments on the exchanges on which they are traded (which may result in their trading at a discount or premium to their NAVs). Index-based investment companies may not replicate exactly the performance of their specific index because of transaction costs, and because of the temporary unavailability of certain component securities of the index, or strategy used to track the index.

Krane and a sub-adviser, if applicable, are subject to a conflict of interest in allocating a Fund's assets to investment companies from which they or their affiliates receive compensation or other benefits.

**<u>Borrowing</u>**

The Funds may borrow money to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. Borrowing for investment purposes is a form of leverage. Leveraging investments, by purchasing securities with borrowed money, is a speculative technique that increases investment risk. Because substantially all of a Fund's assets will fluctuate in value, whereas the interest obligations on borrowings may be fixed, the NAV of a Fund will increase more when a Fund's portfolio assets increase in value and decrease more when a Fund's portfolio assets decrease in value than would otherwise be the case. Moreover, interest costs on borrowings may fluctuate with changing market rates of interest and may partially offset or exceed the returns on the borrowed funds. A Fund also may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with a borrowing or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit, which would further increase the cost of borrowing. Under adverse conditions, a Fund might have to sell portfolio securities to meet interest or principal payments at a time when investment considerations would not favor such sales.

Although it has not entered into a credit facility (other than any overdrafts permitted by the Funds' custodian), a Fund may borrow money to facilitate management of a Fund's portfolio by enabling a Fund to meet redemption requests when the liquidation of portfolio instruments would be inconvenient or disadvantageous, and for temporary or emergency purposes, such as trade settlements and as necessary to distribute to shareholders any income required to maintain the Fund's status as a RIC. In this regard, a Fund may enter into a credit facility to borrow money for temporary or emergency purposes, including the funding of shareholder redemption requests, trade settlements, and as necessary to distribute to shareholders any income required to maintain a Fund's status as a RIC. Such borrowing is not for investment purposes and will be repaid by a Fund promptly. As required by the 1940 Act, a Fund must maintain continuous asset coverage (total assets, including assets acquired with borrowed funds, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of all amounts borrowed. If, at any time, the value of a Fund's assets should fail to meet this 300% coverage test, a Fund, within three days (not including Sundays and holidays), will reduce the amount of a Fund's borrowings to the extent necessary to meet this 300% coverage requirement. Maintenance of this percentage limitation may result in the sale of portfolio securities at a time when investment considerations otherwise indicate that it would be disadvantageous to do so.

While the Funds do not anticipate doing so, each Fund is authorized to pledge (*i.e.*, transfer a security interest in) portfolio securities in an amount up to one-third of the value of the Fund's total assets in connection with any borrowing.

**<u>Bank Deposits and Obligations</u>**

The Funds may invest in deposits and other obligations of U.S. and non-U.S. banks and financial institutions. Deposits and obligations of banks and financial institutions include certificates of deposit, time deposits, and bankers' acceptances. Certificates of deposit and time deposits represent an institution's obligation to repay funds deposited with it that earn a specified interest rate. Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates, while time deposits are non-negotiable deposits. A banker's acceptance is a time draft drawn on and accepted by a bank that becomes a primary and unconditional liability of the bank upon acceptance. Investments in obligations of non-U.S. banks and financial institutions may involve risks that are different from investments in obligations of U.S. banks. These risks include future unfavorable political and economic developments, seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits, currency controls, interest limitations or other governmental restrictions that might affect the payment of principal or interest on the securities held in a Fund. All investments in deposits and other obligations are subject to credit risk, which is the risk that a Fund may lose its investments in these instruments if, for example, the issuing financial institution collapses and is unable to meet its obligations. This risk is more acute for investments in deposits and other obligations that are not insured by a government or private entity. For a discussion of the risks of a Fund holding cash in mainland China, please see the "PRC Custodian and Dealer/Settlement Agent" section above.

**<u>Illiquid Securities</u>**

A Fund may invest up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. The liquidity of an investment will be determined based on relevant market, trading, and investment specific considerations as set forth in the Fund's liquidity risk management program (the "Liquidity Program") as required by Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act (the "Liquidity Rule"). Illiquid investments may trade at a discount to comparable, more liquid investments and the Fund may not be able to dispose of illiquid investments in a timely fashion or at their expected prices.

If illiquid investments exceed 15% of a Fund's net assets (including, for example, because of changes in the market value of its investments or because of redemptions), the Liquidity Rule and the Liquidity Program will require that certain remedial actions be taken. A Fund may not acquire illiquid investments if, immediately after the acquisition, more than 15% of the Fund's net assets would be in illiquid investments.

**<u>Portfolio Turnover</u>**

In general, Krane manages each Fund without regard to restrictions on portfolio turnover. The Funds' investment strategies may produce high portfolio turnover rates. To the extent a Fund invests in derivative or other instruments with short maturities, the instruments generally will have short-term maturities and, thus, be excluded from the calculation of portfolio turnover. The value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of a Fund's shares also is excluded from the calculation of the Fund's portfolio turnover rate. As a result, a Fund's reported portfolio turnover may be low despite relatively high portfolio activity which would, in turn, produce correspondingly greater expenses for a Fund, including brokerage commissions or dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of securities and reinvestments in other securities. Generally, the higher the rate of portfolio turnover of a fund, the higher these transaction costs borne by a fund and its long-term shareholders. Such sales may result in the realization of taxable capital gains (including short-term capital gains, which, when distributed, are generally taxed to shareholders at ordinary income tax rates) for certain taxable shareholders.

"Portfolio Turnover Rate" is defined under the rules of the SEC as the lesser of the value of the securities purchased or of the 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, derivatives and instruments with a remaining maturity of less than one-year are excluded from the calculation of the portfolio turnover rate. Instruments excluded from the calculation of portfolio turnover may include commercial paper, futures contracts and option contracts because they generally have a remaining maturity of less than one-year.

**<u>Repurchase Agreements</u>**

The Funds may enter into repurchase agreements. A repurchase agreement is a transaction in which a Fund purchases securities or other obligations from a bank or securities dealer (or its affiliate) and simultaneously commits to resell them to a counterparty at an agreed-upon date or upon demand and at a price reflecting a market rate of interest unrelated to the coupon rate or maturity of the purchased obligations. A Fund maintains custody of the underlying obligations prior to their repurchase, either through its regular custodian or through a special "triparty" custodian or sub-custodian that maintains separate accounts for both a Fund and its counterparty. Thus, the obligation of the counterparty to pay the repurchase price on the date agreed to or upon demand is, in effect, secured by such obligations.

Repurchase agreements carry certain risks not associated with direct investments in securities, including a possible decline in the market value of the underlying obligations. If their value becomes less than the repurchase price, plus any agreed-upon additional amount, the counterparty must provide additional collateral so that at all times the collateral is at least equal to the repurchase price plus any agreed-upon additional amount. The difference between the total amount to be received upon repurchase of the obligations and the price that was paid by a Fund upon acquisition is accrued as interest and included in its net investment income. Repurchase agreements collateralized by instruments other than U.S. government securities (such as commercial paper and corporate bonds) are subject to special risks as they may not have the benefit of certain protections in the event of the counterparty's insolvency. If the seller or guarantor becomes insolvent, a Fund may suffer delays, costs and possible losses in connection with the disposition of collateral.

**<u>Reverse Repurchase Agreements</u>**

The Funds may enter into reverse repurchase agreements, which involve the sale of securities held by a Fund subject to its agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon date or upon demand and at a price reflecting a market rate of interest. Reverse repurchase agreements are subject to a Fund's limitation on borrowings and may be entered into only with banks or securities dealers or their affiliates.

Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the buyer of the securities sold by a Fund might be unable to deliver them when a Fund seeks to repurchase. If the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the buyer or trustee or receiver may receive an extension of time to determine whether to enforce the Fund's obligation to repurchase the securities, and the Fund's use of the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement may effectively be restricted pending such decision.

**<u>Lending of Portfolio Securities</u>**

Each Fund may lend securities from its portfolio to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. In connection with such loans, a Fund remains the beneficial owner of the loaned securities and continues to be entitled to payments in amounts approximately equal to the interest, dividends or other distributions payable on the loaned securities. A Fund also has the right to terminate a loan at any time. A Fund does not have the right to vote on securities while they are on loan. Loans of portfolio securities will not exceed 33 1/3% of the value of a Fund's total assets (including the value of all assets received as collateral for the loan). A Fund will receive collateral in an amount equal to at least 100% of the current market value of the loaned securities. If the collateral consists of cash, a Fund will reinvest the cash and pay the borrower a pre-negotiated fee or "rebate" from any return earned on the investment. Should the borrower of the securities fail financially, a Fund may experience delays or trouble in recovering the loaned securities or exercising its rights in the collateral. In a loan transaction, a Fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities acquired with cash collateral. Krane and a sub-adviser, if applicable, are subject to potential conflicts of interest because the compensation paid to them increases in connection with any net income received by a Fund from a securities lending program.

**<u>Cyber-Security Risk</u>**

Each Fund, and its service providers, may be prone to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber-attacks. Cyber-attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber security breaches. Cyber-attacks affecting a Fund or its advisors, custodian, transfer agent, intermediaries and other third-party service providers may adversely impact a Fund. For instance, cyber-attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact a Fund's ability to calculate its NAV, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential business information, impede trading, subject a Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses and/or cause reputational damage. A Fund may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes. While a Fund's service providers have established business continuity plans, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, a Fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by its service providers or any other third parties whose operations may affect a Fund or its shareholders. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issues or securities in which a Fund may invest, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause a Fund's investment in such companies to lose value.

**INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS**

Unless otherwise noted, whenever a fundamental or non-fundamental investment policy or limitation states that a maximum percentage of a Fund's assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding quality standards, such standard or percentage limitation will be determined immediately after and as a result of a Fund's acquisition of such security or other asset. Accordingly, other than with respect to a Fund's limitations on borrowings, any subsequent change in values, net assets, or other circumstances will not be considered when determining whether the investment complies with a Fund's investment policies and limitations.

**<u>Fundamental Policies</u>**

The investment limitations below are fundamental policies of each Fund, and cannot be changed without the consent of the holders of a majority of each Fund's outstanding shares. The term "majority of the outstanding shares" means the vote of (i) 67% or more of each Fund's shares present at a meeting, if more than 50% of the outstanding shares of each Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of each Fund's outstanding shares, whichever is less.

Each Fund may not:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, and any applicable exemptive relief.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, and any applicable exemptive relief.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. Act as an underwriter of another issuer's securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act in the disposition of portfolio securities.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4. Purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, or any non-U.S. government, or their respective agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the Fund's total assets would be invested in the securities of companies whose principal business activities are in the same industry (excluding investment companies) or group of industries, except that the Fund will concentrate its investment in the particular industry to which its Underlying Stock is assigned.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;5. Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate, real estate investment trusts or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business).

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;6. Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options, futures contracts, forward contracts, swaps and other financial instruments or from investing in issuers engaged in the commodities business or securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities).

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;7. Lend any security or make any other loan except as permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, and any applicable exemptive relief. This limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities or to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments permissible under the Fund's investment policies.

Each Fund's fundamental policies will be interpreted broadly. For example, the policies will be interpreted to refer to the 1940 Act and the related rules as they are in effect from time to time, and to interpretations of or relating to the 1940 Act by the SEC and others as they are given from time to time. When a policy provides that an investment practice may be conducted as permitted by the 1940 Act, the policy will be interpreted to mean either that the 1940 Act expressly permits the practice or that the 1940 Act does not prohibit the practice.

**CONTINUOUS OFFERING**

The method by which Creation Units of shares are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units of shares are issued and sold by a Fund on an ongoing basis, at any point a "distribution," as such term is used in 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 requirement 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 Funds' Distributor, breaks them down into constituent 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 a 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, generally are required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act.

**MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST**

**<u>Board Responsibilities</u>**

The Board of Trustees is responsible for overseeing the management and affairs of each Fund and the Trust. The Board considers and approves contracts, as described herein, under which certain companies provide essential management and administrative services to the Trust. Like most ETFs, the day-to-day business of the Trust, including the day-to-day management of risk, is performed by third-party service providers, such as Krane, a sub-adviser, if applicable, the Distributor and the Administrator (as defined below). The Board oversees the Trust's service providers and overall risk management. Risk management seeks to identify and eliminate or mitigate the potential effects of risks, *i.e.*, events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Trust or a Fund. Under the overall supervision of the Board and the Audit Committee (discussed in more detail below), the service providers to the Funds employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify risks relevant to the operations of the Trust and a Fund to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust's business (*e.g.*, Krane is responsible for the oversight of a sub-adviser) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that activity.

Consistent with its responsibility for oversight of the Trust and the Funds, the Board oversees the management of risks relating to the administration and operations of the Trust and the Funds. Krane, as part of its responsibilities for the day-to-day operations of the Funds, is responsible for day-to-day risk management for the Funds. The Board performs its risk management oversight directly and, as to certain matters, through its committees. The following provides an overview of the principal, but not all, aspects of the Board's oversight of risk management for the Trust and the Funds.

In general, each Fund's risks include, among others, investment risk, liquidity risk, valuation risk and operational risk. The Funds' service providers, including Krane and any sub-adviser, as applicable, are responsible for adopting policies, procedures and controls designed to address various risks within their purview. Further, Krane is responsible for overseeing and monitoring the investments and operations of any sub-adviser. The Board also oversees risk management for the Trust and the Funds through review of regular reports, presentations and other information from officers of the Trust and other persons. In addition to reports from Krane, the Board also receives reports regarding other service providers to the Trust on a periodic or regular basis.

The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent and quality of the Fund services provided to the Funds by Krane and any sub-adviser and receives information from them on a periodic basis. In connection with its consideration of whether to approve and/or renew the advisory agreements with Krane and any sub-adviser, the Board will request information allowing the Board to review such services. The Board also receives reports related to Krane's and any sub-adviser's adherence to each Fund's investment restrictions and compliance with the stated policies of a Fund. In addition, the Board regularly receives information about each Fund's performance and investments.

The Trust's Chief Compliance Officer meets regularly with the Board to review and discuss compliance and other issues. At least annually, the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust's policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the Adviser and any sub-adviser. The report generally seeks to address: the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and material compliance matters since the date of the last report.

The Board normally also receives reports from the Trust's service providers regarding Fund operations, portfolio valuation and other matters. Annually, an independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of the Trust's financial statements, focusing on certain areas of risk to the Trust and the Trust's internal controls.

The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect a Fund can be identified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve a Fund's goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, despite the periodic reports the Board receives and the Board's discussions with the service providers to a Fund, it may not be made aware of all relevant information about certain risks. Most of the Trust's investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through Krane and other service providers, each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the Trust's and each other's in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board's risk management oversight is subject to substantial limitations.

**<u>Members of the Board and Officers of the Trust</u>**

Set forth below are the names, years of birth, position with the Trust, term of office, the principal occupations for a minimum of the last five years, number of portfolios overseen by, and other directorships of each of the persons currently serving as members of the Board and as Executive Officers of the Trust. Also included below is the term of office for each of the Executive Officers of the Trust. The members of the Board serve as Trustees for the life of the Trust or until retirement, removal, or their office is terminated pursuant to the Trust's Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust.

The Chairman of the Board, Jonathan Krane, is an interested person of the Trust as defined in the 1940 Act. No single Independent Trustee serves as a lead Independent Trustee. The Board has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics the Trust and its operations. The Board made this determination in consideration of, among other things, Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust (*i.e.*, "Independent Trustees") constitute at least fifty percent (50%) of the Board, the Audit Committee is composed of the Independent Trustees, and the Board oversees only a certain number of funds (and classes of shares).

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| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name, Address**<br> **and Year of Birth of<br> Trustee/Officer** | **Position(s)<br> Held with<br> the Trust,<br> Term of Office<br> and Length of<br> Time Served<br> (or Year Service Began)** | **Principal Occupation(s)**<br> **During Past 5 Years** | **Number of<br> Portfolios in<br> Fund Complex<br> Overseen<br> by Trustee/<br> Officer** | **Other<br> Directorships<br> Held by<br> Trustee/Officer**<br> **During Past 5 Years** |
| **Interested Trustee** | **Interested Trustee** | **Interested Trustee** | **Interested Trustee** | **Interested Trustee** |
| Jonathan Krane\*<br> (1968)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Trustee and Chairman of the Board, No set term; served since 2012 | Chief Executive Officer of Krane Funds Advisors, LLC from 2011 to present. | 40 | Director of Krane California Carbon Allowance Fund, Ltd. from 2024 to present. Director of KraneShares ETC plc from 2024 to present. Director of KraneShares ICAV from 2021 to present. |
| **Independent Trustees** | **Independent Trustees** | **Independent Trustees** | **Independent Trustees** | **Independent Trustees** |
| Luis Berruga<br> (1977)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Trustee, No set term; served since 2024 | Founder and Managing Partner of LBS Capital (family office and advisory business) from 2024 to present. Chief Executive Officer of Global X ETFs from 2018 to 2023. Chief Executive Officer of Global X Management Company LLC ("Global X") from 2014 to 2023; Chief Operating Officer of Global X in 2018; Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Global X from 2014 to 2018. | 40 | Independent Director of Sol Strategies from 2025 to present. Independent Director of VistaOne Fund from 2025 to present. Independent Director of Tidal Trust IV from 2025 to present. Interested Trustee of Global X Funds from 2018 to 2023. |

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| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name, Address**<br> **and Year of Birth of<br> Trustee/Officer** | **Position(s)<br> Held with<br> the Trust,<br> Term of Office<br> and Length of<br> Time Served<br> (or Year Service Began)** | **Principal Occupation(s)**<br> **During Past 5 Years** | **Number of<br> Portfolios in<br> Fund Complex<br> Overseen<br> by Trustee/<br> Officer** | **Other<br> Directorships<br> Held by<br> Trustee/Officer**<br> **During Past 5 Years** |
| John Ferguson<br> (1966)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Trustee, No set term; served since 2012 | President and CCO of Three Fifty Eight Investment Group, LLC from 2024 to present. Advisor to CEO and CCO of Covey Advisors LLC from 2023 to 2024. Chief Operating Officer of Shrewsbury River Capital from 2017 to 2020. Chief Operating Officer of Kang Global Investors LP (hedge fund adviser) from 2014 to 2016. President of Alden Global Capital, LLC (hedge fund adviser) from 2012 to 2014 (formerly, Chief Operating Officer from 2011 to 2012). Senior Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of K2 Advisors, LLC from 2005 to 2011. | 40 | Independent Director of Pula Capital Offshore Fund Ltd. (Cayman) from 2024 to present. Independent Director of K2 Advisors Offshore Fund Complex from 2022 to present. |
| Matthew Stroyman<br> (1968)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Trustee, No set term; served since 2012 | Founder and President of BlackRidge Ventures from 2018 to present (principal investment activities and strategic advisory services in a variety of industries to clients and partners that include institutional investment firms, family offices and high net-worth individuals). | 40 |  |
| **Officers** | **Officers** | **Officers** | **Officers** | **Officers** |
| Jonathan Krane<br> (1968)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer, No set term; served since 2012 | Chief Executive Officer of Krane Funds Advisors, LLC from 2011 to present. | 40 |  |
| Jennifer Tarleton (formerly Krane)<br> (1966)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Vice President and Secretary, No set term; served since 2012 | Vice President of Krane Funds Advisors, LLC from 2011 to present. | 40 |  |
| Michael Quain<br> (1957)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Chief Compliance Officer and Anti-Money Laundering Officer, No set term; served since 2015 | Principal/President of Quain Compliance Consulting, LLC from 2014 to present. | 40 |  |

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| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name, Address**<br> **and Year of Birth of<br> Trustee/Officer** | **Position(s)<br> Held with<br> the Trust,<br> Term of Office<br> and Length of<br> Time Served<br> (or Year Service Began)** | **Principal Occupation(s)**<br> **During Past 5 Years** | **Number of<br> Portfolios in<br> Fund Complex<br> Overseen<br> by Trustee/<br> Officer** | **Other<br> Directorships<br> Held by<br> Trustee/Officer**<br> **During Past 5 Years** |
| John Bourgeois<br> (1973)<br> SEI Investments Company<br> One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, PA 19456 | Assistant Treasurer, No set term; served since 2024 | Director of Accounting, SEI Investments Global Fund Services from May 2024 to present. Fund Accounting Manager, SEI Investments Global Fund Services from June 2001 to May 2024. | 40 |  |
| David Adelman<br> (1964)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Assistant Secretary, No set term; served since 2021 | Managing Director and the General Counsel, Krane Fund Advisors, LLC from 2021 to present. Partner, Reed Smith LLP from 2015 to 2021. | 40 |  |
| Jonathan Shelon<br> (1974)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Assistant Secretary, No set term; served since 2019 | Chief Operating Officer, Krane Funds Advisors, LLC from 2015 to present. Chief Investment Officer of Specialized Strategies, J.P. Morgan from 2011 to 2015. | 40 |  |

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\* Mr. Krane is an "interested" person of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, by virtue of his ownership and controlling interest in Krane.

**<u>Board Standing Committees</u>**

The Board has established the following standing committees:

**Audit Committee.** Messrs. Berruga, Ferguson and Stroyman are members of the Trust's Audit Committee (the "Audit Committee") and Mr. Ferguson is the Chairman of the Audit Committee. The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee are to oversee the financial reporting process and internal controls of the Trust, including recommending the appointment and compensation of the Trust's independent auditors, and reviewing any significant disputes regarding financial reporting between Trust management and such independent auditors. Under the terms of the Audit Committee charter adopted by the Board, the Audit Committee is authorized to, among other things, (i) oversee the accounting and financial reporting processes of the Trust and its internal control over financial reporting; (ii) oversee the quality and integrity of a Fund's financial statements and the independent audits thereof; (iii) assist the Board with oversight of the Trust's compliance with legal and regulatory requirements that relate to the Trust's accounting and financial reporting, internal control over financial reporting and independent audits; (iv) approve, prior to appointment, the engagement of the Trust's independent auditors and, in connection therewith, review and evaluate the qualifications, independence and performance of the Trust's independent auditors; and (v) act as a liaison between the Trust's independent auditors and the full Board. The Board of the Trust has adopted a written charter for the Audit Committee. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, the Audit Committee held four meetings.

The Audit Committee also serves as the Qualified Legal Compliance Committee ("QLCC") for the Trust. The function of the QLCC is to receive, review and recommend resolution with respect to any report made or referred to the QLCC by an attorney of evidence of a material violation of applicable U.S. federal or state securities law, material breach of a fiduciary duty under U.S. federal or state law or a similar material violation by the Trust or by any officer, trustee, employee, or agent of the Trust. The QLCC meets as needed and during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, did not meet.

**Nominating Committee.** Messrs. Berruga, Ferguson and Stroyman are members of the Trust's Nominating Committee and Mr. Stroyman is the Chairman of the Nominating Committee. The principal responsibilities of the Nominating Committee are to (i) identify, select and nominate the appropriate number of candidates for election or appointment as members of the Board and (ii) recommend to the Board for its consideration any appropriate changes to the number or qualification of Board members. The Nominating Committee is solely responsible for the selection and nomination of the Trust's Independent Trustees and does not consider nominations for the office of Trustee made by Trust shareholders. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, the Nominating Committee held two meetings.

**<u>Individual Trustee Qualifications</u>**

The Board has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board because of his ability to review and understand information about the Trust and each Fund provided by management, to identify and request other information he may deem relevant to the performance of the Trustees' duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration of a Fund, and to exercise his business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of a Fund's shareholders. The Board has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on his experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as described below.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Krane should serve as Trustee because of his knowledge of, and the executive positions he holds, or has held, in the financial services industry. Specifically, Mr. Krane currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Adviser. Mr. Krane contributes expertise and institutional knowledge relating to both the Adviser and the Trust. Prior to founding the Adviser, Mr. Krane also served as Chief Executive Officer of the China division of a multinational company, where he gained valuable experience in managing a business and critical knowledge of business and investment opportunities in China. In addition, he has served on the boards of different corporations and, in doing so, has first-hand knowledge of the fiduciary duties and responsibilities bestowed upon trustees and directors. The Board believes that Mr. Krane's experience serving as Chief Executive Officer for multiple businesses in the financial services industry, his familiarity with the KraneShares complex, and his experience in serving on the boards of various companies qualify him to serve as a Trustee of the Trust.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Ferguson should serve as Trustee because of the experience he has gained working in the financial services and legal industries over the years. In particular, Mr. Ferguson has extensive experience in managing global investment adviser firms, including the management, creation and operation of hedge funds. Mr. Ferguson has also served as a corporate securities and tax attorney assisting and counseling clients with the organization and creation of both domestic and offshore funds. In addition, Mr. Ferguson has served as an officer for two registered investment companies and, in doing so, has gained experience and knowledge regarding the mutual fund industry. The Board believes that Mr. Ferguson's experience in the financial services, fund and legal industries and his day-to-day work in managing investment advisory firms, qualify him to serve as a Trustee of the Trust.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Stroyman should serve as Trustee because of the experience he has gained working in the financial services and real estate industries. Working as an investment banker early in his career, Mr. Stroyman developed a strong base of knowledge regarding corporate finance, structuring, public and private securities, and company valuations. Through his work in the real estate industry and relationships with large investment management firms, Mr. Stroyman has gained an understanding of sophisticated financial products. He has advised institutional clients including pension funds, endowments and other qualified investors in asset management, risk assessment, and repositioning and disposition of underperforming assets. The Board believes that the knowledge Mr. Stroyman has gained over the years working in the financial services and real estate industries and his value and understanding of fiduciary duties and responsibilities assigned to board members qualify him to serve as Trustee of the Trust.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Berruga should serve as Trustee because of his extensive knowledge of and experience in the financial services industry. In particular, Mr. Berruga has extensive experience managing a global investment advisory firm and exchange-traded fund sponsor, giving him a strong understanding of product development related to and operation of exchange-traded funds. In addition, Mr. Berruga serves or has served as a board member of various operating companies, exchange-traded funds and private funds, and thus has first-hand knowledge of the fiduciary duties and responsibilities bestowed upon trustees and directors. The Board believes that the knowledge Mr. Berruga has gained over the years working in the exchange-traded fund industry and his value and understanding of fiduciary duties and responsibilities assigned to board members qualify him to serve as Trustee of the Trust.

As of March 31, 2025, none of the Independent Trustees or members of their immediate family, beneficially owned or owned of record securities representing interests in Krane, any sub-adviser or distributor of the Trust, or any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with such persons. For this purpose, "immediate family member" includes an Independent Trustee's spouse, children residing in the same household and dependents of the Independent Trustee.

**<u>Fund Shares Owned by Board Members</u>**

As of December 31, 2024, the Trustees beneficially owned the following amounts of Fund shares and shares of other series of the Trust:

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Trustee** | **Funds** | **Aggregate<br> Dollar<br> Range of<br> Beneficial<br> Ownership<br> of Funds** |
| Luis Berruga |  |  |
| John Ferguson | KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF | $10001-$50000 |
| John Ferguson | KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF | $10001-$50000 |
| John Ferguson | KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | $50001-$100000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF | $10001-$50000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares SSE Star Market 50 Index ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Matthew Stroyman |  |  |

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"Beneficial ownership" is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "1934 Act").

**<u>Board Compensation</u>**

Trustees who are "interested persons" of Krane are not compensated by the Trust for their service as a Trustee. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025: (a) Mr. Berruga received aggregate compensation from the Trust in the amount of $108,049; (b) Mr. Ferguson received aggregate compensation from the Trust in the amount of $190,000; (c) Mr. Stroyman received aggregate compensation from the Trust in the amount of $190,000; and (d) Patrick Campo (who retired from his position as Trustee effective December 31, 2024) received aggregate compensation from the Trust in the amount of $142,500. None of the Trustees accrued or received any retirement or pension benefits.

Effective September 1, 2023, the Trustees receive compensation from the Trust in the amount of $190,000 per year. Each Fund bears a proportionate share of Trustee compensation and expenses based on its relative net assets.

**INVESTMENT ADVISER**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") serves as investment adviser to each Fund pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and Krane (the "Investment Advisory Agreement"). Krane is a Delaware limited liability company registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the "Advisers Act"). Krane's offices are located at 280 Park Ave, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, Krane is responsible for reviewing, supervising and administering each Fund's investment program and the general management and administration of the Trust. Krane may engage a subadviser to assist it in managing a Fund's investments, but will be responsible for overseeing any subadvisers. Krane arranges for transfer agency, custody, fund administration and accounting, and other non-distribution related services necessary for each Fund to operate. Krane manages each Fund's business affairs, provides office facilities and equipment and certain clerical, bookkeeping and administrative services, and permits its officers and employees to serve as officers or Trustees of the Trust. Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, Krane bears all of its own costs associated with providing advisory services to the Funds. As part of the Investment Advisory Agreement, Krane has contractually agreed to pay all expenses of each Fund, except (i) interest and taxes (including, but not limited to, income, excise, transaction, transfer and withholding taxes); (ii) expenses of a Fund incurred with respect to the acquisition and disposition of portfolio securities and the execution of portfolio transactions, including brokerage commissions and short sale dividend or interest expense; (iii) expenses incurred in connection with any distribution plan adopted by the Trust in compliance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, including distribution fees; (iv) Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses; (v) litigation expenses; (vi) the compensation payable to the Adviser under the Investment Advisory Agreement; (vii) compensation and expenses of the Independent Trustees (including any Trustees' counsel fees); and (viii) any expenses determined to be extraordinary expenses by the Board. Nevertheless, there exists a risk that a Trust service provider will seek recourse against the Trust if is not timely paid by Krane for the fees and expenses for which it is responsible, which could materially adversely affect a Fund.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, each Fund pays Krane the fee shown in the table below, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate based on a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund.

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF\* | 1.25% |
| KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF | 1.25% |

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\* Krane has contractually agreed to waive its advisory fee by 0.27% of the Fund's average daily net assets ("Fee Waiver"). The Fee Waiver will continue until August 1, 2026, and may only be terminated prior thereto by the Board.

In addition to the advisory fee rate paid to Krane, as shown in the table above, under the Investment Advisory Agreement, each Fund pays Krane 10% of the monthly investment income received from the investment of cash collateral and loan fees received from borrowers in respect of securities loans (net of any amounts paid to the custodian and/or securities lending agent or rebated to borrowers) as compensation for the services provided by Krane in connection with any securities lending-related activities.

To the extent a Fund engages in securities lending, Krane will: (i) determine which securities are available for loan and notify the securities lending agent for a Fund (the "Agent"), (ii) monitor the Agent's activities to ensure that securities loans are effected in accordance with Krane's instructions and in accordance with applicable procedures and guidelines adopted by the Board, (iii) make recommendations to the Board regarding the Fund's participation in securities lending, (iv) prepare appropriate periodic reports for, and seek appropriate periodic approvals from, the Board with respect to securities lending activities, (v) respond to Agent inquiries concerning Agent's activities, and (vi) such other related duties as Krane deems necessary or appropriate. In addition, Krane may provide additional securities lending-related services as requested by the Trustees from time to time.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, while the fees and expenses related to a Fund's securities lending-related activities reduce the revenues and income of the Fund from such activities, they are not fees and expenses for which Krane is responsible.

For the fiscal period ended March 31, 2025, Krane received the following compensation under the Investment Advisory Agreement:

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Fiscal Period Ended<br> 3/31/25** | **Fiscal Period Ended<br> 3/31/25** |
| | **Advisory Fees** | **Fees from Securities Lending** |
| KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF | $1578 | $0 |
| KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF | $1785 | $0 |

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The Investment Advisory Agreement with respect to each Fund will continue in effect for two years from its initial effective date, and thereafter is subject to annual approval by (i) the Board of Trustees of the Trust or (ii) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, provided that in either event such continuance also is approved by a vote of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund. If the shareholders of a Fund fail to approve the Investment Advisory Agreement, Krane may continue to serve in the manner and to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and rules and regulations thereunder.

Krane waived the following amount of fees for each Fund listed below pursuant to that Fund's fee waiver agreement:

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| | **Fiscal Period Ended<br> 3/31/25** |
| KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF | $341 |

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The Investment Advisory Agreement with respect to a Fund is terminable without any penalty, by vote of the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of a Fund, or by Krane, in each case on not less than sixty (60) days' prior written notice to the other party; provided that a shorter notice period shall be permitted for a Fund in the event its shares are no longer listed on a national securities exchange or in such other circumstances where a Fund waives such notice period. The Investment Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically and immediately in the event of its "assignment" (as defined in the 1940 Act).

China International Capital Corporation (USA) Holdings Inc., a wholly-owned, indirect subsidiary of China International Capital Corporation Limited owns a majority stake in Krane. As of March 31, 2025, Central Huijin Investment Limited, a mainland Chinese-domiciled entity, and HKSCC Nominees Limited, held approximately 40.11% and 39.42%, respectively, of the shares of China International Capital Corporation Limited. Central Huijin Investment Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Investment Corporation, which is a mainland Chinese sovereign wealth fund. KFA One Holdings, LLC, located at 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017, holds the remaining equity interests in Krane and Jonathan Krane, through his equity interests in KFA One Holdings, LLC, beneficially owns more than 10% of the equity interests in Krane.

Krane has received "manager of managers" exemptive relief from the SEC that permits Krane, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees, to appoint a "wholly-owned" or unaffiliated sub-adviser, as defined in the exemptive relief, or to change the terms of a sub-advisory agreement with a "wholly-owned" or unaffiliated sub-adviser without first obtaining shareholder approval. The exemptive order further permits Krane to add or to change a "wholly-owned" or unaffiliated sub-adviser or to change the fees paid to such parties from time to time without the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approval of the change and to disclose sub-advisers' fees only in the aggregate in its registration statement. Any increase in the aggregate advisory fee paid by any Fund remains subject to shareholder approval. Krane continues to have ultimate responsibility (subject to oversight by the Board of Trustees) to oversee the sub-advisers and recommend their hiring, termination, and replacement. A Fund will notify shareholders of any change of a Fund sub-adviser.

**PORTFOLIO MANAGERS**

**Portfolio Manager Fund Ownership.** The Funds are required to show the dollar range of each portfolio manager's "beneficial ownership" of shares of a Fund as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal period. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC.

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Krane's Portfolio Managers** | **Krane's Portfolio Managers** | **Krane's Portfolio Managers** |
| **Name** | **Funds Covered by this SAI** | **Dollar Range of Fund Ownership (dollars)** |
| James Maund | KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF |  |
| James Maund | KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF |  |
| Jonathan Shelon | KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF |  |
| Jonathan Shelon | KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF |  |

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**Other Accounts.** The portfolio managers are responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as follows:

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| | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Krane's Portfolio Managers** | **Krane's Portfolio Managers** | **Krane's Portfolio Managers** | **Krane's Portfolio Managers** | **Krane's Portfolio Managers** | **Krane's Portfolio Managers** | **Krane's Portfolio Managers** |
| | **Registered<br> Investment Companies\*** | **Registered<br> Investment Companies\*** | **Other Pooled<br> Investment Vehicles\*** | **Other Pooled<br> Investment Vehicles\*** | **Other Accounts\*** | **Other Accounts\*** |
| <br>**Name** | **Number of<br> Accounts** | **Total Assets<br> ($ millions)** | **Number of<br> Accounts** | **Total Assets<br> ($ millions)** | **Number of<br> Accounts** | **Total Assets<br> ($ millions)** |
| James Maund\* | 23 | $9082.71 | 10 | $623.49 | NA | NA |
| Jonathan Shelon\* | 23 | $9082.71 | 10 | $623.49 | 10 | $0.133 |

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**\*** The information provided is as of March 31, 2025. None of the accounts paid advisory fees based on the performance of the accounts.

**<u>Portfolio Manager Compensation</u>**

The portfolio managers receive a fixed base salary and incentive awards based on the profitability of Krane and the satisfaction of the account objectives. The potential conflicts of interest arising with respect to each portfolio manager's compensation are relatively limited given each Fund's investment objective, which makes it unlikely, but not impossible, that the portfolio manager would take undue risks in investing a Fund's assets to increase performance. Nevertheless, to the extent a portfolio manager would derive additional compensation from managing other accounts, the portfolio manager may be motivated to favor the other accounts. To address these and other conflicts of interest, Krane has adopted various policies and procedures designed so that all clients are treated equitably and that no client is systematically favored or disadvantaged over time.

**<u>Description of Material Conflicts of Interest</u>**

A portfolio manager's management of "other accounts" may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with his management of a 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 a Fund. Therefore, a potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the similar investment objectives, whereby the portfolio manager could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include the portfolio manager's knowledge of the size, timing and possible market impact of a Fund's trades, whereby the portfolio manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts, including personal trading, and to the disadvantage of a Fund. However, Krane has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities among all accounts it manages are fairly and equitably allocated. Krane monitors and limits personal trading in accordance with its Code of Ethics, as described below.

**CODES OF ETHICS**

The Trust and Krane have each adopted a Code of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. The Codes of Ethics apply to the personal investing activities of trustees, directors, officers and certain employees ("access persons"). Rule 17j-1 and the Codes of Ethics are designed to prevent unlawful practices in connection with the purchase or sale of securities by access persons. Under the Codes of Ethics, access persons are permitted to engage in personal securities transactions (including investments in securities that may be purchased and held by a Fund), but are required to report their personal securities transactions for monitoring purposes. Each Code of Ethics is on file with the SEC and is available to the public.

**PROXY VOTING POLICY**

The Trust has adopted the proxy voting policies of Krane, a summary of which is set forth in the appendix to this SAI. The Trust is required to disclose annually a Fund's complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX covering the period from July 1 of one year through June 30 of the next and to file Form N-PX with the SEC no later than August 31 of each year. The Form N-PX is available, or will be available, (1) without charge, upon request, by calling 1.855.857.2638 and contacting <u>info@kraneshares.com</u>; (2) on or through the Funds' website at <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>; and (3) on the SEC's website at <u>www.sec.gov</u>.

**ADMINISTRATOR**

SEI Investments Global Funds Services (the "Administrator") serves as administrator for the Funds. SEI Investments Management Corporation ("SIMC"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEI Investments Company ("SEI Investments"), is the owner of all beneficial interest in the Administrator. The principal address of the Administrator is One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456. Under an Amended and Restated Administration Agreement with the Trust dated July 9, 2014, as amended (the "Administration Agreement"), the Administrator provides necessary administrative and accounting services for the maintenance and operations of the Trust and the Funds. In addition, the Administrator makes available the office space, equipment, personnel and facilities required to provide such services.

For its services under the Administration Agreement, the Administrator is entitled to a fee, based on assets under management, subject to a minimum fee. The Administrator may be reimbursed by the Funds for its out-of-pocket expenses. The Investment Advisory Agreement provides that Krane will pay certain operating expenses of the Trust, including the fees due to the Administrator under the Administration Agreement.

**CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER AGENT**

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. ("BBH") serves as custodian and transfer agent for the Trust. The principal address of BBH is 50 Post Office Square, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. Under the Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreement with the Trust dated December 12, 2012, BBH, in its capacity as custodian, maintains in separate accounts cash, securities and other assets of the Funds, keeps all necessary accounts and records, and provides other services. BBH is required, upon the order of the Trust, to deliver securities held by it, in its capacity as custodian, and to make payments for securities purchased by the Trust for a Fund.

Under the Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreement, foreign securities held by the Funds are generally held by sub-custodians in BBH's sub-custodian network.

BBH further acts as a transfer agent for the Trust's authorized and issued shares of beneficial interest, and as dividend disbursing agent of the Trust, under the Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreement. The Investment Advisory Agreement provides that Krane will pay certain operating expenses of the Trust, including the fees due to BBH under the Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreement.

**SECURITIES LENDING ARRANGEMENTS**

BBH serves as the securities lending agent for the Trust. The principal address of BBH is 50 Post Office Square, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. As the securities lending agent, BBH, among other matters, negotiates the specific loan terms for the Funds to loan their securities and receive compensation therefor, arranges for deliveries of securities and collateral under the securities lending program, and effects the investment of cash collateral received in connection with loaned securities, all as specified in the Securities Lending Agency Agreement and within the parameters established under the Trust's securities lending program. BBH is authorized to lend Fund securities only to such borrowers as have been approved by the Trust.

**DISTRIBUTOR AND DISTRIBUTION ARRANGEMENTS**

SEI Investments Distribution Co., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEI Investments, and an affiliate of the Administrator, serves as Distributor for the Trust. The principal address of the Distributor is One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456. The Distributor has entered into an Amended and Restated Distribution Agreement with the Trust dated July 9, 2014, (the "Distribution Agreement") pursuant to which it distributes shares of the Funds. The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable annually. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Funds through the Distributor only in Creation Units, as described in the Prospectus and below in the "Creation and Redemption of Creation Units" section. Shares in less than Creation Units are not distributed by the Distributor. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the 1934 Act and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA"). The Distributor is not affiliated with Krane or any national securities exchange.

The Distribution Agreement provides that it may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty: (i) by a vote of a majority of the independent Trustees; (ii) by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of a Fund; or (iii) on at least thirty (30) days' prior written notice to the other party. The Distribution Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).

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

**Distribution Plan.** Each Fund has adopted a Distribution Plan applicable to the Fund's shares. Under the Distribution Plan, the Distributor, or designated service providers, may receive up to 0.25% of a Fund's assets attributable to shares as compensation for distribution services pursuant to Rule 12b-1 of the 1940 Act. Distribution services may include: (i) services in connection with distribution assistance, or (ii) payments to financial institutions and other financial intermediaries, such as broker-dealers, fund "supermarkets" and the Distributor's affiliates and subsidiaries, as compensation for services or reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance. The Distributor may, at its discretion, retain a portion of such payments to compensate itself for distribution services and distribution related expenses such as the costs of preparation, printing, mailing or otherwise disseminating sales literature, advertising, and prospectuses (other than those furnished to current shareholders of a Fund), promotional and incentive programs, and such other marketing expenses that the Distributor may incur. The plan is a compensation plan, which means that the Distributor is compensated regardless of its expenses, as opposed to a reimbursement plan which reimburses only for expenses incurred.

No distribution fees are currently charged to the Funds and there are currently no plans to impose these fees. The Plan was adopted in order to permit the implementation of each Fund's method of distribution. In the event that 12b-1 fees are charged in the future, because a Fund pays these fees out of assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees may cost you more than other types of sales charges and will increase the cost of your investment in a Fund.

The Plan will remain in effect for a period of one year and is renewable from year to year with respect to a Fund, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees and (2) by a vote of the majority of those Independent Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan ("Rule 12b-1 Trustees"). The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount of fees that may be paid by a Fund under the Plan unless such amendment is approved by a 1940 Act majority vote of the outstanding shares and by a Fund's Trustees in the manner described above. The Plan is terminable with respect to a Fund at any time by a vote of a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees or by a 1940 Act majority vote of the outstanding shares.

**Intermediary Compensation.** Krane and/or its affiliates, out of its own resources and not out of a Fund's assets (*i.e.*, without additional cost to a Fund or its shareholders), may pay certain broker dealers, banks and other financial intermediaries ("Intermediaries"), to the extent permitted by applicable law, for certain activities related to a Fund, including marketing and education support and the sale of a Fund's shares. These arrangements are sometimes referred to as "revenue sharing" arrangements. Revenue sharing arrangements are not financed by a Fund and, thus, do not result in increased Fund expenses. They are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fees and expenses sections of a Fund's Prospectus and they do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of a Fund's shares or the amount received by a shareholder as proceeds from the redemption of shares of a Fund.

Such compensation may be paid to Intermediaries that provide services to a Fund, including marketing and education support (such as through conferences, webinars and printed communications). Such compensation may also be paid to Intermediaries for inclusion of a Fund on a sales list, including a preferred or select sales list, in other sales programs. Krane periodically assesses the advisability of continuing to make these payments.

Payments to an Intermediary may be significant to the Intermediary, and amounts that Intermediaries pay to your adviser, broker or other investment professional, if any, may also be significant to such adviser, broker or investment professional. Because an Intermediary may make decisions about what investment options it will make available or recommend, and what services to provide in connection with various products, based on payments it receives or is eligible to receive, such payments create conflicts of interest between the Intermediary and its clients. For example, these financial incentives may cause the Intermediary to recommend a Fund over other investments. The same conflict of interest exists with respect to your financial adviser, broker or investment professionals if he or she receives similar payments from his or her Intermediary firm.

Intermediary information is current only as of the date of this SAI. Please contact your adviser, broker or other investment professional for more information regarding any payments his or her Intermediary firm may receive. Any payments made by Krane and/or its affiliates to an Intermediary may create an incentive for the Intermediary to encourage customers to buy shares of a Fund.

**CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES**

All shares of a Fund that have commenced operations are held of record in the name of the DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co. Although the Funds do not have information concerning the beneficial ownership of shares held in the names of DTC participants, as of June 30, 2025, the name and percentage ownership of each DTC participant\* that owned of record 5% or more of the outstanding shares of a Fund were as follows:

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Ticker** | **Fund** | **Participant Name and Address** | **Percentage of<br> Ownership** |
| KBAB | KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF | BOFA SECURITIES, INC.<br> 100 North Tryon Street Charlotte NC 28255 | 58.8% |
| KBAB | KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF | THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON<br> 240 Greenwich Street New York, New York 10286 | 9.8% |
| KBAB | KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF | FUTU CLEARING INC.<br> 12750 Merit Drive, Suite 475, Dallas, TX 75251 United States | 6.3% |
| KBAB | KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF | NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC<br> 1 World Financial Center - Sandy Hook, New York, New York 10281 | 5.6% |
| KPDD | KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF | FUTU CLEARING INC.<br> 12750 Merit Drive, Suite 475, Dallas, TX 75251 United States | 27.6% |
| KPDD | KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF | CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.<br> 3000 Schwab Way, Westlake TX 76262 | 20.1% |
| KPDD | KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF | INTERACTIVE BROKERS LLC/RETAIL<br> Two Pickwick Plaza Greenwich CT 06830 | 18.7% |
| KPDD | KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF | CIBC WORLD MARKETS INC./CDS\*\*<br> 300 Madison Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10017 | 5.9% |

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\* DTC participants are listed according to their DTC number and may represent multiple companies under a single parent company, which have not been aggregated.

A person owning 25% or more of the voting securities of a Fund is termed a "Control Person" of the Fund. Shareholders owning voting securities in excess of 25% may determine the outcome of any matter affecting and voted on by shareholders of a Fund. The actions of an entity or person that controls a Fund could have an effect on other shareholders. For instance, a Control Person may have effective voting control over a Fund, and large redemptions by a Control Person could cause a Fund's other shareholders to pay a higher pro rata portion of the Fund's expenses.

**EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING**

A discussion of exchange listing and trading matters associated with an investment in a Fund is contained in the Prospectus. The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, such sections of the Prospectus.

The shares of the Fund are listed and traded on the Exchange identified on the cover of this SAI at prices that may differ from a Fund's NAV. There can be no assurance that the Exchange requirements necessary to maintain the listing of the shares of the Fund will continue to be met. The Exchange may, but is not required to, remove the shares of the Fund from listing if, among other matters: (i) the Exchange becomes aware that the Fund is no longer eligible to operate in reliance on Rule 6c-11 of the Investment Company Act; (ii) if the Fund no longer complies with the requirements set forth by the Exchange; (iii) following the initial 12-month period after commencement of trading of the Fund, there are fewer than fifty (50) Beneficial Owners (as that term is defined below) of the shares of the Fund; or (iv) such other event shall occur or condition exist that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the shares of the Fund from listing and trading upon termination of the Fund.

Trading prices of 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.

As in the case of other stocks traded on the Exchange, broker's commissions on purchases or sales of shares in market transactions will be based on investors' negotiated commission rates.

The Trust reserves the right to adjust the price levels of 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 a Fund or the value of investors' individual positions in the Fund.

**BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM**

The information below supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled "Shareholder Information."

The Depository Trust Company ("DTC") acts as securities depository for the Funds' shares. Shares of the Funds are represented by securities registered in the name of the DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, the DTC.

The DTC, a limited-purpose trust company, was created to hold securities of its participants ("DTC Participants") and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities' certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own the DTC. More specifically, the DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the Exchange, and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the "Indirect Participants").

Beneficial ownership of shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as "Beneficial Owners") is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by the DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of shares. The laws of some jurisdictions may require that certain purchasers of securities take physical delivery of such securities in definitive form. Such laws may impair the ability of certain investors to acquire beneficial interests in shares.

Conveyance of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. Pursuant to the Depositary Agreement between the Trust and the DTC, the DTC is required to make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee to be charged to the Trust a listing of the shares of a Fund held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall inquire of each such DTC Participant as to the number of Beneficial Owners holding shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

Share distributions shall be made to the DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all shares. The DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants' accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in shares of a Fund as shown on the records of the DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a "street name," and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.

The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in such shares, or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between the DTC and DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.

The DTC may decide to discontinue providing its service with respect to shares at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Trust and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Trust shall take action to find a replacement for the DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost.

**BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS**

Krane or, if applicable, a Fund sub-adviser assumes general supervision over placing orders on behalf of a Fund for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities.

Although Krane or any sub-adviser strives to obtain the best net price under prevailing circumstances surrounding each trade, the determinative factor is whether a transaction represents the best overall execution for a Fund and not whether the lowest possible transaction cost is obtained. Krane and any sub-adviser consider the full range and quality of a broker-dealer's servicing in selecting the broker to meet best execution obligations, and may not pay the lowest transaction cost available. Krane or any sub-adviser reviews trading to ensure best execution, operational performance, and reasonable commission rates. Order flow may go through traditional broker-dealers, but may also be executed on an Electronic Communication Network, Alternative Trading System or other execution system.

Where multiple broker-dealers are available to execute portfolio transactions, in selecting the brokers or dealers for any transaction in portfolio securities, Krane or any sub-adviser's policy is to make such selection based on factors deemed relevant, which may include the breadth of the market in the security; the price of the security; the reasonableness of the commission or mark-up or mark-down, if any; execution capability; settlement capability; back office efficiency; and the financial condition of the broker or dealer, both for the specific transaction and on a continuing basis. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid or spreads is evaluated by Krane or any sub-adviser generally based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions paid or spreads by other institutional investors for comparable services. Brokers or dealers may also be selected because of their ability to handle special or difficult executions, such as may be involved in large block trades, less liquid securities, broad distributions, or other circumstances. Krane or any sub-adviser may also consider the provision or value of research, products or services a broker or dealer may provide, if any, as a factor in the selection of a broker or dealer or the determination of the reasonableness of commissions paid in connection with portfolio transactions. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of a Fund's shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or a dealer to execute its portfolio transactions.

When one or more broker-dealers is believed capable of providing the best combination of price and execution, a broker-dealer need not be selected based solely on the lowest commission rate available for a particular transaction. In such cases, Krane may pay a higher commission than otherwise obtainable from other brokers in return for brokerage research services provided to Krane consistent with Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act. Section 28(e) provides that Krane may cause a Fund to pay a broker-dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged as long as Krane or the sub-adviser makes a good faith determination that the amount of commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by the broker-dealer. To the extent Krane obtains brokerage and research services that it otherwise would acquire at its own expense, Krane may have incentive to place a greater volume of transactions or pay higher commissions than would otherwise be the case.

The types of products and services that Krane may obtain from broker-dealers through such arrangements may include research reports and other information on the economy, industries, sectors, groups of securities, individual companies, statistical information, political developments, technical market action, pricing and appraisal services, credit analysis, risk measurement analysis, performance and other analysis. Krane may use products and services provided by brokers in servicing all of its client accounts and not all such products and services may necessarily be used in connection with the account that paid commissions to the broker-dealer providing such products and services. Any advisory or other fees paid to Krane are not reduced as a result of the receipt of brokerage and research services.

In some cases, Krane may receive a product or service from a broker that has both a "research" and a "non-research" use. When this occurs, Krane or the sub-adviser will make a good faith allocation between the research and non-research uses of the product or service. The percentage of the service that is used for research purposes may be paid for with brokerage commissions, while Krane will use its own funds to pay for the percentage of the service that is used for non-research purposes. In making this good faith allocation, Krane faces a potential conflict of interest, but Krane or the sub-adviser believes that its allocation procedures are reasonably designed to appropriately allocate the anticipated use of such products and services to research and non-research uses.

The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of a Fund's shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or a dealer to execute its portfolio transactions.

Brokerage transactions may be conducted through "affiliated brokers or dealers," as defined in rules under the 1940 Act. An affiliated broker-dealer will receive compensation from a Fund in connection with the Fund's portfolio investment transactions conducted through them. This arrangement may present actual or perceived conflicts of interest, but the 1940 Act permits commissions to be paid by a fund to an "affiliated broker or dealer" if such commissions do not exceed the usual and customary broker's commission. Accordingly, the Funds have adopted compliance policies and procedures to permits such trades so long as, among other matters, the commissions paid to an affiliated broker-dealer are, in the judgment of the Krane or the subadviser (if applicable), reasonable and fair as compared to the commissions charged by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities.

An affiliated broker-dealer may engage in proprietary trading and advise accounts and funds that have investment objectives similar to those of a Fund and/or that engage in and compete for transactions in the same types of securities, currencies and other instruments as the Fund. Such activities could affect the prices and availability of the securities, currencies, and instruments in which a Fund invests, which could have an adverse impact on a Fund's performance. Such transactions by an affiliated broker-dealer, including for other client accounts, will be executed independently of a Fund's transactions and thus at prices or rates that may be more or less favorable than those obtained by the Fund.

**<u>Brokerage Commissions</u>**

Aggregate brokerage commissions paid by each of the following operational Funds on portfolio transactions for the fiscal periods shown are set forth in the table below:

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| | **Fiscal Period Ended<br> March 31,<br> 2025** |
| KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF | $1,295\* |
| KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF | $1,400\*\* |

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\* For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF's inception, March 11, 2025 to March 31, 2025. <br> \*\* For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF's inception, March 11, 2025 to March 31, 2025.

**<u>Directed Brokerage</u>**

For the fiscal period ended March 31, 2025, the Funds paid the following in commissions on brokerage transactions directed to brokers pursuant to an agreement or understanding whereby the broker provides research or other brokerage services to Krane:

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Fund** | **Brokerage<br> Commissions for<br> Research Services**  | **Transactions Involving**<br> **Brokerage Commissions for<br> Research Services**  |
| KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF | $0 | $0 |

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**<u>Affiliated Brokers</u>**

Of the aggregate brokerage commissions paid by each of the following operational Funds on portfolio transactions for the fiscal period shown, below are the commissions paid by the Funds to a broker that is an affiliated person of the Fund:

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| | **Fiscal Period Ended<br> March 31,<br> 2025** |
| KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF | $0\* |
| KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF | $0\*\* |

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\* For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF's inception, March 11, 2025 to March 31, 2025. <br> \*\* For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF's inception, March 11, 2025 to March 31, 2025.

**<u>Regular Broker-Dealers</u>**

Each Fund is required to identify any securities of its "regular brokers and dealers" (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) which a Fund may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. "Regular brokers or dealers" of a Fund are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year: (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from a Fund's portfolio transactions; (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio transactions of a Fund; or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of a Fund's shares. Such information is set out in the table below:

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| | **Ownership as of**<br> **March 31,<br> 2025** |
| KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF | None |
| KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF | None |

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**<u>Portfolio Turnover</u>**

Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year. High turnover rates are likely to result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses or dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions is evaluated by Krane based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions and spreads paid or incurred by the other institutional investors for comparable services.

For the fiscal period ended March 31, 2025, the Funds' portfolio turnover rates were as follows:

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| | **Fiscal Period Ended**<br> **March 31,<br> 2025** |
| KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF | 0%\* |
| KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF | 0%\*\* |

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\* For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF's inception, March 11, 2025 to March 31, 2025.

\*\* For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF's inception, March 11, 2025 to March 31, 2025.

**CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS**

Except as otherwise noted below, the following applies to any Fund covered by this SAI:

**<u>General</u>**

The Trust issues and redeems shares of a Fund only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load but subject to the transaction fees described below, at the NAV next determined after receipt, on any Business Day (as defined below), of an order in proper form. A "Business Day", as used herein, is any day on which the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") is open for business. As of the date of this SAI, the NYSE observes the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Currently, the number of shares that constitutes a Creation Unit is 25,000 shares. In its discretion, the Board reserves the right to increase or decrease the number of the Fund's shares that constitute a Creation Unit. The Board reserves the right to declare a split or a consolidation in the number of shares outstanding of the Fund, and to make changes in the number of shares constituting a Creation Unit, including in the event that the per share price in the secondary market rises (or declines) to an amount that falls outside the range deemed desirable by the Board.

Creation Units may be purchased and redeemed only by or through a DTC Participant that has entered into an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Distributor (an "Authorized Participant"). Such Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of such Authorized Participant Agreement and on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including those set forth below, the Authorized Participant Agreement and any handbook governing the Authorized Participants (collectively, the "AP Agreement"). Investors who are not Authorized Participants must make appropriate arrangements with an Authorized Participant to purchase or redeem Creation Units. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not be a DTC Participant or may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Distributor and that Creation Unit orders may have to be placed by the investor's broker through an Authorized Participant. As a result, orders placed through an Authorized Participant may result in additional charges to such investor. A list of current Authorized Participants may be obtained from the Distributor.

Investors who are not Authorized Participants may purchase and sell shares of the Fund through an Authorized Participant or on the secondary market.

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

The Basket of securities comprising a Fund Deposit and a Fund Redemption (each, as defined below) may be representative of the Fund's portfolio holdings; or the Fund may utilize "Custom Baskets" provided that certain conditions are met. A Custom Basket is (i) a Basket that is composed of a non-representative selection of the Fund's portfolio holdings, (ii) a representative Basket that is different from the initial Basket used in transactions on the same business day, or (iii) a Basket that contains bespoke cash and/or security substitutions, including for a single Authorized Participant. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that govern the construction and acceptance of Baskets, including heightened requirements for Custom Baskets. Such policies and procedures provide detailed parameters for the construction and acceptance of Custom Baskets, establish processes for revisions to, or deviations from, such parameters, and specify the titles and roles of the employees of the Adviser who are required to review each Custom Basket for compliance with those parameters. In connection with the construction and acceptance of Custom Baskets, the Adviser may consider various factors, including, but not limited to: (1) whether the securities, assets and other positions comprising a Basket are consistent with the Fund's investment objective, policies and disclosure; (2) whether the securities, assets and other positions can legally and readily be acquired, transferred and held by the Fund and/or Authorized Participant(s), as applicable; (3) whether and to what extent to include cash in the Basket; (4) whether the Custom Basket increases the liquidity of a Fund's portfolio, noting that a Custom Basket may not be accepted which adversely affects the liquidity position of a Fund's portfolio when other Basket options exist; (5) whether the use of Custom Baskets may reduce costs, increase (tax) efficiency and improve trading in Fund shares; and (6) with respect to index-based strategies, whether the securities, assets and other positions aid the Fund to track its underlying index, if any. The policies and procedures apply different criteria to different types of Custom Baskets in order to mitigate against potential overreaching by an Authorized Participant, although there is no guarantee that such policies and procedures will be effective.

**<u>Purchases of Creation Units</u>**

The consideration for the purchase of Creation Units of the Fund consists of an in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities ("Deposit Securities") or cash for all or any portion of such securities ("Deposit Cash") (collectively, the "Deposit Basket") and the Cash Component, which is an amount equal to the difference between the aggregate NAV of a Creation Unit and the Deposit Basket. Together, the Deposit Basket and the Cash Component constitute the "Fund Deposit."

The Custodian or the Administrator makes available through the National Securities Clearing Corporation ("NSCC") on each Business Day, prior to the opening of regular trading on the Exchange, the list of names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security and Deposit Cash in the Deposit Basket, and the estimated amount of the Cash Component to be included in the current Fund Deposit. Such Fund Deposit will normally be applicable, subject to any adjustments as described below, in order to effect purchases of Creation Units of the Fund until such time as the next-announced Fund Deposit is made available. The means by which the Deposit Basket and Cash Component are to be delivered by the Authorized Participant to the Fund are set forth in the AP Agreement, except to the extent the Distributor and the Authorized Participant otherwise agree. Fund shares will be settled through the DTC system.

The identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities change pursuant to, among other matters, changes in the composition of the Fund's portfolio and as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time. The composition of the Deposit Securities may also change in response to adjustments to the weighting or composition of the component securities constituting a Fund's underlying index, if any.

Cash purchases of Creation Units will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind purchases. The Authorized Participant will pay the cash equivalent of the Deposit Securities as Deposit Cash plus or minus the same Cash Component.

Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable, on behalf of the Fund, will convert subscriptions that are made in whole or in part in cash, including Deposit Cash, into the relevant foreign currency prior to investment at the applicable exchange rate and subject to the applicable spread. Those purchasing Creation Units of the Fund bear the risk associated with changes in the currency exchange rate between the time they place their order and the time that the Fund converts any cash received into foreign investments.

**<u>Placement of Purchase Orders</u>**

To initiate an order for a Creation Unit, an Authorized Participant must submit to the Distributor an irrevocable order in proper form to purchase shares of the Fund before the earlier of (a) 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time or (b) one hour before the close of the trading session on the Exchange. For a purchase order to be processed based on the NAV calculated on a particular Business Day, the purchase order must be received in proper form and accepted by the Trust prior to the time as of which the NAV is calculated ("Cutoff Time"). Investors who are not Authorized Participants and seek to place a purchase order for a Creation Unit through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Distributor by the Cutoff Time on such Business Day. Custom Orders must normally be received in proper form and accepted by the Trust at least two hours prior to Cutoff Time.

The AP Agreement sets forth the different methods whereby Authorized Participants can submit purchase orders. A purchase order is considered to be in "proper form" if a request in a form satisfactory to the Fund is (1) received by the Distributor from an Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another person within the time period set above, and (2) all the procedures and other requirements applicable to the method used by the Authorized Participant to submit the purchase order, such as, in the case of purchase orders submitted through the Distributor's website, the completion of all required fields, including as set forth in the AP Agreement, are properly followed.

Creation Unit orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure, may impede transmissions between the Distributor and an Authorized Participant. Orders to create shares of the Fund that are submitted on the Business Day immediately preceding a holiday or a day (other than a weekend) when the securities markets in a foreign market in which the Fund may invest are closed may not be accepted or may be charged the maximum transaction fee. The Distributor, in its discretion, may permit the submission of orders and requests by or through an Authorized Participant via communication through the facilities of the Distributor's proprietary website maintained for this purpose.

**<u>Acceptance of Orders for, and Issuance of, Creation Units</u>**

All questions as to whether an order has been submitted in proper form and the number of shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Fund and the Fund's determination shall be final and binding.

The Fund reserves the right to reject or revoke acceptance of a creation order, for any reason, provided that such action is not in contravention of Rule 6c-11. For example, the Fund may reject or revoke acceptance of a creation order including, but not limited to, when (i) the order is not in proper form; (ii) the investor(s), upon obtaining the shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding shares of the Fund; (iii) the Deposit Securities delivered do not conform to the identity and number of shares specified; (iv) acceptance of the Fund Deposit is not legally required or would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; or (v) circumstances outside the control of the Fund, the Distributor and Krane make it impracticable to process purchase orders. The Distributor shall notify a prospective purchaser of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such purchaser of the rejection or revocation of acceptance of such order. The Fund, the Custodian, the sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall any of them incur any liability for failure to give such notification.

Except as provided in the following paragraph, a Creation Unit will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Fund of the Deposit Securities and the payment of the Cash Component, Deposit Cash and creation transaction fees have been completed. In this regard, the Custodian will require, prior to the issuance of a Creation Unit, that the sub-custodian confirm to the Custodian that the Deposit Securities have been delivered to the account of the Fund at the sub-custodian(s). If the Fund does not receive the foregoing by the time specified herein the Creation Unit may not be delivered or the purchase order may be rejected.

The Fund may issue Creation Units to an Authorized Participant, notwithstanding the fact that all Deposit Securities have not been received, in reliance on the undertaking of the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing Deposit Securities as soon as possible, which undertaking shall be secured by such Authorized Participant's delivery and maintenance of collateral having a value of up to 115% of the value of the missing Deposit Securities. The only collateral that is acceptable is cash in U.S. dollars. Such cash collateral must be delivered no later than 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time on the contractual settlement date of the Creation Unit(s). The Fund may buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time, and the Authorized Participant will be liable for any shortfall between the cost to the Fund of purchasing such securities and the cash collateral. In addition, the cash collateral may be invested at the risk of the Authorized Participant, and any income on invested cash collateral will be paid to that Authorized Participant. Information concerning the Fund's current procedures for collateralization of missing Deposit Securities is available from the Distributor.

In certain cases, an Authorized Participant may create and redeem Creation Units on the same trade date. In these instances, the Fund reserves the right to settle these transactions on a net basis or require a representation from the Authorized Participant that the creation and redemption transactions are for separate Beneficial Owners.

Once the Fund has accepted a purchase order, upon the next determination of the NAV of the shares, the Fund may confirm the issuance of a Creation Unit, against receipt of payment, at such NAV. The Distributor will then transmit a confirmation of acceptance to the Authorized Participant that placed the order. Creation Units typically are settled on a "T+1" basis (*i.e.*, one Business Day after trade date), subject to certain exceptions. However, the Fund reserves the right to settle Creation Unit transactions on a basis other than T+1, including in order to accommodate non-U.S. market holiday schedules, closures and settlement cycles, and to account for different treatment among non-U.S. and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates.

**<u>Creation Transaction Fees</u>**

A standard creation transaction fee is imposed to offset transfer and other costs associated with the issuance of Creation Units. The standard creation transaction fee is charged to the Authorized Participant on the day such Authorized Participant creates a Creation Unit, and is the same, regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased by the Authorized Participant on the applicable Business Day.

The Authorized Participant may also be required to pay a variable transaction fee (up to the maximum amount shown in the table below) to cover certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, market impact and other costs and expenses. Authorized Participants will also bear the costs of transferring the Deposit Securities, including any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses.

The standard creation transaction fee and maximum variable transaction fee for a Creation Unit are set forth below:

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **FUND** | **STANDARD<br> TRANSACTION FEE** | **MAXIMUM VARIABLE<br> TRANSACTION FEE\*** |
| KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF | $100 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF | $100 | 2.00% |

---

\* As a percentage of the Creation Unit(s) purchased.

The Adviser may adjust the transactions fees from time to time based on actual experience.

**<u>Redemptions of Creation Units</u>**

The consideration paid by the Fund for the redemption of Creation Units consists of an in-kind basket of designated securities ("Redemption Securities") or cash for all or any portion of such securities ("Redemption Cash") (collectively, the "Fund Securities") and the Cash Component, which is an amount equal to the difference between the aggregate NAV of a Creation Unit and the Fund Securities. Together, the Fund Securities and the Cash Component constitute the "Fund Redemption."

The Custodian or the Administrator normally makes available through NSCC on each Business Day, prior to the opening of regular trading on the Exchange, the list of names and the number of shares of each Redemption Security and Redemption Cash, as applicable, and the estimated amount of the Cash Component to be included in the current Fund Redemption. Such Fund Redemption is applicable, subject to any adjustments as described below, for redemptions of Creation Units of the Fund until such time as the next-announced Fund Redemption is made available. The delivery of Fund shares will be settled through the DTC system. The means by which the Fund Securities and Cash Component are to be delivered to the Authorized Participant by the Fund are set forth in the AP Agreement, except to the extent the Distributor and the Authorized Participant otherwise agree.

The identity and number of shares of the Redemption Securities change pursuant to, among other matters, changes in the composition of the Fund's portfolio and as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time. The composition of the Redemption Securities may also change in response to adjustments to the weighting or composition of the component securities constituting a Fund's underlying index, if any, or investments and may not be the same as the Deposit Securities.

Cash redemptions of Creation Units will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind redemptions. The Authorized Participant will receive the cash equivalent of the Fund Securities as Redemption Cash plus or minus the same Cash Component.

Krane or the sub-adviser, as applicable, on behalf of the Fund, will sell investments denominated in foreign currencies and convert such proceeds into U.S. Dollars at the applicable exchange rate and subject to the applicable spread for redemptions that are made in whole or in part for cash, including Redemption Cash. Those redeeming Creation Units of the Fund bear the risk associated with changes in the currency exchange rate between the time they place their order and the time that the Fund converts any investments into U.S. Dollars.

**<u>Placement of Redemption Orders</u>**

To initiate a redemption order for a Creation Unit, an Authorized Participant must submit to the Distributor an irrevocable order in proper form to redeem shares of the Fund before the earlier of (a) 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time or (b) one hour before the close of the trading session on the Exchange. For a redemption order to be processed based on the NAV calculated on a particular Business Day, the redemption order must be received in proper form and accepted by the Trust prior to the time as of which the NAV is calculated ("Cutoff Time"). Investors who are not Authorized Participants and seek to place a redemption order for a Creation Unit through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the redemption order to the Distributor by the Cutoff Time on such Business Day.

The AP Agreement sets forth the different methods whereby Authorized Participants can submit redemption requests. A redemption request is considered to be in "proper form" if a request in a form satisfactory to the Fund is (1) received by the Distributor from an Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another person within the time period set above, and (2) all the procedures and other requirements applicable to the method used by the Authorized Participant to submit the redemption order, such as, in the case of redemption orders submitted through the Distributor's website, the completion of all required fields, including as set forth in the AP Agreement, are properly followed.

Creation Unit orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure, may impede transmissions between the Distributor and an Authorized Participant. Orders to redeem shares of the Fund that are submitted on the Business Day immediately preceding a holiday or a day (other than a weekend) when the securities markets in a foreign market in which the Fund may invest are closed may not be accepted or may be charged the maximum transaction fee. The Distributor, in its discretion, may permit the submission of orders and requests by or through an Authorized Participant via communication through the facilities of the Distributor's proprietary website maintained for this purpose. A redemption request, if accepted by the Trust, will be processed based on the NAV as of the next Cutoff Time.

**<u>Acceptance of Orders for, and Redemption of, Creation Units</u>**

All questions as to whether an order has been submitted in proper form and the requisite number of Fund shares and transaction fees have been delivered shall be determined by the Fund, and the Fund's determination shall be final and binding.

The Fund reserves the right to reject a redemption order if the order is not in proper form. In addition, the right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to the Fund (i) for any period during which the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings), (ii) for any period during which trading on the NYSE is suspended or restricted, (iii) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the shares of the Fund's portfolio securities or determination of its NAV is not reasonably practicable, or (iv) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC. The Fund or Distributor will notify the Authorized Participant of such rejection, but the Fund, Custodian, sub-custodian and Distributor shall not be liable for any failure to give such notification.

The payment by the Fund of the Fund Securities, including Redemption Securities and Redemption Cash, and Cash Component will not be issued until the transfer of the Creation Unit(s) and the applicable redemption transaction fees has been completed. If the Transfer Agent does not receive the investor's shares through DTC's facilities and the applicable redemption transaction fees by the required time, the redemption request may be rejected.

To the extent contemplated by the AP Agreement, in the event the Authorized Participant has submitted a redemption request in proper form but is unable to transfer all or part of the Creation Unit to be redeemed to the Fund's Transfer Agent, the Transfer Agent will nonetheless accept the redemption request in reliance on the undertaking by the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing shares as soon as possible. Such undertaking may be secured by the Authorized Participant's delivery and maintenance of collateral consisting of cash having a value (marked to market daily) of up to 115% of the value of the missing shares, which the Trust may change from time to time. The current procedures for collateralization of missing shares require, among other things, that any cash collateral shall be in the form of U.S. dollars in immediately available funds and shall be held by the Custodian and marked to market daily, and that the fees of the Custodian and any sub-custodians in respect of the delivery, maintenance and redelivery of the cash collateral shall be payable by the Authorized Participant. The AP Agreement will permit the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, to purchase the missing shares at any time and will subject the Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Trust of purchasing such shares, Fund Securities or Cash Component and the value of the collateral.

A redeeming Beneficial Owner or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such Beneficial Owner must maintain appropriate security arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction where Redemption Securities are customarily traded and will be delivered. If neither the redeeming Beneficial Owner nor the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such redeeming Beneficial Owner has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of Redemption Securities in the applicable non-U.S. jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of Redemption Securities in such jurisdiction, the Trust may redeem shares in Redemption Cash, and the redeeming Beneficial Owner will be required to receive its redemption proceeds as Redemption Cash.

In addition, because redemptions of shares for Redemption Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws, the Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Fund cannot lawfully deliver specific Redemption Securities or cannot do so without first registering a Fund Security under such laws.

Once the Fund has accepted a redemption order, upon the next determination of the NAV of the shares, the Fund may confirm the redemption of a Creation Unit, against receipt of payment, at such NAV. The Distributor will then transmit a confirmation of acceptance to the Authorized Participant that placed the order. Deliveries of redemption proceeds by the Fund typically are settled on a "T+1" basis (*i.e.*, one Business Day after trade date), but may be made up to seven days later, particularly in stressed market conditions. The Fund reserves the right to settle redemption transactions up to 15 days later to accommodate non-U.S. market holiday schedules (see below for further information), closures and settlement cycles, to account for different treatment among non-U.S. and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates (*i.e.*, 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.

In certain cases, an Authorized Participant may create and redeem Creation Units on the same trade date. In these instances, the Fund reserves the right to settle these transactions on a net basis or require a representation from the Authorized Participant that the creation and redemption transactions are for separate Beneficial Owners.

**<u>Redemption Transaction Fees</u>**

A standard redemption transaction fee is imposed to offset transfer and other costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units. The standard redemption transaction fee is charged to the Authorized Participant on the day such Authorized Participant redeems a Creation Unit, and is the same regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed by an Authorized Participant on the applicable Business Day.

The Authorized Participant may also be required to pay a variable transaction fee (up to the maximum amount shown in the table below) to cover certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, market impact and other costs and expenses. Authorized Participants will also bear the costs of transferring the Redemption Securities, including any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses. Investors who use the services of a broker or other financial intermediary may be charged a fee for such services.

The standard redemption transaction fee and maximum variable transaction fee for a Creation Unit are set forth below:

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **FUND** | **STANDARD<br> TRANSACTION<br> FEE** | **MAXIMUM<br> VARIABLE<br> TRANSACTION<br> FEE\*** |
| KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF | $100 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF | $100 | 2.00% |

---

\* As a percentage of the Creation Unit(s) redeemed.

The Adviser may adjust the transactions fees from time to time based on actual experience.

**<u>Taxation on Creations and Redemptions of Creation Units</u>**

An Authorized Participant generally will recognize either gain or loss upon the exchange of Deposit Securities for Creation Units. This gain or loss will generally equal the difference between (i) the sum of the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and any net amount of cash received by the Authorized Participant in the exchange and (ii) the sum of the Authorized Participant's aggregate basis in the Deposit Securities exchanged therefor and any net amount of cash paid for the Creation Units. However, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service may apply the wash sales rules to determine that any loss realized upon the exchange of Deposit Securities for Creation Units is not currently deductible. Authorized Participants should consult their own tax advisers.

Current U.S. federal tax laws dictate that capital gain or loss realized from the redemption of Creation Units will generally create long-term capital gain or loss if the Authorized Participant holds the Creation Units for more than one year, or short-term capital gain or loss if the Creation Units were held for one year or less, if the Creation Units are held as capital assets.

**<u>Postponement of Redemptions</u>**

For every occurrence of one or more intervening holidays in the applicable non-U.S. market that are not holidays observed in the U.S. equity market, the redemption settlement cycle will be extended by the number of such intervening holidays. In addition to holidays, other unforeseeable closings in a non-U.S. market due to emergencies may also prevent the Trust from delivering securities within normal settlement period. The securities delivery cycles currently practicable for transferring portfolio securities to redeeming investors, coupled with non-U.S. market holiday schedules, will require a delivery process longer than seven calendar days, in certain circumstances, but in no event longer than fifteen calendar days.

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

**TAXES**

The following discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences of investing in a Fund is based on the Code, U.S. Treasury regulations, and other applicable authority, all as in effect as of the date of the filing of this SAI. These authorities are subject to change by legislative or administrative action, possibly with retroactive effect. The following discussion is only a summary of some of the important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in a Fund. There may be other tax considerations applicable to particular shareholders. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisers regarding their particular situation and the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws.

**<u>Qualification as a RIC</u>**

Each Fund has elected or intends to elect to be treated, and intends to qualify each year, as a regulated investment company (a "RIC") under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code. In order to qualify for the special tax treatment accorded RICs and their shareholders, a Fund must, among other things:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(a) derive at least 90% of its gross income each year from (i) dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies, and (ii) net income derived from interests in "qualified publicly traded partnerships" (as defined below);

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(b) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of its taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the market value of a Fund's total assets consists of cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities, with investments in such other securities limited with respect to any one issuer to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of a Fund's total assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of a Fund's total assets is invested in (1) the securities (other than those of the U.S. government or other RICs) of any one issuer or two or more issuers that are controlled by a Fund and that are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses or (2) the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships; and

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(c) distribute with respect to each taxable year at least the sum of 90% of its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code without regard to the deduction for dividends paid – generally taxable ordinary income and the excess, if any, of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses) and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income.

In general, for purposes of the 90% of gross income requirement described in (a) above, income derived from a partnership will be treated as qualifying income only to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership that would be qualifying income if realized directly by a Fund. However, 100% of the net income derived from an interest in a "qualified publicly traded partnership" (generally, a partnership (i) interests in which are traded on an established securities market or are readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof, (ii) that derives at least 90% of its income from the passive income sources specified in Code section 7704(d), and (iii) that derives less than 90% of its income from the qualifying income described in (a)(i) of the prior paragraph) will be treated as qualifying income. In addition, although in general the passive loss rules of the Code do not apply to RICs, such rules do apply to a RIC with respect to items attributable to an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership.

The U.S. Treasury Department has authority to issue regulations that would exclude foreign currency gains from the 90% test described in (a) above if such gains are not directly related to a Fund's business of investing in stock or securities. Accordingly, regulations may be issued in the future that could treat some or all of a Fund's non-U.S. currency gains as non-qualifying income, thereby potentially jeopardizing a Fund's status as a RIC for all years to which the regulations are applicable.

The investment by a Fund in swaps, options and futures positions entails some risk that it might fail to satisfy one or both of the diversification requirements described in (b) above. There is some uncertainty regarding the valuation of such positions for purposes of those requirements; accordingly, it is possible that the method of valuation a Fund uses, pursuant to which each of them would expect to be treated as satisfying the diversification requirements, would not be accepted in an audit by the Internal Revenue Service, which might apply a different method resulting in disqualification of the Funds. In particular, with respect to swaps, the consistent market practice has been to treat a swap's in-the-money (or mark-to-market) value as its market value for diversification purposes, and each Fund follows such market practice. In the 1980s, however the Internal Revenue Service issued informal guidance that certain securities derivatives (such as options) should be valued at notional value, although there is no formal guidance from the Internal Revenue Service on such treatment. If a Fund was required to treat the notional value of its swaps as the market value, it may fail to meet the diversification requirements and, as a result, may fail to qualify as a RIC.

**<u>Taxation of a Fund</u>**

If a Fund qualifies as a RIC, the Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on income and gains that are distributed in a timely manner to its shareholders in the form of dividends.

If a Fund fails to satisfy the qualifying income test in any taxable year or the diversification requirements for any quarter, the Fund may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. If these relief provisions are not available to a Fund for any year in which it fails to qualify as a RIC, all of its taxable income will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and its distributions (including capital gains distributions) generally will be taxable as ordinary income dividends to its shareholders, subject to the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders and lower tax rates on qualified dividend income for individual shareholders. In addition, a Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a RIC that is accorded special tax treatment.

Each Fund intends to distribute at least annually to its shareholders substantially all of its taxable income and its net capital gains. Taxable income that is retained by a Fund will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates. If a Fund retains any net capital gain, that gain will be subject to tax at corporate rates, but the Fund may designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its shareholders who (i) will be required to include in income for federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their shares of such undistributed amount, and (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the tax paid by the Fund on such undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to claim refunds on a properly filed U.S. tax return to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. For federal income tax purposes, the tax basis of shares owned by a shareholder of a Fund will be increased by an amount equal to the difference between the amount of undistributed capital gains included in the shareholder's gross income and the tax deemed paid by the shareholder under clause (ii) of the preceding sentence.

**<u>Deferral of Late Year Losses</u>**

A Fund may elect to treat part or all of any "qualified late year loss" as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund's taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such "qualified late year loss" as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing the Fund's distributions for any calendar year. A "qualified late year loss" generally includes net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (commonly referred to as "post-October losses") and certain other late-year losses.

**<u>Capital Loss Carryovers</u>**

If a Fund has a "net capital loss" (that is, capital losses in excess of capital gains), the excess (if any) of the Fund's net short-term capital losses over its net long-term capital gains is treated as a short-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund's next taxable year, and the excess (if any) of the Fund's net long-term capital losses over its net short-term capital gains is treated as a long-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund's next taxable year. Such capital loss carryover can be used to offset capital gains of the Fund in succeeding taxable years. The carryover of capital losses may be limited under the general loss limitation rules if a Fund experiences an ownership change as defined in the Code.

**<u>Excise Tax</u>**

If a Fund fails to distribute in a calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of 98% of its ordinary income for such year and 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 of such year, plus any retained amount from the prior year, the Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax on the undistributed amount. For these purposes, a Fund will be treated as having distributed any amount on which it has been subject to corporate income tax for the taxable year ending within the calendar year. A dividend paid to shareholders in January of a year generally is deemed to have been paid by a Fund on December 31 of the preceding year if the dividend was declared and payable to shareholders of record on a date in October, November, or December of that preceding year. Each Fund intends to declare and pay dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of the 4% excise tax, although there can be no assurance that it will be able to do so.

**<u>Fund Distributions</u>**

Distributions are taxable whether shareholders receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares. Moreover, distributions are generally subject to federal income tax as described herein to the extent they do not exceed a Fund's realized income and gains, even though such dividends and distributions may economically represent a return of a particular shareholder's investment. Such distributions are likely to occur in respect of shares purchased at a time when a Fund's NAV reflects gains that are either unrealized, or realized but not distributed. Such realized gains may be required to be distributed even when a Fund's NAV also reflects unrealized losses.

Dividends and other distributions by a Fund are generally treated under the Code as received by the shareholders at the time the dividend or distribution is made. However, if any dividend or distribution is declared by a Fund in October, November or December of any calendar year and payable to its shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month but is actually paid during the following January, such dividend or distribution will be deemed to have been received by each shareholder on December 31 of the year in which the dividend was declared.

Distributions by a Fund of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long a Fund owned the investments that generated those gains, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her Fund shares. Distributions of net capital gains from the sale of investments that a Fund owned for more than one year and that are properly designated by the Fund as capital gain dividends ("Capital Gain Dividends") will be taxable as long-term capital gains. Distributions from capital gains are generally made after applying any available capital loss carryovers. Preferential long-term capital gain rates apply to individuals at a maximum rate of 20% for individuals with taxable income exceeding certain thresholds. Distributions of gains from the sale of investments that a Fund owned for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income.

Distributions of investment income reported by a Fund as derived from "qualified dividend income" will be taxable in the hands of individuals at the rates applicable to long-term capital gains, provided holding period and other requirements are met at both the shareholder and the Fund level.

Qualified dividend income is, in general, dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and certain foreign corporations (*i.e.*, foreign corporations incorporated in a possession of the United States or in certain countries with a comprehensive tax treaty with the United States, which includes China (but not Hong Kong which is treated as a separate jurisdiction), or the stock of which is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States). In order for some portion of the dividends received by a Fund's shareholders to be qualified dividend income, the Fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the dividend paying stocks in its portfolio, and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Fund's shares.

Given the Funds' investment objectives, it is not expected that Fund distributions will be eligible for qualified dividend income treatment or the corporate dividends received deduction on Fund distributions attributable to dividends received.

For U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly), a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax will apply on all or a portion of their "net investment income," including interest, dividends, and capital gains, which generally includes taxable distributions received from a 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.

If a Fund makes distributions to a shareholder in excess of the Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits in any taxable year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of the shareholder's tax basis in its shares, and thereafter as capital gain. A return of capital is not taxable, but reduces a shareholder's tax basis in its shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of its shares.

Investors considering buying shares just prior to a dividend or capital gain distribution should be aware that, although the price of shares purchased at that time may reflect the amount of the forthcoming distribution, such dividend or distribution may nevertheless be taxable to them. If a Fund is the holder of record of any security on the record date for any dividends payable with respect to such security, such dividends will be included in the Fund's gross income not as of the date received but as of the later of (a) the date such security became ex-dividend with respect to such dividends (*i.e.*, the date on which a buyer of the security would not be entitled to receive the declared, but unpaid, dividends); or (b) the date the Fund acquired such security. Accordingly, in order to satisfy its income distribution requirements, a Fund may be required to pay dividends based on anticipated earnings, and shareholders may receive dividends in an earlier year than would otherwise be the case.

**<u>Sale or Exchange of Shares</u>**

A sale or exchange of shares in a Fund may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received (or deemed received) by the shareholder with respect to the shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be disallowed if shares of the same Fund are purchased within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

As noted above, for U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly), a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax will apply on "net investment income," including interest, dividends, and capital gains, which generally includes taxable distributions received from a Fund and taxable gains on the disposition of shares of a Fund.

**<u>Backup Withholding</u>**

A Fund (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which a shareholder holds Fund shares) generally is required to withhold and to 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 under-reported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that he, she or it is not subject to such withholding. The backup withholding tax rate is currently 24%.

**<u>Federal Tax Treatment of Certain Fund Investments</u>**

Transactions of a Fund in options, futures contracts, hedging transactions, forward contracts, swap contracts, straddles and foreign currencies may be subject to various special and complex tax rules, including mark-to-market, constructive sale, straddle, wash sale and short sale rules. These rules could affect whether gains and losses recognized by a Fund are treated as ordinary income or capital gain, accelerate the recognition of income to a Fund and/or defer a Fund's ability to recognize losses. These rules may in turn affect the amount, timing or character of the income distributed to shareholders by a Fund.

A Fund is required, for federal income tax purposes, to mark to market and recognize as income for each taxable year its net unrealized gains and losses as of the end of such year on certain regulated futures contracts, foreign currency contracts and options that qualify as Section 1256 contracts in addition to the gains and losses actually realized with respect to such contracts during the year. Except as described below under "Certain Foreign Currency Tax Issues," gain or loss from Section 1256 contracts that are required to be marked to market annually will generally be 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. Application of this rule may alter the timing and character of distributions to shareholders.

The covered call options written by a Fund generally will be treated as equity options governed by Section 1234 of the Code, and not as Section 1256 contracts. Pursuant to Section 1234 of the Code, if a written option expires unexercised, the premium received is short-term capital gain to the Fund. If a Fund enters into a closing transaction, the difference between the amount paid to close out its position and the premium received for writing the option is short-term capital gain or loss. If an option written by a Fund that is not a Section 1256 contract is cash settled, any resulting gain or loss will be short-term capital gain or loss. If a call option written by a Fund is exercised and physically settled, the premium received is included in the sale proceeds, increasing the gain or decreasing the loss realized by the Fund at the time of option exercise.

The Code contains special rules that apply to "straddles," defined generally as the holding of "offsetting positions with respect to personal property." For example, the straddle rules normally apply when a taxpayer holds stock and an offsetting option with respect to such stock or substantially identical stock or securities. In general, investment positions will be offsetting if there is a substantial diminution in the risk of loss from holding one position by reason of holding one or more other positions. A Fund may enter into options transactions or certain other investments that may constitute positions in a straddle. If two or more positions constitute a straddle, recognition of a realized loss from one position must generally be deferred to the extent of unrecognized gain in an offsetting position. In addition, long-term capital gain may be recharacterized as short-term capital gain, or short-term capital loss as long-term capital loss. Interest and other carrying charges allocable to personal property that is part of a straddle are not currently deductible but must instead be capitalized. Similarly, "wash sale" rules apply to prevent the recognition of loss by a Fund from the disposition of stock or securities at a loss in a case in which identical or substantially identical stock or securities (or an option to acquire such property) is or has been acquired within a prescribed period.

Some debt obligations that are acquired by a Fund may be treated as having original issue discount ("OID"). Generally, a Fund will be required to include OID in taxable income over the term of the debt security, even though payment of the OID is not received until a later time, usually when the debt security matures. If a Fund holds such debt instruments, it may be required to pay out as distributions each year an amount that is greater than the total amount of cash interest a Fund actually received. Such distributions may be made from the cash assets of a Fund or by liquidation of portfolio securities, if necessary. A Fund may realize gains or losses from such liquidations. In the event a Fund realizes net gains from such transactions, its shareholders may receive larger distributions than they would have in the absence of such transactions.

Any market discount recognized on a bond is taxable as ordinary income. A market discount bond is a bond acquired in the secondary market at a price below redemption value or adjusted issue price if issued with original issue discount. Absent an election by a Fund to include the market discount in income as it accrues, gains on the Fund's disposition of such an obligation will be treated as ordinary income rather than capital gain to the extent of the accrued market discount.

**<u>Certain Foreign Currency Tax Issues</u>**

A Fund's gain or loss on foreign currency denominated debt securities and on certain other financial instruments, such as forward currency contracts and currency swaps, that is attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates occurring between the date of acquisition and the date of settlement or disposition of such securities or instruments generally will be treated under Section 988 of the Code as ordinary income or loss. A Fund may elect out of the application of Section 988 of the Code with respect to the tax treatment of each of its foreign currency forward contracts to the extent that (i) such contract is a capital asset in the hands of the Fund and is not part of a straddle transaction and (ii) the Fund makes an election by the close of the day the contract is entered into to treat the gain or loss attributable to such contract as capital gain or loss.

A Fund's forward contracts may qualify as Section 1256 contracts if the underlying currencies are currencies for which there are futures contracts that are traded on and subject to the rules of a qualified board or exchange. However, a forward currency contract that is a Section 1256 contract would, absent an election out of Section 988 of the Code as described in the preceding paragraph, be subject to Section 988. Accordingly, although such a forward currency contract would be marked to market annually like other Section 1256 contracts, the resulting gain or loss would be ordinary. If a Fund were to elect out of Section 988 with respect to forward currency contracts that qualify as Section 1256 contracts, the tax treatment generally applicable to Section 1256 contracts would apply to those forward currency contracts: that is, the contracts would be marked to market annually and gains and losses with respect to the contracts would be treated as long-term capital gains or losses to the extent of 60% thereof and short-term capital gains or losses to the extent of 40% thereof. If a Fund were to elect out of Section 988 with respect to any of its forward currency contracts that do not qualify as Section 1256 contracts, such contracts will not be marked to market annually and the Fund will recognize short-term or long-term capital gain or loss depending on the Fund's holding period therein. A Fund may elect out of Section 988 with respect to some, all or none of its forward currency contracts.

Finally, regulated futures contracts and non-equity options that qualify as Section 1256 contracts and are entered into by a Fund with respect to foreign currencies or foreign currency denominated debt instruments will be subject to the tax treatment generally applicable to Section 1256 contracts unless the Fund elects to have Section 988 apply to determine the character of gains and losses from all such regulated futures contracts and non-equity options held or later acquired by the Fund.

**<u>Foreign Investments</u>**

Income received by a Fund from sources within foreign countries (including, for example, interest on securities of non-U.S. issuers) may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such countries. Tax treaties between such countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes. If as of the end of a Fund's taxable year more than 50% of the Fund's assets consist of foreign securities, the Fund is expected to make an election to permit shareholders to claim a credit or deduction on their income tax returns for their pro rata portions of qualified taxes paid by the Fund during that taxable year to foreign countries in respect of foreign securities that the Fund has held for at least the minimum period specified in the Code. In such a case, shareholders will include in gross income from foreign sources their pro rata shares of such taxes. A shareholder's ability to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction in respect of foreign taxes paid by a Fund may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code, which may result in the shareholder not getting a full credit or deduction for the amount of such taxes. Because a foreign tax credit is only available for foreign taxes paid by a Fund, no such credit may be available for a reduction in a Fund's net asset value to reflect a reserve (if any) for Chinese withholding taxes. Shareholders who do not itemize on their federal income tax returns may claim a credit, but not a deduction, for such foreign taxes.

**<u>Passive Foreign Investment Companies</u>**

If a Fund purchases shares in a PFIC, it may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any "excess distribution" or gain from the disposition of such shares even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend by the Fund to its shareholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest may be imposed on the Fund in respect of deferred taxes arising from such distributions or gains. If a Fund were to invest in a PFIC and elect to treat the PFIC as a "qualified electing fund" under the Code, in lieu of the foregoing requirements, the Fund would be required to include in income each year a portion of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the qualified electing fund, even if not distributed to the Fund, and such amounts would be subject to the 90% and excise tax distribution requirements described above. In order to make this election, a Fund would be required to obtain certain annual information from the PFICs in which it invests, which may be difficult or impossible to obtain. Alternatively, a Fund may make a mark-to-market election that would result in the Fund being treated as if it had sold and repurchased its PFIC stock at the end of each year. In such case, the Fund would report any such gains as ordinary income and would deduct any such losses as ordinary losses to the extent of previously recognized gains. The election must be made separately for each PFIC owned by a Fund and, once made, would be effective for all subsequent taxable years, unless revoked with the consent of the IRS. By making the election, a Fund could potentially ameliorate the adverse tax consequences with respect to its ownership of shares in a PFIC, but in any particular year may be required to recognize income in excess of the distributions it receives from the PFIC and its proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock. A Fund may have to distribute this "phantom" income and gain to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement and to avoid imposition of the 4% excise tax. Each Fund will make the appropriate tax elections, if possible, and take any additional steps that are necessary to mitigate the effects of these rules.

**<u>Tax-Exempt Shareholders</u>**

Under current law, income of a RIC that would be treated as unrelated business taxable income ("UBTI") if earned directly by a tax-exempt entity generally will not be attributed as UBTI to a tax-exempt entity that is a shareholder in the RIC. Notwithstanding this "blocking" effect, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of its investment in a Fund if shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Code Section 514(b).

**<u>Non-U.S. Shareholders</u>**

In general, dividends other than Capital Gain Dividends paid by a Fund to a shareholder that is not a "U.S. person" within the meaning of the Code (a "foreign person") are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) even if they are funded by income or gains (such as foreign-source dividend and interest income) that, if paid to a foreign person directly, would not be subject to withholding. If a Fund were to recognize short-term capital gains or U.S.-source portfolio interest, properly reported short-term capital gain dividends and interest-related dividends paid by the Fund would not be subject to such withholding tax.

A beneficial holder of shares who is a non-U.S. person is not, in general, subject to U.S. federal income tax on gains (and is not allowed a U.S. income tax deduction for losses) realized on a sale of shares of a Fund or on Capital Gain Dividends or short-term capital gain dividends unless (i) such gain or dividend is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business carried on by such holder within the United States or (ii) in the case of an individual holder, the holder is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the sale or the receipt of the Capital Gain Dividend or short-term capital gains dividends and certain other conditions are met.

In order for a non-U.S. investor to qualify for an exemption from backup withholding, the foreign investor must comply with special certification and filing requirements. Foreign investors in a Fund should consult their tax advisers in this regard. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder's U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the Internal Revenue Service.

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

Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act ("FATCA"), a 30% withholding tax will be imposed on dividends paid by a Fund to (i) foreign financial institutions including non-U.S. investment funds unless they agree to collect and disclose to the Internal Revenue Service information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. account holders and (ii) certain other foreign entities, unless they certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners. A non-U.S. shareholder resident or doing business in a country that has entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the U.S. to implement a similar reporting regime will be exempt from this withholding tax if the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement. A Shareholder subject to such withholding tax will not receive additional amounts from the Fund to compensate for such withholding. Proposed regulations (which are effective while pending) eliminate the application of the FATCA withholding tax to capital gain dividends and redemption proceeds that was scheduled to take effect in 2019.

**<u>Creation and Redemption of Creation Units</u>**

An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize 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 and the sum of the exchanger's aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger's basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The Internal Revenue Service, 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 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 for more than one year.

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 for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will be treated as short-term capital gains or losses.

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

**<u>Section 351</u>**

The Trust on behalf of a Fund has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the shares 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 deposit 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.

**<u>Tax Shelter Reporting Regulations</u>**

Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if an individual shareholder recognizes a loss of $2 million or more in any single tax year or, for a corporate shareholder, $10 million or more in any single tax year, the shareholder must file with the Internal Revenue Service a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all RICs. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer's treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

**<u>General Considerations</u>**

The U.S. federal income tax discussion set forth above is for general information only. Prospective investors should consult their tax advisers regarding the specific federal income tax consequences of purchasing, holding and disposing of shares of a Fund, as well as the effect of state, local and foreign tax law and any proposed tax law changes.

**DETERMINATION OF NAV**

This information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled "Calculating NAV."

The NAV per share of each Fund is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of a Fund (*i.e.*, the value of its total assets less total liabilities and withholdings) by the total number of shares of a Fund outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent. Expenses and fees, including without limitation, the management, administration and distribution fees, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. The NAV per share for each Fund normally is calculated by the Administrator and determined as of the regularly scheduled close of normal trading on each day that the NYSE is scheduled to be open for business (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time). Any assets or liabilities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted into U.S. dollars at the current market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more sources.

Securities listed on a securities exchange (*i.e.*, exchange-traded equity securities), market or automated quotation system for which quotations are readily available (except for securities traded on NASDAQ), including securities traded over the counter, are valued by independent pricing agents at the last reported sale price on the primary exchange or market (foreign or domestic) on which they are traded (or at the time as of which the Fund's NAV is calculated if a security's exchange is normally open at that time). If there is no such reported sale, such securities are valued at the most recently reported bid price. For securities traded on NASDAQ, the NASDAQ Official Closing Price will be used. If a security price cannot be obtained from an independent, third-party pricing agent, the Fund seeks to obtain bid and ask prices from two broker-dealers who make a market in the portfolio instrument and determines the average of the two.

If available, debt securities are priced based upon valuations provided by independent, third-party pricing agents. Such values generally reflect the last reported sales price if the security is actively traded. The third-party pricing agents may also value debt securities at an evaluated bid price by employing methodologies that utilize actual market transactions, broker-supplied valuations, or other methodologies designed to identify the market value for such securities. Debt obligations with remaining maturities of sixty days or less may be valued at their amortized cost, which approximates market value. The prices for foreign securities are reported in local currency and converted to U.S. dollars using currency exchange rates. The exchange rates used for valuation are captured as of the close of the London Stock Exchange each day normally at 4:00 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time.

The value of a swap contract is equal to the obligation (or rights) under the swap contract, which will generally be equal to the net amounts to be paid or received under the contract based upon the relative values of the positions held by each party to the contract as determined by the applicable independent, third party pricing agent.

Swaps cleared through a central clearing house ("centrally cleared swaps") are valued at the settlement price established each day by the board of the exchange on which they are listed. The daily settlement prices for centrally cleared swaps are provided by an independent pricing agent. Swaps which are not centrally cleared are priced based on valuations provided by an independent pricing agent.

In a typical equity swap, one party agrees to pay another party the return on a stock, stock index, or basket of stocks (the "equity leg" of the swap) in return for interest payment(s) calculated based on the notional amount of the swap (the "financing leg" of the swap). Each leg of the swap is valued separately, and the net amount of the two legs is included in the Fund's net asset value. The value of the equity leg of the swap is provided by an independent pricing agent based on the value of the financial instrument underlying the swap. The value of the financing leg of the swap is systematically calculated by the Fund's accounting agent based on the details of the swap.

Exchange-traded options, except as discussed below for FLEX options, are valued at the mean of their most recent bid and asked price, if available, and otherwise, long positions will be valued at the most-recent bid price, and short positions will be valued at the most-recent ask price. OTC options are valued based upon prices determined by the applicable independent, third party pricing agent. FLEX (short for flexible) options are normally valued using a model-based price provided by a third-party pricing vendor. On days when a trade in a FLEX option occurs, the trade price will be used to value such FLEX options in lieu of the model price.

Futures are valued at the settlement price established by the board of trade on which they are traded. Foreign currency forward contracts are valued at the current day's interpolated foreign exchange rate, as calculated using the current day's spot rate and the 30-, 60-, 90- and 180-day forward rates provided by an independent pricing agent.

On certain days, the settlement price for futures may not be available at the time the Fund calculates its NAV. On such days, the best available price (which is typically the last trade price) may be used to value futures.

Securities issued by a wholly owned subsidiary of a Fund will be valued at the subsidiary's net asset value, which will be determined using the same pricing policies and procedures applicable to the Fund.

Investments in open-end investment companies that do not trade on an exchange are valued at the end of day NAV per share. Investments in open-end investment companies that trade on an exchange are valued in the same manner as other exchange-traded equity securities (described above).

Investments for which market prices are not "readily available," or are not deemed to reflect current market values, or are debt securities where no evaluated price is available from third-party pricing agents pursuant to established methodologies, are fair valued in accordance with the Adviser's valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. Some of the more common reasons that may necessitate that a security be valued using "fair value" pricing may include, but are not limited to: the security's trading has been halted or suspended; the security's primary trading market is temporarily closed; or the security has not been traded for an extended period of time.

In addition, a Fund may fair value its securities if an event that may materially affect the value of a Fund's securities that trade outside of the United States (a "Significant Event") has occurred between the time of the security's last close and the time that a Fund calculates its NAV. A Significant Event may relate to a single issuer or to an entire market sector, country or region. Events that may be Significant Events may include: government actions, natural disasters, armed conflict, acts of terrorism and significant market fluctuations. If Krane becomes aware of a Significant Event that has occurred with respect to a portfolio instrument or group of portfolio instruments after the closing of the exchange or market on which the portfolio instrument or portfolio instruments principally trade, but before the time at which a Fund calculates its NAV, it will notify the Administrator and may request that an ad hoc meeting of the Fair Value Pricing Committee be called.

With respect to trade-halted securities, the Adviser typically will fair value a trade-halted security by adjusting the security's last market close price by the security's sector performance, as measured by a predetermined index, unless Krane's Fair Value Pricing Committee determines to make additional adjustments. Certain foreign securities exchanges have mechanisms in place that confine one day's price movement in an individual security to a pre-determined price range based on that day's opening price ("Collared Securities"). Fair value determinations for Collared Securities will generally be capped based on any applicable pre-determined "limit down" or "limit up" prices established by the relevant foreign securities exchange. As an example, China A-Shares can only be plus or minus ten percent in one day of trading in the relevant mainland China equity market. As a result, the fair value price determination on a given day will generally be capped plus or minus ten percent.

Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that a fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value that could actually be realized upon the sale of the security or that another fund that uses market quotations or its own fair value procedures to price the same securities.

Trading in securities on many foreign exchanges is normally completed before the close of business on each Business Day. In addition, securities trading in a particular country or countries may not take place on each Business Day or may take place on days that are not Business Days. Changes in valuations on certain securities may occur at times or on days on which a Fund's NAV is not calculated and on which Fund shares do not trade and sales and redemptions of shares do not occur. As a result, the value of a Fund's portfolio securities and the net asset value of its shares may change on days when share purchases or sales cannot occur.

Fund shares are purchased or sold on a national securities exchange at market prices, which may be higher or lower than NAV. Transactions in Fund shares will be priced at NAV only if shares are purchased or redeemed directly from a Fund in Creation Units. No secondary sales will be made to brokers or dealers at concession by the Distributor or by a Fund. Purchases and sales of shares in the secondary market, which will not involve a Fund, will be subject to customary brokerage commissions and charges.

With respect to the securities of private companies, the Administrator will obtain the price of private company securities from the Valuation Designee, who will determine their fair value using various inputs, including observable data such as cost basis, primary financing rounds, tender offers, and secondary market activity. The Valuation Designee will also consider pricing from independent pricing experts<sup>1</sup>, comparables of public and private companies, and relevant market news. While primary financing rounds, tender offers, and cost basis are expected to be the main drivers of fair value, all factors will be considered. A daily dashboard will be stored to record data being considered. In addition to conducting a pricing and trend analysis on the data received from the independent pricing experts, the Valuation Designee will take business cycle, market depth, transaction size and other relevant factors into consideration when reviewing observable data and will periodically assess the pricing methodology used by the independent pricing experts.

<sup>1</sup> It is currently expected that the Valuation Designee will get pricing from two independent pricing agents.

**DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS**

Each Fund intends to distribute dividends and net realized capital gains, if any, to investors annually. Each Fund may make distributions on a more frequent basis. A Fund may occasionally be required to make supplemental distributions at some other time during the year. Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole shares only if the broker through whom you purchased shares makes such option available. Your broker is responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions to you.

The Trust reserves the right to declare special distributions if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable.

**OTHER INFORMATION**

**<u>Portfolio Holdings</u>**

The Board has approved portfolio holdings disclosure policies and procedures that govern the timing and circumstances of disclosure to shareholders and third parties of a Fund's portfolio holdings and the use of material non-public information about a Fund's holdings. These policies and procedures, as described below, are designed to ensure that disclosure of portfolio holdings is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, and address conflicts of interest between the interests of Fund shareholders and those of Krane, any sub-adviser, the Distributor, or any affiliated person of a Fund, Krane, any sub-adviser or the Distributor. The policies and procedures apply to all officers, employees, and agents of a Fund, including Krane and any sub-adviser.

Each Fund discloses on its website at the start of each Business Day the identities and quantities of the securities and other assets held by a Fund that will form the basis of a Fund's calculation of its NAV on that Business Day. The portfolio holdings so disclosed will be based on information as of the close of business on the prior Business Day. This information is generally used in connection with the creation and redemption process and is disseminated on a daily basis through the facilities of the Exchange, the National Securities Clearing Corporation ("NSCC") and/or other fee-based subscription services to NSCC members and/or subscribers to those other fee-based subscription services, including Authorized Participants, and to entities that publish and/or analyze such information in connection with the process of purchasing or redeeming Creation Units or trading shares of a Fund in the secondary market.

Daily access to non-public information concerning a Fund's portfolio holdings also is permitted (i) to certain personnel of those service providers that are involved in portfolio management and providing administrative, operational, risk management, or other support to portfolio management, including affiliated broker-dealers and/or Authorized Participants, and (ii) to other personnel of Krane and other service providers, such as a sub-adviser, the administrator, the custodian and the fund accountant, who deal directly with, or assist in, functions related to investment management, administration, custody and fund accounting, as may be necessary to conduct business in the ordinary course in a manner consistent with agreements with a Fund and/or the terms of a Fund's current registration statement.

From time to time, non-public information concerning Fund portfolio holdings also may be provided to other entities that provide services to a Fund, including, among others, rating or ranking organizations, in the ordinary course of business, no earlier than one business day following the date of the information. Portfolio holdings information made available in connection with the creation and redemption process may be provided to other entities that provide services to a Fund in the ordinary course of business after it has been disseminated to the NSCC.

A Fund's chief compliance officer, or a compliance manager designated by the chief compliance officer, also may grant exceptions to permit additional disclosure of Fund portfolio holdings information at differing times and with different lag times (the period from the date of the information to the date the information is made available), if any, in instances where a Fund has legitimate business purposes for doing so, it is in the best interests of shareholders, and the recipients are subject to a duty of confidentiality, including a duty not to trade on the nonpublic information and are required to execute an agreement to that effect. The Board will be informed of any such disclosures at its next regularly scheduled meeting or as soon as is reasonably practicable thereafter. In no event will a Fund, Krane, any sub-adviser, or any other party receive any direct or indirect compensation in connection with the disclosure of information about a Fund's portfolio holdings.

The Board exercises continuing oversight of the disclosure of a Fund's portfolio holdings by (1) overseeing the implementation and enforcement of the Trust's the portfolio holdings policies and procedures by a Fund's chief compliance officer and a Fund, (2) considering reports and recommendations by the chief compliance officer concerning any material compliance matters (as defined in Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act and Rule 206(4)-7 under the Advisers Act) that may arise in connection with any portfolio holdings policies and procedures, and (3) considering whether to approve or ratify any amendment to any of the portfolio holdings policies and procedures. The Board and a Fund reserve the right to amend the policies and procedures in their sole discretion at any time and from time to time without prior notice to shareholders. For purposes of the policies and procedures, the term "portfolio holdings" means investment positions held by a Fund that are not publicly disclosed.

In addition to the permitted disclosures described above, a Fund must publicly disclose its complete holdings quarterly in SEC filings. These reports are available, free of charge, on the EDGAR database on the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov.

No person is authorized to disclose a Fund's portfolio holdings or other investment positions except in accordance with the Trust's policies and procedures.

**<u>Voting Rights</u>**

Each share of a Fund is entitled to one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Shareholders receive one vote for every full Fund share owned. Shareholders of each Fund will vote separately on matters relating solely to that Fund. All shares of a Fund are freely transferable.

As a Delaware statutory trust, the Trust is not required to hold annual shareholder meetings unless otherwise required by the 1940 Act. However, for the purpose of considering removal of a Trustee as provided in Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act, a special meeting may be called by shareholders owning at least 10% of the outstanding shares of the Trust. Shareholder inquiries can be made by contacting the Trust at the number and website address provided under "Shareholder Inquiries" below.

**<u>Shareholder Inquiries</u>**

Shareholders may visit the Trust's web site at <u>www.kraneshares.com</u> or call 1.855.857.2638 or call to obtain information about account statements, procedures, and other related information.

**COUNSEL**

K&L Gates LLP, 1601 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20006, serves as counsel to the Trust.

**INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM**

KPMG LLP, 1735 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, the Trust's independent registered public accounting firm, provides audit and tax services with respect to the Funds.

**FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**

The Funds' audited financial statements, including the notes thereto and the report of KPMG LLP, the Funds' independent registered public accounting firm, are incorporated by reference into this SAI from the Funds' Form N-CSR for the period ending March 31, 2025.

**APPENDIX A – PROXY VOTING POLICY**

Form N-1A requires an investment company to describe the policies and procedures that it uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities. In connection with this requirement, the Trust's Board has delegated voting of the Fund's proxies to Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Adviser" or "KFA"), subject to the Board's oversight. The Board has directed that proxies be voted consistent with the Fund and its shareholders' best interests and in compliance with all applicable proxy voting rules and regulations. Below is a summary of the proxy voting policies and procedures adopted by the Adviser:

**Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures Summary**

***Background***

Investment advisers are fiduciaries that owe a duty of care and loyalty to each of their clients with respect to services undertaken on the client's behalf, including monitoring corporate events and exercising proxy authority. In the context of voting, the specific obligations that flow from the investment adviser's fiduciary duty depend upon the scope of voting authority assumed by the adviser. To satisfy its fiduciary duty in making any voting determination, an investment adviser must make the determination in the best interest of the client and must not place its own interests ahead of the interest of the client.

***Policies and Procedures***

**Proxy Voting Requirements**

Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act requires each registered investment adviser that exercises proxy voting authority with respect to client securities to:

● Adopt and implement written policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the adviser votes client securities in the best interest of clients, including sufficient ongoing oversight of any third party retained to assist with voting responsibilities;

● Disclose to clients how they may obtain information from the adviser about how the adviser voted proxies for their securities; and

● Describe the adviser's proxy voting policies and procedures to clients and furnish them with a copy of such policies and procedures on request.

Paragraph (c)(2) of Rule 204-2 under the Advisers Act imposes additional recordkeeping requirements on investment advisers that execute proxy voting authority, as described under "Recordkeeping" below and in the *Maintenance of Books and Records* section of this Manual.<sup>1</sup>

**Policy**

Each Adviser complies with Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act and all other applicable laws and regulations to the extent the Adviser votes proxies on behalf of Clients. KFA votes proxies for the securities in the KraneShares Trust, on behalf of each series of the Trust (the "Funds") for which it has been granted investment authority. KFA has retained Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. ("Broadridge") to track the Funds' proxy votes, the subsequent action taken by the Funds upon receipt of the vote, and where applicable, the issuer's management and shareholder recommendations (system name: ProxyEdge). KFA will provide ongoing oversight of Broadridge with respect to the ProxyEdge system which is used to assist in KFA's proxy voting duties.

Where KFA has responsibility for voting proxies, KFA will take reasonable steps under the circumstances so that proxies are received and voted in the best interest of its Clients, including the Funds, which generally means voting proxies in accordance with this policy. KFA may abstain from voting to the extent that KFA determines that such abstention is in the Client's best interest (based on a quantitative/qualitative materiality assessment). KFA generally does not vote proxies on behalf of separate account clients (if any). Separate account clients either vote their own proxies or designate an independent third party to vote proxies at the client's discretion.

<sup>1</sup> Each Adviser notes that the fiduciary duties described in Section 404(a)(1)(A) and (B) of ERISA require that, in voting proxies, the responsible fiduciary consider those factors that may affect the value of a plan's investment and not subordinate the interests of the plan's participants and beneficiaries in their retirement income to unrelated objectives. As such, to the extent that the one or both of the Advisers becomes an ERISA fiduciary, they will consider whether a plan's vote is expected to have an effect on the value of the plan's investment that warrants the additional cost of voting before making any proxy vote.

**Proxy Advisory Firm - General Guidelines and Oversight**

Where KFA has proxy voting authority, KFA generally votes in accordance with pre-determined proxy voting guidelines prepared by Glass Lewis & Co. ("GL Guidelines"), where Glass Lewis serves as an independent, unaffiliated third-party proxy advisory service firm.<sup>2</sup> KFA believes that utilizing an independent third party's framework and analysis to support KFA's assessments of proxy proposals assists KFA in making sure that all proxy voting decisions are made in the best interests of KFA's Clients and Funds. However, KFA may diverge from the GL Guidelines to the extent that KFA believes it is in the best interest of a Fund or Client account to vote differently. In determining whether to vote in accordance with the GL Guidelines, KFA will take into account all information received with respect to the particular proxy vote, including any information provided by the issuer. KFA will provide ongoing oversight of any proxy advisory firm engaged to ensure the proxy advisory firm has the capacity and competency to adequately analyze proxy issues, including but not limited to reviewing (1) the adequacy and quality of the proxy advisory firm's staffing and personnel; (2) the robustness of its policies and procedures regarding its ability to (i) ensure that its proxy voting recommendations are based on current and accurate information and (ii) identify and address any conflicts of interest and any other considerations that the investment adviser believes would be appropriate in considering the nature and quality of the services provided by the proxy advisory firm.

**Conflicts of Interests**

KFA has adopted these policies and procedures that are designed to identify conflicts or potential conflicts that could arise between its own interests and those of its Clients, including the Funds. For example, conflicts of interest may arise when:

● proxy votes where the issuer is an affiliate, or the subject of the proxy measure involved a material economic or business interest of an affiliate;

● proxy votes regarding non-routine matters are solicited by an issuer that has an institutional separate account relationship with KFA;<sup>3</sup>

● a proponent of a proxy proposal has a business relationship with KFA; or

● KFA has business relationships with participants in proxy contests, corporate directors or director candidates.

The Compliance Team and KFA's Investment Team are responsible for monitoring and resolving possible material conflicts of interest with respect to proxy voting. KFA will identify any conflicts that exist between its interests and those of a Client by reviewing KFA's relationship with the issuer of each security to determine if KFA or any of its employees has any financial, business, or personal relationship with the issuer. Any person with knowledge of a personal conflict of interest relating to a particular matter shall disclose that conflict to the Investment Team or the Compliance Team and may be required to recuse him or herself from the proxy voting process.

If it is determined that a conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest is material, the CCO will work with appropriate personnel to agree upon a method to resolve such conflict before voting proxies affected by the conflict. It is KFA's expectation that voting in accordance with the GL Guidelines will, in most cases, adequately address any possible conflicts of interest.

KFA will maintain a record of the resolution of any conflict of interest with respect to proxy voting.

<sup>2</sup> As of the dated of these policies and procedures, KFA relies on the 2024 Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Thematic Voting Policy ("GL ESG Policy Guidelines"). To the extent the GL ESG Policy Guidelines do not provide a specific approach to a ballot, or an ESG rule does not trigger for a particular ballot, the default vote will come from the In-House Glass Lewis Guidelines.

<sup>3</sup> For this purpose, KFA generally will consider as "non-routine" any matter listed in New York Stock Exchange Rule 452.11, relating to when a member adviser may not vote a proxy without instructions from its customer (for example, contested matters are deemed non-routine).

**Special Issues with Voting Foreign Proxies**

Although KFA has arrangements with BBH (custodian) and Broadridge to vote foreign proxies, voting proxies with respect to shares of foreign stocks may involve significantly greater effort and corresponding cost due to the variety of regulatory schemes and corporate practices in foreign countries with respect to proxy voting. Logistical problems in voting foreign proxies include the following:

● Each country has its own rules and practices regarding shareholder notification, voting restrictions, registration conditions and "share blocking" (as described in the following bullet point).

● To vote shares in some countries, the shares may be "blocked" by the custodian or depository (or bearer shares deposited with a specified financial institution) for a specified number of days (usually five or fewer but sometimes longer) before or after the shareholder meeting. When blocked, shares typically may not be traded until the day after the blocking period. KFA may refrain from voting shares of foreign stocks subject to blocking restrictions where, in KFA's judgment, the benefit from voting the shares is outweighed by the interest of maintaining liquidity in the shares. This decision generally is made on a case-by-case basis based on relevant factors, including the length of the blocking period, the significance of the holding, and whether the stock is considered a long-term holding.

● Often it is difficult to ascertain the date of a shareholder meeting because certain countries, such as France, do not require companies to publish announcements in any official stock exchange publication.

● Timeframes between shareholder notification, distribution of proxy materials, book closure and the actual meeting date may be too short to allow timely action.

● Language barriers will generally mean that an English translation of proxy information must be obtained or commissioned before the relevant shareholder meeting, if possible.

● Some companies and/or jurisdictions require that, in order to be eligible to vote, the shares of the beneficial holders be registered in the company's share registry.

● Lack of a "proxy voting service" by custodians in certain countries, which in certain cases may require KFA to have a power of attorney in place with the local custodian for voting.

● Lack of proxy statement information (where KFA is limited to what is available on Proxy Ballot and Issuer's website).

● Proxy votes for the issuer are suppressed or restricted due to operational constraints, including sanctions.

● Meetings are informational only and/or have to be attended in person.

Because the cost of voting on a particular proxy proposal, including lengthy operational processing, could exceed the expected benefit to a Fund or Client account, KFA may, after weighing the costs and benefits of voting on proxy proposals relating to foreign securities, make the decision not to vote a proxy proposal. At times, KFA may abstain from voting proxies of companies for the reasons stated above.

**Affiliated Entities**

For the avoidance of doubt, when required by contract or requested in writing, it is KFA's policy to generally abstain from voting proxies as they relate to affiliated entities of subadvisors who co-manage the portfolios of the Funds.

**Voting Contrary to Guidelines**

To the extent a proxy is voted contrary to the GL Guidelines for the reasons stated above (i.e. conflicts of interest, foreign proxies with special issues, affiliated entities), or otherwise (for example, proxy is a "case by case" under which the third-party proxy advisory service firm does not provide a recommendation or due to a sanction or operational restriction), such override must be made in the Client account's or Fund's best interest. In such cases, the reason for such decision must be agreed on by both the Compliance Team and the Investment Team and recorded. To the extent the contrary vote is determined during monthly reviews, Krane Compliance will communicate that to the Investment Team, if not previously identified.

**Proxy Voting Reporting**

Information regarding how KFA voted proxies on behalf of the Funds is available on the SEC's website at <u>http://sec.gov</u>. Information regarding how KFA voted proxies on behalf of Client accounts is available upon request.

KFA must provide the Funds' Board with a report that describes any significant issues that arose during the year as they relate to voting proxies, including any votes that were made inconsistent with this policy. Additionally, on at least an annual basis, any changes to this policy with respect to the Funds must be reported to the Board, which shall review and, in its discretion, approve the use of such amended policy.

KFA's CCO will meet with the Stewardship Committee periodically, but no less frequently than annually, to review compliance with this policy.

**Securities Subject to Lending Arrangements**

The investment policies of a Fund may permit the Fund to engage in securities lending transactions from time to time. Securities lending will be conducted in accordance with each Fund's investment policies, policies adopted by the Board, and the terms and conditions of various SEC interpretive positions.

Under the Securities Lending Policy approved by the Board, in the event that KFA determines that a loaned security would otherwise remain on loan on the proxy record date and the matters involved would have a material effect on the applicable Fund's investment in the loaned securities, KFA will exercise its best efforts to vote proxies on the securities loaned, either by terminating the loan or by entering into an alternative arrangement with the borrower of the securities in time to be able to cast such vote or to exercise such consent. This assessment would be based on a quantitative and qualitative materiality assessment conducted by the Compliance Team and reviewed by the Investment Team.

**Class Actions**

KFA does not commit to participate in all class actions that may arise with regard to Client account or Fund portfolio securities. Upon receipt of class action information, the Compliance Team and/or Investment Team will evaluate the costs versus the benefits of participation in the suit for each pertinent Client. Unless it is determined that it would be in the best interest of the Client or Fund, KFA will not participate in the class action on behalf of the Client or Fund. The Compliance Team or Investment Team will either return to the sender any documents inadvertently received by KFA regarding the class action, or forward the documents to the pertinent Client(s). If a determination is made that the benefits of participating in a class action outweigh the cost of participation, KFA will distribute any compensation received pro rata to the investors in the Funds(s) and/or to the Client based on the current percentage holdings in the Fund or Client account, or as otherwise appropriately arranged and disclosed to Clients.

Class Action Notices should be forwarded to the CCO upon receipt.

**Recordkeeping**

To the extent that KFA exercises proxy voting authority with respect to its Clients, it shall make and retain the following:

● a copy of this policy;

● a copy of each proxy statement that KFA receives regarding Client securities;

● a record of each vote cast by KFA on behalf of a Client;

● a copy of each written Client request for information on how KFA voted proxies on behalf of the Client, and a copy of any written response by KFA to any written or oral Client request for information on how KFA voted proxies on behalf of the requesting Client.

KFA shall retain these records in an easily accessible place for five years from the end of the fiscal year during which the last entry was made on such record, the first two years in KFA's principal office. The CCO will confirm that KFA complies with all applicable recordkeeping requirements associated with proxy voting.

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---

| |
|:---|
| ESG<br> Thematic Voting Policy Guidelines |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2025 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;www.glasslewis.com |

---

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---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| [About Glass Lewis](#egssai3_001) | 5 |
| [Summary of Changes for 2025](#egssai3_002) | 6 |
| [Introduction](#egssai3_005) | 7 |
| [Election of Directors](#egssai3_006) | 8 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board of Directors](#egssai3_007) | 8 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Composition](#egssai3_008) | 8 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Independence](#egssai3_009) | 10 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Committee Composition](#egssai3_010) | 10 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Diversity, Tenure and Refreshment](#egssai3_011) | 10 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Director Overboarding](#egssai3_012) | 11 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Size](#egssai3_013) | 11 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Classified Boards](#egssai3_014) | 12 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Controlled Companies](#egssai3_015) | 12 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Significant Shareholders](#egssai3_016) | 12 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Director Performance and Oversight](#egssai3_017) | 12 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Environmental and Social Oversight and Performance](#egssai3_018) | 13 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board-Level Oversight of Environmental and Social Risks](#egssai3_019) | 13 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Climate Risk](#egssai3_020) | 13 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Stakeholder Considerations](#egssai3_021) | 14 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Review of Risk Management Controls](#egssai3_022) | 14 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Slate Elections](#egssai3_023) | 14 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Responsiveness](#egssai3_024) | 14 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Separation of the Roles of CEO and Chair](#egssai3_025) | 15 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Governance Following an IPO or Spin-Off](#egssai3_026) | 15 |

---

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| [Financial Reporting](#egssai3_027) | 16 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Accounts and Reports](#egssai3_028) | 16 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Income Allocation (Distribution of Dividends)](#egssai3_029) | 16 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Appointment of Auditors and Authority to Set Fees](#egssai3_030) | 16 |
| [Compensation](#egssai3_031) | 17 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Compensation Reports and Compensation Policies](#egssai3_032) | 17 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Linking Compensation to Environmental and Social Issues](#egssai3_033) | 18 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Long-Term Incentive Plans](#egssai3_034) | 18 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Performance-Based Equity Compensation](#egssai3_035) | 18 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Director Compensation](#egssai3_036) | 19 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Retirement Benefits for Directors](#egssai3_037) | 19 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Limits on Executive Compensation](#egssai3_038) | 19 |
| [Governance Structure](#egssai3_039) | 20 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Amendments to the Articles of Association](#egssai3_040) | 20 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Anti-Takeover Measures](#egssai3_041) | 20 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Multi-Class Share Structures](#egssai3_042) | 20 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Cumulative Voting](#egssai3_043) | 20 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Fair Price Provision](#egssai3_044) | 21 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Supermajority Vote Requirements](#egssai3_045) | 21 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Poison Pills (Shareholder Rights Plan)](#egssai3_046) | 21 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Increase in Authorized Shares](#egssai3_047) | 22 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Issuance of Shares](#egssai3_048) | 23 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Repurchase of Shares](#egssai3_049) | 23 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Reincorporation](#egssai3_050) | 23 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Tax Havens](#egssai3_051) | 23 |

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Advance Notice Requirements](#egssai3_052) | 24 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Transaction of Other Business](#egssai3_053) | 24 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Anti-Greenmail Proposals](#egssai3_054) | 24 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Virtual-Only Shareholder Meetings](#egssai3_055) | 24 |
| [Mergers, Acquisitions & Contested Meetings](#egssai3_056) | 25 |
| [Shareholder Proposals](#egssai3_057) | 26 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Governance Proposals](#egssai3_058) | 26 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Environmental Proposals](#egssai3_059) | 26 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Say on Climate](#egssai3_060) | 27 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Shareholder Proposals](#egssai3_061) | 27 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Management Proposals](#egssai3_062) | 27 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Social Proposals](#egssai3_063) | 27 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Compensation Proposals](#egssai3_064) | 28 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Trojan Horse Proposals](#egssai3_065) | 28 |
| [Connect with Glass Lewis](#egssai3_066) | 30 |

---

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About Glass Lewis

Glass Lewis is the world's choice for governance solutions. We enable institutional investors and publicly listed companies to make informed decisions based on research and data. We cover 30,000+ meetings each year, across approximately 100 global markets. Our team has been providing in-depth analysis of companies since 2003, relying solely on publicly available information to inform its policies, research, and voting recommendations.

Our customers include the majority of the world's largest pension plans, mutual funds, and asset managers, collectively managing over $40 trillion in assets. We have teams located across the United States, Europe, and Asia-Pacific giving us global reach with a local perspective on the important governance issues.

Investors around the world depend on Glass Lewis' **<u>Viewpoint</u>** platform to manage their proxy voting, policy implementation, recordkeeping, and reporting. Our industry leading **<u>Proxy Paper</u>** product provides comprehensive environmental, social, and governance research and voting recommendations weeks ahead of voting deadlines. Public companies can also use our innovative **<u>Report Feedback Statement</u>** to deliver their opinion on our proxy research directly to the voting decision makers at every investor client in time for voting decisions to be made or changed.

The research team engages extensively with public companies, investors, regulators, and other industry stakeholders to gain relevant context into the realities surrounding companies, sectors, and the market in general. This enables us to provide the most comprehensive and pragmatic insights to our customers.

Join the Conversation

Glass Lewis is committed to ongoing engagement with all market participants.

<u>info@glasslewis.com</u>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <u>www.glasslewis.com</u>

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Summary of Changes for 2025

Board Diversity

The ESG Policy has updated its policy concerning gender diversity on boards. The policy has been updated to provide that, if less than 33% of the board is gender-diverse the ESG Policy will vote against all incumbent male nominating committee members for large- and mid-cap companies; however, where local market standards dictate a higher level of expected gender diversity, the ESG policy will follow the local market requirement. , Previously, the ESG Policy would vote against male members of the nominating committee in instances where large- and mid-cap companies did not have at least 30% gender diversity. The policy will continue to recommend against male members of the nominating committee when small-cap companies do not have at least one gender-diverse director on their boards.

Vote-No Campaigns

The ESG Policy will carefully review any "vote-no" campaigns launched by shareholders as a result of their concerns regarding a company's failure to adequately address environmental and social risks or those related to poor compensation or governance practices. When it is determined that such campaigns either address a failure of oversight on behalf of the company or broadly seek to promote more responsible corporate behavior, the ESG Policy may vote in line with the recommendations of the shareholder(s) running the vote-no campaign.

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Introduction

Institutional investors are increasingly recognizing the importance of incorporating material environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors into their investment processes. Active ownership on ESG issues will typically include also applying these considerations to proxy voting practices, and the ESG Policy allows clients to apply these enhanced ESG considerations when voting at the annual and special meetings of their portfolio companies.

The ESG Policy was designed for clients with a strong focus on environmental and social issues or as a supplemental voting policy for ESG-focused funds. This policy is also ideal for investors who would like to vote in a stakeholder-focused and progressive manner.

Implementation of the ESG Policy may vary market-to-market in accordance with regulatory requirements, corporate governance best practices, and other relevant standards in individual markets.

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Election of Directors

Board of Directors

Boards are established in order to represent shareholders and protect their interests. The ESG Policy seeks boards that have a record for protecting shareholders and delivering value over the medium- and long-term. For boards that wish to protect and enhance the interests of shareholders they must have sufficient levels of independence (the percentage varies by local market practice and regulations), boast a record of positive performance, have directors with diverse backgrounds, and appoint new directors that have a depth of relevant experience.

Board Composition

The ESG Policy examines a variety of elements to the board when voting on director elections. In terms of the directors, the policy looks at each individual on the board and explores their relationship with the company, the company's executives and with other board members. This is to ensure and determine whether a director has an existing relationship with the company that are likely to impact any decision processes of that board member.

The biographical information provided by the company on the individual director is essential for investors to understand the background and skills of the directors of the board. This information should be provided in the company's documents well in advance of the shareholder meeting, in order to give shareholders sufficient time to analyze the information. In cases where the company fails to disclose the names or backgrounds of director nominees, the ESG Policy may vote against or abstain from voting on the directors' elections.

The ESG Policy will vote in favor of governance structures that will drive positive performance and enhance shareholder value. The most crucial test of a board's commitment to the company and to its shareholders is the performance of the board and its members. The performance of directors in their capacity as board members and as executives of the company, when applicable, and in their roles at other companies where they serve is critical to this evaluation.

Directors are formed into three categories based on an examination of the type of relationship they have with the company. The table below includes a breakdown of how Glass Lewis classifies these director relationships with the company.

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| **Insider** | **Affiliate** | **Independent** |
| >Someone who serves as a director and as an employee of the Company | >A director who has a material financial, familial or other relationship with the company, or its executives, but is NOT an employee of the company | >No material financial, familial or other current relationships with the company, it's executives or other board members except for service |
| >May also include executive chairs (who act as an employee of the company or is paid as an employee of the company) | >A director who owns or controls, directly or indirectly 20% or more of the company's voting stock (except where local regulations or best practices set a different threshold). | >A director who owns, directly or indirectly less than 10% of the company's voting stock (local regulations and best practices may set a different threshold) |
|  | >A director who has been employed by the company within the past 5 calendar years | >A director who has not been employed by the company for a minimum of 5 calendar years |
|  | >A director who performs material consulting, legal, advisory, accounting or other professional services for the company | >A director who is not involved in any Related Party Transactions (RPT) with the company (most common RPT's - Consulting, Legal, and Accounting/Advisory services) |
|  | >A director who is involved in an "Interlocking Directorship" |  |

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Common other reasons the ESG Policy will vote against a director:

(i) A director who attends less than 75% of the board and applicable committee meetings.

(ii) A director who is also the CEO of a company where a serious restatement has occurred after the CEO certified the pre-restatement financial statements.

(iii) An affiliated director when the board is not sufficiently independent in accordance with market best practice standards.

(iv) An affiliate or insider on any of the key committees (audit, compensation, nominating) or an affiliate or insider on any of the key committees and there is insufficient independence on that committee, both of the above can vary in accordance with the markets best practice standards.

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The following conflicts of interests may hinder a director's performance and may result in a vote against:

(i) A director who presently sits on an excessive number of public company boards (see the relevant market guidelines for confirmation of the excessive amount).

(ii) Director, or a director whose immediate family member, or the firm at which the director is employed, provides material professional services to the company at any time during the past five years.

(iii) Director, or a director whose immediate family member, engages in airplane, real estate or other similar deals, including perquisite type grants from the company.

(iv) Director with an interlocking directorship.

(v) All board members who served at a time when a poison pill with a term of longer than one year was adopted without shareholder approval within the prior twelve months.

(vi) A director who has received two against recommendations from Glass Lewis for identical reasons within the prior year at different companies.

Board Independence

A board composed of at least two-thirds independent is most effective in protecting shareholders' interests. Generally, the ESG Policy will vote against responsible directors if the board is less than two-thirds independent, however, this is also dependent on the market best practice standards.

Board Committee Composition

It is best practice to have independent directors serving on the audit, compensation, nominating and governance committees. As such, the ESG Policy will support boards with this structure and encourage change when this is not the case. However, board committee independence thresholds may vary depending on the market.

With respect to the creation of board committees and the composition thereof, the ESG Policy will generally support shareholder proposals requesting that companies create a committee to oversee material E&S issues, such as committees dedicated to climate change oversight or the oversight of public policy risks. The ESG Policy will also generally support shareholder proposals calling for the appointment of directors with specific expertise to the board, such as those requesting the appointment of an environmental expert or an individual with significant human rights expertise.

Board Diversity, Tenure and Refreshment

The ESG Policy acknowledges the importance of ensuring that the board is comprised of directors who have a diversity of skills, backgrounds, thoughts, and experiences. As such, having diverse boards benefits companies greatly by encompassing an array of different perspectives and insights.

In terms of board tenure and refreshment, the ESG Policy strongly supports routine director evaluations, including independent external reviews, and periodic board refreshment in order to enable the company to maintain a fresh set of ideas and business strategies in an ever-changing world and market. Having directors with diverse experiences and skills can strengthen the position of a company within the market. Therefore, the ESG Policy promotes refreshment within boards, as a lack of refreshment can lead to poor company performance. Thus, the ESG Policy may consider voting against directors with a lengthy tenure (e.g. over 12

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years) when we identify significant performance or governance concerns indicating that a fresh perspective would be beneficial and there is no evidence of any plans of future board refreshment.

The ESG Policy will also evaluate a company's policies and actions with respect to board refreshment and diversity. As a part of this evaluation, we will review the diversity of board members and support shareholder proposals to report on or increase board diversity. The nominating and governance committee, as an agent for the shareholders, is responsible for the governance by the board of the company and its executives. In performing this role, the committee is responsible and accountable for selection of objective and competent board members. To that end, the ESG Policy will: (i) vote against members of the nominating committee in the event that the board has an average tenure of over ten years and the board has not appointed a new nominee to the board in at least five years; (ii) vote against the incumbent male nominating committee members in instances where the board of a large- or mid-cap company is comprised of fewer than 33% gender-diverse directors, or the local market requirement for gender diversity where higher; or (iii) vote against the male members of the nominating committee where there is not at least one gender-diverse director on the board of a small-cap company.

The ESG Policy conducts a further level of analysis for U.S. companies included in the Russel 1000 index. For these companies, the ESG Policy will vote against members of the nominating and governance committee when they receive a "Poor" score in Glass Lewis' Diversity Disclosure Assessment. The Diversity Disclosure Assessment is an analysis of companies' proxy statement disclosure relating to board diversity, skills and the director nomination process. This assessment reflects how a company's proxy statement presents: (i) the board's current percentage of racial/ethnic diversity; (ii) whether the board's definition of diversity explicitly includes gender and/or race/ethnicity; (iii) whether the board has adopted a policy requiring women and minorities to be included in the initial pool of candidates when selecting new director nominees ("Rooney Rule"); and (iv) board skills disclosure.

Director Overboarding

The ESG Policy will generally recommend that shareholders vote against a director who serves as an executive officer (other than executive chair) of any public company while serving on more than one external public company board, a director who serves as an executive chair of any public company while serving on more than two external public company boards, and any other director who serves on more than five public company boards.

Board Size

Although there is not a universally acceptable optimum board size, boards should have a minimum of five directors to ensure sufficient diversity in decision making and to enable the establishment of key committees with independent directors. Further, boards should not be composed of more than 20 directors as the board may suffer as a result of too many voices to be heard and have difficulty reaching consensus on issues with this number of members. As a result, the ESG Policy will generally vote against the chair of the nominating committee at a board with fewer than five directors or more than 20 directors.

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Classified Boards

The ESG Policy favors the repeal of staggered boards in favor of the annual election of directors. Staggered boards are generally less accountable to shareholders than annually elected directors to the board. In addition, the annual election of directors encourages board members to focus on protecting the interests of shareholders. Further to this, if shareholders are unsatisfied with board members the annual election of directors allows them to voice these concerns.

Controlled Companies

The ESG Policy allows certain exceptions to the independence standards at controlled companies. The board's main function is to protect shareholder interests, however, when an individual, entity, or group own more than 50% of the voting shares, the interests of majority shareholders are the interests of that entity or individual. As a result, the ESG Policy does not apply the usual two-thirds independence threshold on controlled companies instead it includes the following guidelines:

(i) As long as insiders and/or affiliates are connected to the controlling entity, the ESG Policy will accept the presence of non-independent board members.

(ii) The compensation, nominating, and governance committees do not need to consist solely of independent directors. However, the compensation committee should not have any insider members, but affiliates are accepted.

(iii) The board does not need an independent chair or an independent lead or presiding director.

(iv) The audit committee should consist solely of independent directors, regardless of the controlled status of the company.

Significant Shareholders

Significant shareholders are either an individual or an entity which holds between 20-50% of a company's voting power, and the ESG Policy provides that shareholders should be allowed proportional representation on the board and in committees (excluding the audit committee) based on their percentage of ownership.

Director Performance and Oversight

Board members performance and their actions in regard to performance of the board is an essential element to understanding the board's commitment to the company and to shareholders. The ESG Policy will look at the performance of individuals as directors and executives of the company and of other companies where they have served. Often a director's past conduct is indicative of future conduct and performance.

The ESG Policy will typically vote against directors who have served on boards or as executives of companies with records of poor performance, inadequate risk oversight, excessive compensation, audit or accounting-related issues, and other actions or indicators of mismanagement. However, the ESG Policy will also reevaluate the directors based on factors such as the length of time that has passed since the incident, the director's role, and the severity of the issue.

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Environmental and Social Oversight and Performance

The ESG Policy considers the oversight afforded to environmental and social issues. The ESG Policy looks to ensure that companies maintain appropriate board-level oversight of material risks to their operations, including those that are environmental and social in nature. When it is clear that these risks have not been properly managed or mitigated, the ESG Policy may vote against members of the board who are responsible for the oversight of environmental and social risks. In the absence of explicit board oversight of environmental and social issues, the ESG Policy may vote against members of the audit committee. In making these determinations, the ESG Policy will take into account the situation at hand, its effect on shareholder value, as well as any corrective action or other response made by the company.

Board-Level Oversight of Environmental and Social Risks

The insufficient oversight of environmental and social issues can present direct legal, financial, regulatory and reputational risks that could serve to harm shareholder interests. As a result, the ESG Policy promotes oversight structures that ensure that companies are mitigating attendant risks ad capitalizing on related opportunities to the best extent possible.

To that end, the ESG Policy looks to boards to maintain clear oversight of material risks to their operations, including those that are environmental and social in nature. These risks could include, but are not limited to, matters related to climate change, human capital management, diversity, stakeholder relations, and health, safety & environment.

Glass Lewis will review a company's overall governance practices to identify which directors or board-level committees have been charged with oversight of environmental and/or social issues. Given the importance of the board's role in overseeing environmental and social risks, the ESG Policy will vote against members of the governance committee that fails to provide explicit disclosure concerning the board's role in overseeing these issues.

Climate Risk

Given the importance of companies mitigation and management of climate-related risks, the ESG Policy includes specific consideration for companies' disclosure of and policies concerning climate change. For companies included in the Climate Action 100+ focus list and those that operate in industries where the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) has determined that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions represent a financially material risk, the ESG Policy will vote against the chair of the board in instances where a company has not adopted a net zero emissions target or ambition. For all other companies, the ESG Policy will vote against the chair of the board in instances where companies have not established any forward-looking GHG emissions reduction targets. In both instances, if the chair of the board is also the company's CEO, the ESG Policy will vote against the chair of the audit committee.

The ESG Policy also takes into consideration investors' growing expectation for robust climate and sustainability disclosures. For Climate Action 100+ focus list companies, as well as those where SASB has determined that GHG emissions represent a material risk, the ESG Policy will vote against the chair of the board when the company has failed to produce reporting that is aligned with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures ("TCFD") or IFRS S2 framework . For all other companies, the ESG Policy may vote against the chair of the board when they have not produced sufficient sustainability reporting.

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Stakeholder Considerations

In order to drive long-term shareholder value, companies require a social license to operate. A lack of consideration for stakeholders can present legal, regulatory, and reputational risks. With this view, the ESG Policy will vote against the chair of the board in instances where companies in major blue chip indices are not signatories or participants in the United Nations Global Compact ("UNGC") or have not adopted a human rights policy that is aligned with the standards set forth by the International Labour Organization ("ILO") or the Universal Declaration on Human Rights ("UDHR").

For U.S. companies listed in the S&P 500 index, the ESG Policy will also evaluate whether companies have provided sufficient disclosure concerning their workforce diversity. In instances where these companies have not disclosed their full EEO-1 reports, the ESG Policy will vote against the nominating and governance chair.

Review of Risk Management Controls

The ESG Policy evaluates the risk management function of a public company on a case-by-case basis. Companies, particularly financial firms, should have a dedicated risk committee, or a committee on the board in charge of risk oversight, as well as a chief risk officer who reports directly to that committee, not to the CEO or another executive of the company. When analyzing the risk management practices of public companies the ESG Policy takes note of any significant losses or write-downs on financial assets and/or structured transactions. In cases where a company has disclosed a sizable loss or write-down, and where the company's board-level risk committee's poor oversight contributed to the loss, the ESG Policy will recommend that shareholders vote against such committee members on that basis. In addition, in cases where a company maintains a significant level of financial risk exposure but fails to disclose any explicit form of board-level risk oversight (committee or otherwise), the ESG Policy may vote against the chair of the board on that basis.

Slate Elections

In some countries, in particular Italy, companies elect their board members as a slate, whereby shareholders are unable to vote on the election of an individual director, but rather are limited to voting for or against the board as a whole. The ESG Policy will generally support the slate if no major governance or board-related concerns have been raised in the analysis, and the slate appears to support and protect the best interests of all shareholders.

Board Responsiveness

Majority-Supported Shareholder Proposals

We expect clear action from the board when shareholder proposals receive support from a majority of votes cast (excluding abstentions and broker non-votes). In our view, this may include fully implementing the request of the shareholder proposal and/or engaging with shareholders on the issue and providing sufficient disclosures to address shareholder concerns.

Significantly Supported Shareholder Proposals

When shareholder proposals receive significant support (generally more than 30% but less than majority of votes cast), we believe an initial level of board responsiveness is warranted. In instances where a shareholder

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proposal has received at least 30% shareholder support, we generally believe boards should engage with shareholders on the issue and provide disclosure addressing shareholder concerns and outreach initiatives.

Further, as discussed above, at controlled companies and companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will carefully examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders when determining whether board responsiveness is warranted.

Separation of the Roles of CEO and Chair

The separation of the positions of CEO and chair creates a better and more independent governance structure than a combined CEO/chair position. The role of executives is to manage the business based on the course charted by the board. Executives should be in the position of reporting and answering to the board for their performance in achieving their goals as set out by the board. This would become more complicated if they too held the position of chair as it would be difficult for them to fulfil the duty of being both the overseer and policy setter when they, the CEO/chair control both the agenda and boardroom.

The ESG Policy views an independent chair as better able to oversee the executives of the company and set a pro-shareholder agenda without the management conflicts that a CEO and other executive insiders often face. Such oversight and concern for shareholders allows for a more proactive and effective board of directors that is better able to look out for the interests of shareholders.

Furthermore, it is the board's responsibility to select a chief executive to best serve the company and its shareholders and to replace this person when his or her duties have not been appropriately fulfilled. Such a replacement becomes more difficult and happens less frequently when the chief executive is also in the position of overseeing the board.

However, even considering the above, the ESG Policy will not vote against CEOs who also chair the board. The ESG Policy will generally support separating the positions of CEO and chair whenever the question is posed in a shareholder proposal, as in the long-term it is in the best interests of the company.

In the absence of an independent chair, the ESG Policy will support the appointment of a presiding or lead independent director with authority to set the agenda for the meeting and to lead sessions. In the case where the company has neither an independent chair nor independent lead director, the ESG Policy may vote against the chair of the governance committee.

Governance Following an IPO or Spin-Off

Companies that have recently completed an initial public offering (IPO), or spin-off should be given adequate time to fully adjust and comply with marketplace listing requirements and meet basic corporate governance standards. The ESG Policy generally allows the company a one-year period following the IPO to comply with these requirements and as such refrains from voting based on governance standards (e.g., board independence, committee membership and structure, meeting attendance, etc.).

However, there are some cases that warrant shareholder action against the board of a company that have completed an IPO or spin-off in the past year. The ESG Policy will evaluate the terms of applicable governing documents when determining the recommendations and whether the shareholders rights will be severely restricted. In order to come to a conclusion the following points will be considered:

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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. The adoption of anti-takeover provisions such as a poison pill or classified board;

2. Supermajority vote requirements to amend governing documents;

3. The presence of exclusive forum or fee-shifting provisions;

4. Whether shareholders can call special meetings or act by written consent;

5. The voting standard provided for the election of directors;

6. The ability of shareholders to remove directors without cause;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;7. The presence of evergreen provisions in the company's equity compensation arrangements; and

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;8. The presence of a multi-class share structure which does not afford common shareholders voting power that is aligned with their economic interest.

Anti-takeover provisions can negatively impact future shareholders who (except for electing to buy or sell the stock) are unable to weigh in on matters that might negatively impact their ownership interest. In cases where the anti-takeover provision was adopted prior to the IPO, the ESG Policy may vote against the members of the board who served when it was adopted if the board:

(i) Did not also commit to submit the anti-takeover provision to a shareholder vote at the company's next shareholder meeting following the IPO; or

(ii) Did not provide a sound rationale or sunset provision for adopting the anti-takeover provision.

Financial Reporting

Accounts and Reports

Excluding situations where there are concerns surrounding the integrity of the statements/reports, the ESG Policy will generally vote for Accounts and Reports proposals.

Where the required documents have not been published at the time that the vote is cast, the ESG Policy will abstain from voting on this proposal.

Income Allocation (Distribution of Dividends)

The ESG Policy will generally vote for proposals concerning companies' distribution of dividends. However, particular scrutiny will be given to cases where the company's dividend payout ratio is exceptionally low or excessively high relative to its peers, and where the company has not provided a satisfactory explanation for this disparity.

Appointment of Auditors and Authority to Set Fees

The role of the auditor is crucial in protecting shareholder value. Like directors, auditors should be free from conflicts of interest and should assiduously avoid situations that require them to make choices between their own interests and the interests of the shareholders. Because of the importance of the role of the auditor, rotating auditors is an important safeguard against the relationship between the auditor and the company becoming too close, resulting in a lack of oversight due to complacency or conflicts of interest. Accordingly, the ESG Policy will vote against auditor ratification proposals in instances where it is clear that a company's auditor has not been changed for 20 or more years.

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In instances where a company has retained an auditor for fewer than 20 years, the ESG Policy will generally support management's recommendation for the selection of an auditor, as well as the board's authority to fix auditor fees. However, there are a number of exceptions to this policy, and the ESG Policy will vote against the appointment of the auditor and/or the authorization of the board to set auditor fees in the following scenarios:

● The independence of an incumbent auditor or the integrity of the audit has been compromised.

● Audit fees combined with audit-related fees total less than one-half of total fees.

● There have been any recent restatements or late filings by the company and responsibility for such can be attributed to the auditor (e.g., a restatement due to a reporting error).

● The company has aggressive accounting policies.

● The company has poor disclosure or lack of transparency in financial statements.

● There are other relationships, or issues of concern, with the auditor that might suggest a conflict of interest.

● The company is changing auditors as a result of a disagreement between the company and the auditor on a matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedures.

Compensation

Compensation Reports and Compensation Policies

Depending on the market, compensation report and policy vote proposals may be either advisory or binding, e.g. in the UK a non-binding compensation report based upon the most recent fiscal year is voted upon annually, and a forward-looking compensation policy will be subject to a binding vote every three years.

In all markets company filings are evaluated closely to determine how well information pertinent to Compensation practices has been disclosed, the extent to which overall compensation is tied to performance, which performance metrics have been employed, as well as how the company's remuneration practices compare to that of its peers.

The ESG Policy will vote against the approval of a compensation report or policy in the following scenarios:

● There is a significant disconnect between pay and performance;

● Performance goals and metrics are inappropriate or insufficiently challenging;

● There is a lack of disclosure regarding performance metrics as well as a lack of clarity surrounding the implementation of these metrics.

● Short-term (e.g., generally less than three year) performance measurement is weighted excessively in incentive plans;

● Excessive discretion is afforded to, or exercised by, management or the Compensation Committee to deviate from defined performance metrics and goals in determining awards;

● Ex gratia or other non-contractual payments have been made and the reasoning for this is inadequate.

● Guaranteed bonuses are established;

● Egregious or excessive bonuses, equity awards or severance payments have been granted;

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● Excessive increases (e.g. over 10%) in fixed payments, such as salary or pension entitlements, that are not adequately justified

● Where there is an absence of structural safeguarding mechanisms such as clawback and malus policies included in the Incentive plan.

Linking Compensation to Environmental and Social Issues

On top of Glass Lewis' robust evaluation of companies' compensation plans, the ESG Policy will evaluate if, and to what extent, a company has provided a link between compensation and environmental and social criteria. In most markets, should a company not provide any environmental or social considerations in its remuneration scheme, the ESG Policy will vote against the proposed plan. For companies with a greater degree of exposure to environmental and climate-related issues (i.e., Climate Action 100+ focus list companies and those where SASB has deemed GHG emissions to be financially material), the ESG Policy will vote against compensation proposals if the company has not adequately incentivized executives to act in ways that mitigate a company's climate impact. The ESG Policy will also support shareholder resolutions requesting the inclusion of sustainability metrics in executive compensation plans.

Long-Term Incentive Plans

The ESG Policy recognizes the value of equity-based incentive programs. When used appropriately, they provide a means of linking an employee's pay to a company's performance, thereby aligning their interests with those of shareholders. In addition, equity-based compensation is an effective way to attract, retain and motivate key employees.

In order to allow for meaningful shareholder review, incentive programs should generally include:

(i) specific and appropriate performance goals;

(ii) a maximum award pool; and

(iii) a maximum award amount per employee.

In addition, the payments made should be reasonable relative to the performance of the business and total compensation paid to those included under the plan should be in line with compensation paid by the company's peers.

Performance-Based Equity Compensation

The ESG Policy supports performance-based equity compensation plans for senior executives; where it is warranted by both their performance, and that of the company. While it is unnecessary to base equity-based compensation for all employees to company performance, placing such limitations on grants to senior executives is considered advisable (although in specific scenarios equity-based compensation granted to senior executives without performance criteria is acceptable under Glass Lewis guidelines, such as in the case of moderate incentive grants made in an initial offer of employment). While it is not uncommon for a board to state that tying equity compensation to performance goals may hinder them in attracting, and retaining, talented executives, the ESG Policy takes the stance that performance-based compensation aids in aligning executive interests to that of shareholders, and as such will support the company in achieving its objectives.

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The ESG Policy will generally vote in favor of all performance-based option or share schemes; with the exception of plans that include a provision to allow for the re-testing of performance conditions; for which a vote against is recommended.

Director Compensation

The ESG Policy supports non-employee directors receiving an appropriate form, and level, of compensation for the time and effort they spend serving on the board and its committees; and director fees being at a level that allows a company to retain and attract qualified individuals. The ESG Policy compares the cost of director compensation to that of peer companies with similar market capitalizations in the same country so that compensation plans may be evaluated thoroughly, and a fair vote outcome reached.

Retirement Benefits for Directors

The ESG Policy will typically vote against the granting of retirement benefits to non-executive directors. Such extended payments can impair the objectivity and independence of these board members. Initial, and annual fees should be of a level that provides appropriate compensation to directors throughout their service to the company.

Limits on Executive Compensation

As a general rule, shareholders should not seek to micromanage executive compensation programs. Such matters should be left to the board's compensation committee. The election of directors, and specifically those who sit on the compensation committee, is viewed as an appropriate mechanism for shareholders to express their support, or disapproval, of board policy on this issue. Further, companies whose pay-for-performance is in line with their peers should be granted the flexibility to compensate their executives in a manner that drives sustainable growth. However, the ESG Policy favors performance-based compensation as an effective means of motivating executives to act in the best interests of shareholders. Performance-based compensation may be limited if a chief executive's pay is capped at a low level rather than flexibly tied to the performance of the company.

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Governance Structure

Amendments to the Articles of Association

The ESG Policy will evaluate proposed amendments to a company's articles of association on a case-by-case basis. The ESG Policy is generally opposed to bundling several amendments under a single proposal as it prevents shareholders from evaluating each amendment on its own merits. In cases, where it is a bundled amendment, the ESG Policy will evaluate each amendment individually and only support the proposal if, in the aggregate, the amendments are in the best interests of shareholders.

Anti-Takeover Measures

Multi-Class Share Structures

The ESG Policy views multi-class share structures as not in the best interests of shareholders and instead is in favor of one vote per share. This structure operates as a safeguard for common shareholders by ensuring that those who hold a significant minority of shares are still able to weigh in on issues set forth by the board. The economic stake of each shareholder should match their voting power and that no small group of shareholders, family or otherwise, should have differing voting rights from those of all other shareholders.

The ESG Policy considers a multi-class share structure as having the potential to negatively impact the overall corporate governance of a company. Companies should have share class structures that protect the interests of non-controlling shareholders as well as any controlling entity. Therefore, the ESG Policy will generally vote in favor of recapitalization proposals to eliminate multi-class share structures. Similarly, the ESG Policy will typically vote against proposals to adopt a new class of common stock.

Cumulative Voting

When voting on cumulative voting proposals, the ESG Policy will factor in the independence of the board and the company's governance structure. Cumulative voting is often found on ballots at companies where independence is lacking and where the appropriate balances favoring the interests of shareholders are not in place. However, cumulative voting increases the ability of minority shareholders to elect a director by allowing shareholders to cast as many shares of stock they own multiplied by the number of directors to be elected. Cumulative voting allows shareholders to cast all their votes for one single nominee, or a smaller number of nominees than up for election, thereby raising the likelihood of electing one or more of their preferred nominees to the board. Accordingly, cumulative voting generally acts as a safeguard for shareholders by ensuring that those who hold a significant minority of shares can elect a candidate of their choosing to the board. As a result, the ESG Policy will typically vote in favor proposals concerning cumulative voting.

However, in the case where the company has adopted a true majority vote standard (i.e., where a director must receive a majority of votes cast to be elected, as opposed to a modified policy indicated by a resignation policy only), the ESG Policy will vote against cumulative voting proposals due to the incompatibility of the two election methods. For companies, that have not adopted the true majority vote standard but have some form of majority voting, the ESG Policy will also recommend voting against cumulative voting proposals if the company has also not adopted anti-takeover provisions and has been responsive to shareholders.

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In instances where a company has not adopted majority voting standards and is facing both an election on the adoption of majority voting and a proposal to adopt cumulative voting, the ESG Policy will support only the majority voting proposal.

Fair Price Provision

Fair price provisions, which are rare, require that certain minimum price and procedural requirements to be observed by any party that acquires more than a specified percentage of a corporation's common stock. The intention of this provision is to protect minority shareholder value when an acquirer seeks to accomplish a merger or other transaction which would eliminate or change the rights of the shareholder. Fair price provisions sometimes protecting the rights of shareholders in a takeover situation. However, more often than not they act as an impediment to takeovers, potentially limiting gains to shareholders from a variety of transactions that could potentially increase share price. As a result, the ESG Policy will generally vote to fair price provisions.

Supermajority Vote Requirements

The ESG Policy favors a simple majority voting structure except where a supermajority voting requirement is explicitly intended to protect the rights of minority shareholders in a controlled company. In the case of non-controlled companies, supermajority vote requirements act as impediments to shareholder action on ballot items that are critical to their interests. For example, supermajority vote requirements can strongly limit the voice of shareholders in making decisions on critical matters such as the selling of the business. Supermajority vote requirements can also allow small groups of shareholders to overrule and dictate the will of the majority of shareholders. Thus, having a simple majority is appropriate for protecting the rights of all shareholders.

Poison Pills (Shareholder Rights Plan)

The ESG Policy will generally oppose companies' adoption of poison pills, as they can reduce management accountability by substantially limiting opportunities for corporate takeovers. As a result, rights plans can prevent shareholders from receiving a buy-out premium for their stock. Generally, the ESG Policy will vote against these plans to protect their financial interests. While boards should be given wide latitude in directing the activities of the company and charting the company's course, on an issue such as this where the link between the financial interests of shareholders and their right to consider and accept buyout offers is so substantial, shareholders should be allowed to vote on whether or not they support such a plan's implementation. In certain limited circumstances, the ESG Policy will support a limited poison pill to accomplish a particular objective, such as the closing of an important merger, or a pill that contains what we believe to be a reasonable 'qualifying offer' clause.

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Increase in Authorized Shares

Adequate capital stock is important to a company's operation. When analyzing a request for additional shares, the ESG Policy will typically review four common reasons why a company may need additional capital stock:

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|:---|:---|
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**1. Stock Split** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Three Metrics:<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(a) Historical stock pre-split price (if any)<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(b) Current price relative to the company's most common trading price over the past 52 weeks<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(c) Some absolute limits on stock price (that will either make the split appropriate or would produce an unreasonable price) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**2. Shareholder Defenses** | &nbsp;&nbsp; Additional authorized shares could be used to bolster takeover defenses such as a poison pill. The proxy filings often discuss the usefulness of additional shares in defending against a hostile takeover. |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**3. Financing for Acquisitions** | &nbsp;&nbsp; Examine whether the company has a history of using stock for acquisitions and attempts to determine what levels of stock have generally been required to accomplish such transactions. |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**4. Financing for Operations** | &nbsp;&nbsp; Review the company's cash position and its ability to secure financing through borrowing or other means. |

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The ESG Policy will generally support proposals when a company could reasonably use the requested shares for financing, stock splits and stock dividends, as having adequate shares to allow management to make quick decisions and effectively operate the business is critical. The ESG Policy favors that, when a company is undertaking significant transactions, management will justify its use of additional shares rather than providing a blank check in the form of large pools of unallocated shares available for any purpose.

Generally, the ESG Policy will support proposals to increase authorized shares up to 100% of the number of shares currently authorized unless, after the increase the company would be left with less than 30% of its authorized shares outstanding. In markets where such authorities typically also authorize the board to issue new shares without separate shareholder approval, the ESG Policy applies the policy described below on the issuance of shares.

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| ![](esgproxy_005.jpg) | <br> 22 |

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Issuance of Shares

The issuance of additional shares generally dilutes existing shareholders in most circumstances. Further, the availability of additional shares, where the board has discretion to implement a poison pill, can often serve as a deterrent to interested suitors. In cases where a company has not detailed a plan for use of the proposed shares, or where the number of shares far exceeds those needed to accomplish a detailed plan, the ESG Policy will typically vote against the authorization of additional shares. In the case of a private placement, the ESG Policy will also factor in whether the company is offering a discount to its share price.

Generally, the ESG Policy will support proposals to authorize the board to issue shares (with pre-emptive rights) when the requested increase is equal to or less than the current issued share capital. The authority of these shares should not exceed five years unless that is the market best practice. In accordance with the different market practices, the specific thresholds for share issuance can vary. And, as a result, the ESG Policy will vote on these proposals on a case-by-case basis.

The ESG Policy will also generally support proposals to suspend pre-emption rights for a maximum of 5-20% of the issued ordinary share capital of the company, depending on best practice in the country in which the company is located. This authority should not exceed five years, or less for some countries.

Repurchase of Shares

The ESG Policy typically supports proposals to repurchase shares when the plan includes the following provisions:

(i) A maximum number of shares which may be purchased (typically not more than 10-15% of the issued share capital); and

(ii) A maximum price which may be paid for each share (as a percentage of the market price).

Reincorporation

A company is in the best position to determine the appropriate jurisdiction of incorporation. The ESG Policy will factor in several elements when a management proposal to reincorporate the company is put to vote. These elements include reviewing the relevant financial benefits, generally related to incorporate tax treatment, as well as changes in corporate governance provisions, especially those related to shareholder rights, resulting from the change in domicile. In cases where the financial benefits are too small to be meaningful and there is a decrease in shareholder rights, the ESG Policy will vote against the transaction.

Tax Havens

The ESG Policy evaluates a company's potential exposure to risks related to a company's tax haven policies on an as-needed basis and will support shareholder proposals requesting that companies report on the risks associated with their use of tax havens or that request that companies adopt policies to discontinue operations or withdraw from tax havens. The ESG Policy will also vote against reincorporation proposals when companies have proposed to redomicile in known tax havens.

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| ![](esgproxy_005.jpg) | <br> 23 |

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Advance Notice Requirements

Typically, the ESG Policy will recommend vote against provisions that would require advance notice of shareholder proposals or of director nominees. Advance notice requirements typically range between three to six months prior to the annual meeting. These requirements often make it impossible for a shareholder who misses the deadline to present a shareholder proposal or director nominee that may be in the best interests of the company. Shareholders should be able to review and vote on all proposals and director nominees and are able to vote against proposals that appear with little prior notice. Therefore, by setting advance notice requirements it limits the opportunity for shareholders to raise issues that may arise after the window closes.

Transaction of Other Business

In general, the ESG Policy will vote against proposals that put the transaction of other business items proposal up for vote at an annual or special meeting, as granting unfettered discretion is unwise.

Anti-Greenmail Proposals

The ESG Policy will support proposals to adopt a provision preventing the payment of greenmail, which would serve to prevent companies from buying back company stock at significant premiums from a certain shareholder. The anti-greenmail provision helps to protect the company as it requires that a majority of shareholders other than the majority shareholder approve the buyback, thus, eliminating cases where a majority shareholder could attempt to charge a board a large premium for the shares.

Virtual-Only Shareholder Meetings

A growing number of companies have elected to hold shareholder meetings by virtual means only. The ESG Policy supports companies allowing a virtual option alongside an in-person meeting, so long as the shareholder interests are not compromised. Without proper controls, conducting a virtual-only meeting of shareholders could eliminate or significantly limit the rights of shareholders to confront, and ask management on any concerns they may have. When companies decide to only hold virtual-only meetings, the ESG Policy will examine the level of disclosure provided by the company on the virtual meeting procedures and may vote against members of the nominating and governance committee if the company does not provide disclosure assuring that shareholders will be afforded the same rights and opportunities to participate as they would at an in-person meeting.

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|:---|:---|
| ![](esgproxy_005.jpg) | <br> 24 |

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Mergers, Acquisitions & Contested Meetings

For merger and acquisition proposals, the ESG Policy undertakes a thorough examination of all elements of the transactions and determine the transaction's likelihood of maximizing shareholder return. In order to make a voting recommendation, the ESG Policy will examine the process conducted, the specific parties and individuals involved in negotiating an agreement, as well as the economic and governance terms of the proposal.

In the case of contested merger situations, or board proxy fights, the ESG Policy will evaluate the plan presented by the dissident party and how, if elected, it plans to enhance or protect shareholder value. The ESG Policy will also consider any concerns presented by the board, including any plans for improving the performance of the company, when making the ultimate recommendation. In addition, the ESG Policy will support shareholder proposals asking a company to consider the effects of a merger, spin-off, or other transaction on its employees and other stakeholders.

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|:---|:---|
| ![](esgproxy_005.jpg) | <br> 25 |

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Shareholder Proposals

The ESG Policy has a strong emphasis on enhancing the environmental, social and governance performance of companies. Accordingly, the ESG Policy will be broadly supportive of environmental and social shareholder proposals aimed at enhancing a company's policies and performance with respect to such issues. The ESG Policy will carefully examine each proposal's merits in order to ensure it seeks enhanced environmental disclosure and/or practices, and is not conversely aimed at limiting environmental or social disclosure or practices. Accordingly, the ESG Policy will not support proposals aimed at limiting or rescinding companies' ESG-related disclosures, goals or initiatives

Governance Proposals

The ESG Policy supports increased shareholder participation and access to a company and its board of directors. Accordingly, the ESG Policy will generally vote in favor of initiatives that seek to enhance shareholder rights, such as the introduction of majority voting to elect directors, the adoption and amendment of proxy access bylaws, the elimination/reduction of supermajority provisions, the declassification of the board, the submission of shareholder rights' plans to a shareholder vote, and the principle of one share, one vote.

The ESG Policy will also support proposals aimed at increasing the diversity of boards or management as well as those requesting additional information concerning workforce diversity and the adoption of more inclusive nondiscrimination policies. Further, the ESG Policy will support enhanced oversight of environmental and social issues at the board level by supporting resolutions calling for the creation of an environmental or social committee of the board or proposals requesting that the board adopt a subject-matter expert, such as one with deep knowledge and experience in human rights or climate change-related issues. The ESG Policy will also generally vote for proposals seeking to increase disclosure of a company's business ethics and code of conduct, as well as of its activities that relate to social welfare.

Environmental Proposals

The ESG Policy will generally support proposals regarding the environment, in particular, those seeking improved sustainability reporting and disclosure about company practices which impact the environment. The ESG Policy will vote in favor of increased disclosure of a company's environmental risk through company-specific disclosure as well as compliance with international environmental conventions and adherence to environmental principles. Similarly, the ESG Policy will support proposals requesting companies develop greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals, comprehensive recycling programs, and other proactive means to mitigate a company's environmental footprint.

The ESG Policy will also vote for proposals seeking that companies provide certain disclosures or adopt certain policies related to mitigating their climate change-related risks. For example, regardless of industry, the ESG Policy will support proposals requesting that companies disclose information concerning their scenario analyses or that request the company provide disclosure in line with certain globally-recognized environmental and social reporting recommendations. Further, the ESG Policy will support proposals requesting that a company consider energy efficiency and renewable energy sources in its project development and overall business strategy.

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| ![](esgproxy_005.jpg) | <br> 26 |

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The ESG Policy will also evaluate a company's impact on the environment, in addition to the regulatory risk a company may face by not adopting environmentally responsible policies.

Say on Climate

Shareholder Proposals

Beginning in 2021, companies began placing management proposals on their ballots that ask shareholders to vote on their climate transition plans, or a Say on Climate vote. The ESG Policy will generally recommend in favor of shareholder proposals requesting that companies adopt a Say on Climate vote.

Management Proposals

When evaluating management-sponsored votes seeking approval of climate transition plans the ESG Policy looks to the board to provide information concerning the governance of the Say on Climate vote. Specifically, the ESG Policy evaluates whether companies provide sufficient disclosure concerning the board's role in setting strategy in light of this vote, and how the board intends to interpret the vote results for the proposal. In instances where disclosure concerning the governance of the Say on Climate vote is not present, the ESG Policy will either abstain, or, depending on the quality of the plan presented, will vote against the proposal.

The ESG Policy also looks to companies to clearly articulate their climate plans in a distinct and easily understandable document, this disclosure, it is important that companies clearly explain their goals, how their GHG emissions targets support achievement of broader goals (i.e. net zero emissions goals), and any foreseeable obstacles that could hinder their progress on these initiatives.

When evaluating these proposals, the ESG Policy will take into account a variety of factors, including: (i) the request of the resolution (e.g., whether companies are asking shareholders to approve its disclosure or its strategy); (ii) the board's role in overseeing the company's climate strategy; (iii) the company's industry and size; (iv) whether the company's GHG emissions targets and the disclosure of these targets appear reasonable in light of its operations and risk profile; and (iv) where the company is on its climate reporting journey (e.g., whether the company has been reporting and engaging with shareholders on climate risk for a number of years or if this is a relatively new initiative). In addition, the ESG Policy will determine if sufficient disclosure has been made concerning a company's capital allocations and expenditures in the context of its strategy and will also evaluate any stated net zero ambitions or targets. If either of these are absent, the ESG Policy will generally vote against management Say on Climate proposals.

Social Proposals

The ESG Policy will support proposals requesting that a company develop sustainable business practices, such as animal welfare policies, human rights policies, and fair lending policies. Furthermore, the ESG Policy will support reporting and reviewing a company's political and charitable spending as well as its lobbying practices. In addition, the ESG Policy will support proposals requesting that companies cease political spending or associated activities.

The ESG Policy will also generally support enhancing the rights of workers, as well as considering the communities and broader constituents in the areas in which companies do business. Accordingly, the ESG Policy will generally vote for proposals requesting that companies provide greater disclosure regarding impact on local

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| ![](esgproxy_005.jpg) | <br> 27 |

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stakeholders, workers' rights and human rights in general. In addition, the ESG Policy will support proposals for companies to adopt or comply with certain codes of conduct relating to labor standards, human rights conventions, and corporate responsibility at large. The ESG Policy will also support proposals requesting independent verification of a company's contractors' compliance with labor and human rights standards. In addition, the ESG Policy supports the International Labor Organization standards and encourage companies to adopt such standards in its business operations.

The ESG Policy will provide for a review of the performance and oversight of certain directors in instances in which a company is found to have violated international human rights standards. Pursuant to the ESG Policy, if directors have not adequately overseen the overall business strategy of the company to ensure that basic human rights standards are met or if a company is subject to regulatory or legal action with a foreign government or entity due to human rights violations, the Policy may vote against directors taking into account the severity of the violations and the outcome of the claims.

The ESG Policy also generally votes in favor of proposals seeking increased disclosure regarding public health and safety issues, including those related to product responsibility. In particular, the ESG Policy supports proposals calling for the labeling of the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), the elimination or reduction of toxic emissions and use of toxic chemicals in manufacturing, and the prohibition of tobacco sales to minors. The ESG Policy also supports proposals seeking a report on a company's drug reimportation guidelines, as well as on a company's ethical responsibility as it relates to drug distribution and manufacture. The ESG Policy further supports proposals related to worker safety and companies' compliance with internationally recognized human rights or safety standards.

Compensation Proposals

The ESG Policy recognizes that ESG performance factors should be an important component of the overall consideration of proper levels of executive performance and compensation. Therefore, the ESG Policy generally votes in favor of proposals seeking to tie executive compensation to performance measures such as compliance with environmental regulations, health and safety regulations, nondiscrimination laws and compliance with international human rights standards. Furthermore, the ESG Policy will generally support proposals that seek to evaluate overall director performance based on environmental and social criteria.

The ESG Policy will support proposals seeking to prohibit or require more disclosure about stock hedging and pledging by executives. The ESG Policy will also generally support proposals requesting that companies adopt executive stock retention policies and prohibiting the accelerated vesting of equity awards. Furthermore, the ESG Policy will vote in favor of shareholder proposals to link pay with performance, to eliminate or require shareholder approval of golden coffins, and to clawback unearned bonuses. Finally, the ESG Policy will support proposals requesting disclosure from companies regarding gender pay inequity and company initiatives to reduce the gap in compensation paid to women compared to men.

Vote-No Campaigns

The ESG Policy will carefully review any "vote-no" campaigns launched by shareholders as a result of their concerns regarding a company's failure to adequately oversee environmental and social risks or those related to poor compensation or governance practices. When it is determined that such campaigns either address a failure

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of oversight on behalf of the company or that broadly seek to promote more responsible corporate behavior, the ESG Policy may vote in line with the recommendations of the shareholder(s) running the vote-no campaign.

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Connect with Glass Lewis

Corporate Website \| www.glasslewis.com

Email \| info@glasslewis.com

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|:---|:---|:---|
| Social | \| | ![](esgproxy_002.jpg)<u>@glasslewis</u>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;![](esgproxy_003.jpg) <u>Glass, Lewis & Co.</u> |

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Global Locations

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **North** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**United States** | **Europe** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**Ireland** |
| **America** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *Headquarters* <br> 255 California Street |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 15 Henry Street <br> Limerick V94 V9T4 |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Suite 1100 |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;+353 61 534 343 |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;San Francisco, CA 94111 |  |  |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;+1 415 678 4110 |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**United Kingdom** |
|  |  |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;80 Coleman Street |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;New York, NY |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Suite 4.02 |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;+1 646 606 2345 |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;London EC2R 5BJ |
|  |  |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;+44 20 7653 8800 |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2323 Grand Boulevard |  |  |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Suite 1125 |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**France** |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kansas City, MO 64108 |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;*Proxinvest* |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;+1 816 945 4525 |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;6 Rue d'Uzès |
|  |  |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;75002 Paris |
|  |  |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;+33 ()1 45 51 50 43 |
|  |  |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**Germany** |
|  |  |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;*IVOX Glass Lewis* |
| **Asia** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**Australia** |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kaiserallee 23a |
| **Pacific** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;*CGI Glass Lewis* |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;76133 Karlsruhe |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Suite 5.03, Level 5 |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;+49 721 35 49622 |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;255 George Street |  |  |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sydney NSW 2000 |  |  |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;+61 2 9299 9266 |  |  |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**Japan** |  |  |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Shinjuku Mitsui Building |  |  |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;11th floor |  |  |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2-1-1, Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, |  |  |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Tokyo 163-0411, Japan |  |  |

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DISCLAIMER© 2025 Glass, Lewis & Co., and/or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.

This document is intended to provide an overview of the Glass Lewis ESG thematic proxy voting policy. These guidelines are meant to be an option for institutional investors interested in aligning their proxy voting with the named theme and can be fully customized by clients to reflect their investment strategies and views.

The information included herein is not intended to be exhaustive and does not address all potential voting issues. Glass Lewis' proxy voting guidelines, as they generally apply to certain issues or types of proposals, are further explained in supplemental guidelines and reports that are made available on Glass Lewis' website – <u>http://www.glasslewis.com</u>. None of Glass Lewis' guidelines have been set or approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or any other regulatory body. Additionally, none of the information contained herein is or should be relied upon as investment advice. The content of this document has been developed based on Glass Lewis' experience with proxy voting and corporate governance issues, engagement with clients and issuers, and review of relevant studies and surveys, and has not been tailored to any specific person or entity. Glass Lewis' proxy voting guidelines are grounded in corporate governance best practices, which often exceed minimum legal requirements. Accordingly, unless specifically noted otherwise, a failure to meet these guidelines should not be understood to mean that the company or individual involved has failed to meet applicable legal requirements.

No representations or warranties express or implied, are made as to the accuracy or completeness of any information included herein. In addition, Glass Lewis shall not be liable for any losses or damages arising from or in connection with the information contained herein or the use, reliance on, or inability to use any such information. Glass Lewis expects its subscribers to possess sufficient experience and knowledge to make their own decisions entirely independent of any information contained in this document.

All information contained in this report is protected by law, including, but not limited to, copyright law, and none of such information may be copied or otherwise reproduced, repackaged, further transmitted, transferred, disseminated, redistributed or resold, or stored for subsequent use for any such purpose, in whole or in part, in any form or manner, or by any means whatsoever, by any person without Glass Lewis' prior written consent.

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United States

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| 2025 Benchmark Policy Guidelines |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;www.glasslewis.com |

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**Table of Contents**

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| [About Glass Lewis](#aac4_001) | 6 |
| [Guidelines Introduction](#aac4_002) | 7 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Summary of Changes for 2025](#aac4_003) | 7 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Clarifying Amendments](#aac4a_003) | 8 |
| [A Board of Directors that Serves Shareholder Interest](#aac4_004) | 9 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Election of Directors](#aac4_005) | 9 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Independence](#aac4_006) | 9 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Committee Independence](#aac4_007) | 12 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Independent Chair](#aac4_008) | 12 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Performance](#aac4_009) | 14 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Responsiveness](#aac4_010) | 15 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Responsiveness to Shareholder Proposals](#aac4a_010) | 16 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[The Role of a Committee Chair](#aac4_011) | 16 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Audit Committees and Performance](#aac4_012) | 17 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Standards for Assessing the Audit Committee](#aac4_013) | 17 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Material Weaknesses](#aac4a_013) | 20 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Compensation Committee Performance](#aac4_014) | 21 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Nominating and Governance Committee Performance](#aac4_015) | 23 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board-Level Risk Management Oversight](#aac4_016) | 26 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Oversight of Environmental and Social Issues](#aac4_017) | 27 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Oversight of Technology](#aac4_018) | 28 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Accountability for Environmental and Social Performance](#aac4_019) | 30 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Director Commitments](#aac4_020) | 31 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Other Considerations](#aac4_021) | 32 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Controlled Companies](#aac4_022) | 33 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Significant Shareholders](#aac4_023) | 34 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Governance Following an IPO, Spin-Off, or Direct Listing](#aac4_024) | 34 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Governance Following a Business Combination with a Special Purpose Acquisition Company](#aac4_025) | 36 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Dual-Listed or Foreign-Incorporated Companies](#aac4_026) | 36 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[OTC-listed Companies](#aac4_027) | 37 |

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|:---|:---|
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Mutual Fund Boards](#aac4_028) | 37.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Declassified Boards](#aac4_029) | 38.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Composition and Refreshment](#aac4_030) | 39.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Diversity](#aac4_031) | 40.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Gender Diversity](#aac4_032) | 40.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Underrepresented Community Diversity](#aac4_033) | 41.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[State Laws on Diversity](#aac4_034) | 41.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Disclosure of Director Diversity and Skills](#aac4_035) | 42.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Stock Exchange Diversity Disclosure Requirements |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Proxy Access](#aac4_037) | 42.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Majority Vote for Election of Directors](#aac4_038) | 43.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[The Plurality Vote Standard](#aac4_039) | 43.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Advantages of a Majority Vote Standard](#aac4_040) | 43.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Conflicting and Excluded Proposals](#aac4_041) | 44.0 |
| [Transparency and Integrity in Financial Reporting](#aac4_042) | 45.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Auditor Ratification](#aac4_043) | 46.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Voting Recommendations on Auditor Ratification](#aac4_044) | 47.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Pension Accounting Issues](#aac4_045) | 48.0 |
| [The Link Between Compensation and Performance](#aac4_046) | 49.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation (Say-on-Pay)](#aac4_047) | 49.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Say-on-Pay Voting Recommendations](#aac4_048) | 50.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Company Responsiveness](#aac4_049) | 52.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Pay for Performance](#aac4_050) | 52.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Short-Term Incentives](#aac4_051) | 53.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Long-Term Incentives](#aac4_052) | 55.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Grants of Front-Loaded Awards](#aac4_053) | 56.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Linking Executive Pay to Environmental and Social Criteria](#aac4_054) | 57.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[One-Time Awards](#aac4_055) | 58.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Contractual Payments and Arrangements](#aac4_056) | 58.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Sign-on Awards and Severance Benefits](#aac4_057) | 58.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Change in Control](#aac4_058) | 59.0 |

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| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Excise Tax Gross-ups](#aac4_059) | 59 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Amended Employment Agreements](#aac4_060) | 60 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Recoupment Provisions (Clawbacks)](#aac4_061) | 60 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Hedging of Stock](#aac4_062) | 60 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Pledging of Stock](#aac4_063) | 61 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Executive Ownership Guidelines](#aac4a_063) | 61 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Compensation Consultant Independence](#aac4_064) | 62 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[CEO Pay Ratio](#aac4_065) | 62 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Frequency of Say-on-Pay](#aac4_066) | 62 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Vote on Golden Parachute Arrangements](#aac4_067) | 63 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Equity-Based Compensation Proposals](#aac4_068) | 63 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Option Exchanges and Repricing](#aac4_069) | 65 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Option Backdating, Spring-Loading and Bullet-Dodging](#aac4_070) | 65 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Director Compensation Plans](#aac4_071) | 67 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Employee Stock Purchase Plans](#aac4_072) | 67 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Executive Compensation Tax Deductibility — Amendment to IRC 162(M)](#aac4_073) | 67 |
| [Governance Structure and the Shareholder Franchise](#aac4_074) | 69 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Anti-Takeover Measures](#aac4_075) | 69 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Poison Pills (Shareholder Rights Plans)](#aac4_076) | 69 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[NOL Poison Pills](#aac4_077) | 69 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Fair Price Provisions](#aac4_078) | 71 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Control Share Statutes](#aac4a_078) | 71 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Quorum Requirements](#aac4_079) | 72 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Director and Officer Indemnification](#aac4_080) | 72 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Officer Exculpation](#aac4_081) | 72 |

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Reincorporation](#aac4_082) | 73 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Exclusive Forum and Fee-Shifting Bylaw Provisions](#aac4_083) | 74 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Authorized Shares](#aac4_084) | 75 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Advance Notice Requirements](#aac4_085) | 76 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Virtual Shareholder Meetings](#aac4_086) | 76 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Voting Structure](#aac4_087) | 77 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Multi-Class Share Structures](#aac4_088) | 77 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Cumulative Voting](#aac4_089) | 78 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Supermajority Vote Requirements](#aac4_090) | 79 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Transaction of Other Business](#aac4_091) | 79 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Anti-Greenmail Proposals](#aac4_092) | 79 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Mutual Funds: Investment Policies and Advisory Agreements](#aac4_093) | 79 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Real Estate Investment Trusts](#aac4_094) | 80 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Preferred Stock Issuances at REITs](#aac4_095) | 80 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Business Development Companies](#aac4_096) | 80 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Authorization to Sell Shares at a Price Below Net Asset Value](#aac4_097) | 81 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Auditor Ratification and Below-NAV Issuances](#aac4_098) | 81 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Special Purpose Acquisition Companies](#aac4_099) | 82 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Extension of Business Combination Deadline](#aac4_100) | 82 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[SPAC Board Independence](#aac4_101) | 82 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Director Commitments of SPAC Executives](#aac4_102) | 82 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Shareholder Proposals](#aac4_103) | 83 |
| [Overall Approach to Environmental, Social & Governance Issues](#aac4_104) | 84 |
| [Connect with Glass Lewis](#aac4_105) | 86 |

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About Glass Lewis

Glass Lewis is the world's choice for governance solutions. We enable institutional investors and publicly listed companies to make informed decisions based on research and data. We cover 30,000+ meetings each year, across approximately 100 global markets. Our team has been providing in-depth analysis of companies since 2003, relying solely on publicly available information to inform its policies, research, and voting recommendations.

Our customers include the majority of the world's largest pension plans, mutual funds, and asset managers, collectively managing over $40 trillion in assets. We have teams located across the United States, Europe, and Asia-Pacific giving us global reach with a local perspective on the important governance issues.

Investors around the world depend on Glass Lewis' **<u>Viewpoint</u>** platform to manage their proxy voting, policy implementation, recordkeeping, and reporting. Our industry leading **<u>Proxy Paper</u>** product provides comprehensive environmental, social, and governance research and voting recommendations weeks ahead of voting deadlines. Public companies can also use our innovative **<u>Report Feedback Statement</u>** to deliver their opinion on our proxy research directly to the voting decision makers at every investor client in time for voting decisions to be made or changed.

The research team engages extensively with public companies, investors, regulators, and other industry stakeholders to gain relevant context into the realities surrounding companies, sectors, and the market in general. This enables us to provide the most comprehensive and pragmatic insights to our customers.

Join the Conversation<br>Glass Lewis is committed to ongoing engagement with all market participants.<br><u>info@glasslewis.com</u>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; www.glasslewis.com<br>

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Guidelines Introduction

Summary of Changes for 2025

Glass Lewis evaluates these guidelines on an ongoing basis and formally updates them on an annual basis. This year we've made noteworthy revisions in the following areas, which are summarized below but discussed in greater detail in the relevant section of this document:

*Update: 10 March 2025. Glass Lewis has modified our approach to providing proxy voting guidance considering diversity factors at US companies under our Benchmark Policy. For more information, please see our <u>2025 Supplemental Statement on Diversity Considerations at US Companies</u>.*

*Update: 17 December 2024. We have removed our discussion on page 42 of stock exchange diversity disclosure requirements.*

Board Oversight of AI

We have included a new discussion on our approach to artificial intelligence (AI)-related risk oversight. In recent years, companies have rapidly begun to develop and adopt uses for artificial intelligence (AI) technologies throughout various aspects of their operations. Deployed and overseen effectively, AI technologies have the potential to make companies' operations and systems more efficient and productive. However, as the use of these technologies has grown, so have the potential risks associated with companies' development and use of AI. Given these potential risks, the benchmark policy takes the view that boards should be cognizant of, and take steps to mitigate exposure to, any material risks that could arise from their use or development of AI.

In the absence of material incidents related to a company's use or management of AI-related issues, our benchmark policy will generally not make voting recommendations on the basis of a company's oversight of, or disclosure concerning, AI-related issues. However, in instances where there is evidence that insufficient oversight and/or management of AI technologies has resulted in material harm to shareholders, Glass Lewis will review a company's overall governance practices and identify which directors or board-level committees have been charged with oversight of AI-related risks. We will also closely evaluate the board's response to, and management of, this issue as well as any associated disclosures and the benchmark policy may recommend against appropriate directors should we find the board's oversight, response or disclosure concerning AI-related issues to be insufficient.

Change-In-Control Provisions

We have updated our discussion of change-in-control provisions in the section "The Link Between Compensation and Performance" to define our benchmark policy view that companies that allow for committee discretion over the treatment of unvested awards should commit to providing clear rationale for how such awards are treated in the event a change in control occurs.

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Clarifying Amendments

The following clarifications of our existing policies are included this year:

Board Responsiveness to Shareholder Proposals

We have revised our discussion of board responsiveness to shareholder proposal to reflect that when shareholder proposals receive significant shareholder support (generally more than 30% but less than majority of votes cast), the benchmark policy generally takes the view that boards should engage with shareholders on the issue and provide disclosure addressing shareholder concerns and outreach initiatives.

Reincorporation

We have revised our discussion on reincorporations to reflect that we review all proposals to reincorporate to a different state or country on a case-by-case basis. Our review includes the changes in corporate governance provisions, especially those relating to shareholder rights,material differences in corporate statutes and legal precedents, and relevant financial benefits, among other factors, resulting from the change in domicile.

Approach to Executive Pay Program

We have provided some clarifying statements to the discussion of in the section titled "The Link Between Compensation and Performance" to emphasize Glass Lewis' holistic approach to analyzing executive compensation programs. There are few program features that, on their own, lead to an unfavorable recommendation from Glass Lewis for a say-on-pay proposal. Our analysis reviews pay programs on a case-by-case basis. We do not utilize a pre-determined scorecard approach when considering individual features such as the allocation of the long-term incentive between performance-based awards and time-based awards. Unfavorable factors in a pay program are reviewed in the context of rationale, overall structure, overall disclosure quality, the program's ability to align executive pay with performance and the shareholder experience and the trajectory of the pay program resulting from changes introduced by the compensation committee.

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A Board of Directors that Serves Shareholder Interest

Election of Directors

The purpose of Glass Lewis' proxy research and advice is to facilitate shareholder voting in favor of governance structures that will drive performance, create shareholder value and maintain a proper tone at the top. Glass Lewis looks for talented boards with a record of protecting shareholders and delivering value over the medium- and long-term. We believe that a board can best protect and enhance the interests of shareholders if it is sufficiently independent, has a record of positive performance, and consists of individuals with diverse backgrounds and a breadth and depth of relevant experience.

Independence

The independence of directors, or lack thereof, is ultimately demonstrated through the decisions they make. In assessing the independence of directors, we will take into consideration, when appropriate, whether a director has a track record indicative of making objective decisions. Likewise, when assessing the independence of directors we will also examine when a director's track record on multiple boards indicates a lack of objective decision-making. Ultimately, we believe the determination of whether a director is independent or not must take into consideration both compliance with the applicable independence listing requirements as well as judgments made by the director.

We look at each director nominee to examine the director's relationships with the company, the company's executives, and other directors. We do this to evaluate whether personal, familial, or financial relationships (not including director compensation) may impact the director's decisions. We believe that such relationships make it difficult for a director to put shareholders' interests above the director's or the related party's interests. We also believe that a director who owns more than 20% of a company can exert disproportionate influence on the board, and therefore believe such a director's independence may be hampered, in particular when serving on the audit committee.

Thus, we put directors into three categories based on an examination of the type of relationship they have with the company:

**Independent Director** — An independent director has no material financial, familial or other current relationships with the company, its executives, or other board members, except for board service and standard fees paid for that service. Relationships that existed within three to five years<sup>1</sup> before the

<sup>1</sup> NASDAQ originally proposed a five-year look-back period but both it and the NYSE ultimately settled on a three-year look-back prior to finalizing their rules. A five-year standard for former employment relationships is more appropriate, in our view, because we believe that the unwinding of conflicting relationships between former management and board members is more likely to be complete and final after five years. However, Glass Lewis does not apply the five-year look-back period to directors who have previously served as executives of the company on an interim basis for less than one year.

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inquiry are usually considered "current" for purposes of this test. For material financial relationships with the company, we apply a three-year look back, and for former employment relationships with the company, we apply a five-year look back.

**Affiliated Director** — An affiliated director has, (or within the past three years, had) a material financial, familial or other relationship with the company or its executives, but is not an employee of the company.<sup>2</sup> This includes directors whose employers have a material financial relationship with the company.<sup>3</sup> In addition, we view a director who either owns or controls 20% or more of the company's voting stock, or is an employee or affiliate of an entity that controls such amount, as an affiliate.<sup>4</sup>

We view 20% shareholders as affiliates because they typically have access to and involvement with the management of a company that is fundamentally different from that of ordinary shareholders. More importantly, 20% holders may have interests that diverge from those of ordinary holders, for reasons such as the liquidity (or lack thereof) of their holdings, personal tax issues, etc.

Glass Lewis applies a three-year look back period to all directors who have an affiliation with the company other than former employment, for which we apply a five-year look back.

Definition of **"Material"**: A material relationship is one in which the dollar value exceeds:

● $50,000 (or where no amount is disclosed) for directors who are paid for a service they have agreed to perform for the company, outside of their service as a director, including professional or other services. This threshold also applies to directors who are the majority or principal owner of a firm that receives such payments; or

● $120,000 (or where no amount is disclosed) for those directors employed by a professional services firm such as a law firm, investment bank, or consulting firm and the company pays the firm, not the individual, for services.<sup>5</sup> This dollar limit would also apply to charitable contributions to schools where a

<sup>2</sup> If a company does not consider a non-employee director to be independent, Glass Lewis will classify that director as an affiliate.

<sup>3</sup> We allow a five-year grace period for former executives of the company or merged companies who have consulting agreements with the surviving company. (We do not automatically recommend voting against directors in such cases for the first five years.) If the consulting agreement persists after this five-year grace period, we apply the materiality thresholds outlined in the definition of "material."

<sup>4</sup> This includes a director who serves on a board as a representative (as part of his or her basic responsibilities) of an investment firm with greater than 20% ownership. However, while we will generally consider him/her to be affiliated, we will not recommend voting against unless (i) the investment firm has disproportionate board representation or (ii) the director serves on the audit committee.

<sup>5</sup> We may deem such a transaction to be immaterial where the amount represents less than 1% of the firm's annual revenues and the board provides a compelling rationale as to why the director's independence is not affected by the relationship.

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 board member is a professor; or charities where a director serves on the board or is an executive;<sup>6</sup> and any aircraft and real estate dealings between the company and the director's firm; or

● 1% of either company's consolidated gross revenue for other business relationships (e.g., where the director is an executive officer of a company that provides services or products to or receives services or products from the company).<sup>7</sup>

Definition of **"Familial"** — Familial relationships include a person's spouse, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, in-laws, and anyone (other than domestic employees) who shares such person's home. A director is an affiliate if: i) he or she has a family member who is employed by the company and receives more than $120,000<sup>8</sup> in annual compensation; or, ii) he or she has a family member who is employed by the company and the company does not disclose this individual's compensation.

Definition of **"Company"** — A company includes any parent or subsidiary in a group with the company or any entity that merged with, was acquired by, or acquired the company.

**Inside Director** — An inside director simultaneously serves as a director and as an employee of the company. This category may include a board chair who acts as an employee of the company or is paid as an employee of the company. In our view, an inside director who derives a greater amount of income as a result of affiliated transactions with the company rather than through compensation paid by the company (i.e., salary, bonus, etc. as a company employee) faces a conflict between making decisions that are in the best interests of the company versus those in the director's own best interests. Therefore, we will recommend voting against such a director.

Additionally, we believe a director who is currently serving in an interim management position should be considered an insider, while a director who previously served in an interim management position for less than one year and is no longer serving in such capacity is considered independent. Moreover, a director who previously served in an interim management position for over one year and is no longer serving in such capacity is considered an affiliate for five years following the date of the director's resignation or departure from the interim management position.

Voting Recommendations on the Basis of Board Independence

Glass Lewis believes a board will be most effective in protecting shareholders' interests if it is at least two-thirds independent. We note that each of the Business Roundtable, the Conference Board, and the Council of Institutional Investors advocates that two-thirds of the board be independent. Where more than one-third of

<sup>6</sup> We will generally take into consideration the size and nature of such charitable entities in relation to the company's size and industry along with any other relevant factors such as the director's role at the charity. However, unlike for other types of related party transactions, Glass Lewis generally does not apply a look-back period to affiliated relationships involving charitable contributions; if the relationship between the director and the school or charity ceases, or if the company discontinues its donations to the entity, we will consider the director to be independent.

<sup>7</sup> This includes cases where a director is employed by, or closely affiliated with, a private equity firm that profits from an acquisition made by the company. Unless disclosure suggests otherwise, we presume the director is affiliated.

<sup>8</sup> Pursuant to SEC rule Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Exchange Act, compensation exceeding $120,000 is the minimum threshold deemed material for disclosure of transactions involving family members of directors.

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the members are affiliated or inside directors, we typically<sup>8</sup> recommend voting against some of the inside and/or affiliated directors in order to satisfy the two-thirds threshold.

In the case of a less than two-thirds independent board, Glass Lewis strongly supports the existence of a presiding or lead director with authority to set the meeting agendas and to lead sessions outside the insider chair's presence.

In addition, we scrutinize avowedly "independent" chairs and lead directors. We believe that they should be unquestionably independent, or the company should not tout them as such.

Committee Independence

We believe that only independent directors should serve on a company's audit, compensation, nominating, and governance committees.<sup>9</sup> We typically recommend that shareholders vote against any affiliated or inside director seeking appointment to an audit, compensation, nominating, or governance committee, or who has served in that capacity in the past year.

Pursuant to Section 952 of the Dodd-Frank Act, as of January 11, 2013, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved new listing requirements for both the NYSE and NASDAQ which require that boards apply enhanced standards of independence when making an affirmative determination of the independence of compensation committee members. Specifically, when making this determination, in addition to the factors considered when assessing general director independence, the board's considerations must include: (i) the source of compensation of the director, including any consulting, advisory or other compensatory fee paid by the listed company to the director (the "Fees Factor"); and (ii) whether the director is affiliated with the listing company, its subsidiaries, or affiliates of its subsidiaries (the "Affiliation Factor").

Glass Lewis believes it is important for boards to consider these enhanced independence factors when assessing compensation committee members. However, as discussed above in the section titled Independence, we apply our own standards when assessing the independence of directors, and these standards also take into account consulting and advisory fees paid to the director, as well as the director's affiliations with the company and its subsidiaries and affiliates. We may recommend voting against compensation committee members who are not independent based on our standards.

Independent Chair

Glass Lewis believes that separating the roles of CEO (or, more rarely, another executive position) and chair creates a better governance structure than a combined CEO/chair position. An executive manages the business

<sup>8</sup> With a staggered board, if the affiliates or insiders that we believe should not be on the board are not up for election, we will express our concern regarding those directors, but we will not recommend voting against the other affiliates or insiders who are up for election just to achieve two-thirds independence. However, we will consider recommending voting against the directors subject to our concern at their next election if the issue giving rise to the concern is not resolved.

<sup>9</sup> We will recommend voting against an audit committee member who owns 20% or more of the company's stock, and we believe that there should be a maximum of one director (or no directors if the committee is composed of less than three directors) who owns 20% or more of the company's stock on the compensation, nominating, and governance committees.

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according to a course the board charts. Executives should report to the board regarding their performance in achieving goals set by the board. This is needlessly complicated when a CEO chairs the board, since a CEO/chair presumably will have a significant influence over the board.

While many companies have an independent lead or presiding director who performs many of the same functions of an independent chair (e.g., setting the board meeting agenda), we do not believe this alternate form of independent board leadership provides as robust protection for shareholders as an independent chair.

It can become difficult for a board to fulfill its role of overseer and policy setter when a CEO/chair controls the agenda and the boardroom discussion. Such control can allow a CEO to have an entrenched position, leading to longer-than-optimal terms, fewer checks on management, less scrutiny of the business operation, and limitations on independent, shareholder-focused goal-setting by the board.

A CEO should set the strategic course for the company, with the board's approval, and the board should enable the CEO to carry out the CEO's vision for accomplishing the board's objectives. Failure to achieve the board's objectives should lead the board to replace that CEO with someone in whom the board has confidence.

Likewise, an independent chair can better oversee executives and set a pro-shareholder agenda without the management conflicts that a CEO and other executive insiders often face. Such oversight and concern for shareholders allows for a more proactive and effective board of directors that is better able to look out for the interests of shareholders.

Further, it is the board's responsibility to select a chief executive who can best serve a company and its shareholders and to replace this person when his or her duties have not been appropriately fulfilled. Such a replacement becomes more difficult and happens less frequently when the chief executive is also in the position of overseeing the board.

Glass Lewis believes that the installation of an independent chair is almost always a positive step from a corporate governance perspective and promotes the best interests of shareholders. Further, the presence of an independent chair fosters the creation of a thoughtful and dynamic board, not dominated by the views of senior management. Encouragingly, many companies appear to be moving in this direction — one study indicates that only 10 percent of incoming CEOs in 2014 were awarded the chair title, versus 48 percent in 2002.<sup>10</sup> Another study finds that 53 percent of S&P 500 boards now separate the CEO and chair roles, up from 37 percent in 2009, although the same study found that only 34 percent of S&P 500 boards have truly independent chairs.<sup>11</sup>

We do not recommend that shareholders vote against CEOs who chair the board. However, we typically recommend that our clients support separating the roles of chair and CEO whenever that question is posed in a proxy (typically in the form of a shareholder proposal), as we believe that it is in the long-term best interests of the company and its shareholders.

Further, where the company has neither an independent chair nor independent lead director, we will recommend voting against the chair of the governance committee.

<sup>10</sup> Ken Favaro, Per-Ola Karlsson and Gary L. Nelson. "The $112 Billion CEO Succession Problem." (*Strategy+Business*, Issue 79, Summer 2015).

<sup>11</sup> Spencer Stuart Board Index, 2019, p. 6.

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Performance

The most crucial test of a board's commitment to the company and its shareholders lies in the actions of the board and its members. We look at the performance of these individuals as directors and executives of the company and of other companies where they have served.

We find that a director's past conduct is often indicative of future conduct and performance. We often find directors with a history of overpaying executives or of serving on boards where avoidable disasters have occurred serving on the boards of companies with similar problems. Glass Lewis has a proprietary database of directors serving at over 8,000 of the most widely held U.S. companies. We use this database to track the performance of directors across companies.

Voting Recommendations on the Basis of Performance

We typically recommend that shareholders vote against directors who have served on boards or as executives of companies with records of poor performance, inadequate risk oversight, excessive compensation, audit- or accounting-related issues, and/or other indicators of mismanagement or actions against the interests of shareholders. We will reevaluate such directors based on, among other factors, the length of time passed since the incident giving rise to the concern, shareholder support for the director, the severity of the issue, the director's role (e.g., committee membership), director tenure at the subject company, whether ethical lapses accompanied the oversight lapse, and evidence of strong oversight at other companies.

Likewise, we examine the backgrounds of those who serve on key board committees to ensure that they have the required skills and diverse backgrounds to make informed judgments about the subject matter for which the committee is responsible.

We believe shareholders should avoid electing directors who have a record of not fulfilling their responsibilities to shareholders at any company where they have held a board or executive position. We typically recommend voting against:

● A director who fails to attend a minimum of 75% of board and applicable committee meetings, calculated in the aggregate.<sup>12</sup>

● A director who belatedly filed a significant form(s) 4 or 5, or who has a pattern of late filings if the late filing was the director's fault (we look at these late filing situations on a case-by-case basis).

● A director who is also the CEO of a company where a serious and material restatement has occurred after the CEO had previously certified the pre-restatement financial statements.

● A director who has received two against recommendations from Glass Lewis for identical reasons within the prior year at different companies (the same situation must also apply at the company being analyzed).

Furthermore, with consideration given to the company's overall corporate governance, pay-for-performance alignment and board responsiveness to shareholders, we may recommend voting against directors who served

<sup>12</sup> However, where a director has served for less than one full year, we will typically not recommend voting against for failure to attend 75% of meetings. Rather, we will note the poor attendance with a recommendation to track this issue going forward. We will also refrain from recommending to vote against directors when the proxy discloses that the director missed the meetings due to serious illness or other extenuating circumstances.

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throughout a period in which the company performed significantly worse than peers and the directors have not taken reasonable steps to address the poor performance.

Board Responsiveness

Glass Lewis believes that boards should be responsive to shareholders when a significant percentage of shareholders vote contrary to the recommendation of management, depending on the issue.

When 20% of more of shareholders vote contrary to management (which occurs when more than 20% of votes on the proposal are cast as AGAINST and/or ABSTAIN), we believe that boards should engage with shareholders on the issue and demonstrate some initial level of responsiveness. These include instances when 20% or more of shareholders:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(i) withhold votes from (or vote against) a director nominee; or

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(ii) vote against a management-sponsored proposal.

In our view, a 20% threshold is significant enough to warrant a close examination of the underlying issues and an evaluation of whether the board responded appropriately following the vote, particularly in the case of a compensation or director election proposal. While the 20% threshold alone will not automatically generate a negative vote recommendation from Glass Lewis on a future proposal (e.g., to recommend against a director nominee, against a say-on-pay proposal, etc.), it may be a contributing factor to our recommendation to vote against management's recommendation in the event we determine that the board did not respond appropriately.

When a majority of shareholders vote contrary to management, we believe that boards should engage with shareholders on the issue and provide a more robust response to fully address shareholder concerns. These include instances when a majority or more of shareholders:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(i) withhold votes from (or vote against) a director nominee;

(ii) vote against a management-sponsored proposal;

At controlled companies and companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will carefully examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders when determining whether board responsiveness is warranted. In the case of companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will generally examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders on a "one share, one vote" basis. At controlled and multi-class companies, when at least 20% or more of unaffiliated shareholders vote contrary to management, we believe that boards should engage with shareholders and demonstrate some initial level of responsiveness, and when a majority or more of unaffiliated shareholders vote contrary to management, we believe that boards should engage with shareholders and provide a more robust response to address shareholder concerns.

As a general framework, our evaluation of board responsiveness involves a review of publicly available disclosures (e.g., the proxy statement, annual report, 8-Ks, company website, etc.) released following the date of the company's last annual meeting up through the publication date of our most current Proxy Paper. Depending on the specific issue, our focus typically includes, but is not limited to, the following:

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● At the board level, any changes in directorships, committee memberships, disclosure of related party transactions, meeting attendance, or other responsibilities;

● Any revisions made to the company's articles of incorporation, bylaws or other governance documents;

● Any press or news releases indicating changes in, or the adoption of, new company policies, business practices or special reports; and

● Any modifications made to the design and structure of the company's compensation program, as well as an assessment of the company's engagement with shareholders on compensation issues as discussed in the Compensation Discussion & Analysis (CD&A), particularly following a material vote against a company's say-on-pay.

● Proxy statement disclosure discussing the board's efforts to engage with shareholders and the actions taken to address shareholder concerns.

Our Proxy Paper analysis will include a case-by-case assessment of the specific elements of board responsiveness that we examined along with an explanation of how that assessment impacts our current voting recommendations.

Board Responsiveness to Shareholder Proposals

Majority-Supported Shareholder Proposals

We expect clear action from the board when shareholder proposals receive support from a majority of votes cast (excluding abstentions and broker non-votes). In our view, this may include fully implementing the request of the shareholder proposal and/or engaging with shareholders on the issue and providing sufficient disclosures to address shareholder concerns.

Significantly Supported Shareholder Proposals

When shareholder proposals receive significant support (generally more than 30% but less than majority of votes cast), we believe an initial level of board responsiveness is warranted. In instances where a shareholder proposal has received at least 30% shareholder support, we generally believe boards should engage with shareholders on the issue and provide disclosure addressing shareholder concerns and outreach initiatives.

Further, as discussed above, at controlled companies and companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will carefully examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders when determining whether board responsiveness is warranted.

The Role of a Committee Chair

Glass Lewis believes that a designated committee chair maintains primary responsibility for the actions of his or her respective committee. As such, many of our committee-specific voting recommendations are against the applicable committee chair rather than the entire committee (depending on the seriousness of the issue). In cases where the committee chair is not up for election due to a staggered board, and where we have identified multiple concerns, we will generally recommend voting against other members of the committee who are up for election, on a case-by-case basis.

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In cases where we would ordinarily recommend voting against a committee chair but the chair is not specified, we apply the following general rules, which apply throughout our guidelines:

● If there is no committee chair, we recommend voting against the longest-serving committee member or, if the longest-serving committee member cannot be determined, the longest-serving board member serving on the committee (i.e., in either case, the "senior director"); and

● If there is no committee chair, but multiple senior directors serving on the committee, we recommend voting against both (or all) such senior directors.

In our view, companies should provide clear disclosure of which director is charged with overseeing each committee. In cases where that simple framework is ignored and a reasonable analysis cannot determine which committee member is the designated leader, we believe shareholder action against the longest serving committee member(s) is warranted. Again, this only applies if we would ordinarily recommend voting against the committee chair but there is either no such position or no designated director in such role.

Audit Committees and Performance

Audit committees play an integral role in overseeing the financial reporting process because stable capital markets depend on reliable, transparent, and objective financial information to support an efficient and effective capital market process. Audit committees play a vital role in providing this disclosure to shareholders.

When assessing an audit committee's performance, we are aware that an audit committee does not prepare financial statements, is not responsible for making the key judgments and assumptions that affect the financial statements, and does not audit the numbers or the disclosures provided to investors. Rather, an audit committee member monitors and oversees the process and procedures that management and auditors perform. The 1999 Report and Recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Committee on Improving the Effectiveness of Corporate Audit Committees stated it best:

*A proper and well-functioning system exists, therefore, when the three main groups responsible for financial reporting — the full board including the audit committee, financial management including the internal auditors, and the outside auditors — form a 'three legged stool' that supports responsible financial disclosure and active participatory oversight. However, in the view of the Committee, the audit committee must be 'first among equals' in this process, since the audit committee is an extension of the full board and hence the ultimate monitor of the process.*

Standards for Assessing the Audit Committee

For an audit committee to function effectively on investors' behalf, it must include members with sufficient knowledge to diligently carry out their responsibilities. In its audit and accounting recommendations, the Conference Board Commission on Public Trust and Private Enterprise said "members of the audit committee must be independent and have both knowledge and experience in auditing financial matters."<sup>13</sup>

<sup>13</sup> Commission on Public Trust and Private Enterprise. The Conference Board. 2003.

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We are skeptical of audit committees where there are members that lack expertise as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Chief Financial Officer (CFO) or corporate controller, or similar experience. While we will not necessarily recommend voting against members of an audit committee when such expertise is lacking, we are more likely to recommend voting against committee members when a problem such as a restatement occurs and such expertise is lacking.

Glass Lewis generally assesses audit committees against the decisions they make with respect to their oversight and monitoring role. The quality and integrity of the financial statements and earnings reports, the completeness of disclosures necessary for investors to make informed decisions, and the effectiveness of the internal controls should provide reasonable assurance that the financial statements are materially free from errors. The independence of the external auditors and the results of their work all provide useful information by which to assess the audit committee.

When assessing the decisions and actions of the audit committee, we typically defer to its judgment and generally recommend voting in favor of its members. However, we will consider recommending that shareholders vote against the following:

● All members of the audit committee when options were backdated, there is a lack of adequate controls in place, there was a resulting restatement, and disclosures indicate there was a lack of documentation with respect to the option grants.

● The audit committee chair, if the audit committee does not have a financial expert or the committee's financial expert does not have a demonstrable financial background sufficient to understand the financial issues unique to public companies.

● The audit committee chair, if the audit committee did not meet at least four times during the year.

● The audit committee chair, if the committee has less than three members.

● Any audit committee member who sits on more than three public company audit committees, unless the audit committee member is a retired CPA, CFO, controller or has similar experience, in which case the limit shall be four committees, taking time and availability into consideration including a review of the audit committee member's attendance at all board and committee meetings.<sup>14</sup>

● All members of an audit committee who are up for election and who served on the committee at the time of the audit, if audit and audit-related fees total one-third or less of the total fees billed by the auditor.

● The audit committee chair when tax and/or other fees are greater than audit and audit-related fees paid to the auditor for more than one year in a row (in which case we also recommend against ratification of the auditor).

● The audit committee chair when fees paid to the auditor are not disclosed.

● All members of an audit committee where non-audit fees include fees for tax services (including, but not limited to, such things as tax avoidance or shelter schemes) for senior executives of the company. Such services are prohibited by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB).

<sup>14</sup> Glass Lewis may exempt certain audit committee members from the above threshold if, upon further analysis of relevant factors such as the director's experience, the size, industry-mix and location of the companies involved and the director's attendance at all the companies, we can reasonably determine that the audit committee member is likely not hindered by multiple audit committee commitments.

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● All members of an audit committee that reappointed an auditor that we no longer consider to be independent for reasons unrelated to fee proportions.

● All members of an audit committee when audit fees are excessively low, especially when compared with other companies in the same industry.

● The audit committee chair if the committee failed to put auditor ratification on the ballot for shareholder approval. However, if the non-audit fees or tax fees exceed audit plus audit-related fees in either the current or the prior year, then Glass Lewis will recommend voting against the entire audit committee.

● All members of an audit committee where the auditor has resigned and reported that a section 10A<sup>15</sup>letter has been issued.

● All members of an audit committee at a time when material accounting fraud occurred at the company.<sup>16</sup>

● All members of an audit committee at a time when annual and/or multiple quarterly financial statements had to be restated, and any of the following factors apply:<sup>17</sup>

○ The restatement involves fraud or manipulation by insiders;

○ The restatement is accompanied by an SEC inquiry or investigation;

○ The restatement involves revenue recognition;

○ The restatement results in a greater than 5% adjustment to costs of goods sold, operating expense, or operating cash flows; or

○ The restatement results in a greater than 5% adjustment to net income, 10% adjustment to assets or shareholders equity, or cash flows from financing or investing activities.

● All members of an audit committee if the company repeatedly fails to file its financial reports in a timely fashion. For example, the company has filed two or more quarterly or annual financial statements late within the last five quarters.

● All members of an audit committee when it has been disclosed that a law enforcement agency has charged the company and/or its employees with a violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

● All members of an audit committee when the company has aggressive accounting policies and/or poor disclosure or lack of sufficient transparency in its financial statements.

<sup>15</sup> Auditors are required to report all potential illegal acts to management and the audit committee unless they are clearly inconsequential in nature. If the audit committee or the board fails to take appropriate action on an act that has been determined to be a violation of the law, the independent auditor is required to send a section 10A letter to the SEC. Such letters are rare and therefore we believe should be taken seriously.

<sup>16</sup> Research indicates that revenue fraud now accounts for over 60% of SEC fraud cases, and that companies that engage in fraud experience significant negative abnormal stock price declines—facing bankruptcy, delisting, and material asset sales at much higher rates than do non-fraud firms (Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. "Fraudulent Financial Reporting: 1998-2007." May 2010).

<sup>17</sup> The SEC issued guidance in March 2021 related to classification of warrants as liabilities at special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs). We will generally refrain from recommending against audit committee members when the restatement in question is solely as a result of the aforementioned SEC guidance.

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● All members of the audit committee when there is a disagreement with the auditor and the auditor resigns or is dismissed (e.g., the company receives an adverse opinion on its financial statements from the auditor).

● All members of the audit committee if the contract with the auditor specifically limits the auditor's liability to the company for damages.<sup>18</sup>

● All members of the audit committee who served since the date of the company's last annual meeting if, since the last annual meeting, the company has reported a material weakness that has not yet been corrected and the company has not disclosed a remediation plan; or when a material weakness has been ongoing for more than one year and the company has not disclosed an updated remediation plan that clearly outlines the company's progress toward remediating the material weakness.

Material Weaknesses

Effective internal controls over financial reporting should ensure the integrity of companies' accounting and financial reporting.

The SEC guidance regarding Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting requires that reports on internal control should include: (i) a statement of management's responsibility for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting for the company; (ii) management's assessment of the effectiveness of the company's internal control over financial reporting as of the end of the company's most recent fiscal year; (iii) a statement identifying the framework used by management to evaluate the effectiveness of the company's internal control over financial reporting; and (iv) a statement that the registered public accounting firm that audited the company's financial statements included in the annual report has issued an attestation report on management's assessment of the company's internal control over financial reporting.

A material weakness occurs when a company identifies a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal controls over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the company's annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Failure to maintain effective internal controls can create doubts regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP and may lead to companies publishing financial statements that are not free of errors or misstatements.

We believe it is the responsibility of audit committees to ensure that material weaknesses are remediated in a timely manner and that companies disclose remediation plans that include detailed steps to resolve a given material weakness. In cases where a material weakness has been ongoing for more than one fiscal year, we expect the company to disclose an updated remediation plan at least annually thereafter. Updates to existing remediation plans should state the progress the company has made toward remediating the material weakness and the remaining actions the company plans to take until the material weakness is fully remediated. As such, we are critical of audit committees when companies disclose remediation plans that remain unchanged from a prior period.

<sup>18</sup> The Council of Institutional Investors. "Corporate Governance Policies," p. 4, April 5, 2006; and "Letter from Council of Institutional Investors to the AICPA," November 8, 2006.

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When a material weakness is reported and the company has not disclosed a remediation plan, or when a material weakness has been ongoing for more than one year and the company has not disclosed an updated remediation plan that clearly outlines the company's progress toward remediating the material weakness, we will consider recommending that shareholders vote against all members of a company's audit committee who served on the committee during the time when the material weakness was identified.

We also take a dim view of audit committee reports that are boilerplate, and which provide little or no information or transparency to investors. When a problem such as a material weakness, restatement or late filings occurs, in forming our judgment with respect to the audit committee we take into consideration the transparency of the audit committee report.

Compensation Committee Performance

Compensation committees have a critical role in determining the compensation of executives. This includes deciding the basis on which compensation is determined, as well as the amounts and types of compensation to be paid. This process begins with the hiring and initial establishment of employment agreements, including the terms for such items as pay, pensions and severance arrangements. It is important in establishing compensation arrangements that compensation be consistent with, and based on the long-term economic performance of, the business's long-term shareholders returns.

Compensation committees are also responsible for the oversight of the transparency of compensation. This oversight includes disclosure of compensation arrangements, the matrix used in assessing pay for performance, and the use of compensation consultants. In order to ensure the independence of the board's compensation consultant, we believe the compensation committee should only engage a compensation consultant that is not also providing any services to the company or management apart from their contract with the compensation committee. It is important to investors that they have clear and complete disclosure of all the significant terms of compensation arrangements in order to make informed decisions with respect to the oversight and decisions of the compensation committee.

Finally, compensation committees are responsible for oversight of internal controls over the executive compensation process. This includes controls over gathering information used to determine compensation, establishment of equity award plans, and granting of equity awards. For example, the use of a compensation consultant who maintains a business relationship with company management may cause the committee to make decisions based on information that is compromised by the consultant's conflict of interests. Lax controls can also contribute to improper awards of compensation such as through granting of backdated or spring- loaded options, or granting of bonuses when triggers for bonus payments have not been met.

Central to understanding the actions of compensation committee is a careful review of the CD&A report included in each company's proxy. We review the CD&A in our evaluation of the overall compensation practices of a company, as overseen by the compensation committee. The CD&A is also integral to the evaluation of compensation proposals at companies, such as advisory votes on executive compensation, which allow shareholders to vote on the compensation paid to a company's top executives.

When assessing the performance of compensation committees, we will consider recommending that shareholders vote against the following:

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● All members of a compensation committee during whose tenure the committee failed to address shareholder concerns following majority shareholder rejection of the say-on-pay proposal in the previous year. Where the proposal was approved but there was a significant shareholder vote (i.e., greater than 20% of votes cast) against the say-on-pay proposal in the prior year, if the board did not respond sufficiently to the vote including actively engaging shareholders on this issue, we will also consider recommending voting against the chair of the compensation committee or all members of the compensation committee, depending on the severity and history of the compensation problems and the level of shareholder opposition.

● All members of the compensation committee who are up for election and served when the company failed to align pay with performance if shareholders are not provided with an advisory vote on executive compensation at the annual meeting.<sup>19</sup>

● Any member of the compensation committee who has served on the compensation committee of at least two other public companies that have consistently failed to align pay with performance and whose oversight of compensation at the company in question is suspect.

● All members of the compensation committee (during the relevant time period) if the company entered into excessive employment agreements and/or severance agreements.

● All members of the compensation committee when performance goals were changed (i.e., lowered) when employees failed or were unlikely to meet original goals, or performance-based compensation was paid despite goals not being attained.

● All members of the compensation committee if excessive employee perquisites and benefits were allowed.

● The compensation committee chair if the compensation committee did not meet during the year.

● All members of the compensation committee when the company repriced options or completed a "self tender offer" without shareholder approval within the past two years.

● All members of the compensation committee when vesting of in-the-money options is accelerated.

● All members of the compensation committee when option exercise prices were backdated. Glass Lewis will recommend voting against an executive director who played a role in and participated in option backdating.

● All members of the compensation committee when option exercise prices were spring-loaded or otherwise timed around the release of material information.

● All members of the compensation committee when a new employment contract is given to an executive that does not include a clawback provision and the company had a material restatement, especially if the restatement was due to fraud.

● The chair of the compensation committee where the CD&A provides insufficient or unclear information about performance metrics and goals, where the CD&A indicates that pay is not tied to performance, or where the compensation committee or management has excessive discretion to alter performance terms or increase amounts of awards in contravention of previously defined targets.

<sup>19</sup> If a company provides shareholders with a say-on-pay proposal, we will initially only recommend voting against the company's say-on-pay proposal and will not recommend voting against the members of the compensation committee unless there is a pattern of failing to align pay and performance and/or the company exhibits egregious compensation practices. For cases in which the disconnect between pay and performance is marginal and the company has outperformed its peers, we will consider not recommending against compensation committee members.

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● All members of the compensation committee during whose tenure the committee failed to implement a shareholder proposal regarding a compensation-related issue, where the proposal received the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting shares at a shareholder meeting, and when a reasonable analysis suggests that the compensation committee (rather than the governance committee) should have taken steps to implement the request.<sup>20</sup>

● All members of the compensation committee when the board has materially decreased proxy statement disclosure regarding executive compensation policies and procedures in a manner which substantially impacts shareholders' ability to make an informed assessment of the company's executive pay practices.

● All members of the compensation committee when new excise tax gross-up provisions are adopted in employment agreements with executives, particularly in cases where the company previously committed not to provide any such entitlements in the future.

● All members of the compensation committee when the board adopts a frequency for future advisory votes on executive compensation that differs from the frequency approved by shareholders.

● The chair of the compensation committee when" mega-grants" have been granted and the awards present concerns such as excessive quantum, lack of sufficient performance conditions, and/or are excessively dilutive, among others.

Nominating and Governance Committee Performance

The nominating and governance committee is responsible for the governance by the board of the company and its executives. In performing this role, the committee is responsible and accountable for selection of objective and competent board members. It is also responsible for providing leadership on governance policies adopted by the company, such as decisions to implement shareholder proposals that have received a majority vote. At most companies, a single committee is charged with these oversight functions; at others, the governance and nominating responsibilities are apportioned among two separate committees.

Consistent with Glass Lewis' philosophy that boards should have diverse backgrounds and members with a breadth and depth of relevant experience, we believe that nominating and governance committees should consider diversity when making director nominations within the context of each specific company and its industry. In our view, shareholders are best served when boards make an effort to ensure a constituency that is not only reasonably diverse on the basis of age, race, gender and ethnicity, but also on the basis of geographic knowledge, industry experience, board tenure and culture.

Regarding the committee responsible for governance, we will consider recommending that shareholders vote against the following:

● All members of the governance committee<sup>21</sup> during whose tenure a shareholder proposal relating to important shareholder rights received support from a majority of the votes cast (excluding abstentions

<sup>20</sup> In all other instances (i.e., a non-compensation-related shareholder proposal should have been implemented) we recommend that shareholders vote against the members of the governance committee.

<sup>21</sup> If the board does not have a committee responsible for governance oversight and the board did not implement a shareholder proposal that received the requisite support, we will recommend voting against the entire board. If the

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and broker non-votes) and the board has not begun to implement or enact the proposal's subject matter.<sup>22</sup> Examples of such shareholder proposals include those seeking a declassified board structure, a majority vote standard for director elections, or a right to call a special meeting. In determining whether a board has sufficiently implemented such a proposal, we will examine the quality of the right enacted or proffered by the board for any conditions that may unreasonably interfere with the shareholders' ability to exercise the right (e.g., overly restrictive procedural requirements for calling a special meeting).

● All members of the governance committee when a shareholder resolution is excluded from the meeting agenda but the SEC has declined to state a view on whether such resolution should be excluded, or when the SEC has verbally permitted a company to exclude a shareholder proposal but there is no written record provided by the SEC about such determination and the company has not provided any disclosure concerning this no-action relief.

● The governance committee chair when the chair is not independent and an independent lead or presiding director has not been appointed.<sup>23</sup>

● The governance committee chair at companies with a multi-class share structure and unequal voting rights when the company does not provide for a reasonable sunset of the multi-class share structure (generally seven years or less).

● In the absence of a nominating committee, the governance committee chair when there are fewer than five, or the whole governance committee when there are more than 20 members on the board.

● The governance committee chair when the committee fails to meet at all during the year.

● The governance committee chair, when for two consecutive years the company provides what we consider to be "inadequate" related party transaction disclosure (i.e., the nature of such transactions and/or the monetary amounts involved are unclear or excessively vague, thereby preventing a share- holder from being able to reasonably interpret the independence status of multiple directors above and beyond what the company maintains is compliant with SEC or applicable stock exchange listing requirements).

● The governance committee chair, when during the past year the board adopted a forum selection clause (i.e., an exclusive forum provision)<sup>24</sup>designating either a state's courts for intra-corporate disputes, shareholder proposal at issue requested that the board adopt a declassified structure, we will recommend voting against all director nominees up for election.

<sup>22</sup> Where a compensation-related shareholder proposal should have been implemented, and when a reasonable analysis suggests that the members of the compensation committee (rather than the governance committee) bear the responsibility for failing to implement the request, we recommend that shareholders only vote against members of the compensation committee.

<sup>23</sup> We believe that one independent individual should be appointed to serve as the lead or presiding director. When such a position is rotated among directors from meeting to meeting, we will recommend voting against the governance committee chair as we believe the lack of fixed lead or presiding director means that, effectively, the board does not have an independent board leader.

<sup>24</sup> A forum selection clause is a bylaw provision stipulating that a certain state or federal jurisdiction is the exclusive forum for specified legal matters. Such a clause effectively limits a shareholder's legal remedy regarding appropriate choice of venue and related relief.

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and/or federal courts for matters arising under the Securities Act of 1933 without shareholder approval,<sup>25</sup> or if the board is currently seeking shareholder approval of a forum selection clause pursuant to a bundled bylaw amendment rather than as a separate proposal.

● All members of the governance committee during whose tenure the board adopted, without shareholder approval, provisions in its charter or bylaws that, through rules on director compensation, may inhibit the ability of shareholders to nominate directors.

● The governance committee chair when the board takes actions to limit shareholders' ability to vote on matters material to shareholder rights (e.g., through the practice of excluding a shareholder proposal by means of ratifying a management proposal that is materially different from the shareholder proposal).

● The governance committee chair when directors' records for board and committee meeting attendance are not disclosed, or when it is indicated that a director attended less than 75% of board and committee meetings but disclosure is sufficiently vague that it is not possible to determine which specific director's attendance was lacking.

● The governance committee chair when a detailed record of proxy voting results from the prior annual meeting has not been disclosed.

● The governance committee chair when a company does not clearly disclose the identity of a shareholder proponent (or lead proponent when there are multiple filers) in their proxy statement. For a detailed explanation of this policy, please refer to our comprehensive *Proxy Paper Guidelines for Shareholder Proposals & ESG-Related Issues*, available at www.glasslewis.com/voting-policies-current/ .

In addition, we may recommend that shareholders vote against the chair of the governance committee, or the entire committee, where the board has amended the company's governing documents to reduce or remove important shareholder rights, or to otherwise impede the ability of shareholders to exercise such right, and has done so without seeking shareholder approval. Examples of board actions that may cause such a recommendation include: the elimination of the ability of shareholders to call a special meeting or to act by written consent; an increase to the ownership threshold required for shareholders to call a special meeting; an increase to vote requirements for charter or bylaw amendments; the adoption of provisions that limit the ability of shareholders to pursue full legal recourse — such as bylaws that require arbitration of shareholder claims or that require shareholder plaintiffs to pay the company's legal expenses in the absence of a court victory (i.e., "fee-shifting" or "loser pays" bylaws); the adoption of a classified board structure; and the elimination of the ability of shareholders to remove a director without cause.

Regarding the nominating committee, we will consider recommending that shareholders vote against the following:

● All members of the nominating committee, when the committee nominated or renominated an individual who had a significant conflict of interest or whose past actions demonstrated a lack of integrity or inability to represent shareholder interests.

● The nominating committee chair, if the nominating committee did not meet during the year.

<sup>25</sup> Glass Lewis will evaluate the circumstances surrounding the adoption of any forum selection clause as well as the general provisions contained therein. Where it can be reasonably determined that a forum selection clause is narrowly crafted to suit the particular circumstances facing the company and/or a reasonable sunset provision is included, we may make an exception to this policy.

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● In the absence of a governance committee, the nominating committee chair when the chair is not independent, and an independent lead or presiding director has not been appointed.

● The nominating committee chair, when there are fewer than five, or the whole nominating committee when there are more than 20 members on the board.

● The nominating committee chair, when a director received a greater than 50% against vote the prior year and not only was the director not removed, but the issues that raised shareholder concern were not corrected.<sup>26</sup>

● The chair of the nominating committee of a board that is not at least 30 percent gender diverse,<sup>27</sup>or all members of the nominating committee of a board with no gender diverse directors, at companies within the Russell 3000 index. For companies outside of the Russell 3000 index, we will recommend voting against the chair of the nominating committee if there are no gender diverse directors.

● The chair of the nominating committee of a board with fewer than one director from an underrepresented community on the board, at companies within the Russell 1000 index.

● The nominating committee chair when, alongside other governance or board performance concerns, the average tenure of non-executive directors is 10 years or more and no new independent directors have joined the board in the past five years. We will not be making voting recommendations solely on this basis; rather, insufficient board refreshment may be a contributing factor in our recommendations when additional board-related concerns have been identified.

In addition, we may consider recommending shareholders vote against the chair of the nominating committee where the board's failure to ensure the board has directors with relevant experience, either through periodic director assessment or board refreshment, has contributed to a company's poor performance. Where these issues warrant an against vote in the absence of both a governance and a nominating committee, we will recommend voting against the board chair, unless the chair also serves as the CEO, in which case we will recommend voting against the longest-serving director.

Board-Level Risk Management Oversight

Glass Lewis evaluates the risk management function of a public company board on a strictly case-by-case basis. Sound risk management, while necessary at all companies, is particularly important at financial firms which inherently maintain significant exposure to financial risk. We believe such financial firms should have a chief risk officer reporting directly to the board and a dedicated risk committee or a committee of the board charged with risk oversight. Moreover, many non-financial firms maintain strategies which involve a high level of exposure to financial risk. Similarly, since many non-financial firms have complex hedging or trading strategies, those firms should also have a chief risk officer and a risk committee.

<sup>26</sup> Considering that shareholder disapproval clearly relates to the director who received a greater than 50% against vote rather than the nominating chair, we review the severity of the issue(s) that initially raised shareholder concern as well as company responsiveness to such matters, and will only recommend voting against the nominating chair if a reasonable analysis suggests that it would be most appropriate. In rare cases, we will consider recommending against the nominating chair when a director receives a substantial (i.e., 20% or more) vote against based on the same analysis.

<sup>27</sup> Women and directors that identify with a gender other than male or female.

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Our views on risk oversight are consistent with those expressed by various regulatory bodies. In its December 2009 Final Rule release on Proxy Disclosure Enhancements, the SEC noted that risk oversight is a key competence of the board and that additional disclosures would improve investor and shareholder understanding of the role of the board in the organization's risk management practices. The final rules, which became effective on February 28, 2010, now explicitly require companies and mutual funds to describe (while allowing for some degree of flexibility) the board's role in the oversight of risk.

When analyzing the risk management practices of public companies, we take note of any significant losses or writedowns on financial assets and/or structured transactions. In cases where a company has disclosed a sizable loss or writedown, and where we find that the company's board-level risk committee's poor oversight contributed to the loss, we will recommend that shareholders vote against such committee members on that basis. In addition, in cases where a company maintains a significant level of financial risk exposure but fails to disclose any explicit form of board-level risk oversight (committee or otherwise),<sup>28</sup> we will consider recommending to vote against the board chair on that basis. However, we generally would not recommend voting against a combined chair/CEO, except in egregious cases.

Board Oversight of Environmental and Social Issues

Glass Lewis recognizes the importance of ensuring the sustainability of companies' operations. We believe that insufficient oversight of material environmental and social issues can present direct legal, financial, regulatory and reputational risks that could serve to harm shareholder interests. Therefore, we believe that these issues should be carefully monitored and managed by companies, and that all companies should have an appropriate oversight structure in place to ensure that they are mitigating attendant risks and capitalizing on related opportunities to the best extent possible.

To that end, Glass Lewis believes that companies should ensure that boards maintain clear oversight of material risks to their operations, including those that are environmental and social in nature. These risks could include, but are not limited to, matters related to climate change,human capital management, diversity, stakeholder relations, and health, safety & environment. Given the importance of the board's role in overseeing environmental and social risks, we believe this responsibility should be formally designated and codified in the appropriate committee charters or other governing documents.

While we believe that it is important that these issues are overseen at the board level and that shareholders are afforded meaningful disclosure of these oversight responsibilities, we believe that companies should determine the best structure for this oversight. In our view, this oversight can be effectively conducted by specific directors, the entire board, a separate committee, or combined with the responsibilities of a key committee.

For companies in the Russell 3000 index and in instances where we identify material oversight concerns, Glass Lewis will review a company's overall governance practices and identify which directors or board-level committees have been charged with oversight of environmental and/or social issues. Furthermore, given the importance of the board's role in overseeing environmental and social risks, Glass Lewis will generally

<sup>28</sup> A committee responsible for risk management could be a dedicated risk committee, the audit committee, or the finance committee, depending on a given company's board structure and method of disclosure. At some companies, the entire board is charged with risk management.

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recommend voting against the governance committee chair of a company in the Russell 1000 index that fails to provide explicit disclosure concerning the board's role in overseeing these issues.

When evaluating the board's role in overseeing environmental and/or social issues, we will examine a company's committee charters and governing documents to determine if the company has codified and maintained a meaningful level of oversight of and accountability for a company's material environmental and social impacts.

Board Oversight of Technology

Cyber Risk Oversight

Companies and consumers are exposed to a growing risk of cyber-attacks. These attacks can result in customer or employee data breaches, harm to a company's reputation, significant fines or penalties, and interruption to a company's operations. Further, in some instances, cyber breaches can result in national security concerns, such as those impacting companies operating as utilities, defense contractors, and energy companies.

In response to these issues, regulators have increasingly been focused on ensuring companies are providing appropriate and timely disclosures and protections to stakeholders that could have been adversely impacted by a breach in a company's cyber infrastructure.

On July 26, 2023, the SEC approved final rules requiring public companies to report cybersecurity incidents deemed material within four days of identifying them, detailing their nature, scope, timing, and material impact under Item 1.05 on Form 8-K.

Furthermore, in annual reports, companies must disclose their processes for assessing, identifying, and managing material cybersecurity risks, along with their material effects; and describe whether any risks from prior incidents have materially affected its business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition (or are reasonably likely to), pursuant to Regulation S-K Item 106. Item 106 will also require registrants to describe the board of directors' oversight of risks from cybersecurity threats and management's role and expertise in assessing and managing material risks from cybersecurity threats. Similar rules were also adopted for foreign private issuers. The final rules became effective on September 5, 2023.

Given the regulatory focus on, and the potential adverse outcomes from, cyber-related issues, it is our view that cyber risk is material for all companies. We therefore believe that it is critical that companies evaluate and mitigate these risks to the greatest extent possible. With that view, we encourage all issuers to provide clear disclosure concerning the role of the board in overseeing issues related to cybersecurity, including how companies are ensuring directors are fully versed on this rapidly evolving and dynamic issue. We believe such disclosure can help shareholders understand the seriousness with which companies take this issue.

In the absence of material cyber incidents, we will generally not make voting recommendations on the basis of a company's oversight or disclosure concerning cyber-related issues. However, in instances where cyber-attacks have caused significant harm to shareholders we will closely evaluate the board's oversight of cybersecurity as well as the company's response and disclosures.

Moreover, in instances where a company has been materially impacted by a cyber-attack, we believe shareholders can reasonably expect periodic updates communicating the company's ongoing progress towards

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resolving and remediating the impact of the cyber-attack. We generally believe shareholders are best served when such updates include (but are not necessarily limited to) details such as when the company has fully restored its information systems, when the company has returned to normal operations, what resources the company is providing for affected stakeholders, and any other potentially relevant information, until the company considers the impact of the cyber-attack to be fully remediated. These disclosures should focus on the company's response to address the impacts to affected stakeholders and should not reveal specific and/or technical details that could impede the company's response or remediation of the incident or that could assist threat actors.

In such instances, we may recommend against appropriate directors should we find the board's oversight, response or disclosure concerning cybersecurity-related issues to be insufficient, or are not provided to shareholders.

Board Oversight of Artificial Intelligence

In recent years, companies have rapidly begun to develop and adopt uses for artificial intelligence (AI) technologies throughout various aspects of their operations. Deployed and overseen effectively, AI technologies have the potential to make companies' operations and systems more efficient and productive. However, as the use of these technologies has grown, so have the potential risks associated with companies' development and use of AI. Given these potential risks, we believe that boards should be cognizant of, and take steps to mitigate exposure to, any material risks that could arise from their use or development of AI.

Companies that use or develop AI technologies should consider adopting strong internal frameworks that include ethical considerations and ensure they have provided a sufficient level of oversight of AI. As such, boards may seek to ensure effective oversight and address skills gaps by engaging in continued board education and/or appointing directors with AI expertise. With that view, we believe that all companies that develop or employ the use of AI in their operations should provide clear disclosure concerning the role of the board in overseeing issues related to AI, including how companies are ensuring directors are fully versed on this rapidly evolving and dynamic issue. We believe such disclosure can help shareholders understand the seriousness with which companies take this issue.

While we believe that it is important that these issues are overseen at the board level and that shareholders are afforded meaningful disclosure of these oversight responsibilities, we believe that companies should determine the best structure for this oversight. In our view, this oversight can be effectively conducted by specific directors, the entire board, a separate committee, or combined with the responsibilities of a key committee.

In the absence of material incidents related to a company's use or management of AI-related issues, we will generally not make voting recommendations on the basis of a company's oversight of, or disclosure concerning, AI-related issues. However, in instances where there is evidence that insufficient oversight and/or management of AI technologies has resulted in material harm to shareholders, Glass Lewis will review a company's overall governance practices and identify which directors or board-level committees have been charged with oversight of AI-related risks. We will also closely evaluate the board's response to, and management of, this issue as well as any associated disclosures and may recommend against appropriate directors should we find the board's oversight, response or disclosure concerning AI-related issues to be insufficient.

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Board Accountability for Environmental and Social Performance

Glass Lewis carefully monitors companies' performance with respect to environmental and social issues, including those related to climate and human capital management. In situations where we believe that a company has not properly managed or mitigated material environmental or social risks to the detriment of shareholder value, or when such mismanagement has threatened shareholder value, Glass Lewis may recommend that shareholders vote against the members of the board who are responsible for oversight of environmental and social risks. In the absence of explicit board oversight of environmental and social issues, Glass Lewis may recommend that shareholders vote against members of the audit committee. In making these determinations, Glass Lewis will carefully review the situation, its effect on shareholder value, as well as any corrective action or other response made by the company.

For more information on how Glass Lewis evaluates environmental and social issues, please see Glass Lewis' Overall Approach to ESG as well as our comprehensive *Proxy Paper Guidelines for Shareholder Proposals &ESG- Related Issues,* available at www.glasslewis.com/voting-policies-current/.

Board Accountability for Climate-related Issues

Given the exceptionally broad impacts of a changing climate on companies, the economy, and society in general, we view climate risk as a material risk for all companies. We therefore believe that boards should be considering and evaluating their operational resilience under lower-carbon scenarios. While all companies maintain exposure to climate-related risks, we believe that additional consideration should be given to, and that disclosure should be provided by those companies whose GHG emissions represent a financially material risk.

We believe that companies with this increased risk exposure should provide clear and comprehensive disclosure regarding these risks, including how they are being mitigated and overseen. We believe such information is crucial to allow investors to understand the company's management of this issue, as well as the impact of a lower carbon future on the company's operations.

In line with this view, Glass Lewis will carefully examine the climate-related disclosures provided by companies in the S&P 500 index with material exposure to climate risk stemming from their own operations<sup>29</sup>, as well as companies where we believe emissions or climate impacts, or stakeholder scrutiny thereof, represent an outsized, financially material risk, in order to assess whether they have produced disclosures in line with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) or IFRS S2 Climate-related Disclosures. We will also assess whether these companies have disclosed explicit and clearly defined board-level oversight responsibilities for climate-related issues. In instances where we find either (or both)of these disclosures to be absent or significantly lacking, we may recommend voting against the chair of the committee (or board) charged with oversight of climate-related issues, or if no committee has been charged with such oversight, the chair of the governance committee. Further, we may extend our recommendation on this basis to additional members of the responsible committee in cases where the committee chair is not standing for

<sup>29</sup> This policy will generally apply to companies in the following SASB-defined industries: agricultural products, air freight & logistics, airlines, chemicals, construction materials, containers & packaging, cruise lines, electric utilities & power generators, food retailers & distributors, health care distributors, iron & steel producers, marine transportation, meat, poultry & dairy, metals & mining, non-alcoholic beverages, oil & gas, pulp & paper products, rail transportation, road transportation, semiconductors, waste management.

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election due to a classified board, or based on other factors, including the company's size, industry and its overall governance profile.

Director Commitments

We believe that directors should have the necessary time to fulfill their duties to shareholders. In our view, an overcommitted director can pose a material risk to a company's shareholders, particularly during periods of crisis. In addition, recent research indicates that the time commitment associated with being a director has been on a significant upward trend in the past decade.<sup>30</sup> As a result, we generally recommend that shareholders vote against a director who serves as an executive officer (other than executive chair) of any public company<sup>31</sup> while serving on more than one external public company board, a director who serves as an executive chair of any public company while serving on more than two external public company boards, and any other director who serves on more than five public company boards.

Because we believe that executives will primarily devote their attention to executive duties, we generally will not recommend that shareholders vote against overcommitted directors at the companies where they serve as an executive.

When determining whether a director's service on an excessive number of boards may limit the ability of the director to devote sufficient time to board duties, we may consider relevant factors such as the size and location of the other companies where the director serves on the board, the director's board roles at the companies in question, whether the director serves on the board of any large privately-held companies, the director's tenure on the boards in question, and the director's attendance record at all companies. In the case of directors who serve in executive roles other than CEO (e.g., executive chair), we will evaluate the specific duties and responsibilities of that role in determining whether an exception is warranted.

We may also refrain from recommending against certain directors if the company provides sufficient rationale for their continued board service. The rationale should allow shareholders to evaluate the scope of the directors' other commitments, as well as their contributions to the board including specialized knowledge of the company's industry, strategy or key markets, the diversity of skills, perspective and background they provide, and other relevant factors. We will also generally refrain from recommending to vote against a director who serves on an excessive number of boards within a consolidated group of companies in related industries, or a director that represents a firm whose sole purpose is to manage a portfolio of investments which include the company.

<sup>30</sup> For example, the 2015-2016 NACD Public Company Governance Survey states that, on average, directors spent a total of 248.2 hours annual on board-related matters during the past year, which it describes as a "historically high level" that is significantly above the average hours recorded in 2006. Additionally, the 2020 Spencer Stuart Board Index indicates that, while 39% of S&P 500 CEOs serve on one additional public board, just 2% of S&P 500 CEOs serve on two additional public boards and only one CEO serves on three.

<sup>31</sup> When the executive officer in question serves only as an executive at a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) we will generally apply the higher threshold of five public company directorships.

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Other Considerations

In addition to the three key characteristics — independence, performance, experience — that we use to evaluate board members, we consider conflict-of-interest issues as well as the size of the board of directors when making voting recommendations.

Conflicts of Interest

We believe board members should be wholly free of identifiable and substantial conflicts of interest, regardless of the overall level of independent directors on the board. Accordingly, we recommend that shareholders vote against the following types of directors:

● A CFO who is on the board: In our view, the CFO holds a unique position relative to financial reporting and disclosure to shareholders. Due to the critical importance of financial disclosure and reporting, we believe the CFO should report to the board and not be a member of it.

● A director who provides — or a director who has an immediate family member who provides — material consulting or other material professional services to the company. These services may include legal, consulting,<sup>32</sup> or financial services. We question the need for the company to have consulting relationships with its directors. We view such relationships as creating conflicts for directors, since they may be forced to weigh their own interests against shareholder interests when making board decisions. In addition, a company's decisions regarding where to turn for the best professional services may be compromised when doing business with the professional services firm of one of the company's directors.

● A director, or a director who has an immediate family member, engaging in airplane, real estate, or similar deals, including perquisite-type grants from the company, amounting to more than $50,000. Directors who receive these sorts of payments from the company will have to make unnecessarily complicated decisions that may pit their interests against shareholder interests.

● Interlocking directorships: CEOs or other top executives who serve on each other's boards create an interlock that poses conflicts that should be avoided to ensure the promotion of shareholder interests above all else.<sup>33</sup>

● All board members who served at a time when a poison pill with a term of longer than one year was adopted without shareholder approval within the prior twelve months.<sup>34</sup> In the event a board is classified and shareholders are therefore unable to vote against all directors, we will recommend voting against the remaining directors the next year they are up for a shareholder vote. If a poison pill with a

<sup>32</sup> We will generally refrain from recommending against a director who provides consulting services for the company if the director is excluded from membership on the board's key committees and we have not identified significant governance concerns with the board.

<sup>33</sup> We do not apply a look-back period for this situation. The interlock policy applies to both public and private companies. On a case-by-case basis, we evaluate other types of interlocking relationships, such as interlocks with close family members of executives or within group companies. Further, we will also evaluate multiple board interlocks among non-insiders (i.e., multiple directors serving on the same boards at other companies), for evidence of a pattern of poor oversight.

<sup>34</sup> Refer to the "Governance Structure and the Shareholder Franchise" section for further discussion of our policies regarding anti-takeover measures, including poison pills.

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term of one year or less was adopted without shareholder approval, and without adequate justification, we will consider recommending that shareholders vote against all members of the governance committee. If the board has, without seeking shareholder approval, and without adequate justification, extended the term of a poison pill by one year or less in two consecutive years, we will consider recommending that shareholders vote against the entire board.

Size of the Board of Directors

While we do not believe there is a universally applicable optimal board size, we do believe boards should have at least five directors to ensure sufficient diversity in decision-making and to enable the formation of key board committees with independent directors. Conversely, we believe that boards with more than 20 members will typically suffer under the weight of "too many cooks in the kitchen" and have difficulty reaching consensus and making timely decisions. Sometimes the presence of too many voices can make it difficult to draw on the wisdom and experience in the room by virtue of the need to limit the discussion so that each voice may be heard.

To that end, we typically recommend voting against the chair of the nominating committee (or the governance committee, in the absence of a nominating committee) at a board with fewer than five directors or more than 20 directors.

Controlled Companies

We believe controlled companies warrant certain exceptions to our independence standards. The board's function is to protect shareholder interests; however, when an individual, entity (or group of shareholders party to a formal agreement) owns more than 50% of the voting shares, the interests of the majority of shareholders are the interests of that entity or individual. Consequently, Glass Lewis does not apply our usual two-thirds board independence rule and therefore we will not recommend voting against boards whose composition reflects the makeup of the shareholder population.

Independence Exceptions

The independence exceptions that we make for controlled companies are as follows:

● We do not require that controlled companies have boards that are at least two-thirds independent. So long as the insiders and/or affiliates are connected with the controlling entity, we accept the presence of non-independent board members.

● The compensation committee and nominating and governance committees do not need to consist solely of independent directors.

○ We believe that standing nominating and corporate governance committees at controlled companies are unnecessary. Although having a committee charged with the duties of searching for, selecting, and nominating independent directors can be beneficial, the unique composition of a controlled company's shareholder base makes such committees weak and irrelevant.

○ Likewise, we believe that independent compensation committees at controlled companies are unnecessary. Although independent directors are the best choice for approving and monitoring senior executives' pay, controlled companies serve a unique shareholder population whose voting power ensures the protection of its interests. As such, we believe that having affiliated directors on a controlled company's compensation committee is acceptable. However, given

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that a controlled company has certain obligations to minority shareholders we feel that an insider should not serve on the compensation committee. Therefore, Glass Lewis will recommend voting against any insider (the CEO or otherwise) serving on the compensation committee.

● Controlled companies do not need an independent chair or an independent lead or presiding director. Although an independent director in a position of authority on the board — such as chair or presiding director — can best carry out the board's duties, controlled companies serve a unique shareholder population whose voting power ensures the protection of its interests.

Size of the Board of Directors

We have no board size requirements for controlled companies.

Audit Committee Independence

Despite a controlled company's status, unlike for the other key committees, we nevertheless believe that audit committees should consist solely of independent directors. Regardless of a company's controlled status, the interests of all shareholders must be protected by ensuring the integrity and accuracy of the company's financial statements. Allowing affiliated directors to oversee the preparation of financial reports could create an insurmountable conflict of interest.

Board Responsiveness at Multi-Class Companies

At controlled companies and companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will carefully examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders when determining whether board responsiveness is warranted. In the case of companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will generally examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders on a "one share, one vote" basis. At controlled and multi-class companies, when at least 20% or more of unaffiliated shareholders vote contrary to management, we believe that boards should engage with shareholders and demonstrate some initial level of responsiveness, and when a majority or more of unaffiliated shareholders vote contrary to management we believe that boards should engage with shareholders and provide a more robust response to fully address shareholder concerns.

Significant Shareholders

Where an individual or entity holds between 20-50% of a company's voting power, we believe it is reasonable to allow proportional representation on the board and committees (excluding the audit committee) based on the individual or entity's percentage of ownership.

Governance Following an IPO, Spin-Off, or Direct Listing

We believe companies that have recently completed an initial public offering (IPO), spin-off, or direct listing should be allowed adequate time to fully comply with marketplace listing requirements and meet basic corporate governance standards. Generally speaking, we refrain from making recommendations on the basis of governance standards (e.g., board independence, committee membership and structure, meeting attendance, etc.) during the one-year period following an IPO.

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However, some cases warrant shareholder action against the board of a company that have completed an IPO, spin-off, or direct listing within the past year. When evaluating companies that have recently gone public, Glass Lewis will review the terms of the applicable governing documents in order to determine whether shareholder rights are being severely restricted indefinitely. We believe boards that approve highly restrictive governing documents have demonstrated that they may subvert shareholder interests following the IPO. In conducting this evaluation, Glass Lewis will consider:

● The adoption of anti-takeover provisions such as a poison pill or classified board

● Supermajority vote requirements to amend governing documents

● The presence of exclusive forum or fee-shifting provisions

● Whether shareholders can call special meetings or act by written consent

● The voting standard provided for the election of directors

● The ability of shareholders to remove directors without cause

● The presence of evergreen provisions in the company's equity compensation arrangements

● The presence of a multi-class share structure which does not afford common shareholders voting power that is aligned with their economic interest

In cases where Glass Lewis determines that the board has approved overly restrictive governing documents, we will generally recommend voting against members of the governance committee. If there is no governance committee, or if a portion of such committee members are not standing for election due to a classified board structure, we will expand our recommendations to additional director nominees, based on who is standing for election.

In cases where, preceding an IPO, the board adopts a multi-class share structure where voting rights are not aligned with economic interest, or an anti-takeover provision, such as a poison pill or classified board, we will generally recommend voting against all members of the board who served at the time of the IPO if the board: (i) did not also commit to submitting these provisions to a shareholder vote at the company's first shareholder meeting following the IPO; or (ii) did not provide for a reasonable sunset of these provisions (generally three to five years in the case of a classified board or poison pill; or seven years or less in the case of a multi-class share structure). In the case of a multi-class share structure, if these provisions are put to a shareholder vote, we will examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders when determining the vote outcome.

In our view, adopting an anti-takeover device unfairly penalizes future shareholders who (except for electing to buy or sell the stock) are unable to weigh in on a matter that could potentially negatively impact their ownership interest. This notion is strengthened when a board adopts a classified board with an infinite duration or a poison pill with a five- to ten-year term immediately prior to going public, thereby insulating management for a substantial amount of time.

In addition, shareholders should also be wary of companies that adopt supermajority voting requirements before their IPO. Absent explicit provisions in the articles or bylaws stipulating that certain policies will be phased out over a certain period of time, long-term shareholders could find themselves in the predicament of having to attain a supermajority vote to approve future proposals seeking to eliminate such policies.

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Governance Following a Business Combination with a Special Purpose Acquisition Company

The business combination of a private company with a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) facilitates the private entity becoming a publicly traded corporation. Thus, the business combination represents the private company's de-facto IPO. We believe that some cases warrant shareholder action against the board of a company that have completed a business combination with a SPAC within the past year.

At meetings where shareholders vote on the business combination of a SPAC with a private company, shareholders are generally voting on a new corporate charter for the post-combination company as a condition to approval of the business combination. In many cases, shareholders are faced with the dilemma of having to approve corporate charters that severely restrict shareholder rights to facilitate the business combination. Therefore, when shareholders are required to approve binding charters as a condition to approval of a business combination with a SPAC, we believe shareholders should also be provided with advisory votes on material charter amendments as a means to voice their opinions on such restrictive governance provisions.

When evaluating companies that have recently gone public via business combination with a SPAC, Glass Lewis will review the terms of the applicable governing documents to determine whether shareholder rights are being severely restricted indefinitely and whether these restrictive provisions were put forth for a shareholder vote on an advisory basis at the prior meeting where shareholders voted on the business combination.

In cases where, prior to the combined company becoming publicly traded, the board adopts a multi-class share structure where voting rights are not aligned with economic interest, or an anti-takeover provision, such as a poison pill or classified board, we will generally recommend voting against all members of the board who served at the time of the combined company becoming publicly traded if the board: (i) did not also submit these provisions to a shareholder vote on an advisory basis at the prior meeting where shareholders voted on the business combination; (ii) did not also commit to submitting these provisions to a shareholder vote at the company's first shareholder meeting following the company becoming publicly traded; or (iii) did not provide for a reasonable sunset of these provisions (generally three to five years in the case of a classified board or poison pill; or seven years or less in the case of a multi-class share structure).

Consistent with our view on IPOs, adopting an anti-takeover device unfairly penalizes future shareholders who (except for electing to buy or sell the stock) are unable to weigh in on a matter that could potentially negatively impact their ownership interest.

Dual-Listed or Foreign-Incorporated Companies

For companies that trade on multiple exchanges or are incorporated in foreign jurisdictions but trade only in the U.S., we will apply the governance standard most relevant in each situation. We will consider a number of factors in determining which Glass Lewis country-specific policy to apply, including but not limited to: (i) the corporate governance structure and features of the company including whether the board structure is unique to a particular market; (ii) the nature of the proposals; (iii) the location of the company's primary listing, if one can be determined; (iv) the regulatory/governance regime that the board is reporting against; and (v) the availability and completeness of the company's SEC filings.

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OTC-listed Companies

Companies trading on the OTC Bulletin Board are not considered "listed companies" under SEC rules and therefore not subject to the same governance standards as listed companies. However, we believe that more stringent corporate governance standards should be applied to these companies given that their shares are still publicly traded.

When reviewing OTC companies, Glass Lewis will review the available disclosure relating to the shareholder meeting to determine whether shareholders are able to evaluate several key pieces of information, including: (i) the composition of the board's key committees, if any; (ii) the level of share ownership of company insiders or directors; (iii) the board meeting attendance record of directors; (iv) executive and non-employee director compensation; (v) related-party transactions conducted during the past year; and (vi) the board's leadership structure and determinations regarding director independence.

We are particularly concerned when company disclosure lacks any information regarding the board's key committees. We believe that committees of the board are an essential tool for clarifying how the responsibilities of the board are being delegated, and specifically for indicating which directors are accountable for ensuring: (i) the independence and quality of directors, and the transparency and integrity of the nominating process; (ii) compensation programs that are fair and appropriate; (iii) proper oversight of the company's accounting, financial reporting, and internal and external audits; and (iv) general adherence to principles of good corporate governance.

In cases where shareholders are unable to identify which board members are responsible for ensuring oversight of the above-mentioned responsibilities, we may consider recommending against certain members of the board. Ordinarily, we believe it is the responsibility of the corporate governance committee to provide thorough disclosure of the board's governance practices. In the absence of such a committee, we believe it is appropriate to hold the board's chair or, if such individual is an executive of the company, the longest-serving non-executive board member accountable.

Mutual Fund Boards

Mutual funds, or investment companies, are structured differently from regular public companies (i.e., operating companies). Typically, members of a fund's advisor are on the board and management takes on a different role from that of regular public companies. Thus, we focus on a short list of requirements, although many of our guidelines remain the same.

The following mutual fund policies are similar to the policies for regular public companies:

● **Size of the board of directors** — The board should be made up of between five and twenty directors.

● **The CFO on the board** — Neither the CFO of the fund nor the CFO of the fund's registered investment advisor should serve on the board.

● **Independence of the audit committee** — The audit committee should consist solely of independent directors.

● **Audit committee financial expert** — At least one member of the audit committee should be designated as the audit committee financial expert.

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The following differences from regular public companies apply at mutual funds:

● **Independence of the board** — We believe that three-fourths of an investment company's board should be made up of independent directors. This is consistent with a proposed SEC rule on investment company boards. The Investment Company Act requires 40% of the board to be independent, but in 2001, the SEC amended the Exemptive Rules to require that a majority of a mutual fund board be independent. In 2005, the SEC proposed increasing the independence threshold to 75%. In 2006, a federal appeals court ordered that this rule amendment be put back out for public comment, putting it back into "proposed rule" status. Since mutual fund boards play a vital role in overseeing the relationship between the fund and its investment manager, there is greater need for independent oversight than there is for an operating company board.

● **When the auditor is not up for ratification** — We do not recommend voting against the audit committee if the auditor is not up for ratification. Due to the different legal structure of an investment company compared to an operating company, the auditor for the investment company (i.e., mutual fund) does not conduct the same level of financial review for each investment company as for an operating company.

● **Non-independent chair** — The SEC has proposed that the chair of the fund board be independent. We agree that the roles of a mutual fund's chair and CEO should be separate. Although we believe this would be best at all companies, we recommend voting against the chair of an investment company's nominating committee as well as the board chair if the chair and CEO of a mutual fund are the same person and the fund does not have an independent lead or presiding director. Seven former SEC commissioners support the appointment of an independent chair and we agree with them that "an independent board chair would be better able to create conditions favoring the long-term interests of fund shareholders than would a chair who is an executive of the advisor." (See the comment letter sent to the SEC in support of the proposed rule at http://www.sec.gov/news/studies/indchair.pdf .)

● **Multiple funds overseen by the same director** — Unlike service on a public company board, mutual fund boards require much less of a time commitment. Mutual fund directors typically serve on dozens of other mutual fund boards, often within the same fund complex. The Investment Company Institute's (ICI) Overview of Fund Governance Practices, 1994-2012, indicates that the average number of funds served by an independent director in 2012 was 53. Absent evidence that a specific director is hindered from being an effective board member at a fund due to service on other funds' boards, we refrain from maintaining a cap on the number of outside mutual fund boards that we believe a director can serve on.

Declassified Boards

Glass Lewis favors the repeal of staggered boards and the annual election of directors. We believe staggered boards are less accountable to shareholders than boards that are elected annually. Furthermore, we feel the annual election of directors encourages board members to focus on shareholder interests.

Empirical studies have shown: (i) staggered boards are associated with a reduction in a firm's valuation; and (ii) in the context of hostile takeovers, staggered boards operate as a takeover defense, which entrenches management, discourages potential acquirers, and delivers a lower return to target shareholders.

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In our view, there is no evidence to demonstrate that staggered boards improve shareholder returns in a takeover context. Some research has indicated that shareholders are worse off when a staggered board blocks a transaction; further, when a staggered board negotiates a friendly transaction, no statistically significant difference in premium occurs.<sup>35</sup> Additional research found that charter-based staggered boards "reduce the market value of a firm by 4% to 6% of its market capitalization" and that "staggered boards bring about and not merely reflect this reduction in market value."<sup>36</sup> A subsequent study reaffirmed that classified boards reduce shareholder value, finding "that the ongoing process of dismantling staggered boards, encouraged by institutional investors, could well contribute to increasing shareholder wealth." <sup>37</sup>

Shareholders have increasingly come to agree with this view. In 2019, 90% of S&P 500 companies had declassified boards, up from 68% in 2009.<sup>38</sup> Management proposals to declassify boards are approved with near unanimity and shareholder proposals on the topic also receive strong shareholder support; in 2014, shareholder proposals requesting that companies declassify their boards received average support of 84% (excluding abstentions and broker non-votes), whereas in 1987, only 16.4% of votes cast favored board declassification.<sup>39</sup> Further, a growing number of companies, nearly half of all those targeted by shareholder proposals requesting that all directors stand for election annually, either recommended shareholders support the proposal or made no recommendation, a departure from the more traditional management recommendation to vote against shareholder proposals.

Given our belief that declassified boards promote director accountability, the empirical evidence suggesting staggered boards reduce a company's value and the established shareholder opposition to such a structure, Glass Lewis supports the declassification of boards and the annual election of directors.

Board Composition and Refreshment

Glass Lewis strongly supports routine director evaluation, including independent external reviews, and periodic board refreshment to foster the sharing of diverse perspectives in the boardroom and the generation of new ideas and business strategies. Further, we believe the board should evaluate the need for changes to board composition based on an analysis of skills and experience necessary for the company, as well as the results of the director evaluations, as opposed to relying solely on age or tenure limits. When necessary, shareholders can address concerns regarding proper board composition through director elections.

<sup>35</sup> Lucian Bebchuk, John Coates IV, Guhan Subramanian, "The Powerful Antitakeover Force of Staggered Boards: Further Findings and a Reply to Symposium Participants," 55 Stanford Law Review 885-917 (2002).

<sup>36</sup> Lucian Bebchuk, Alma Cohen, "The Costs of Entrenched Boards" (2004).

<sup>37</sup> Lucian Bebchuk, Alma Cohen and Charles C.Y. Wang, "Staggered Boards and the Wealth of Shareholders: Evidence from a Natural Experiment," SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1706806 (2010), p. 26.

<sup>38</sup> Spencer Stuart Board Index, 2019, p. 15.

<sup>39</sup> Lucian Bebchuk, John Coates IV and Guhan Subramanian, "The Powerful Antitakeover Force of Staggered Boards: Theory, Evidence, and Policy".

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In our view, a director's experience can be a valuable asset to shareholders because of the complex, critical issues that boards face. This said, we recognize that in rare circumstances, a lack of refreshment can contribute to a lack of board responsiveness to poor company performance.

We will note as a potential concern instances where the average tenure of non-executive directors is 10 years or more and no new directors have joined the board in the past five years. While we will be highlighting this as a potential area of concern, we will not be making voting recommendations strictly on this basis, unless we have identified other governance or board performance concerns.

On occasion, age or term limits can be used as a means to remove a director for boards that are unwilling to police their membership and enforce turnover. Some shareholders support term limits as a way to force change in such circumstances.

While we understand that age limits can aid board succession planning, the long-term impact of age limits restricts experienced and potentially valuable board members from service through an arbitrary means. We believe that shareholders are better off monitoring the board's overall composition, including the diversity of its members, the alignment of the board's areas of expertise with a company's strategy, the board's approach to corporate governance, and its stewardship of company performance, rather than imposing inflexible rules that don't necessarily correlate with returns or benefits for shareholders.

However, if a board adopts term/age limits, it should follow through and not waive such limits. In cases where the board waives its term/age limits for two or more consecutive years, Glass Lewis will generally recommend that shareholders vote against the nominating and/or governance committee chair, unless a compelling rationale is provided for why the board is proposing to waive this rule, such as consummation of a corporate transaction.

Board Diversity

*Update: 10 March 2025. Glass Lewis has modified our approach to providing proxy voting guidance considering diversity factors at US companies under our Benchmark Policy. For more information, please see our <u>2025 Supplemental Statement on Diversity Considerations at US Companies</u>.*

Glass Lewis recognizes the importance of ensuring that the board is composed of directors who have a diversity of skills, thought and experience, as such diversity benefits companies by providing a broad range of perspectives and insights. Glass Lewis closely reviews the composition of the board for representation of diverse director candidates.

Board Gender Diversity

We consider the nominating and governance committee to be responsible for ensuring sufficient board diversity, or for publicly communicating its rationale or a plan for increasing diversity. As such, we will generally recommend voting against the chair of the nominating committee of a board that is not at least 30 percent gender diverse, or all members of the nominating committee of a board with no gender diverse directors, at companies within the Russell 3000 index. For companies outside the Russell 3000 index, our policy requires a minimum of one gender diverse director.

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When making these voting recommendations, we will carefully review a company's disclosure of its diversity considerations and may refrain from recommending that shareholders vote against directors when boards have provided sufficient rationale for the lack of diversity or a plan to address the lack of diversity, including a timeline of when the board intends to appoint additional gender diverse directors (generally by the next annual meeting or as soon as reasonably practicable).

We may extend our gender diversity recommendations to additional members of the nominating committee in cases where the committee chair is not standing for election due to a classified board, or based on other factors, including the company's size and industry, applicable laws in its state of headquarters, and its overall governance profile.

Board Underrepresented Community Diversity

We will generally recommend against the chair of the nominating committee of a board with fewer than one director from an underrepresented community on the board at companies within the Russell 1000 index.

We define "underrepresented community director" as an individual who self-identifies as Black, African American, North African, Middle Eastern, Hispanic, Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander, Native American, Native Hawaiian, or Alaskan Native, or who self-identifies as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. For the purposes of this evaluation, we will rely solely on self-identified demographic information as disclosed in company proxy statements.

When making these voting recommendations, we will carefully review a company's disclosure of its diversity considerations and may refrain from recommending that shareholders vote against directors when boards have provided a sufficient rationale or plan to address the lack of diversity on the board, including a timeline to appoint additional directors from an underrepresented community (generally by the next annual meeting or as soon as reasonably practicable).

We may extend our underrepresented community diversity recommendations to additional members of the nominating committee in cases where the committee chair is not standing for election due to a classified board, or based on other factors, including the company's size and industry, applicable laws in its state of headquarters, and its overall governance profile.

State Laws on Diversity

Several states have begun to encourage board diversity through legislation. Some state laws imposed mandatory board composition requirements, while other states have enacted or are considering legislation that encourages companies to diversify their boards but does not mandate board composition requirements. Furthermore, several states have enacted or are considering enacting certain disclosure or reporting requirements in filings made with each respective state annually.

Glass Lewis will recommend in accordance with mandatory board composition requirements set forth in applicable state laws when they come into effect. We will generally refrain from recommending against directors when applicable state laws do not mandate board composition requirements, are non-binding, or solely impose disclosure or reporting requirements.

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We note that during 2022, California's Senate Bill 826 and Assembly Bill 979 regarding board gender and "underrepresented community" diversity, respectively, were both deemed to violate the equal protection clause of the California state constitution. These laws are currently in the appeals process.

Accordingly, where we previously recommended in accordance with mandatory board composition requirements set forth in California's SB 826 and AB 979, we will refrain from providing recommendations pursuant to these state board composition requirements until further notice while we continue to monitor the appeals process. However, we will continue to monitor compliance with these requirements.

Disclosure of Director Diversity and Skills

Because company disclosure is critical when measuring the mix of diverse attributes and skills of directors, Glass Lewis assesses the quality of such disclosure in companies' proxy statements. Accordingly, we reflect how a company's proxy statement presents: (i) the board's current percentage of racial/ethnic diversity; (ii) whether the board's definition of diversity explicitly includes gender and/or race/ethnicity; (iii) whether the board has adopted a policy requiring women and minorities to be included in the initial pool of candidates when selecting new director nominees (aka "Rooney Rule"); and (iv) board skills disclosure. Such ratings will help inform our assessment of a company's overall governance and may be a contributing factor in our recommendations when additional board-related concerns have been identified.

At companies in the Russell 1000 index that have not provided any disclosure in any of the above categories, we will generally recommend voting against the chair of the nominating and/or governance committee. Further, when companies in the Russell 1000 index have not provided any disclosure of individual or aggregate racial/ethnic minority board demographic information, we will generally recommend voting against the chair of the nominating and/or governance committee.

Proxy Access

In lieu of running their own contested election, proxy access would not only allow certain shareholders to nominate directors to company boards but the shareholder nominees would be included on the company's ballot, significantly enhancing the ability of shareholders to play a meaningful role in selecting their representatives. Glass Lewis generally supports affording shareholders the right to nominate director candidates to management's proxy as a means to ensure that significant, long-term shareholders have an ability to nominate candidates to the board.

Companies generally seek shareholder approval to amend company bylaws to adopt proxy access in response to shareholder engagement or pressure, usually in the form of a shareholder proposal requesting proxy access, although some companies may adopt some elements of proxy access without prompting. Glass Lewis considers several factors when evaluating whether to support proposals for companies to adopt proxy access including the specified minimum ownership and holding requirement for shareholders to nominate one or more directors, as well as company size, performance and responsiveness to shareholders.

For a discussion of recent regulatory events in this area, along with a detailed overview of the Glass Lewis approach to shareholder proposals regarding Proxy Access, refer to Glass Lewis' *Proxy Paper Guidelines for Shareholder Proposals & ESG-Related Issues*, available at www.glasslewis.com.

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Majority Vote for Election of Directors

Majority voting for the election of directors is fast becoming the de facto standard in corporate board elections. In our view, the majority voting proposals are an effort to make the case for shareholder impact on director elections on a company-specific basis.

While this proposal would not give shareholders the opportunity to nominate directors or lead to elections where shareholders have a choice among director candidates, if implemented, the proposal would allow shareholders to have a voice in determining whether the nominees proposed by the board should actually serve as the overseer-representatives of shareholders in the boardroom. We believe this would be a favorable outcome for shareholders.

The number of shareholder proposals requesting that companies adopt a majority voting standard has declined significantly during the past decade, largely as a result of widespread adoption of majority voting or director resignation policies at U.S. companies. In 2019, 89% of the S&P 500 Index had implemented a resignation policy for directors failing to receive majority shareholder support, compared to 65% in 2009.<sup>40</sup>

The Plurality Vote Standard

Today, most U.S. companies still elect directors by a plurality vote standard. Under that standard, if one shareholder holding only one share votes in favor of a nominee (including that director, if the director is a shareholder), that nominee "wins" the election and assumes a seat on the board. The common concern among companies with a plurality voting standard is the possibility that one or more directors would not receive a majority of votes, resulting in "failed elections."

Advantages of a Majority Vote Standard

If a majority vote standard were implemented, a nominee would have to receive the support of a majority of the shares voted in order to be elected. Thus, shareholders could collectively vote to reject a director they believe will not pursue their best interests. Given that so few directors (less than 100 a year) do not receive majority support from shareholders, we think that a majority vote standard is reasonable since it will neither result in many failed director elections nor reduce the willingness of qualified, shareholder-focused directors to serve in the future. Further, most directors who fail to receive a majority shareholder vote in favor of their election do not step down, underscoring the need for true majority voting.

We believe that a majority vote standard will likely lead to more attentive directors. Although shareholders only rarely fail to support directors, the occasional majority vote against a director's election will likely deter the election of directors with a record of ignoring shareholder interests. Glass Lewis will therefore generally support proposals calling for the election of directors by a majority vote, excepting contested director elections.

In response to the high level of support majority voting has garnered, many companies have voluntarily taken steps to implement majority voting or modified approaches to majority voting. These steps range from a

<sup>40</sup> Spencer Stuart Board Index, 2019, p. 15.

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modified approach requiring directors that receive a majority of withheld votes to resign (i.e., a resignation policy) to actually requiring a majority vote of outstanding shares to elect directors.

We feel that the modified approach does not go far enough because requiring a director to resign is not the same as requiring a majority vote to elect a director and does not allow shareholders a definitive voice in the election process. Further, under the modified approach, the corporate governance committee could reject a resignation and, even if it accepts the resignation, the corporate governance committee decides on the director's replacement. And since the modified approach is usually adopted as a policy by the board or a board committee, it could be altered by the same board or committee at any time.

Conflicting and Excluded Proposals

SEC Rule 14a-8(i)(9) allows companies to exclude shareholder proposals "if the proposal directly conflicts with one of the company's own proposals to be submitted to shareholders at the same meeting." On October 22, 2015, the SEC issued Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14H (SLB 14H) clarifying its rule concerning the exclusion of certain shareholder proposals when similar items are also on the ballot. SLB 14H increased the burden on companies to prove to SEC staff that a conflict exists; therefore, many companies still chose to place management proposals alongside similar shareholder proposals in many cases.

During the 2018 proxy season, a new trend in the SEC's interpretation of this rule emerged. Upon submission of shareholder proposals requesting that companies adopt a lower special meeting threshold, several companies petitioned the SEC for no-action relief under the premise that the shareholder proposals conflicted with management's own special meeting proposals, even though the management proposals set a higher threshold than those requested by the proponent. No-action relief was granted to these companies; however, the SEC stipulated that the companies must state in the rationale for the management proposals that a vote in favor of management's proposal was tantamount to a vote against the adoption of a lower special meeting threshold. In certain instances, shareholder proposals to lower an existing special meeting right threshold were excluded on the basis that they conflicted with management proposals seeking to ratify the existing special meeting rights. We find the exclusion of these shareholder proposals to be especially problematic as, in these instances, shareholders are not offered any enhanced shareholder right, nor would the approval (or rejection) of the ratification proposal initiate any type of meaningful change to shareholders' rights.

In instances where companies have excluded shareholder proposals, such as those instances where special meeting shareholder proposals are excluded as a result of "conflicting" management proposals, Glass Lewis will take a case-by-case approach, taking into account the following issues:

● The threshold proposed by the shareholder resolution;

● The threshold proposed or established by management and the attendant rationale for the threshold;

● Whether management's proposal is seeking to ratify an existing special meeting right or adopt a bylaw that would establish a special meeting right; and

● The company's overall governance profile, including its overall responsiveness to and engagement with shareholders.

Glass Lewis generally favors a 10-15% special meeting right. Accordingly, Glass Lewis will generally recommend voting for management or shareholder proposals that fall within this range. When faced with conflicting

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proposals, Glass Lewis will generally recommend in favor of the lower special meeting right and will recommend voting against the proposal with the higher threshold. However, in instances where there are conflicting management and shareholder proposals and a company has not established a special meeting right, Glass Lewis may recommend that shareholders vote in favor of the shareholder proposal and that they abstain from a management-proposed bylaw amendment seeking to establish a special meeting right. We believe that an abstention is appropriate in this instance in order to ensure that shareholders are sending a clear signal regarding their preference for the appropriate threshold for a special meeting right, while not directly opposing the establishment of such a right.

In cases where the company excludes a shareholder proposal seeking a reduced special meeting right by means of ratifying a management proposal that is materially different from the shareholder proposal, we will generally recommend voting against the chair or members of the governance committee.

In other instances of conflicting management and shareholder proposals, Glass Lewis will consider the following:

● The nature of the underlying issue;

● The benefit to shareholders of implementing the proposal;

● The materiality of the differences between the terms of the shareholder proposal and management proposal;

● The context of a company's shareholder base, corporate structure and other relevant circumstances; and

● A company's overall governance profile and, specifically, its responsiveness to shareholders as evidenced by a company's response to previous shareholder proposals and its adoption of progressive shareholder rights provisions.

In recent years, we have seen the dynamic nature of the considerations given by the SEC when determining whether companies may exclude certain shareholder proposals. We understand that not all shareholder proposals serve the long-term interests of shareholders, and value and respect the limitations placed on shareholder proponents, as certain shareholder proposals can unduly burden companies. However, Glass Lewis believes that shareholders should be able to vote on issues of material importance.

We view the shareholder proposal process as an important part of advancing shareholder rights and encouraging responsible and financially sustainable business practices. While recognizing that certain proposals cross the line between the purview of shareholders and that of the board, we generally believe that companies should not limit investors' ability to vote on shareholder proposals that advance certain rights or promote beneficial disclosure. Accordingly, Glass Lewis will make note of instances where a company has successfully petitioned the SEC to exclude shareholder proposals. If after review we believe that the exclusion of a shareholder proposal is detrimental to shareholders, we may, in certain very limited circumstances, recommend against members of the governance committee.

Transparency and Integrity in Financial Reporting

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Auditor Ratification

The auditor's role as gatekeeper is crucial in ensuring the integrity and transparency of the financial information necessary for protecting shareholder value. Shareholders rely on the auditor to ask tough questions and to do a thorough analysis of a company's books to ensure that the information provided to shareholders is complete, accurate, fair, and that it is a reasonable representation of a company's financial position. The only way shareholders can make rational investment decisions is if the market is equipped with accurate information about a company's fiscal health. As stated in the October 6, 2008 Final Report of the Advisory Committee on the Auditing Profession to the U.S. Department of the Treasury:

*"The auditor is expected to offer critical and objective judgment on the financial matters under consideration, and actual and perceived absence of conflicts is critical to that expectation. The Committee believes that auditors, investors, public companies, and other market participants must understand the independence requirements and their objectives, and that auditors must adopt a mindset of skepticism when facing situations that may compromise their independence."*

As such, shareholders should demand an objective, competent and diligent auditor who performs at or above professional standards at every company in which the investors hold an interest. Like directors, auditors should be free from conflicts of interest and should avoid situations requiring a choice between the auditor's interests and the public's interests. Almost without exception, shareholders should be able to annually review an auditor's performance and to annually ratify a board's auditor selection. Moreover, in October 2008, the Advisory Committee on the Auditing Profession went even further, and recommended that "to further enhance audit committee oversight and auditor accountability... disclosure in the company proxy statement regarding shareholder ratification [should] include the name(s) of the senior auditing partner(s) staffed on the engagement."<sup>41</sup>

On August 16, 2011, the PCAOB issued a Concept Release seeking public comment on ways that auditor independence, objectivity and professional skepticism could be enhanced, with a specific emphasis on mandatory audit firm rotation. The PCAOB convened several public roundtable meetings during 2012 to further discuss such matters. Glass Lewis believes auditor rotation can ensure both the independence of the auditor and the integrity of the audit; we will typically recommend supporting proposals to require auditor rotation when the proposal uses a reasonable period of time (usually not less than 5-7 years), particularly at companies with a history of accounting problems.

On June 1, 2017, the PCAOB adopted new standards to enhance auditor reports by providing additional important information to investors. For companies with fiscal year end dates on or after December 15, 2017, reports were required to include the year in which the auditor began serving consecutively as the company's auditor. For large accelerated filers with fiscal year ends of June 30, 2019 or later, and for all other companies with fiscal year ends of December 15, 2020 or later, communication of critical audit matters (CAMs) will also be required. CAMs are matters that have been communicated to the audit committee, are related to accounts or

<sup>41</sup> "Final Report of the Advisory Committee on the Auditing Profession to the U.S. Department of the Treasury." p. VIII:20, October 6, 2008.

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disclosures that are material to the financial statements, and involve especially challenging, subjective, or complex auditor judgment.

Glass Lewis believes the additional reporting requirements are beneficial for investors. The additional disclosures can provide investors with information that is critical to making an informed judgment about an auditor's independence and performance. Furthermore, we believe the additional requirements are an important step toward enhancing the relevance and usefulness of auditor reports, which too often are seen as boilerplate compliance documents that lack the relevant details to provide meaningful insight into a particular audit.

Voting Recommendations on Auditor Ratification

We generally support management's choice of auditor except when we believe the auditor's independence or audit integrity has been compromised. Where a board has not allowed shareholders to review and ratify an auditor, we typically recommend voting against the audit committee chair. When there have been material restatements of annual financial statements or material weaknesses in internal controls, we usually recommend voting against the entire audit committee.

Reasons why we may not recommend ratification of an auditor include:

● When audit fees plus audit-related fees total less than the tax fees and/or other non-audit fees.

● Recent material restatements of annual financial statements, including those resulting in the reporting of material weaknesses in internal controls and including late filings by the company where the auditor bears some responsibility for the restatement or late filing.<sup>42</sup>

● When the auditor performs prohibited services such as tax-shelter work, tax services for the CEO or CFO, or contingent-fee work, such as a fee based on a percentage of economic benefit to the company.

● When audit fees are excessively low, especially when compared with other companies in the same industry.

● When the company has aggressive accounting policies.

● When the company has poor disclosure or lack of transparency in its financial statements.

● Where the auditor limited its liability through its contract with the company or the audit contract requires the corporation to use alternative dispute resolution procedures without adequate justification.

● We also look for other relationships or concerns with the auditor that might suggest a conflict between the auditor's interests and shareholder interests.

● In determining whether shareholders would benefit from rotating the company's auditor, where relevant we will consider factors that may call into question an auditor's effectiveness, including auditor tenure, a pattern of inaccurate audits, and any ongoing litigation or significant controversies. When Glass Lewis considers ongoing litigation and significant controversies, it is mindful that such matters may involve unadjudicated allegations. Glass Lewis does not assume the truth of such allegations or that the

<sup>42</sup> An auditor does not audit interim financial statements. Thus, we generally do not believe that an auditor should be opposed due to a restatement of interim financial statements unless the nature of the misstatement is clear from a reading of the incorrect financial statements.

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law has been violated. Instead, Glass Lewis focuses more broadly on whether, under the particular facts and circumstances presented, the nature and number of such lawsuits or other significant controversies reflects on the risk profile of the company or suggests that appropriate risk mitigation measures may be warranted."

Pension Accounting Issues

A pension accounting question occasionally raised in proxy proposals is what effect, if any, projected returns on employee pension assets should have on a company's net income. This issue often arises in the executive- compensation context in a discussion of the extent to which pension accounting should be reflected in business performance for purposes of calculating payments to executives.

Glass Lewis believes that pension credits should not be included in measuring income that is used to award performance-based compensation. Because many of the assumptions used in accounting for retirement plans are subject to the company's discretion, management would have an obvious conflict of interest if pay were tied to pension income. In our view, projected income from pensions does not truly reflect a company's performance.

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The Link Between Compensation and Performance

Glass Lewis carefully reviews the compensation awarded to senior executives, as we believe that this is an important area in which the board's priorities are revealed. Glass Lewis strongly believes executive compensation should be linked directly with the performance of the business the executive is charged with managing. We believe the most effective compensation arrangements provide for an appropriate mix of performance-based short- and long-term incentives in addition to fixed pay elements while promoting a prudent and sustainable level of risk-taking.

Glass Lewis believes that comprehensive, timely and transparent disclosure of executive pay is critical to allowing shareholders to evaluate the extent to which pay is aligned with company performance. When reviewing proxy materials, Glass Lewis examines whether the company discloses the performance metrics used to determine executive compensation. We recognize performance metrics must necessarily vary depending on the company and industry, among other factors, and may include a wide variety of financial measures as well as industry-specific performance indicators. However, we believe companies should disclose why the specific performance metrics were selected and how the actions they are designed to incentivize will lead to better corporate performance.

Moreover, it is rarely in shareholders' interests to disclose competitive data about individual salaries below the senior executive level. Such disclosure could create internal personnel discord that would be counterproductive for the company and its shareholders. We do not believe shareholders need or will benefit from detailed reports about individual management employees other than the most senior executives.

Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation (Say-on-Pay)

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the "Dodd-Frank Act") required most companies to hold an advisory vote on executive compensation at the first shareholder meeting that occurs six months after enactment of the bill (January 21, 2011).

This practice of allowing shareholders a non-binding vote on a company's compensation report is standard practice in many non-U.S. countries, and has been a requirement for most companies in the United Kingdom since 2003 and in Australia since 2005. Although say-on-pay proposals are non-binding, a high level of "against" or "abstain" votes indicates substantial shareholder concern about a company's compensation policies and procedures.

Given the complexity of most companies' compensation programs, Glass Lewis applies a highly nuanced approach when analyzing advisory votes on executive compensation. We review each company's compensation on a case-by-case basis, recognizing that each company must be examined in the context of industry, size, maturity, performance, financial condition, its historic pay for performance practices, and any other relevant internal or external factors.

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We believe that each company should design and apply specific compensation policies and practices that are appropriate to the circumstances of the company and, in particular, will attract and retain competent executives and other staff, while motivating them to grow the company's long-term shareholder value.

Where we find those specific policies and practices serve to reasonably align compensation with performance, and such practices are adequately disclosed, Glass Lewis will recommend supporting the company's approach. If, however, those specific policies and practices fail to demonstrably link compensation with performance, Glass Lewis will generally recommend voting against the say-on-pay proposal.

Glass Lewis reviews say-on-pay proposals on both a qualitative basis and a quantitative basis, with a focus on several main areas:

● The overall design and structure of the company's executive compensation programs including selection and challenging nature of performance metrics;

● The implementation and effectiveness of the company's executive compensation programs including pay mix and use of performance metrics in determining pay levels;

● The quality and content of the company's disclosure;

● The quantum paid to executives; and

● The link between compensation and performance as indicated by the company's current and past pay- for-performance grades.

We also review any significant changes or modifications, including post fiscal year-end changes and one-time awards, particularly where the changes touch upon issues that are material to Glass Lewis recommendations. Additionally, while we recognize their rarity in the U.S. market, beneficial features such as but not limited to post-vesting and/or post-retirement holding requirements may be viewed positively in our holistic analysis.

Say-on-Pay Voting Recommendations

In cases where we find deficiencies in a company's compensation program's design, implementation or management, we will recommend that shareholders vote against the say-on-pay proposal. Generally, such instances include:

● Evidence of a pattern of poor pay-for-performance practices (e.g., deficient or failing pay-for-performance grades or a misalignment between incentive payouts and the shareholder experience),

● Unclear or questionable disclosure regarding the overall compensation structure (e.g., limited information regarding benchmarking processes, limited rationale for bonus performance metrics and targets, etc.),

● Questionable adjustments to certain aspects of the overall compensation structure (e.g., limited rationale for significant changes to performance targets or metrics, the payout of guaranteed bonuses or sizable retention grants, etc.), and/or

● Other egregious compensation practices.

Glass Lewis approaches its analysis of executive compensation programs on a case-by-case basis. Glass Lewis reviews all factors related to named executive officer compensation, including quantitative analyses, structural features, the presence of effective best practice policies,disclosure quality and trajectory-related factors. Except for particularly egregious pay decisions and practices, no one factor would ordinarily lead to an unfavorable

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recommendation without a review of the company's rationale and/or the influence of such decisions or practices on other aspects of the pay program, most notably the company's ability to align executive pay with performance and the shareholder experience.

Although not an exhaustive list, the following factors are viewed negatively. When weighed together, they may cause Glass Lewis to recommend voting against a say-on-pay vote:

● Inappropriate or outsized self-selected peer groups and/or benchmarking issues such as compensation targets set well above the median without adequate justification;

● Egregious or excessive bonuses, equity awards, perquisites or severance payments, including golden handshakes and golden parachutes;

● Insufficient response to low shareholder support;

● Problematic contractual payments, such as guaranteed bonuses;

● Adjustments to performance results that lead to problematic pay outcomes;

● Insufficiently challenging performance targets and/or high potential payout opportunities;

● Performance targets lowered without justification;

● Discretionary bonuses paid when short- or long-term incentive plan targets were not met;

● High executive pay relative to peers that is not justified by outstanding company performance; and

● The terms of the long-term incentive plans are inappropriate (please see "Long-Term Incentives").

The aforementioned issues influence Glass Lewis' assessment of the structure of a company's compensation program. We evaluate structure on a "Good, Fair, Poor" rating scale whereby a "Good" rating represents a compensation program with little to no concerns and market-leading practices, a "Fair" rating represents a compensation program with some concerns but general adherence to best practices and a "Poor" rating represents a compensation program that deviates significantly from best practice or contains one or more egregious compensation practices.

We believe that it is important for companies to provide investors with clear and complete disclosure of all the significant terms of compensation arrangements. Similar to structure, we evaluate disclosure on a "Good, Fair, Poor" rating scale. A "Good" rating represents a thorough discussion of all elements of compensation with rationale. A "Fair" rating represents an adequate discussion of all or most elements of compensation with rationale. A "Poor" rating represents an incomplete or absent discussion of compensation. In instances where a company has simply failed to provide sufficient disclosure of its policies, we may recommend shareholders vote against this proposal solely on this basis, regardless of the appropriateness of compensation levels. Glass Lewis understands that regulatory disclosure rules such as smaller reporting company disclosure standards may condone the omission of key executive compensation information. However, we believe that companies should provide sufficient information in the proxy statement to enable shareholders to vote in an informed manner.

In general, most companies will fall within the "Fair" range for both structure and disclosure, and Glass Lewis largely uses the "Good" and "Poor" ratings to highlight outliers.

Where we identify egregious compensation practices, we may also recommend voting against the compensation committee based on the practices or actions of its members during the year. Such practices may include approving large one-off payments, the inappropriate, unjustified use of discretion, or sustained poor pay for performance practices. (Refer to the section on "Compensation Committee Performance" for more information.)

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Company Responsiveness

When companies receive a significant level of shareholder opposition to a say-on-pay proposal, which occurs when more than 20% of votes on the proposal are cast as AGAINST and/or ABSTAIN, we believe the board should demonstrate a commensurate level of engagement and responsiveness to the concerns behind the disapproval, with a particular focus on responding to shareholder feedback. When assessing the level of opposition to say-on-pay proposals, we may further examine the level of opposition among disinterested shareholders as an independent group. While we recognize that sweeping changes cannot be made to a compensation program without due consideration, and that often a majority of shareholders may have voted in favor of the proposal, given that the average approval rate for say-on-pay proposals is about 90%, we believe the compensation committee should demonstrate in its proxy statement a level of response to a significant vote against. In general, our expectations regarding the minimum appropriate levels of responsiveness will correspond with the level of shareholder opposition, as expressed both through the magnitude of opposition in a single year, and through the persistence of shareholder disapproval over time.

Responses we consider appropriate include engaging with large shareholders, especially dissenting shareholders, to identify their concerns, and, where reasonable, implementing changes and/or making commitments that directly address those concerns within the company's compensation program. In cases where particularly egregious pay decisions caused the say on pay proposal to fail, Glass Lewis will closely consider whether any changes were made directly relating to the pay decision that may address structural concerns that shareholders have. In the absence of any evidence in the disclosure that the board is actively engaging shareholders on these issues and responding accordingly, we may recommend holding compensation committee members accountable for failing to adequately respond to shareholder opposition. Regarding such recommendations, careful consideration will be given to the level of shareholder protest and the severity and history of compensation practices.

Pay for Performance

Glass Lewis believes an integral part of a well-structured compensation package is a successful link between pay and performance. Our proprietary pay-for-performance model, which serves as our primary quantitative analysis, was developed to better evaluate the link between pay and performance. Generally, compensation and performance are measured against a peer group of appropriate companies that may overlap, to a certain extent, with a company's self-disclosed peers. This quantitative analysis provides a consistent framework and historical context for our clients to determine how well companies link executive compensation to relative performance. Companies that demonstrate a weaker link are more likely to receive a negative recommendation; however, other qualitative factors such as overall incentive structure, significant forthcoming changes to the compensation program or reasonable long-term payout levels may mitigate our concerns to a certain extent.

While we assign companies a letter grade of A, B, C, D or F based on the alignment between pay and performance under our primary model, the grades derived from the Glass Lewis pay-for-performance analysis do not follow the traditional U.S. school letter grade system. Rather, the grades are generally interpreted as follows:

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| **Grade of A**: | The company's percentile rank for pay is significantly less than its percentile rank for performance |
| **Grade of B**: | The company's percentile rank for pay is moderately less than its percentile rank for performance |

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| **Grade of C**: | The company's percentile rank for pay is approximately aligned with its percentile rank for performance |
| **Grade of D**: | The company's percentile rank for pay is higher than its percentile rank for performance |
| **Grade of F**: | The company's percentile rank for pay is significantly higher than its percentile rank for performance |

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Separately, a specific comparison between the company's executive pay and its peers' executive pay levels may be discussed in the analysis for additional insight into the grade. Likewise, a specific comparison between the company's performance and its peers' performance is reflected in the analysis for further context.

We use this analysis to inform our voting decisions on say-on-pay proposals. If a company receives a "D" or "F" from our proprietary model, we are more likely to recommend that shareholders vote against the say-on-pay proposal. However, important supplemental quantitative factors like analyses of realized pay levels and the "compensation actually paid" data mandated by the SEC's 2022 final rule regarding pay versus performance may be considered, and other qualitative factors such as an effective overall incentive structure, the relevance of selected performance metrics, significant forthcoming enhancements or reasonable long-term payout levels may give us cause to recommend in favor of a proposal even when we have identified a disconnect between pay and performance.

In determining the peer groups used in our pay-for-performance letter grades, Glass Lewis utilizes a proprietary methodology that considers both market and industry peers, along with each company's self-disclosed peers and peers of those company-disclosed peers. Each component is considered on a weighted basis and is subject to size-based ranking and screening. Since the peer group used is based on an independent, proprietary technique, it will often differ from the one used by the company which, in turn, will affect the resulting analyses. While Glass Lewis believes that the independent, rigorous methodology it uses provides a valuable perspective on the company's compensation program, the company's self-selected peer group may also presented in the Proxy Paper for comparative purposes and for supplemental analyses.

Short-Term Incentives

A short-term bonus or incentive (STI)should be demonstrably tied to performance. Whenever possible, we believe a mix of corporate and individual performance measures is appropriate. We would normally expect performance measures for STI plans to be based on company-wide or divisional financial measures as well as non-financial, qualitative or non-formulaic factors such as those related to safety, environmental issues, and customer satisfaction when they are material to the company's overall health. While we recognize that companies operating in different sectors or markets may seek to utilize a wide range of metrics, we expect such measures to be appropriately tied to a company's business drivers.

Further, the threshold, target and maximum performance goals and corresponding payout levels that can be achieved under STI plans should be disclosed. Shareholders should expect stretching performance targets for the maximum award to be achieved. Any increase in the potential target and maximum award should be clearly justified to shareholders, as should any decrease in target and maximum performance levels from the previous year.

Glass Lewis recognizes that disclosure of some measures or performance targets may include commercially confidential information. Therefore, we believe it may be reasonable to exclude such information in some cases

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as long as the company provides sufficient justification for non-disclosure. However, where a short-term bonus has been paid, companies should disclose the extent to which performance has been achieved against relevant targets, including disclosure of the actual target achieved.

Where management has received significant short-term incentive payments but overall performance and/or the shareholder experience over the measurement year prima facie appears to be poor or negative, we believe the company should provide a clear explanation of why these significant short-term payments were made. We also believe any significant changes to the program structure should be accompanied by rationalizing disclosure. Further, where a company has applied upward discretion, which includes lowering goals mid-year, increasing calculated payouts or retroactively pro-rating performance periods, we expect a robust discussion of why the decision was necessary.

Adjustments to GAAP figures may be considered in Glass Lewis' assessment of the effectiveness of the incentive at tying executive pay with performance. We believe that where companies use non-GAAP or bespoke metrics, clear reconciliations between these figures and GAAP figures in audited financial statements should be provided. Moreover, Glass Lewis believes that in circumstances where significant adjustments were applied to performance results, thorough, detailed discussion of adjustments akin to a GAAP-to-non-GAAP reconciliation and their impact on payouts within the proxy statement is warranted. The absence of such enhanced disclosure for significant adjustments will impact Glass Lewis' assessment of the quality of disclosure and, in turn, may play a role in the overall recommendation for the advisory vote on executive compensation.

Glass Lewis recognizes the importance of the compensation committee's prudent and responsible exercise of discretion over incentive pay outcomes to account for significant, material events that would otherwise be excluded from performance results of selected metrics of incentive programs. For instance, litigation settlement charges are typically removed from non-GAAP results before the determination of formulaic incentive payouts, or health and safety failures may not be reflected in performance results where companies do not expressly include health and safety metrics in incentive plans. Such events may nevertheless be consequential to corporate performance results, impact the shareholder experience, and, in some cases, may present material risks. Conversely, certain events may adversely impact formulaic payout results despite being outside executives' control. We believe that companies should provide thorough discussion of how such events were considered in the committee's decisions to exercise discretion over incentive payouts.

We do not generally recommend against a pay program due to the use of a non-formulaic plan. If a company has chosen to rely primarily on a subjective assessment or the board's discretion in determining short-term bonuses, we believe that the proxy statement should provide a meaningful discussion of the board's rationale in determining the bonuses paid as well as a rationale for the use of a non-formulaic mechanism. Particularly where the aforementioned disclosures are substantial and satisfactory, such a structure will not provoke serious concern in our analysis on its own. However, in conjunction with other significant issues in a program's design or operation, such as a disconnect between pay and performance, the absence of a cap on payouts, or a lack of performance-based long-term awards, the use of a non-formulaic bonus may help drive a negative recommendation.

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Long-Term Incentives

Glass Lewis recognizes the value of equity-based incentive programs, which are often the primary long-term incentive for executives. When used appropriately, they can provide a vehicle for linking an executive's pay to company performance, thereby aligning their interests with those of shareholders. In addition, equity-based compensation can be an effective way to attract, retain and motivate key employees.

There are certain elements that Glass Lewis believes are common to most well-structured long-term incentive (LTI) plans. These include:

● No re-testing or lowering of performance conditions;

● Performance metrics that cannot be easily manipulated by management;

● Two or more performance metrics;

● At least one relative performance metric that compares the company's performance to a relevant peer group or index;

● Performance periods of at least three years;

● Stretching metrics that incentivize executives to strive for outstanding performance while not encouraging excessive risk-taking;

● Reasonable individual award limits;

● Equity granting practices that are clearly disclosed and

● Additional post-vesting holding periods to encourage long-term executive share ownership.

In evaluating long-term incentive grants, Glass Lewis generally believes that at least half of the grant should consist of performance-based awards, putting a material portion of executive compensation at-risk and demonstrably linked to the performance of the company. While we will consistently raise concern with programs that do not meet this criterion, we may refrain from a negative recommendation in the absence of other significant issues with the program's design or operation. However, in cases where performance-based awards are significantly rolled back or eliminated from a company's long-term incentive plan, such decisions will generally be viewed negatively outside of exceptional circumstances. Given the reduction in rigor and accountability in the pay program, Glass Lewis will assess the revision's impact on the pay program's ability to align executive pay with performance and shareholder experience; programs that fail our assessment may receive an unfavorable recommendation. They may also lead to an unfavorable recommendation from Glass Lewis if the change is not offset by meaningful revisions such as to pay quantum and vesting periods, particularly in the absence of cogent rationale.

As with the short-term incentive, Glass Lewis recognizes the importance of the compensation committee's judicious and responsible exercise of discretion over incentive pay outcomes to account for significant events that would otherwise be excluded from performance results of selected metrics of incentive programs. We believe that companies should provide thorough discussion of how such events were considered in the committee's decisions to exercise discretion or refrain from applying discretion over incentive pay outcomes. Furthermore, considerations related to the use of non-GAAP metrics under the STI plan similarly apply to the long-term incentive program.

Performance measures should be carefully selected and should relate to the specific business/industry in which the company operates and, especially, to the key value drivers of the company's business. As with short-term

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incentive plans, the basis for any adjustments to metrics or results should be clearly explained, as should the company's judgment on the use of discretion and any significant changes to the performance program structure.

While cognizant of the inherent complexity of certain performance metrics, Glass Lewis generally believes that measuring a company's performance with multiple metrics serves to provide a more complete picture of the company's performance than a single metric. Further, reliance on just one metric may focus too much management attention on a single target and is therefore more susceptible to manipulation. When utilized for relative measurements, external benchmarks such as a sector index or peer group should be disclosed and transparent. The rationale behind the selection of a specific index or peer group should also be disclosed. Internal performance benchmarks should also be disclosed and transparent, unless a cogent case for confidentiality is made and fully explained. Similarly, actual performance and vesting levels for previous grants earned during the fiscal year should be disclosed.

We also believe shareholders should evaluate the relative success of a company's compensation programs, particularly with regard to existing equity-based incentive plans, in linking pay and performance when evaluating potential changes to LTI plans and determining the impact of additional stock awards. We will therefore review the company's pay-for-performance analyses (see above for more information) and specifically the proportion of total compensation that is stock-based.

Grants of Front-Loaded Awards

Many U.S. companies have chosen to provide large grants, usually in the form of equity awards, that are intended to serve as compensation for multiple years. This practice, often called front-loading, is taken up either in the regular course of business or as a response to specific business conditions and with a predetermined objective. The so-called "mega-grant", an outsized award to one individual sometimes valued at over $100 million is sometimes but not always provided as a front-loaded award. We believe shareholders should generally be wary of this granting approach, and we accordingly weigh these grants with particular scrutiny.

While the use of front-loaded awards is intended to lock-in executive service and incentives, the same rigidity also raises the risk of effectively tying the hands of the compensation committee. As compared with a more responsive annual granting schedule program, front-loaded awards may preclude improvements or changes to reflect evolving business strategies or to respond to other unforeseen factors. Additionally, if structured poorly, early vesting of such awards may reduce or eliminate the retentive power at great cost to shareholders. The considerable emphasis on a single grant can place intense pressures on every facet of its design, amplifying any potential perverse incentives and creating greater room for unintended consequences. In particular, provisions around changes of control or separations of service must ensure that executives do not receive excessive payouts that do not reflect shareholder experience or company performance.

We consider a company's rationale for granting awards under this structure and also expect any front-loaded awards to include a firm commitment not to grant additional awards for a defined period, as is commonly associated with this practice. Even when such a commitment is provided, unexpected circumstances may lead the board to make additional payments or awards for retention purposes, or to incentivize management towards more realistic goals or a revised strategy. If a company breaks its commitment not to grant further awards, we may recommend against the pay program unless a convincing rationale is provided. The multiyear nature of these awards generally lends itself to significantly higher compensation figures in the year of grant

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than might otherwise be expected. In our qualitative analysis of the grants of front-loaded awards to executives, Glass Lewis considers the quantum of the award on an annualized basis and may compare this result to the prior practice and peer data, among other benchmarks. Additionally, for awards that are granted in the form of equity, Glass Lewis may consider the total potential dilutive effect of such award on shareholders.

In situations where the front-loaded award was meant to cover a certain portion of the regular long-term incentive grant for each year during the covered period, our analysis of the value of the remaining portion of the regular long-term incentives granted during the period covered by the award will account for the annualized value of the front-loaded portion, and we expect no supplemental grant be awarded during the vesting period of the front-loaded portion.

Linking Executive Pay to Environmental and Social Criteria

Glass Lewis believes that explicit environmental and/or social (E&S) criteria in executive incentive plans, when used appropriately, can serve to provide both executives and shareholders a clear line of sight into a company's ESG strategy, ambitions, and targets. Although we are strongly supportive of companies' incorporation of material E&S risks and opportunities in their long-term strategic planning, we believe that the inclusion of E&S metrics in compensation programs should be predicated on each company's unique circumstances. In order to establish a meaningful link between pay and performance, companies must consider factors including their industry, size, risk profile, maturity, performance, financial condition, and any other relevant internal or external factors.

When a company is introducing E&S criteria into executive incentive plans, we believe it is important that companies provide shareholders with sufficient disclosure to allow them to understand how these criteria align with their strategies. Additionally, Glass Lewis recognizes that there may be situations where certain E&S performance criteria are reasonably viewed as prerequisites for executive performance, as opposed to behaviors and conditions that need to be incentivized. For example, we believe that shareholders should interrogate the use of metrics that award executives for ethical behavior or compliance with policies and regulations. It is our view that companies should provide shareholders with disclosures that clearly lay out the rationale for selecting specific E&S metrics, the target-setting process, and corresponding payout opportunities. Further, particularly in the case of qualitative metrics, we believe that shareholders should be provided with a clear understanding of the basis on which the criteria will be assessed. Where quantitative targets have been set, we believe that shareholders are best served when these are disclosed on an ex-ante basis, or the board should outline why it believes it is unable to do so.

While we believe that companies should generally set long-term targets for their environmental and social ambitions, we are mindful that not all compensation schemes lend themselves to the inclusion of E&S metrics. We also are of the view that companies should retain flexibility in not only choosing to incorporate E&S metrics in their compensation plans, but also in the placement of these metrics. For example, some companies may resolve that including E&S criteria in the annual bonus may help to incentivize the achievement of short-term milestones and allow for more maneuverability in strategic adjustments to long-term goals. Other companies may determine that their long-term sustainability targets are best achieved by incentivizing executives through metrics included in their long-term incentive plans.

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One-Time Awards

Glass Lewis believes shareholders should generally be wary of awards granted outside of the standard incentive schemes, as such awards have the potential to undermine the integrity of a company's regular incentive plans or the link between pay and performance, or both. We generally believe that if the existing incentive programs fail to provide adequate incentives to executives, companies should redesign their compensation programs rather than make additional grants.

However, Glass Lewis reviews grants of supplemental awards on a case-by-case, company-by-company basis to give adequate consideration for unique circumstances. Companies should provide a thorough description of the awards, including a cogent and convincing explanation of their necessity and why existing awards do not provide sufficient motivation and a discussion of how the quantum of the award and its structure were determined. Further, such awards should be tied to future service and performance whenever possible.

Additionally, we believe companies making supplemental or one-time awards should also describe if and how the regular compensation arrangements will be affected by these additional grants. In reviewing a company's use of supplemental awards, Glass Lewis will evaluate the terms and size of the grants in the context of the company's overall incentive strategy and granting practices, as well as the current operating environment.

Contractual Payments and Arrangements

Beyond the quantum of contractual payments, Glass Lewis will also consider the design of any entitlements. Certain executive employment terms may help to drive a negative recommendation, including, but not limited to:

● Excessively broad change in control triggers;

● Inappropriate severance entitlements;

● Inadequately explained or excessive sign-on arrangements;

● Guaranteed bonuses (especially as a multiyear occurrence); and

● Failure to address any concerning practices in amended employment agreements.

In general, we are wary of terms that are excessively restrictive in favor of the executive, or that could potentially incentivize behaviors that are not in a company's best interest.

Sign-on Awards and Severance Benefits

We acknowledge that there may be certain costs associated with transitions at the executive level. In evaluating the size of severance and sign-on arrangements, we may consider the executive's regular target compensation level, or the sums paid to other executives (including the recipient's predecessor, where applicable) in evaluating the appropriateness of such an arrangement.

We believe sign-on arrangements should be clearly disclosed and accompanied by a meaningful explanation of the payments and the process by which the amounts were reached. Further, the details of and basis for any "make-whole" payments (paid as compensation for awards forfeited from a previous employer) should be provided.

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With respect to severance, we believe companies should abide by predetermined payouts in most circumstances. While in limited circumstances some deviations may not be inappropriate, we believe shareholders should be provided with a meaningful explanation of any additional or increased benefits agreed upon outside of regular arrangements. However, where Glass Lewis determines that such predetermined payouts are particularly problematic or unfavorable to shareholders, we may consider the execution of such payments in a negative recommendation for the advisory vote on executive compensation.

In the U.S. market, most companies maintain severance entitlements based on a multiple of salary and, in many cases, bonus. In almost all instances we see, the relevant multiple is three or less, even in the case of a change in control. We believe the basis and total value of severance should be reasonable and should not exceed the upper limit of general market practice. We consider the inclusion of long-term incentives in cash severance calculations to be inappropriate, particularly given the commonality of accelerated vesting and the proportional weight of long-term incentives as a component of total pay. Additional considerations, however, will be accounted for when reviewing atypically structured compensation approaches.

Change in Control

Glass Lewis considers double-trigger change in control arrangements, which require both a change in control and termination or constructive termination, to be best practice. Any arrangement that is not explicitly double- trigger may be considered a single-trigger or modified single-trigger arrangement. Companies that allow for committee discretion over the treatment of unvested awards should commit to providing clear rationale for the committee's ultimate decision as to how such awards should be treated in the event a change in control occurs.

Further, we believe that excessively broad definitions of change in control are potentially problematic as they may lead to situations where executives receive additional compensation where no meaningful change in status or duties has occurred.

Excise Tax Gross-ups

Among other entitlements, Glass Lewis is strongly opposed to excise tax gross-ups related to IRC § 4999 and their expansion, especially where no consideration is given to the safe harbor limit. We believe that under no normal circumstance is the inclusion of excise tax gross-up provisions in new agreements or the addition of such provisions to amended agreements acceptable. In consideration of the fact that minor increases in change-in- control payments can lead to disproportionately large excise taxes, the potential negative impact of tax gross- ups far outweighs any retentive benefit.

Depending on the circumstances, the addition of new gross-ups around this excise tax may lead to negative recommendations for a company's say-on-pay proposal, the chair of the compensation committee, or the entire committee, particularly in cases where a company had committed not to provide any such entitlements in the future. For situations in which the addition of new excise tax gross ups will be provided in connection with a specific change-in-control transaction, this policy may be applied to the say-on-pay proposal, the golden parachute proposal and recommendations related to the compensation committee for all involved corporate parties, as appropriate.

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Amended Employment Agreements

Any contractual arrangements providing for problematic pay practices which are not addressed in materially amended employment agreements will potentially be viewed by Glass Lewis as a missed opportunity on the part of the company to align its policies with current best practices. Such problematic pay practices include, but are not limited to, excessive change in control entitlements, modified single-trigger change in control entitlements, excise tax gross-ups, and multi-year guaranteed awards.

Recoupment Provisions (Clawbacks)

On October 26, 2022, the SEC adopted Rule 10D-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The rule mandates national securities exchanges and associations to promulgate new listing standards requiring companies to maintain recoupment policies ("clawback provisions"). The final clawback listing standards were approved by the SEC, effective October 2, 2023 and required listed companies to adopt a compliant policy by December 1, 2023. Glass Lewis believes that clawback provisions play an important role in mitigating excessive risk-taking that may be encouraged by poorly structured variable incentive programs. Current listing standards require recoupment of erroneously awarded payouts to current and former executive officers in the event of an accounting restatement or correction to previous financial statements that is material to the current period, regardless of fault or misconduct.

Glass Lewis recognizes that excessive risk-taking that can materially and adversely impact shareholders may not necessarily result in such restatements. We believe that clawback policies should allow recovery from current and former executive officers in the event of a restatement of financial results or similar revision of performance indicators upon which the awards were based. Additionally, recoupment policies should provide companies with the ability to claw back variable incentive payments (whether time-based or performance-based) when there is evidence of problematic decisions or actions, such as material misconduct, a material reputational failure, material risk management failure, or a material operational failure, the consequences of which have not already been reflected in incentive payments and where recovery is warranted.

In situations where the company ultimately determines not to follow through with recovery, Glass Lewis will assess the appropriateness of such determination for each case. A thorough, detailed discussion of the company's decision to not pursue recoupment and, if applicable, how the company has otherwise rectified the disconnect between executive pay outcomes and negative impacts of their actions on the company and the shareholder experience will be considered. The absence of such enhanced disclosure may impact Glass Lewis' assessment of the quality of disclosure and, in turn, may play a role in Glass Lewis' overall recommendation for the advisory vote on executive compensation. The clawback policy should provide recoupment authority regardless of whether the employment of the executive officer was terminated with or without cause.

Hedging of Stock

Glass Lewis believes that the hedging of shares by executives in the shares of the companies where they are employed severs the alignment of interests of the executive with shareholders. We believe companies should adopt strict policies to prohibit executives from hedging the economic risk associated with their share ownership in the company.

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Pledging of Stock

Glass Lewis believes that shareholders should examine the facts and circumstances of each company rather than apply a one-size-fits-all policy regarding employee stock pledging. Glass Lewis believes that shareholders benefit when employees, particularly senior executives, have meaningful financial interest in the success of the company under their management, and therefore we recognize the benefits of measures designed to encourage employees to both buy shares out of their own pocket and to retain shares they have been granted; blanket policies prohibiting stock pledging may discourage executives and employees from doing either.

However, we also recognize that the pledging of shares can present a risk that, depending on a host of factors, an executive with significant pledged shares and limited other assets may have an incentive to take steps to avoid a forced sale of shares in the face of a rapid stock price decline. Therefore, to avoid substantial losses from a forced sale to meet the terms of the loan, the executive may have an incentive to boost the stock price in the short term in a manner that is unsustainable, thus hurting shareholders in the long-term. We also recognize concerns regarding pledging may not apply to less senior employees, given the latter group's significantly more limited influence over a company's stock price. Therefore, we believe that the issue of pledging shares should be reviewed in that context, as should policies that distinguish between the two groups.

Glass Lewis believes that the benefits of stock ownership by executives and employees may outweigh the risks of stock pledging, depending on many factors. As such, Glass Lewis reviews all relevant factors in evaluating proposed policies, limitations and prohibitions on pledging stock, including:

● The number of shares pledged;

● The percentage executives' pledged shares are of outstanding shares;

● The percentage executives' pledged shares are of each executive's shares and total assets;

● Whether the pledged shares were purchased by the employee or granted by the company;

● Whether there are different policies for purchased and granted shares;

● Whether the granted shares were time-based or performance-based;

● The overall governance profile of the company;

● The volatility of the company's stock (in order to determine the likelihood of a sudden stock price drop);

● The nature and cyclicality, if applicable, of the company's industry;

● The participation and eligibility of executives and employees in pledging;

● The company's current policies regarding pledging and any waiver from these policies for employees and executives; and

● Disclosure of the extent of any pledging, particularly among senior executives.

Executive Ownership Guidelines

The alignment between shareholder interests and those of executives helps to ensure that executives are acting in the best long-term interests of disinterested shareholders. Companies should facilitate this relationship through the adoption and enforcement of meaningful minimum executive share ownership requirements. Companies should clearly disclose their executive ownership requirements in their Compensation Discussion and Analysis section and how the various types of outstanding equity awards are counted or excluded from the ownership level calculation.

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In determining whether executives have met the requirements or not, the inclusion of unearned performance- based full value awards and/or unexercised stock options without cogent rationale may be viewed as problematic. While Glass Lewis views the inclusion of unearned performance-based equity in the ownership determination renders executive share ownership policies less effective, we continue to believe that performance-based equity compensation plays an important role in the separate issue of aligning executive pay with performance.

Compensation Consultant Independence

As mandated by Section 952 of the Dodd-Frank Act, as of January 11, 2013, the SEC approved listing requirements for both the NYSE and NASDAQ which require compensation committees to consider six factors (https://www.sec.gov/rules/final/2012/33-9330.pdf, p.31-32) in assessing compensation advisor independence. According to the SEC, "no one factor should be viewed as a determinative factor." Glass Lewis believes this six- factor assessment is an important process for every compensation committee to undertake but believes companies employing a consultant for board compensation, consulting and other corporate services should provide clear disclosure beyond just a reference to examining the six points, in order to allow shareholders to review the specific aspects of the various consultant relationships.

We believe compensation consultants are engaged to provide objective, disinterested, expert advice to the compensation committee. When the consultant or its affiliates receive substantial income from providing other services to the company, we believe the potential for a conflict of interest arises and the independence of the consultant may be jeopardized. Therefore, Glass Lewis will, when relevant, note the potential for a conflict of interest when the fees paid to the advisor or its affiliates for other services exceed those paid for compensation consulting.

CEO Pay Ratio

As mandated by Section 953(b) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Consumer and Protection Act, beginning in 2018, issuers will be required to disclose the median annual total compensation of all employees except the CEO, the total annual compensation of the CEO or equivalent position, and the ratio between the two amounts. Glass Lewis will display the pay ratio as a data point in our Proxy Papers, as available. While we recognize that the pay ratio has the potential to provide additional insight when assessing a company's pay practices, at this time it will not be a determinative factor in our voting recommendations. On the other hand, we believe the underlying data may help shareholders evaluate the rationale for certain executive pay decisions such as increases in fixed pay levels.

Frequency of Say-on-Pay

The Dodd-Frank Act also requires companies to allow shareholders a non-binding vote on the frequency of say- on-pay votes (i.e., every one, two or three years). Additionally, Dodd-Frank requires companies to hold such votes on the frequency of say-on-pay votes at least once every six years.

We believe companies should submit say-on-pay votes to shareholders every year. We believe that the time and financial burdens to a company with regard to an annual vote are relatively small and incremental and are

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outweighed by the benefits to shareholders through more frequent accountability. Implementing biannual or triennial votes on executive compensation limits shareholders' ability to hold the board accountable for its compensation practices through means other than voting against the compensation committee. Unless a company provides a compelling rationale or unique circumstances for say-on-pay votes less frequent than annually, we will generally recommend that shareholders support annual votes on compensation.

Vote on Golden Parachute Arrangements

The Dodd-Frank Act also requires companies to provide shareholders with a separate non-binding vote on approval of golden parachute compensation arrangements in connection with certain change-in-control transactions. However, if the golden parachute arrangements have previously been subject to a say-on-pay vote which shareholders approved, then this required vote is waived.

Glass Lewis believes the narrative and tabular disclosure of golden parachute arrangements benefits all shareholders. Glass Lewis analyzes each golden parachute arrangement on a case-by-case basis, taking into account, among other items: the nature of the change-in-control transaction, the ultimate value of the payments particularly compared to the value of the transaction, any excise tax gross-up obligations, the tenure and position of the executives in question before and after the transaction, any new or amended employment agreements entered into in connection with the transaction, and the type of triggers involved (i.e., single vs. double). In cases where new problematic features, such as excise tax gross-up obligations or new and excessive single-trigger entitlements, are introduced in a golden parachute proposal, such features may contribute to a negative recommendation not only for the golden parachute proposal under review, but for the next say-on-pay proposal of any involved corporate parties, as well as recommendations against their compensation committee as appropriate.

Equity-Based Compensation Proposals

We believe that equity compensation awards, when not abused, are useful for retaining employees and providing an incentive for them to act in a way that will improve company performance. Glass Lewis recognizes that equity-based compensation plans are critical components of a company's overall compensation program, and we analyze such plans accordingly based on both quantitative and qualitative factors.

Our quantitative analysis assesses the plan's cost and the company's pace of granting utilizing a number of different analyses, comparing the program with absolute limits we believe are key to equity value creation and with a carefully chosen peer group. In general, our model seeks to determine whether the proposed plan is either absolutely excessive or is more than one standard deviation away from the average plan for the peer group on a range of criteria, including dilution to shareholders and the projected annual cost relative to the company's financial performance. Each of the analyses (and their constituent parts) is weighted and the plan is scored in accordance with that weight.

We compare the program's expected annual expense with the business's operating metrics to help determine whether the plan is excessive in light of company performance. We also compare the plan's expected annual cost to the enterprise value of the firm rather than to market capitalization because the employees, managers and directors of the firm contribute to the creation of enterprise value but not necessarily market capitalization

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(the biggest difference is seen where cash represents the vast majority of market capitalization). Finally, we do not rely exclusively on relative comparisons with averages because, in addition to creeping averages serving to inflate compensation, we believe that some absolute limits are warranted.

We then consider qualitative aspects of the plan such as plan administration, the method and terms of exercise, repricing history, express or implied rights to reprice, and the presence of evergreen provisions. We also closely review the choice and use of, and difficulty in meeting, the awards' performance metrics and targets, if any. We believe significant changes to the terms of a plan should be explained for shareholders and clearly indicated. Other factors such as a company's size and operating environment may also be relevant in assessing the severity of concerns or the benefits of certain changes. Finally, we may consider a company's executive compensation practices in certain situations, as applicable.

We evaluate equity plans based on certain overarching principles:

● Companies should seek more shares only when needed;

● Requested share amounts or share reserves should be conservative in size so that companies must seek shareholder approval every three to four years (or more frequently);

● If a plan is relatively expensive, it should not grant options solely to senior executives and board members;

● Dilution of annual net share count or voting power, along with the "overhang" of incentive plans, should be limited;

● Annual cost of the plan (especially if not shown on the income statement) should be reasonable as a percentage of financial results and should be in line with the peer group;

● The expected annual cost of the plan should be proportional to the business's value;

● The intrinsic value that option grantees received in the past should be reasonable compared with the business's financial results;

● Plans should not permit repricing of stock options without shareholder approval;

● Plans should not contain excessively liberal administrative or payment terms;

● Plans should not count shares in ways that understate the potential dilution, or cost, to common shareholders. This refers to "inverse" full-value award multipliers;

● Selected performance metrics should be challenging and appropriate, and should be subject to relative performance measurements; and

● Stock grants should be subject to minimum vesting and/or holding periods sufficient to ensure sustainable performance and promote retention.

Meanwhile, for individual equity award proposals where the recipient of the proposed grant is also a large shareholder of the company whose vote can materially affect the passage of the proposal, we believe that the company should strongly consider the level of approval from disinterested shareholders before proceeding with the proposed grant. Glass Lewis recognizes potential conflicts of interests when vote outcomes can be heavily influenced by the recipient of the grant. A required abstention vote or non-vote from the recipient for an equity award proposal in these situations can help to avoid such conflicts. This favorable feature will be weighed alongside the structure, disclosure, dilution, provided rationale, and other provisions related to the individual award to assess the award's alignment with long-term shareholder interests.

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Option Exchanges and Repricing

Glass Lewis is generally opposed to the repricing of employee and director options regardless of how it is accomplished. Employees should have some downside risk in their equity-based compensation program and repricing eliminates any such risk. As shareholders have substantial risk in owning stock, we believe that the equity compensation of employees and directors should be similarly situated to align their interests with those of shareholders. We believe this will facilitate appropriate risk- and opportunity-taking for the company by employees.

We are concerned that option grantees who believe they will be "rescued" from underwater options will be more inclined to take unjustifiable risks. Moreover, a predictable pattern of repricing or exchanges substantially alters a stock option's value because options that will practically never expire deeply out of the money are worth far more than options that carry a risk of expiration.

In short, repricings and option exchange programs change the bargain between shareholders and employees after the bargain has been struck.

There is one circumstance in which a repricing or option exchange program may be acceptable: if macroeconomic or industry trends, rather than specific company issues, cause a stock's value to decline dramatically and the repricing is necessary to motivate and retain employees. In viewing the company's stock decline as part of a larger trend, we would expect the impact to approximately reflect the market or industry price decline in terms of timing and magnitude. In this circumstance, we think it fair to conclude that option grantees may be suffering from a risk that was not foreseeable when the original "bargain" was struck. In such a scenario, we may opt to support a repricing or option exchange program only if sufficient conditions are met. We look for the following features in a repricing or exchange proposal:

● Officers and board members cannot participate in the program; and

● The exchange is value-neutral or value-creative to shareholders using very conservative assumptions.

In our evaluation of the appropriateness of the program design, we also consider the inclusion of the following features:

● The vesting requirements on exchanged or repriced options are extended beyond one year;

● Shares reserved for options that are reacquired in an option exchange will permanently retire (i.e., will not be available for future grants) so as to prevent additional shareholder dilution in the future; and

● Management and the board make a cogent case for needing to motivate and retain existing employees, such as being in a competitive employment market.

Option Backdating, Spring-Loading and Bullet-Dodging

Glass Lewis views option backdating, and the related practices of spring-loading and bullet-dodging, as egregious actions that warrant holding the appropriate management and board members responsible. These practices are similar to repricing options and eliminate much of the downside risk inherent in an option grant that is designed to induce recipients to maximize shareholder return.

Backdating an option is the act of changing an option's grant date from the actual grant date to an earlier date when the market price of the underlying stock was lower, resulting in a lower exercise price for the option. In

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past studies, Glass Lewis identified over 270 companies that have disclosed internal or government investigations into their past stock-option grants.

Spring-loading is granting stock options while in possession of material, positive information that has not been disclosed publicly. Bullet-dodging is delaying the grants of stock options until after the release of material, negative information. This can allow option grants to be made at a lower price either before the release of positive news or following the release of negative news, assuming the stock's price will move up or down in response to the information. This raises a concern similar to that of insider trading, or the trading on material non-public information.

The exercise price for an option is determined on the day of grant, providing the recipient with the same market risk as an investor who bought shares on that date. However, where options were backdated, the executive or the board (or the compensation committee) changed the grant date retroactively. The new date may be at or near the lowest price for the year or period. This would be like allowing an investor to look back and select the lowest price of the year at which to buy shares.

A 2006 study of option grants made between 1996 and 2005 at 8,000 companies found that option backdating can be an indication of poor internal controls. The study found that option backdating was more likely to occur at companies without a majority independent board and with a long-serving CEO; both factors, the study concluded, were associated with greater CEO influence on the company's compensation and governance practices.<sup>43</sup>

Where a company granted backdated options to an executive who is also a director, Glass Lewis will recommend voting against that executive/director, regardless of who decided to make the award. In addition, Glass Lewis will recommend voting against those directors who either approved or allowed the backdating. Glass Lewis feels that executives and directors who either benefited from backdated options or authorized the practice have failed to act in the best interests of shareholders.

Given the severe tax and legal liabilities to the company from backdating, Glass Lewis will consider recommending voting against members of the audit committee who served when options were backdated, a restatement occurs, material weaknesses in internal controls exist and disclosures indicate there was a lack of documentation. These committee members failed in their responsibility to ensure the integrity of the company's financial reports.

When a company has engaged in spring-loading or bullet-dodging, Glass Lewis will consider recommending voting against the compensation committee members where there has been a pattern of granting options at or near historic lows. Glass Lewis will also recommend voting against executives serving on the board who benefited from the spring-loading or bullet-dodging.

<sup>43</sup> Lucian Bebchuk, Yaniv Grinstein and Urs Peyer. "LUCKY CEOs." November, 2006.

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Director Compensation Plans

Glass Lewis believes that non-employee directors should receive reasonable and appropriate compensation for the time and effort they spend serving on the board and its committees. However, a balance is required. Fees should be competitive in order to retain and attract qualified individuals, but excessive fees represent a financial cost to the company and potentially compromise the objectivity and independence of non-employee directors. We will consider recommending support for compensation plans that include option grants or other equity- based awards that help to align the interests of outside directors with those of shareholders. However, to ensure directors are not incentivized in the same manner as executives but rather serve as a check on imprudent risk-taking in executive compensation plan design, equity grants to directors should not be performance-based. Where an equity plan exclusively or primarily covers non-employee directors as participants, we do not believe that the plan should provide for performance-based awards in any capacity.

When non-employee director equity grants are covered by the same equity plan that applies to a company's broader employee base, we will use our proprietary model and analyst review of this model to guide our voting recommendations. If such a plan broadly allows for performance-based awards to directors or explicitly provides for such grants, we may recommend against the overall plan on this basis, particularly if the company has granted performance-based awards to directors in past.

Employee Stock Purchase Plans

Glass Lewis believes that employee stock purchase plans (ESPPs) can provide employees with a sense of ownership in their company and help strengthen the alignment between the interests of employees and shareholders. We evaluate ESPPs by assessing the expected discount, purchase period, expected purchase activity (if previous activity has been disclosed) and whether the plan has a "lookback" feature. Except for the most extreme cases, Glass Lewis will generally support these plans given the regulatory purchase limit of $25,000 per employee per year, which we believe is reasonable. We also look at the number of shares requested to see if a ESPP will significantly contribute to overall shareholder dilution or if shareholders will not have a chance to approve the program for an excessive period of time. As such, we will generally recommend against ESPPs that contain "evergreen" provisions that automatically increase the number of shares available under the ESPP each year.

Executive Compensation Tax Deductibility — Amendment to IRC 162(M)

The "Tax Cut and Jobs Act" had significant implications on Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, a provision that allowed companies to deduct compensation in excess of $1 million for the CEO and the next three most highly compensated executive officers, excluding the CFO, if the compensation is performance-based and is paid under shareholder-approved plans. Glass Lewis does not generally view amendments to equity plans and changes to compensation programs in response to the elimination of tax deductions under 162(m) as problematic. This specifically holds true if such modifications contribute to the maintenance of a sound performance-based compensation program.

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As grandfathered contracts may continue to be eligible for tax deductions under the transition rule for Section 162(m), companies may therefore submit incentive plans for shareholder approval to take of advantage of the tax deductibility afforded under 162(m) for certain types of compensation.

We believe the best practice for companies is to provide robust disclosure to shareholders so that they can make fully informed judgments about the reasonableness of the proposed compensation plan. To allow for meaningful shareholder review, we prefer that disclosure should include specific performance metrics, a maximum award pool, and a maximum award amount per employee. We also believe it is important to analyze the estimated grants to see if they are reasonable and in line with the company's peers.

We typically recommend voting against a 162(m) proposal where: (i) a company fails to provide at least a list of performance targets; (ii) a company fails to provide one of either a total maximum or an individual maximum; or (iii) the proposed plan or individual maximum award limit is excessive when compared with the plans of the company's peers.

The company's record of aligning pay with performance (as evaluated using our proprietary pay-for- performance model) also plays a role in our recommendation. Where a company has a record of setting reasonable pay relative to business performance, we generally recommend voting in favor of a plan even if the plan caps seem large relative to peers because we recognize the value in special pay arrangements for continued exceptional performance.

As with all other issues we review, our goal is to provide consistent but contextual advice given the specifics of the company and ongoing performance. Overall, we recognize that it is generally not in shareholders' best interests to vote against such a plan and forgo the potential tax benefit since shareholder rejection of such plans will not curtail the awards; it will only prevent the tax deduction associated with them.

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Governance Structure and the Shareholder Franchise

Anti-Takeover Measures

Poison Pills (Shareholder Rights Plans)

Glass Lewis believes that poison pill plans are not generally in shareholders' best interests. They can reduce management accountability by substantially limiting opportunities for corporate takeovers. Rights plans can thus prevent shareholders from receiving a buy-out premium for their stock. Typically we recommend that shareholders vote against these plans to protect their financial interests and ensure that they have an opportunity to consider any offer for their shares, especially those at a premium.

We believe boards should be given wide latitude in directing company activities and in charting the company's course. However, on an issue such as this, where the link between the shareholders' financial interests and their right to consider and accept buyout offers is substantial, we believe that shareholders should be allowed to vote on whether they support such a plan's implementation. This issue is different from other matters that are typically left to board discretion. Its potential impact on and relation to shareholders is direct and substantial. It is also an issue in which management interests may be different from those of shareholders; thus, ensuring that shareholders have a voice is the only way to safeguard their interests.

In certain circumstances, we will support a poison pill that is limited in scope to accomplish a particular objective, such as the closing of an important merger, or a pill that contains what we believe to be a reasonable qualifying offer clause. We will consider supporting a poison pill plan if the qualifying offer clause includes each of the following attributes:

● The form of offer is not required to be an all-cash transaction;

● The offer is not required to remain open for more than 90 business days;

● The offeror is permitted to amend the offer, reduce the offer, or otherwise change the terms;

● There is no fairness opinion requirement; and

● There is a low to no premium requirement.

Where these requirements are met, we typically feel comfortable that shareholders will have the opportunity to voice their opinion on any legitimate offer.

NOL Poison Pills

Similarly, Glass Lewis may consider supporting a limited poison pill in the event that a company seeks shareholder approval of a rights plan for the express purpose of preserving Net Operating Losses (NOLs). While companies with NOLs can generally carry these losses forward to offset future taxable income, Section 382

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of the Internal Revenue Code limits companies' ability to use NOLs in the event of a "change of ownership."<sup>44</sup> In this case, a company may adopt or amend a poison pill (NOL pill) in order to prevent an inadvertent change of ownership by multiple investors purchasing small chunks of stock at the same time, and thereby preserve the ability to carry the NOLs forward. Often such NOL pills have trigger thresholds much lower than the common 15% or 20% thresholds, with some NOL pill triggers as low as 5%.

In many cases, companies will propose the adoption of bylaw amendments specifically restricting certain share transfers, in addition to proposing the adoption of a NOL pill. In general, if we support the terms of a particular NOL pill, we will generally support the additional protective amendment in the absence of significant concerns with the specific terms of that proposal.

As with traditional poison pills, NOL pills may deter shareholders and potentially serve as entrenchment mechanisms. Certain features such as low thresholds combined with acting in concert provisions, among other concerning terms, may disempower shareholders and insulate the board and management. When acting in concert provisions are present within the terms of a NOL pill, we believe this may raise concerns as to the true objective of the pill.

Acting in concert provisions broaden the definition of beneficial ownership to prohibit parallel conduct, or multiple shareholders party to a formal or informal agreement collaborating to influence the board and management of a company, and aggregate the ownership of such shareholders towards the triggering threshold. In our view, acting in concert provisions broadly limit the voice of shareholders and may diminish their ability to engage in a productive dialogue with the company and with other shareholders. When a board adopts defensive measures without engaging with shareholders, we take a dim view of the board and the overall governance of the company.

As such, Glass Lewis evaluates NOL pills on a strictly case-by-case basis, taking into consideration, among other factors: (i) the value of the NOLs to the company; (ii) the likelihood of a change of ownership based on the size of the holdings and the nature of the larger shareholders; (iii) the trigger threshold; (iv) the duration of the plan (i.e., whether it contains a reasonable "sunset" provision, generally one year or less); (v) the inclusion of an acting in concert provision; (vi) whether the pill is implemented following the filing of a Schedule 13D by a shareholder or there is evidence of hostile activity or shareholder activism; and (vii) if the pill is subject to periodic board review and/or shareholder ratification.

We believe that shareholders should be offered the opportunity to vote on any adoption or renewal of a NOL pill regardless of any potential tax benefit that it offers a company. As such, we will consider recommending voting against those members of the board who served at the time when an NOL pill was adopted without shareholder approval within the prior twelve months and where the NOL pill is not subject to shareholder ratification.

<sup>44</sup> Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code refers to a "change of ownership" of more than 50 percentage points by one or more 5% shareholders within a three-year period. The statute is intended to deter the "trafficking" of net operating losses.

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Fair Price Provisions

Fair price provisions, which are rare, require that certain minimum price and procedural requirements be observed by any party that acquires more than a specified percentage of a corporation's common stock. The provision is intended to protect minority shareholder value when an acquirer seeks to accomplish a merger or other transaction which would eliminate or change the interests of the minority shareholders. The provision is generally applied against the acquirer unless the takeover is approved by a majority of "continuing directors" and holders of a majority, in some cases a supermajority as high as 80%, of the combined voting power of all stock entitled to vote to alter, amend, or repeal the above provisions.

The effect of a fair price provision is to require approval of any merger or business combination with an "interested shareholder" by 51% of the voting stock of the company, excluding the shares held by the interested shareholder. An interested shareholder is generally considered to be a holder of 10% or more of the company's outstanding stock, but the trigger can vary.

Generally, provisions are put in place for the ostensible purpose of preventing a back-end merger where the interested shareholder would be able to pay a lower price for the remaining shares of the company than he or she paid to gain control. The effect of a fair price provision on shareholders, however, is to limit their ability to gain a premium for their shares through a partial tender offer or open market acquisition which typically raise the share price, often significantly. A fair price provision discourages such transactions because of the potential costs of seeking shareholder approval and because of the restrictions on purchase price for completing a merger or other transaction at a later time.

Glass Lewis believes that fair price provisions, while sometimes protecting shareholders from abuse in a takeover situation, more often act as an impediment to takeovers, potentially limiting gains to shareholders from a variety of transactions that could significantly increase share price. In some cases, even the independent directors of the board cannot make exceptions when such exceptions may be in the best interests of shareholders. Given the existence of state law protections for minority shareholders such as Section 203 of the Delaware Corporations Code, we believe it is in the best interests of shareholders to remove fair price provisions.

Control Share Statutes

Certain states, including Delaware, have adopted control share acquisition statutes as an anti-takeover defense for certain closed-end investment companies and business development companies. Control share statutes may prevent changes in control by limiting voting rights of a person that acquires the ownership of "control shares." Control shares are shares of stock equal to or exceeding specified percentages of company voting power, and a control share statute prevents shares in excess of the specified percentage from being voted, unless: (i) the board approves them to be voted; or (ii) the holder of the "control shares"receives approval from a supermajority of "non-interested" shareholders.

Depending on the state of incorporation, companies may automatically rely on control share statutes unless the fund's board of trustees eliminates the application of the control share statute to any or all fund share acquisitions, through adoption of a provision in the fund's governing instrument or by fund board action alone. In certain other states, companies must adopt control share statutes.

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In our view, control share statues disenfranchise shareholders by reducing their voting power to a level less than their economic interest and effectively function as an anti-takeover device. We believe all shareholders should have an opportunity to vote all of their shares. Moreover, anti-takeover measures may prevent shareholders from receiving a buy-out premium for their stock.

As such, we will generally recommend voting for proposals to opt out of control share acquisition statutes, unless doing so would allow the completion of a takeover that is not in the best interests of shareholders; and against proposals to amend the charter to include control share acquisition provisions.

Further, in cases where a closed-end fund or business development company has received a public buyout offer and has relied on a control share statute as a defense mechanism in the prior year, we will generally recommend shareholders vote against the chair of the nominating and governance committee, absent a compelling rationale as to why a rejected acquisition was not in the best interests of shareholders.

Quorum Requirements

Glass Lewis believes that a company's quorum requirement should be set at a level high enough to ensure that a broad range of shareholders are represented in person or by proxy, but low enough that the company can transact necessary business. Companies in the U.S. are generally subject to quorum requirements under the laws of their specific state of incorporation. Additionally, those companies listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market are required to specify a quorum in their bylaws, provided however that such quorum may not be less than one- third of outstanding shares. Prior to 2013, the New York Stock Exchange required a quorum of 50% for listed companies, although this requirement was dropped in recognition of individual state requirements and potential confusion for issuers. Delaware, for example, required companies to provide for a quorum of no less than one-third of outstanding shares; otherwise such quorum shall default to a majority.

We generally believe a majority of outstanding shares entitled to vote is an appropriate quorum for the transaction of business at shareholder meetings. However, should a company seek shareholder approval of a lower quorum requirement we will generally support a reduced quorum of at least one-third of shares entitled to vote, either in person or by proxy. When evaluating such proposals, we also consider the specific facts and circumstances of the company, such as size and shareholder base.

Director and Officer Indemnification

While Glass Lewis strongly believes that directors and officers should be held to the highest standard when carrying out their duties to shareholders, some protection from liability is reasonable to protect them against certain suits so that these officers feel comfortable taking measured risks that may benefit shareholders. As such, we find it appropriate for a company to provide indemnification and/or enroll in liability insurance to cover its directors and officers so long as the terms of such agreements are reasonable.

Officer Exculpation

In August 2022, the Delaware General Assembly amended Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law ("DGCL") to authorize corporations to adopt a provision in their certificate of incorporation to

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eliminate or limit monetary liability of certain corporate officers for breach of fiduciary duty of care. Previously, the DGCL allowed only exculpation of corporate directors from breach of fiduciary duty of care claims if the corporation's certificate of incorporation includes an exculpation provision.

The amendment authorizes corporations to provide for exculpation of the following officers: (i) the corporation's president, chief executive officer, chief operating officer, chief financial officer, chief legal officer, controller, treasurer or chief accounting officer, (ii) "named executive officers" identified in the corporation's SEC filings, and (iii) individuals who have agreed to be identified as officers of the corporation.

Corporate exculpation provisions under the DGCL only apply to claims for breach of the duty of care, and not to breaches of the duty of loyalty. Exculpation provisions also do not apply to acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct, knowing violations of the law, or transactions involving the receipt of any improper personal benefits. Furthermore, officers may not be exculpated from claims brought against them by, or in the right of, the corporation (i.e., derivative actions).

Under Section 102(b)(7), a corporation must affirmatively elect to include an exculpation provision in its certificate of incorporation. We will closely evaluate proposals to adopt officer exculpation provisions on a case- by-case basis. We will generally recommend voting against such proposals eliminating monetary liability for breaches of the duty of care for certain corporate officers, unless compelling rationale for the adoption is provided by the board, and the provisions are reasonable.

Reincorporation

In general, Glass Lewis believes that the board is in the best position to determine the appropriate jurisdiction of incorporation for the company. We review all proposals to reincorporate to a different state or country on a case-by-case basis. Our review includes the changes in corporate governance provisions, especially those relating to shareholder rights, material differences in corporate statutes and legal precedents,and relevant financial benefits, among other factors, resulting from the change in domicile.

Glass Lewis closely examines the impact on shareholder rights arising from a change in domicile and governing law, including the following:

● Will shareholders gain/retain certain rights (i.e. the right to call special meetings, the right to act by written consent, the ability to remove directors)?

● Does the proposed new jurisdiction allow for director and officer exculpation and/or exclusive forum provisions?

● What are the fiduciary duties (if any) of directors, officers, and majority shareholders under the new jurisdiction's statutes?

● What are the material differences in corporate statutes, case law, and judicial systems?

● Is the company proposing to reincorporate to a jurisdiction considered to be a "tax haven"?

In addition, when examining a proposal to reincorporate, we will also consider the overall governance of the company, including, but not limited to, the following:

● Does the company have anti-takeover protections such as a poison pill or classified board in place?

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● Does the company have a significant shareholder or is the company otherwise considered controlled?<sup>45</sup>

● Has the board been previously unresponsive to shareholders (such as failing to implement a shareholder proposal that received majority shareholder support)?

● Does the company have an independent chair and is the board sufficiently independent?

● Are there other material governance issues of concern at the company? Has the company's performance matched or exceeded its peers in the past one and three years?

● How has the company ranked in Glass Lewis' pay-for-performance analysis during the last three years?

Where there is a decline in shareholder rights, the financial benefits are de minimis, and the proposed jurisdiction has significantly worse shareholder protections, we will generally recommend voting against the transaction.

In addition, costly, shareholder-initiated reincorporations are typically not the best route to achieve the furtherance of shareholder rights. We believe shareholders are generally better served by proposing specific shareholder resolutions addressing pertinent issues which may be implemented at a lower cost, and perhaps even with board approval. However, when shareholders propose a shift into a jurisdiction with enhanced shareholder rights, Glass Lewis examines the significant ways the company would benefit from shifting jurisdictions including an evaluation of the criteria listed above. We note, however, that we will only support shareholder proposals to change a company's place of incorporation in exceptional circumstances.

Exclusive Forum and Fee-Shifting Bylaw Provisions

Glass Lewis recognizes that companies may be subject to frivolous and opportunistic lawsuits, particularly in conjunction with a merger or acquisition, that are expensive and distracting. In response, companies have sought ways to prevent or limit the risk of such suits by adopting bylaws regarding where the suits must be brought or shifting the burden of the legal expenses to the plaintiff, if unsuccessful at trial.

Glass Lewis believes that charter or bylaw provisions limiting a shareholder's choice of legal venue are not in the best interests of shareholders. Such clauses may effectively discourage the use of shareholder claims by increasing their associated costs and making them more difficult to pursue. As such, shareholders should be wary about approving any limitation on their legal recourse including limiting themselves to a single jurisdiction (e.g., Delaware or federal courts for matters arising under the Securities Act of 1933) without compelling evidence that it will benefit shareholders.

For this reason, we recommend that shareholders vote against any bylaw or charter amendment seeking to adopt an exclusive forum provision unless the company: (i) provides a compelling argument on why the provision would directly benefit shareholders; (ii) provides evidence of abuse of legal process in other, non- favored jurisdictions; (iii) narrowly tailors such provision to the risks involved; and (iv) maintains a strong record of good corporate governance practices.

<sup>45</sup> In cases where a controlled company is seeking to change its domicile, we will closely evaluate how the independent members of the board came to its recommendation, if the controlling shareholder had any ability to influence the board, and if the proposal is also put to a vote of disinterested shareholders.

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Moreover, in the event a board seeks shareholder approval of a forum selection clause pursuant to a bundled bylaw amendment rather than as a separate proposal, we will weigh the importance of the other bundled provisions when determining the vote recommendation on the proposal. We will nonetheless recommend voting against the chair of the governance committee for bundling disparate proposals into a single proposal (refer to our discussion of nominating and governance committee performance in Section I of the guidelines).

Similarly, some companies have adopted bylaws requiring plaintiffs who sue the company and fail to receive a judgment in their favor pay the legal expenses of the company. These bylaws, also known as "fee-shifting" or "loser pays" bylaws, will likely have a chilling effect on even meritorious shareholder lawsuits as shareholders would face an strong financial disincentive not to sue a company. Glass Lewis therefore strongly opposes the adoption of such fee-shifting bylaws and, if adopted without shareholder approval, will recommend voting against the governance committee. While we note that in June of 2015 the State of Delaware banned the adoption of fee-shifting bylaws, such provisions could still be adopted by companies incorporated in other states.

Authorized Shares

Glass Lewis believes that adequate capital stock is important to a company's operation. When analyzing a request for additional shares, we typically review four common reasons why a company might need additional capital stock:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. **Stock Split** — We typically consider three metrics when evaluating whether we think a stock split is likely or necessary: The historical stock pre-split price, if any; the current price relative to the company's most common trading price over the past 52 weeks; and some absolute limits on stock price that, in our view, either always make a stock split appropriate if desired by management or would almost never be a reasonable price at which to split a stock.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. **Shareholder Defenses** — Additional authorized shares could be used to bolster takeover defenses such as a poison pill. Proxy filings often discuss the usefulness of additional shares in defending against or discouraging a hostile takeover as a reason for a requested increase. Glass Lewis is typically against such defenses and will oppose actions intended to bolster such defenses.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. **Financing for Acquisitions** — We look at whether the company has a history of using stock for acquisitions and attempt to determine what levels of stock have typically been required to accomplish such transactions. Likewise, we look to see whether this is discussed as a reason for additional shares in the proxy.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4. **Financing for Operations** — We review the company's cash position and its ability to secure financing through borrowing or other means. We look at the company's history of capitalization and whether the company has had to use stock in the recent past as a means of raising capital.

Issuing additional shares generally dilutes existing holders in most circumstances. Further, the availability of additional shares, where the board has discretion to implement a poison pill, can often serve as a deterrent to interested suitors. Accordingly, where we find that the company has not detailed a plan for use of the proposed shares, or where the number of shares far exceeds those needed to accomplish a detailed plan, we typically recommend against the authorization of additional shares. Similar concerns may also lead us to recommend

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against a proposal to conduct a reverse stock split if the board does not state that it will reduce the number of authorized common shares in a ratio proportionate to the split.

With regard to authorizations and/or increases in preferred shares, Glass Lewis is generally against such authorizations, which allow the board to determine the preferences, limitations and rights of the preferred shares (known as "blank-check preferred stock"). We believe that granting such broad discretion should be of concern to common shareholders, since blank-check preferred stock could be used as an anti-takeover device or in some other fashion that adversely affects the voting power or financial interests of common shareholders. Therefore, we will generally recommend voting against such requests, unless the company discloses a commitment to not use such shares as an anti-takeover defense or in a shareholder rights plan, or discloses a commitment to submit any shareholder rights plan to a shareholder vote prior to its adoption.

While we think that having adequate shares to allow management to make quick decisions and effectively operate the business is critical, we prefer that, for significant transactions, management come to shareholders to justify their use of additional shares rather than providing a blank check in the form of a large pool of unallocated shares available for any purpose.

Advance Notice Requirements

We typically recommend that shareholders vote against proposals that would require advance notice of shareholder proposals or of director nominees.

These proposals typically attempt to require a certain amount of notice before shareholders are allowed to place proposals on the ballot. Notice requirements typically range between three to six months prior to the annual meeting. Advance notice requirements typically make it impossible for a shareholder who misses the deadline to present a shareholder proposal or a director nominee that might be in the best interests of the company and its shareholders.

We believe shareholders should be able to review and vote on all proposals and director nominees. Shareholders can always vote against proposals that appear with little prior notice. Shareholders, as owners of a business, are capable of identifying issues on which they have sufficient information and ignoring issues on which they have insufficient information. Setting arbitrary notice restrictions limits the opportunity for shareholders to raise issues that may come up after the window closes.

Virtual Shareholder Meetings

A growing contingent of companies have elected to hold shareholder meetings by virtual means only. Glass Lewis believes that virtual meeting technology can be a useful complement to a traditional, in-person shareholder meeting by expanding participation of shareholders who are unable to attend a shareholder meeting in person (i.e., a "hybrid meeting"). However, we also believe that virtual-only meetings have the potential to curb the ability of a company's shareholders to meaningfully communicate with the company's management.

Prominent shareholder rights advocates, including the Council of Institutional Investors, have expressed concerns that such virtual-only meetings do not approximate an in-person experience and may serve to reduce

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the board's accountability to shareholders. When analyzing the governance profile of companies that choose to hold virtual-only meetings, we look for robust disclosure in a company's proxy statement which assures shareholders that they will be afforded the same rights and opportunities to participate as they would at an in- person meeting.

Examples of effective disclosure include: (i) addressing the ability of shareholders to ask questions during the meeting, including time guidelines for shareholder questions, rules around what types of questions are allowed, and rules for how questions and comments will be recognized and disclosed to meeting participants; (ii) procedures, if any, for posting appropriate questions received during the meeting and the company's answers, on the investor page of their website as soon as is practical after the meeting; (iii) addressing technical and logistical issues related to accessing the virtual meeting platform; and (iv) procedures for accessing technical support to assist in the event of any difficulties accessing the virtual meeting.

We will generally recommend voting against members of the governance committee where the board is planning to hold a virtual-only shareholder meeting and the company does not provide such disclosure.

Voting Structure

Multi-Class Share Structures

Glass Lewis believes multi-class voting structures are typically not in the best interests of common shareholders. Allowing one vote per share generally operates as a safeguard for common shareholders by ensuring that those who hold a significant minority of shares are able to weigh in on issues set forth by the board.

Furthermore, we believe that the economic stake of each shareholder should match their voting power and that no small group of shareholders, family or otherwise, should have voting rights different from those of other shareholders. On matters of governance and shareholder rights, we believe shareholders should have the power to speak and the opportunity to effect change. That power should not be concentrated in the hands of a few for reasons other than economic stake.

We generally consider a multi-class share structure to reflect negatively on a company's overall corporate governance. Because we believe that companies should have share capital structures that protect the interests of non-controlling shareholders as well as any controlling entity, we typically recommend that shareholders vote in favor of recapitalization proposals to eliminate dual-class share structures. Similarly, we will generally recommend against proposals to adopt a new class of common stock. We will generally recommend voting against the chair of the governance committee at companies with a multi-class share structure and unequal voting rights when the company does not provide for a reasonable sunset of the multi-class share structure (generally seven years or less).

In the case of a board that adopts a multi-class share structure in connection with an IPO, spin-off, or direct listing within the past year, we will generally recommend voting against all members of the board who served at the time of the IPO if the board: (i) did not also commit to submitting the multi-class structure to a shareholder vote at the company's first shareholder meeting following the IPO; or (ii) did not provide for a reasonable sunset of the multi-class structure (generally seven years or less). If the multi-class share structure is put to a

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shareholder vote, we will examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders when determining the vote outcome.

At companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will carefully examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders when determining whether board responsiveness is warranted. In the case of companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will generally examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders on a "one share, one vote" basis. At controlled and multi-class companies, when at least 20% or more of unaffiliated shareholders vote contrary to management, we believe that boards should engage with shareholders and demonstrate some initial level of responsiveness, and when a majority or more of unaffiliated shareholders vote contrary to management we believe that boards should engage with shareholders and provide a more robust response to fully address shareholder concerns.

Cumulative Voting

Cumulative voting increases the ability of minority shareholders to elect a director by allowing shareholders to cast as many shares of the stock they own multiplied by the number of directors to be elected. As companies generally have multiple nominees up for election, cumulative voting allows shareholders to cast all of their votes for a single nominee, or a smaller number of nominees than up for election, thereby raising the likelihood of electing one or more of their preferred nominees to the board. It can be important when a board is controlled by insiders or affiliates and where the company's ownership structure includes one or more shareholders who control a majority-voting block of company stock.

Glass Lewis believes that cumulative voting generally acts as a safeguard for shareholders by ensuring that those who hold a significant minority of shares can elect a candidate of their choosing to the board. This allows the creation of boards that are responsive to the interests of all shareholders rather than just a small group of large holders.

We review cumulative voting proposals on a case-by-case basis, factoring in the independence of the board and the status of the company's governance structure. But we typically find these proposals on ballots at companies where independence is lacking and where the appropriate checks and balances favoring shareholders are not in place. In those instances we typically recommend in favor of cumulative voting.

Where a company has adopted a true majority vote standard (i.e., where a director must receive a majority of votes cast to be elected, as opposed to a modified policy indicated by a resignation policy only), Glass Lewis will recommend voting against cumulative voting proposals due to the incompatibility of the two election methods. For companies that have not adopted a true majority voting standard but have adopted some form of majority voting, Glass Lewis will also generally recommend voting against cumulative voting proposals if the company has not adopted anti-takeover protections and has been responsive to shareholders.

Where a company has not adopted a majority voting standard and is facing both a shareholder proposal to adopt majority voting and a shareholder proposal to adopt cumulative voting, Glass Lewis will support only the majority voting proposal. When a company has both majority voting and cumulative voting in place, there is a higher likelihood of one or more directors not being elected as a result of not receiving a majority vote. This is because shareholders exercising the right to cumulate their votes could unintentionally cause the failed election of one or more directors for whom shareholders do not cumulate votes.

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Supermajority Vote Requirements

Glass Lewis believes that supermajority vote requirements impede shareholder action on ballot items critical to shareholder interests. An example is in the takeover context, where supermajority vote requirements can strongly limit the voice of shareholders in making decisions on such crucial matters as selling the business. This in turn degrades share value and can limit the possibility of buyout premiums to shareholders. Moreover, we believe that a supermajority vote requirement can enable a small group of shareholders to overrule the will of the majority shareholders. We believe that a simple majority is appropriate to approve all matters presented to shareholders.

Transaction of Other Business

We typically recommend that shareholders not give their proxy to management to vote on any other business items that may properly come before an annual or special meeting. In our opinion, granting unfettered discretion is unwise.

Anti-Greenmail Proposals

Glass Lewis will support proposals to adopt a provision preventing the payment of greenmail, which would serve to prevent companies from buying back company stock at significant premiums from a certain shareholder. Since a large or majority shareholder could attempt to compel a board into purchasing its shares at a large premium, the anti-greenmail provision would generally require that a majority of shareholders other than the majority shareholder approve the buyback.

Mutual Funds: Investment Policies and Advisory Agreements

Glass Lewis believes that decisions about a fund's structure and/or a fund's relationship with its investment advisor or sub-advisors are generally best left to management and the members of the board, absent a showing of egregious or illegal conduct that might threaten shareholder value. As such, we focus our analyses of such proposals on the following main areas:

● The terms of any amended advisory or sub-advisory agreement;

● Any changes in the fee structure paid to the investment advisor; and

● Any material changes to the fund's investment objective or strategy.

We generally support amendments to a fund's investment advisory agreement absent a material change that is not in the best interests of shareholders. A significant increase in the fees paid to an investment advisor would be reason for us to consider recommending voting against a proposed amendment to an investment advisory agreement or fund reorganization. However, in certain cases, we are more inclined to support an increase in advisory fees if such increases result from being performance-based rather than asset-based. Furthermore, we

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generally support sub-advisory agreements between a fund's advisor and sub-advisor, primarily because the fees received by the sub-advisor are paid by the advisor, and not by the fund.

In matters pertaining to a fund's investment objective or strategy, we believe shareholders are best served when a fund's objective or strategy closely resembles the investment discipline shareholders understood and selected when they initially bought into the fund. As such, we generally recommend voting against amendments to a fund's investment objective or strategy when the proposed changes would leave shareholders with stakes in a fund that is noticeably different than when originally purchased, and which could therefore potentially negatively impact some investors' diversification strategies.

Real Estate Investment Trusts

The complex organizational, operational, tax and compliance requirements of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) provide for a unique shareholder evaluation. In simple terms, a REIT must have a minimum of 100 shareholders (the 100 Shareholder Test) and no more than 50% of the value of its shares can be held by five or fewer individuals (the "5/50 Test"). At least 75% of a REITs' assets must be in real estate, it must derive 75% of its gross income from rents or mortgage interest, and it must pay out 90% of its taxable earnings as dividends. In addition, as a publicly traded security listed on a stock exchange, a REIT must comply with the same general listing requirements as a publicly traded equity.

In order to comply with such requirements, REITs typically include percentage ownership limitations in their organizational documents, usually in the range of 5% to 10% of the REITs outstanding shares. Given the complexities of REITs as an asset class, Glass Lewis applies a highly nuanced approach in our evaluation of REIT proposals, especially regarding changes in authorized share capital, including preferred stock.

Preferred Stock Issuances at REITs

Glass Lewis is generally against the authorization of "blank-check preferred stock." However, given the requirement that a REIT must distribute 90% of its net income annually, it is inhibited from retaining capital to make investments in its business. As such, we recognize that equity financing likely plays a key role in a REIT's growth and creation of shareholder value. Moreover, shareholder concern regarding the use of preferred stock as an anti-takeover mechanism may be allayed by the fact that most REITs maintain ownership limitations in their certificates of incorporation. For these reasons, along with the fact that REITs typically do not engage in private placements of preferred stock (which result in the rights of common shareholders being adversely impacted), we may support requests to authorize shares of blank-check preferred stock at REITs.

Business Development Companies

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similar to those of REITs—the most evident of which is that BDCs must distribute at least 90% of their taxable earnings as dividends.

Authorization to Sell Shares at a Price Below Net Asset Value

Considering that BDCs are required to distribute nearly all their earnings to shareholders, they sometimes need to offer additional shares of common stock in the public markets to finance operations and acquisitions. However, shareholder approval is required in order for a BDC to sell shares of common stock at a price below Net Asset Value (NAV). Glass Lewis evaluates these proposals using a case-by-case approach, but will recommend supporting such requests if the following conditions are met:

● The authorization to allow share issuances below NAV has an expiration date of one year or less from the date that shareholders approve the underlying proposal (i.e., the meeting date);

● The proposed discount below NAV is minimal (ideally no greater than 20%);

● The board specifies that the issuance will have a minimal or modest dilutive effect (ideally no greater than 25% of the company's then-outstanding common stock prior to the issuance); and

● A majority of the company's independent directors who do not have a financial interest in the issuance approve the sale.

In short, we believe BDCs should demonstrate a responsible approach to issuing shares below NAV, by proactively addressing shareholder concerns regarding the potential dilution of the requested share issuance, and explaining if and how the company's past below-NAV share issuances have benefitted the company.

Auditor Ratification and Below-NAV Issuances

When a BDC submits a below-NAV issuance for shareholder approval, we will refrain from recommending against the audit committee chair for not including auditor ratification on the same ballot. Because of the unique way these proposals interact, votes may be tabulated in a manner that is not in shareholders' interests. In cases where these proposals appear on the same ballot, auditor ratification is generally the only "routine proposal," the presence of which triggers a scenario where broker non-votes may be counted toward shareholder quorum, with unintended consequences.

Under the 1940 Act, below-NAV issuance proposals require relatively high shareholder approval. Specifically, these proposals must be approved by the lesser of: (i) 67% of votes cast if a majority of shares are represented at the meeting; or (ii) a majority of outstanding shares. Meanwhile, any broker non-votes counted toward quorum will automatically be registered as "against" votes for purposes of this proposal. The unintended result can be a case where the issuance proposal is not approved, despite sufficient voting shares being cast in favor. Because broker non-votes result from a lack of voting instruction by the shareholder, we do not believe shareholders' ability to weigh in on the selection of auditor outweighs the consequences of failing to approve an issuance proposal due to such technicality.

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Special Purpose Acquisition Companies

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs), also known as "blank check companies," are publicly traded entities with no commercial operations and are formed specifically to pool funds in order to complete a merger or acquisition within a set time frame. In general, the acquisition target of a SPAC is either not yet identified or otherwise not explicitly disclosed to the public even when the founders of the SPAC may have at least one target in mind. Consequently, IPO investors often do not know what company they will ultimately be investing in.

SPACs are therefore very different from typical operating companies. Shareholders do not have the same expectations associated with an ordinary publicly traded company and executive officers of a SPAC typically do not continue in employment roles with an acquired company.

Extension of Business Combination Deadline

Governing documents of SPACs typically provide for the return of IPO proceeds to common shareholders if no qualifying business combination is consummated before a certain date. Because the time frames for the consummation of such transactions are relatively short, SPACs will sometimes hold special shareholder meetings at which shareholders are asked to extend the business combination deadline. In such cases, an acquisition target will typically have been identified, but additional time is required to allow management of the SPAC to finalize the terms of the deal.

Glass Lewis believes management and the board are generally in the best position to determine when the extension of a business combination deadline is needed. We therefore generally defer to the recommendation of management and support reasonable extension requests.

SPAC Board Independence

The board of directors of a SPAC's acquisition target is in many cases already established prior to the business combination. In some cases, however, the board's composition may change in connection with the business combination, including the potential addition of individuals who served in management roles with the SPAC. The role of a SPAC executive is unlike that of a typical operating company executive. Because the SPAC's only business is identifying and executing an acquisition deal, the interests of a former SPAC executive are also different. Glass Lewis does not automatically consider a former SPAC executive to be affiliated with the acquired operating entity when their only position on the board of the combined entity is that of an otherwise independent director. Absent any evidence of an employment relationship or continuing material financial interest in the combined entity, we will therefore consider such directors to be independent.

Director Commitments of SPAC Executives

We believe the primary role of executive officers at SPACs is identifying acquisition targets for the SPAC and consummating a business combination. Given the nature of these executive roles and the limited business operations of SPACs, when a directors' only executive role is at a SPAC, we will generally apply our higher limit for company directorships. As a result, we generally recommend that shareholders vote against a director who serves in an executive role only at a SPAC while serving on more than five public company boards.

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Shareholder Proposals

Glass Lewis believes that shareholders should seek to promote governance structures that protect shareholders, support effective ESG oversight and reporting, and encourage director accountability. Accordingly, Glass Lewis places a significant emphasis on promoting transparency, robust governance structures and companies' responsiveness to and engagement with shareholders. We also believe that companies should be transparent on how they are mitigating material ESG risks, including those related to climate change, human capital management, and stakeholder relations.

To that end, we evaluate all shareholder proposals on a case-by-case basis with a view to protecting long-term shareholder value. While we are generally supportive of those that promote board accountability, shareholder rights, and transparency, we consider all proposals in the context of a company's unique operations and risk profile.

For a detailed review of our policies concerning compensation, environmental, social, and governance shareholder proposals, please refer to our comprehensive *Proxy Paper Guidelines for Shareholder Proposals & ESG-Related Issues*, available at www.glasslewis.com/voting-policies-current/.

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Overall Approach to Environmental, Social & Governance Issues

Glass Lewis evaluates all environmental and social issues through the lens of long-term shareholder value. We believe that companies should be considering material environmental and social factors in all aspects of their operations and that companies should provide shareholders with disclosures that allow them to understand how these factors are being considered and how attendant risks are being mitigated. We also are of the view that governance is a critical factor in how companies manage environmental and social risks and opportunities and that a well-governed company will be generally managing these issues better than one without a governance structure that promotes board independence and accountability.

We believe part of the board's role is to ensure that management conducts a complete risk analysis of company operations, including those that have material environmental and social implications. We believe that directors should monitor management's performance in both capitalizing on environmental and social opportunities and mitigating environmental and social risks related to operations in order to best serve the interests of shareholders. Companies face significant financial, legal and reputational risks resulting from poor environmental and social practices, or negligent oversight thereof. Therefore, in cases where the board or management has neglected to take action on a pressing issue that could negatively impact shareholder value, we believe that shareholders should take necessary action in order to effect changes that will safeguard their financial interests.

Given the importance of the role of the board in executing a sustainable business strategy that allows for the realization of environmental and social opportunities and the mitigation of related risks, relating to environmental risks and opportunities, we believe shareholders should seek to promote governance structures that protect shareholders and promote director accountability. When management and the board have displayed disregard for environmental or social risks, have engaged in egregious or illegal conduct, or have failed to adequately respond to current or imminent environmental and social risks that threaten shareholder value, we believe shareholders should consider holding directors accountable. In such instances, we will generally recommend against responsible members of the board that are specifically charged with oversight of the issue in question.

When evaluating environmental and social factors that may be relevant to a given company, Glass Lewis does so in the context of the financial materiality of the issue to the company's operations. We believe that all companies face risks associated with environmental and social issues. However, we recognize that these risks manifest themselves differently at each company as a result of a company's operations, workforce, structure, and geography, among other factors. Accordingly, we place a significant emphasis on the financial implications of a company's actions with regard to impacts on its stakeholders and the environment.

When evaluating environmental and social issues, Glass Lewis examines companies':

**Direct environmental and social risk** — Companies should evaluate financial exposure to direct environmental risks associated with their operations. Examples of direct environmental risks include those associated with oil or gas spills, contamination, hazardous leakages, explosions, or reduced water or air quality, among others. Social risks may include non-inclusive employment policies, inadequate human rights policies, or issues that

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adversely affect the company's stakeholders. Further, we believe that firms should consider their exposure to risks emanating from a broad range of issues, over which they may have no or only limited control, such as insurance companies being affected by increased storm severity and frequency resulting from climate change

**Risk due to legislation and regulation** — Companies should evaluate their exposure to changes or potential changes in regulation that affect current and planned operations. Regulation should be carefully monitored in all jurisdictions in which the company operates. We look closely at relevant and proposed legislation and evaluate whether the company has responded proactively.

**Legal and reputational risk** — Failure to take action on important environmental or social issues may carry the risk of inciting negative publicity and potentially costly litigation. While the effect of high-profile campaigns on shareholder value may not be directly measurable, we believe it is prudent for companies to carefully evaluate the potential impacts of the public perception of their impacts on stakeholders and the environment. When considering investigations and lawsuits, Glass Lewis is mindful that such matters may involve unadjudicated allegations or other charges that have not been resolved. Glass Lewis does not assume the truth of such allegations or charges or that the law has been violated. Instead, Glass Lewis focuses more broadly on whether, under the particular facts and circumstances presented, the nature and number of such concerns, lawsuits or investigations reflects on the risk profile of the company or suggests that appropriate risk mitigation measures may be warranted.

**Governance risk** — Inadequate oversight of environmental and social issues carries significant risks to companies. When leadership is ineffective or fails to thoroughly consider potential risks, such risks are likely unmitigated and could thus present substantial risks to the company, ultimately leading to loss of shareholder value.

Glass Lewis believes that one of the most crucial factors in analyzing the risks presented to companies in the form of environmental and social issues is the level and quality of oversight over such issues. When management and the board have displayed disregard for environmental risks, have engaged in egregious or illegal conduct, or have failed to adequately respond to current or imminent environmental risks that threaten shareholder value, we believe shareholders should consider holding directors accountable. When companies have not provided for explicit, board-level oversight of environmental and social matters and/or when a substantial environmental or social risk has been ignored or inadequately addressed, we may recommend voting against members of the board. In addition, or alternatively, depending on the proposals presented, we may also consider recommending voting in favor of relevant shareholder proposals or against other relevant management-proposed items, such as the ratification of auditor, a company's accounts and reports, or ratification of management and board acts.

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Connect with Glass Lewis

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| Corporate Website | \| | www.glasslewis.com | www.glasslewis.com |
| Email | \| | info@glasslewis.com | info@glasslewis.com |
| Social | \| | ![](proxy_002.jpg)@glasslewis | ![](proxy_003.jpg) <u>Glass, Lewis & Co</u>. |

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Global Locations

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| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**North** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**United States** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**Europe** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**Ireland** |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**America** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *Headquarters*<br> 100 Pine Street, |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 15 Henry Street Limerick V94 V9T4 |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Suite 1925 |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;+353 61 534 343 |
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|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;New York, NY |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;80 Coleman Street |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;+1 646 606 2345 |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Suite 4.02 |
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|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;+1 816 945 4525 |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**France** |
|  |  |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;*Proxinvest* |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**Asia<br> Pacific** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; **Australia**<br> *CGI Glass Lewis*<br> Suite 5.03, Level 5<br> 255 George Street |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;6 Rue d'Uzès<br> 75002 Paris<br> +33 ()1 45 51 50 43 |
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|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; **Japan** |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;76133 Karlsruhe |
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DISCLAIMER© 2024 Glass, Lewis & Co., and/or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.

This document is intended to provide an overview of Glass Lewis' proxy voting guidelines. It is not intended to be exhaustive and does not address all potential voting issues. Glass Lewis' proxy voting guidelines, as they apply to certain issues or types of proposals, are further explained in supplemental guidelines and reports that are made available on Glass Lewis' website – http://www.glasslewis.com. These guidelines have not been set or approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or any other regulatory body. Additionally, none of the information contained herein is or should be relied upon as investment advice. The content of this document has been developed based on Glass Lewis' experience with proxy voting and corporate governance issues, engagement with clients and issuers, and review of relevant studies and surveys, and has not been tailored to any specific person or entity.

Glass Lewis' proxy voting guidelines are grounded in corporate governance best practices, which often exceed minimum legal requirements. Accordingly, unless specifically noted otherwise, a failure to meet these guidelines should not be understood to mean that the company or individual involved has failed to meet applicable legal requirements.

No representations or warranties express or implied, are made as to the accuracy or completeness of any information included herein. In addition, Glass Lewis shall not be liable for any losses or damages arising from or in connection with the information contained herein or the use, reliance on, or inability to use any such information. Glass Lewis expects its subscribers possess sufficient experience and knowledge to make their own decisions entirely independent of any information contained in this document and subscribers are ultimately and solely responsible for making their own decisions, including, but not limited to, ensuring that such decisions comply with all agreements, codes, duties, laws, ordinances, regulations, and other obligations applicable to such subscriber.

All information contained in this report is protected by law, including, but not limited to, copyright law, and none of such information may be copied or otherwise reproduced, repackaged, further transmitted, transferred, disseminated, redistributed or resold, or stored for subsequent use for any such purpose, in whole or in part, in any form or manner, or by any means whatsoever, by any person without Glass Lewis' prior written consent.

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**APPENDIX B – DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS**

**Corporate and Municipal Long-Term Bond Ratings**

China Lianhe Credit Ratings

**AAA**: Strong ability to repay debt. Not adversely affected by the economic environment. The risk of default is very low.

**AA**: Strong ability to repay debt. Less adversely affected by the economic environment. The risk of default is very low.

**A**: Strong ability to repay debt. More susceptible adversely affected by the economic environment. The risk of default is very low.

**BBB**: Adequate ability to repay debt. Business is affected by unfavorable economic environment. Greater default risk in general.

**BB**: Weak ability to repay debt. Business is affected by unfavorable economic environment. Greater default risk in general.

**B**: Business's ability to repay debt is largely dependent on favorable economic environment. There is a high risk of default.

**CCC**: Business's ability to repay debt is extremely dependent on favorable economic environment. There is a high risk of default.

**CC**: Business's ability to repay debt is extremely dependent on favorable economic environment. Business is at risk of bankruptcy or reorganization. Default is likely.

**C**: Business cannot repay the debt.

In addition to AAA and CCC grade level (inclusive) level, every one credit rating available, "+", "-" symbol to fine tune, which means that a slightly higher or slightly below this level.

China Chengxin (Asia Pacific) Credit Ratings Company, Limited ("CCXAP") long-term credit ratings:

**AAAg**: Capacity to meet commitments on short-term and long-term debts is extremely strong. Business is operated in a virtuous circle. The foreseeable uncertainty on business operations is minimal.

**AAg+, AAg, AAg-**: Capacity to meet short-term and long-term financial commitments is very strong. Business is operated in a virtuous circle. Foreseeable uncertainty in business operations is relatively low.

**Ag+, Ag, Ag-**: Capacity to meet short-term and long-term commitments is strong. Business is operated in a virtuous circle. Business operation and development may be affected by internal uncertain factors, which may create fluctuations in profitability and solvency of the issuer.

**BBBg+, BBBg, BBBg-**: Capacity to meet financial commitment is considered adequate and capacity to meet short-term and long-term commitments is satisfactory. Business is operated in a virtuous circle. Business is affected by internal and external uncertainties. Profitability and solvency may experience significant fluctuation. Principal and interest may not be sufficiently protected by the terms of agreement.

**BBg+, BBg, BBg-**: Capacity to meet short-term and long-term financial commitment is relatively weak. Financial commitment towards short-term and long-term debts is below average. Status of business operation and development is not good. Solvency is unstable and subject to sustainable risk.

**Bg+, Bg, Bg-**: Financial commitment towards short-term and long-term debts is bad. Business is affected by internal and external uncertain factors. There are difficulties in business operations. Solvency is uncertain and subject to high credit risk.

**CCCg**: Financial commitment towards short-term and long-term debts is very bad. Business is affected by internal and external uncertain factors. There are difficulties in business operations. Poor solvency with very high credit risk.

**CCg**: Financial commitment towards short-term and long-term debts is extremely bad. Business operations are poor. There are very limited positive internal and external factors to support business operation and development. Extremely high credit risk is found.

**Cg**: Financial commitment towards short-term and long-term debts is insolvent. Business falls into a vicious circle. Very limited positive internal and external factors are found to support business operations and development in positive cycle. Extremely high credit risk is seen and is near default.

**Dg**: Unable to meet financial commitments. Default is confirmed.

Dagong Global Credit Rating Co. ("Dagong") Corporate and Financial Institution Issuer, Borrowing Companies, and Long-term Debt Facility Credit Ratings:

**AAA -** Highest Credit Quality: "AAA" ratings denote the lowest expectation of default risk. It indicates that the issuer has exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. Although the debt protection factors may change, this capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by any foreseeable event. "AAA" is the highest issuer credit rating assigned by Dagong.

**AA -** Very High Credit Quality: "AA" ratings denote expectations of very low default risk. It indicates that the issuer has very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. Although due to its relatively higher long-term risk, this capacity is not significantly vulnerable to any foreseeable event.

**A** - High Credit Quality: "A" ratings denote expectations of relatively low default risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered sufficient. However, this capacity may be more vulnerable than those of the higher ratings to adverse business or economic conditions due to any foreseeable event.

**BBB** - Medium Credit Quality: "BBB" ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are currently low and it has medium default risk. In normal conditions, the capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, whereas under adverse business or economic conditions risks of default are more likely to exist under this scale.

**BB** - Low Medium Credit Quality: "BB" ratings indicate that the issuer faces major ongoing uncertainties and exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.

**B** - Relatively Low Credit Quality: "B" ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are relatively high but a limited margin of safety remains. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor's capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitments. This is a lower scale than that of the "BB" rating and an obligor rated "B" is more vulnerable to adverse developments than the obligors rated "BB".

**CCC -** Low Credit Quality: "CCC" ratings indicate very high default risk. The issuer is currently vulnerable, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions to meet its financial commitments. Some practical risks exist and this will impair the obligor's ability to meet its financial commitments.

**CC** - Very Low Credit Quality: "CC" ratings indicate that the issuer is currently highly vulnerable and entities with this rating have a seriously high risk of default.

**C** - Lowest Credit Quality: "C" ratings indicate the highest default risk and the issuer is currently unable to meet its financial commitments or may even be in the process of compulsory debt reconstruction, or a takeover by regulatory organizations or in bankruptcy liquidation.

China Bond Rating Co.

**AAAR**: Strong ability to repay debt. Basically unaffected by adverse economic conditions, and the risk of default is extremely low.

**AAR**: Strong ability to repay debt. Not affected by the economic environment. The risk of default is very low.

**AR**: Strong ability to repay debt. More susceptible adversely affected by the economic environment. The risk of default is very low.

**BBBR**: Adequate ability to repay debt. Business is affected by unfavorable economic environment. Greater default risk in general.

**BBR**: Weak ability to repay debt. Business is affected by unfavorable economic environment. Greater default risk in general.

**BR**: Business's ability to repay debt is largely dependent on favorable economic environment. There is a high risk of default.

**CCCR**: Business's ability to repay debt is extremely dependent on favorable economic environment. There is a high risk of default.

**CCR**: Business's ability to repay debt is extremely dependent on favorable economic environment. Business is at risk of bankruptcy or reorganization. Default is likely.

**CR**: Business cannot repay the debt.

**DR**: Default is confirmed.

In addition to AAA and CCC grade level (inclusive) level, every one credit rating available, "+", "-" symbol to fine tune, which means that a slightly higher or slightly below this level.

CSCI Pengyuan Credit Rating Co.

**AAA**: The ability to repay debt is extremely strong. Not adversely affected by the economic environment. The risk of default is very low.

**AA**: The ability to repay debt is strong. Less adversely affected by the economic environment. The risk of default is very low.

**A**: Strong ability to repay debt. More susceptible adversely affected by the economic environment. The risk of default is very low.

**BBB**: Adequate ability to repay debt. Business is affected by unfavorable economic environment. Greater default risk in general.

**BB**: Weak ability to repay debt. Business is affected by unfavorable economic environment. Greater default risk in general.

**B**: Business's ability to repay debt is largely dependent on favorable economic environment. There is an extremely high risk of default.

**CCC**: Business's ability to repay debt is extremely dependent on favorable economic environment. There is a high risk of default.

**CC**: In the case of bankruptcy or restructuring, there is less protection and there is basically no guarantee of repayment of debts.

**C**: Business cannot repay the debt.

In addition to AAA and CCC grade level (inclusive) level, every one credit rating available, "+", "-" symbol to fine tune, which means that a slightly higher or slightly below this level.

Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC ("S&P") Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings:

*The following descriptions of S&P's long-term issue credit ratings have been published by Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC.*

**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.

Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") Global Long-Term Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Moody's long-term corporate bond ratings have been published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. and Moody's Analytics Inc.*

**Aaa** - Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, with minimal 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 considered upper medium-grade and are subject to low credit risk.

**Baa** - Obligations rated Baa are subject to moderate credit risk. They are considered medium-grade and as such may possess speculative characteristics.

**Ba** - Obligations rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements 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 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 in principal and interest.

**C** - Obligations rated C are the lowest-rated class of bonds and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal and interest.

Modifiers: 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.

Additionally, a "(hyb)" indicator is appended to all ratings of hybrid securities issued by banks, insurers, finance companies, and securities firms. By their terms, hybrid securities allow for the omission of scheduled dividends, interest, or principal payments, which can potentially result in impairment if such an omission occurs. Hybrid securities may also be subject to contractually allowable write-downs of principal that could result in impairment. Together with the hybrid indicator, the long-term obligation rating assigned to a hybrid security is an expression of the relative credit risk associated with that security.

Fitch Ratings Ltd. ("Fitch") Corporate Finance Obligations Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Fitch's long-term corporate bond ratings have been published by Fitch Ratings, Inc. and Fitch Ratings Ltd.*

**AAA** - 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** - 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** - 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** - 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** - Speculative. '**BB**' ratings indicate 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** - Highly speculative. '**B**' ratings indicate that material credit risk is present.

**CCC** - Substantial credit risk. '**CCC**' ratings indicate that substantial credit risk is present.

**CC** - Very high levels of credit risk. '**CC**' ratings indicate very high levels of credit risk.

**C** - Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. '**C**' indicates exceptionally high levels of credit risk.

Corporate Finance 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. This approach better aligns obligations that have comparable overall expected loss but varying vulnerability to default and loss.

**Plus (+)** or **Minus (-)** - The modifiers "+" or "–" may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to 'AAA' ratings and ratings below the 'CCC' category.

Fitch's credit rating scale for issuers and issues is expressed using the categories 'AAA' to 'BBB' (investment grade) and 'BB' to 'D' (speculative grade) with an additional +/– for 'AA' through 'CCC' levels, indicating relative differences of probability of default or recovery for issues. The terms "investment grade" and "speculative grade" are market conventions and do not imply any recommendation or endorsement of a specific security for investment purposes. Investment-grade categories indicate relatively low to moderate credit risk, while ratings in the speculative categories signal either a higher level of credit risk or that a default already occurred.

Fitch's Municipal Bond Long-Term Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Fitch's long-term municipal bond ratings have been published by Fitch Ratings, Inc. and Fitch Ratings Ltd.*

**AAA** - Highest credit quality. '**AAA**' ratings denote the lowest expectation of default 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** - Very high credit quality. '**AA**' ratings denote expectations of very low default risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

**A** - High credit quality. '**A**' ratings denote expectations of low default 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** - Good credit quality. '**BBB**' ratings indicate that expectations of default 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** - Speculative. '**BB**' ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to default risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time.

**B -** Highly speculative. '**B**' ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the business and economic environment.

**CCC** - Substantial credit risk. '**CCC**' ratings indicate very low margin for safety. Default is a real possibility.

**CC** - Very high levels of credit risk. '**CC**' ratings indicate default of some kind appears probable.

**C** - Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. '**C**' ratings indicate default appears imminent or inevitable.

**D** - Default. '**D**' ratings indicates a default. Default generally is defined as one of the following:

● failure to make payment of principal and/or interest under the contractual terms of the rated obligation;

● bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other winding-up or cessation of the business of an issuer/obligor where payment default on an obligation is a virtual certainty; or

● distressed exchange of an obligation, where creditors were offered securities with diminished structural or economic terms compared with the existing obligation to avoid a probable payment default.

**Structured Finance Defaults** – Imminent default, categorized under 'C', typically refers to the occasion where a payment default has been intimated by the issuer and is all but inevitable. This may, for example, be where an issuer has missed a scheduled payment but (as is typical) has a grace period during which it may cure the payment default. Another alternative would be where an issuer has formally announced a distressed debt exchange, but the date of the exchange still lies several days or weeks in the immediate future.

Additionally, in structured finance transactions, where analysis indicates that an instrument is irrevocably impaired such that it is not expected to pay interest and/or principal in full in accordance with the terms of the obligation's documentation during the life of the transaction, but where no payment default in accordance with the terms of the documentation is imminent, the obligation will typically be rated in the 'C' category.

**Structured Finance Write-Downs** – Where an instrument has experienced an involuntary and, in the agency's opinion, irreversible write-down of principal (i.e. other than through amortization, and resulting in a loss to the investor), a credit rating of 'D' will be assigned to the instrument. Where the agency believes the write-down may prove to be temporary (and the loss may be written up again in future if and when performance improves), then a credit rating of 'C' will typically be assigned. Should the write-down then later be reversed, the credit rating will be raised to an appropriate level for that instrument. Should the write-down later be deemed as irreversible, the credit rating will be lowered to 'D'.

Notes: In the case of structured finance, while the ratings do not address the loss severity given default of the rated liability, loss severity assumptions on the underlying assets are nonetheless typically included as part of the analysis. Loss severity assumptions are used to derive pool cash flows available to service the rated liability. The suffix 'sf' denotes an issue that is a structured finance transaction.

**Plus (+) or Minus (-) -** The modifiers "+" or "-" 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 ratings below the 'CCC' category.

**Municipal Short-Term Bond Ratings**

CCXAP short-term credit ratings:

**Ag-1**: Capacity to meet short-term financial commitments is extremely strong with a high level of safety.

**Ag-2**: Capacity to meet short-term financial commitments is strong with a high level of safety.

**Ag-3**: Capacity to meet short-term financial commitments is average but the safety may be easily affected by adverse business, financial, or economic conditions.

**Bg**: Capacity to meet short-term financial commitments is weak with a high probability of default.

**Cg**: Capacity to meet short-term financial commitments is very weak and the probability of default is very high.

**Dg**: Unable to meet financial commitments. Default is confirmed.

S&P's Municipal Short-Term Note Ratings:

*The following descriptions of S&P's short-term municipal ratings have been published by Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC.*

**SP-1** - 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** - Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.

**SP-3** - Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.

**D** - 'D' 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 Global Short-Term Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Moody's short-term municipal ratings have been published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. and Moody's Analytics Inc.*

**P-1** - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

**P-2** - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

**P-3** - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have 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.

Note: Canadian issuers rated P-1 or P-2 have their short-term ratings enhanced by the senior-most long-term rating of the issuer, its guarantor or support-provider.

Fitch's Short-Term Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Fitch's short-term ratings have been published by Fitch Ratings, Inc. and Fitch Ratings Ltd.*

**F1 -** Highest short-term credit quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added '+' to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

**F2 -** Good short-term credit quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

**F3 -** Fair short-term credit quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

**B -** Speculative short-term credit quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

**C -** 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.

The modifiers "+" or "-" may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. For the short-term rating category of 'F1', a '+' may be appended.

**Commercial Paper Ratings**

S&P's Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings:

*The following descriptions of S&P's commercial paper ratings have been published by Standard & Poor's Financial Service LLC.*

**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 commitments 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.

**Dual Ratings** – S&P may assign dual ratings to debt issues that have a put option or demand feature. The first component of the rating addresses the likelihood of repayment of principal and interest as due, and the second component of the rating addresses only the demand feature. The first component of the rating can relate to either a short-term or long-term transaction and accordingly use either short-term or long-term rating symbols. The second component of the rating relates to the put option and is assigned a short-term rating symbol (for example, 'AAA/A-1+' or 'A-1+/A-1'). With U.S. municipal short-term demand debt, the U.S. municipal short-term note rating symbols are used for the first component of the rating (for example, 'SP-1+/A-1+').

Moody's U.S. Municipal Short-Term Debt Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Moody's commercial paper ratings have been published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. and Moody's Analytics Inc.*

**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.

Fitch's Commercial Paper Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Fitch's commercial paper ratings have been published by Fitch Ratings, Inc. and Fitch Ratings Ltd.*

**F1 -** Highest short-term credit quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added '+' to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

**F2 -** Good short-term credit quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

**F3 -** Fair short-term credit quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

**B -** Speculative short-term credit quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

**C -** 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.

The modifiers "+" or "-" may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the 'AAA' Long-term rating category, to categories below 'CCC', or to Short-term ratings other than 'F1'.

**KraneShares Trust**

**STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION**

**August 1, 2025**

**KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF - (KPRO)**

**KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF - (KBUF)**

Shares of each Fund are traded on the NYSE Arca, Inc.

This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") relates to the above listed funds (collectively, the "Funds"), each a series of the KraneShares Trust (the "Trust"). This SAI is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the current prospectus for the Funds, dated August 1, 2025, as it may be revised from time to time (the "Prospectus"). Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. The audited financial statements with respect to the Funds for the most recent fiscal year or period are incorporated in this SAI by reference to the Funds' Form N-CSR for the year ending March 31, 2025. A copy of the Prospectus, this SAI, and/or the most recent annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders may be obtained, without charge, by calling 1.855.857.2638, visiting <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>, or writing to the Trust at 280 Park Ave, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017.

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| [GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUNDS](#sai-kpro_001) | 1 |
| [INVESTMENT POLICIES, TECHNIQUES AND RISK FACTORS](#sai-kpro_002) | 1 |
| [INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS](#sai-kpro_003) | 37 |
| [CONTINUOUS OFFERING](#sai-kpro_004) | 38 |
| [MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST](#sai-kpro_005) | 39 |
| [INVESTMENT Adviser](#sai-kpro_006) | 45 |
| [PORTFOLIO MANAGERS](#sai-kpro_007) | 47 |
| [CODES OF ETHICS](#sai-kpro_008) | 48 |
| [PROXY VOTING POLICY](#sai-kpro_009) | 48 |
| [ADMINISTRATOR](#sai-kpro_010) | 48 |
| [CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER AGENT](#sai-kpro_011) | 49 |
| [DISTRIBUTOR AND DISTRIBUTION ARRANGEMENTS](#sai-kpro_012) | 49 |
| [control persons AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES](#sai-kpro_013) | 51 |
| [EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING](#sai-kpro_014) | 51 |
| [BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM](#sai-kpro_015) | 52 |
| [BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS](#sai-kpro_016) | 53 |
| [CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS](#sai-kpro_017) | 56 |
| [tAXES](#sai-kpro_018) | 63 |
| [DETERMINATION OF NAV](#sai-kpro_019) | 71 |
| [DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS](#sai-kpro_020) | 74 |
| [OTHER INFORMATION](#sai-kpro_021) | 74 |
| [COUNSEL](#sai-kpro_022) | 75 |
| [INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM](#sai-kpro_023) | 75 |
| [Financial Statements](#sai-kpro_024) | 75 |
| [APPENDIX A – PROXY VOTING POLICY](#sai-kpro_025) | A-1 |
| [APPENDIX b – DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS](#sai-kpro_026) | B-1 |

---

i

**GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUNDS**

The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on February 3, 2012 and is permitted to offer multiple, separate series (*i.e.*, funds). As of the date of this SAI, the Trust offers 40 separate funds, including the Funds and other funds not offered in this SAI. The Trust is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), and each Fund is a non-diversified series of the Trust. The offering of the Trust's shares is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). All payments received by the Trust for shares of any fund belong to that fund. Each Fund will have its own assets and liabilities. Shares of each Fund will only be issued against full payment, as further described in the Prospectus and this Statement of Additional Information.

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or the "Adviser") serves as the investment adviser to each Fund and is responsible for continuously reviewing, supervising and administering each Fund's investment program. SEI Investments Distribution Co. serves as the distributor (the "Distributor") of the shares of each Fund.

**<u>Exchange-Traded Fund ("ETF") Operations</u>**

Each Fund issues and redeems Shares at net asset value ("NAV") only in aggregations of a specified number of Shares ("Creation Units"), generally in exchange for a basket of securities ("Basket"), together with a specified cash payment, or, in certain circumstances, for an all cash payment. Unlike mutual funds, Shares are not individually redeemable.

Certain employees of the Adviser are responsible for interacting with market participants that transact in Baskets for one or more Creation Units. As part of these discussions, these employees may discuss with a market participant the securities a Fund is willing to accept in connection with a purchase ("creation") of shares, and securities that the Fund will provide on a redemption of shares. The Adviser's employees may also discuss portfolio holdings-related information with broker/dealers in connection with settling the Fund's transactions, as may be necessary to conduct business in the ordinary course.

Shares of each Fund are listed on a national securities exchange, such as NYSE Arca, Inc. ("Exchange"), and trade in the secondary market, where most investors will buy and sell them at market prices that change throughout the day. Such market prices may be lower, higher or equal to NAV. Accordingly, when transacting in the secondary market, investors may pay more than NAV when purchasing shares and receive less than NAV when selling shares. They may also be subject to brokerage commissions and charges.

**INVESTMENT POLICIES, TECHNIQUES AND RISK FACTORS**

**<u>General</u>**

Each Fund's principal investment strategies and risks are discussed in its Prospectus. The investment techniques discussed below and in the Prospectus may, consistent with a Fund's investment objectives and investment limitations, be used by a Fund. Each Fund is free to reduce or eliminate its activity with respect to any of the investment techniques discussed below consistent with its fundamental investment policies. There is no assurance that a Fund's strategies or any other methods of investment will result in the achievement of the Fund's objective. If there is a sub-adviser to a fund, references to Krane in this section includes any such sub-adviser as applicable.

**<u>Cash and Cash Equivalents</u>**

Each Fund may hold cash or cash equivalents. Generally, such positions offer less potential for gain than other investments. Holding cash or cash equivalents, even strategically, may lead to missed investment opportunities. This is particularly true when the market for other investments in which a Fund may invest is rapidly rising. If a Fund holds cash uninvested it will be subject to the credit risk of the depositing institution holding the cash.

**<u>Debt Securities</u>**

Each Fund may invest in debt securities. A debt security is a security consisting of a certificate or other evidence of a debt (secured or unsecured) on which the issuer promises to pay the holder thereof a fixed, variable, or floating rate of interest for a specified length of time, and to repay the debt on the specified maturity date. Some debt securities, such as zero coupon bonds, do not make regular interest payments but are issued at a discount to their principal or maturity value. Debt securities include a variety of fixed income obligations, including, but not limited to, corporate bonds, government securities, municipal securities, convertible securities, mortgage-backed securities, and asset-backed securities. Debt securities include investment-grade securities, non-investment-grade securities, and unrated securities. Debt securities are subject to a variety of risks, such as interest rate risk, income risk, call/prepayment risk, inflation risk, credit risk, and (in the case of foreign securities) country risk and currency risk.

The market value of the debt securities in which a Fund invests will change in response to interest rate changes and other factors. During periods of falling interest rates, the values of outstanding debt securities generally rise. Conversely, during periods of rising interest rates, the values of such securities generally decline. Moreover, while securities with longer maturities tend to produce higher yields, the prices of longer maturity securities are also subject to greater market fluctuations as a result of changes in interest rates. Changes in the value of these securities will not necessarily affect cash income derived from these securities but will affect a Fund's NAV. Additional information regarding debt securities is described below.

**Credit Ratings.** Credit risk is the risk that a borrower or issuer of a debt will be unable or unwilling to repay its obligations under the debt. Certain debt securities may be rated by a credit rating agency. Changes by such agencies in the rating of any debt security and in the ability of an issuer to make payments of interest and principal, or the perception thereof, may affect the value of these investments.

**U.S. Credit Ratings.** The rating criteria and methodology used by U.S. rating agencies may not be fully transparent and such ratings may not accurately reflect the risk of investing in such instruments.

**Chinese Credit Ratings.** The rating criteria and methodology used by Chinese rating agencies may be different from those adopted by most of the established international credit rating agencies. Therefore, such rating systems may not provide an equivalent standard for comparison with securities rated by international credit rating agencies. The rating criteria and methodology used by Chinese credit ratings agencies also may not be fully transparent and such ratings may not accurately reflect the risk of investing in such instruments.

**Duration.** Duration is a measure of the expected change in value of a debt security for a given change in interest rates. For example, if interest rates changed by one percent, the value of a security having an effective duration of two years generally would vary by two percent. Duration takes the length of the time intervals between the present time and time that the interest and principal payments are scheduled, or in the case of a callable bond, expected to be received, and weighs them by the present values of the cash to be received at each future point in time.

**Pay-In-Kind and Step-Up Coupon Securities.** A pay-in-kind security pays no interest in cash to its holder during its life. Similarly, a step-up coupon security is a debt security that may not pay interest for a specified period of time and then, after the initial period, may pay interest at a series of different rates. Accordingly, pay-in kind and step-up coupon securities will be subject to greater fluctuations in market value in response to changing interest rates than debt obligations of comparable maturities that make current, periodic distribution of interest in cash.

**Perpetual Bonds.** Perpetual bonds offer a fixed return with no maturity date. Because they never mature, perpetual bonds can be more volatile than other types of bonds that have a maturity date and may be more sensitive to changes in interest rates. If market interest rates rise significantly, the interest rate paid by a perpetual bond may be much lower than the prevailing interest rate. Perpetual bonds are also subject to credit risk with respect to the issuer. In addition, because perpetual bonds may be callable after a set period of time, there is the risk that the issuer may recall the bond.

**Variable and Floating Rate Securities.** Variable and floating rate instruments involve certain obligations that may carry variable or floating rates of interest, and may involve a conditional or unconditional demand feature. Such instruments bear interest at rates which are not fixed, but which vary with changes in specified market rates or indices. The interest rates on these securities may be reset daily, weekly, quarterly, or some other reset period, and may have a set floor or ceiling on interest rate changes. There is a risk that the current interest rate on such obligations may not accurately reflect existing market interest rates.

**Corporate Debt Securities.** Each Fund may invest in corporate debt securities. The selection of such securities will generally not be dependent on independent credit analysis or fundamental analysis performed by Krane. Each Fund may invest in all grades of corporate debt securities including below investment grade as discussed below. See Appendix B for a description of corporate bond ratings. Each Fund may also invest in unrated securities.

Corporate debt securities are typically fixed-income securities issued by businesses to finance their operations, but may also include bank loans to companies. Notes, bonds, debentures and commercial paper are the most common types of corporate debt securities. The primary differences between the different types of corporate debt securities are their maturities and secured or un-secured status. Commercial paper has the shortest term and is usually unsecured. The broad category of corporate debt securities includes debt issued by domestic or foreign companies of all kinds, including those with small-, mid- and large-capitalizations. Corporate debt may be rated investment-grade, below investment-grade or unrated and may carry variable or floating rates of interest.

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

Corporate debt securities carry both credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk is the risk that a Fund could lose money if the issuer of a corporate debt security does not pay interest or principal when it is due. The credit risk of a particular issuer's debt security may vary based on its priority for repayment. For example, higher ranking (senior) debt securities have a higher priority than lower ranking (subordinated) securities. This means that the issuer might not make payments on subordinated securities while continuing to make payments on senior securities. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy, holders of higher-ranking senior securities may receive amounts otherwise payable to the holders of more junior securities. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of certain corporate debt securities will tend to fall when interest rates rise. In general, corporate debt securities with longer terms tend to fall more in value when interest rates rise than corporate debt securities with shorter terms.

**High Yield Securities.** High yield securities are commonly referred to as "junk bonds." Investing in these securities involves special risks in addition to the risks associated with investments in higher-rated fixed income securities. While offering a greater potential opportunity for capital appreciation and higher yields, high yield securities typically entail greater credit risk and potential price volatility and may be less liquid than higher-rated securities. A Fund may have difficulty selling certain junk bonds because they may have a thin trading market. The lack of a liquid secondary market may have an adverse effect on the market price and a Fund's ability to dispose of particular issues, including to honor redemptions, and may also make it more difficult for the Fund to obtain accurate market quotations in valuing these assets. High yield securities are regarded as inherently speculative with respect to the issuer's continuing ability to meet principal and interest payments. They may also be more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions and changes than higher-rated securities. Issuers of securities in default may fail to resume principal or interest payments, in which case a Fund may lose its entire investment.

Companies that issue high yield bonds are often highly leveraged and may not have more traditional methods of financing available to them. During an economic downturn or recession, highly leveraged issuers of high-yield securities may experience financial stress, and may not have sufficient revenues to meet their interest payment obligations. Economic downturns tend to disrupt the market for high yield bonds, lowering their values and increasing their price volatility. The risk of issuer default is higher with respect to high yield bonds because such issues may be subordinated to other creditors of the issuer and because they may be issued by less financially stable entities.

The credit rating of a high yield bond does not necessarily address its market value risk, and ratings may from time to time change to reflect developments regarding the issuer's financial condition. The lower the rating of a high yield bond, the more speculative its characteristics.

Unrated debt securities may face the same or more severe risks than high yield securities.

**U.S. Dollar-Denominated Foreign Debt Securities.** Foreign debt securities denominated in U.S. dollars may behave very differently from debt securities issued in local currencies, and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the two. For example, changes to currency exchange rates may impact issuers of foreign debt securities denominated in U.S. dollars differently than issuers of debt securities issued in local currencies. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably, which may adversely affect the Fund. In addition, if the U.S. dollar increases in value against the local currency of a U.S. dollar-denominated debt issue, the issuer may be subject to a greater risk of default on their obligations (*i.e.*, are unable to make scheduled interest or principal payments to investors).

**Commercial Paper.** Each Fund may invest in commercial paper of U.S. or foreign issuers. U.S. commercial paper generally consists of unsecured short-term promissory notes with a fixed maturity of no more than 270 days issued by corporations, generally to finance short-term business needs. Chinese commercial paper that may be purchased by a Fund generally will have no more than one year of remaining maturity. A Fund may purchase commercial paper of any rating or that is unrated. Commercial paper issues in which a Fund may invest include securities issued by corporations without registration under the Securities Act in reliance on the exemption from such registration afforded by Section 3(a)(3) thereof, and commercial paper issued in reliance on the so-called "private placement" exemption from registration, which is afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act ("Section 4(a)(2) paper"). Section 4(a)(2) paper is restricted as to disposition under the federal securities laws in that any resale must similarly be made in an exempt transaction. Section 4(a)(2) paper is normally resold to other institutional investors through or with the assistance of investment dealers who make a market in Section 4(a)(2) paper, which may provide some liquidity.

**Mortgage-Backed Securities.** Each Fund may invest in mortgage-backed securities, including collateralized mortgage obligations and mortgage pass-through securities. These securities represent interests in pools of mortgage loans. The payments of principal and interest on the underlying loans pass through to investors. Although the underlying mortgage loans are for specified periods of time, such as fifteen to thirty years, the borrowers can, and often do, repay them sooner. Thus, the security holders may receive prepayments of principal, in addition to the regular interest and principal.

There are three types of interest rate-related risks associated with mortgage-backed securities. The first is interest rate risk. The values of mortgage-backed securities will generally fluctuate inversely with interest rates. The second is prepayment risk. This is the risk that borrowers will repay their mortgages earlier than anticipated. A borrower is more likely to prepay a mortgage that bears a relatively high rate of interest. Thus, in times of declining interest rates, some higher yielding mortgages might be repaid resulting in larger cash payments to the Fund, and a Fund will be forced to accept lower interest rates when that cash is used to purchase additional securities. The third is extension risk. When interest rates rise, prepayments often drop, which should extend the average maturity of the mortgage-backed security. This makes mortgage-backed securities more sensitive to interest rate changes.

Mortgage-backed securities may also be subject to credit risk. Payment of principal and interest on many mortgage pass-through securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies whose obligations are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association) or may be guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government whose obligations are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (such as the Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae") or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac")). Mortgage pass-through securities may also be issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers). Some of these mortgage pass-through securities may be supported by various forms of insurance or guarantees but may otherwise be subject to a greater risk of loss.

**Other Asset-Backed Securities.** Each Fund may invest in other forms of asset-backed securities in addition to asset-based commercial paper and mortgage-backed securities. These securities, issued by trusts and special purpose corporations, are backed by a pool of assets, such as credit card receivables, automobile loans, airplane leases, equipment leases, or other forms of receivables. These securities present certain risks in addition to those normally associated with debt securities. For instance, these securities may not have the benefit of any security interest in any collateral that could ensure payment of the receivable. For example, credit card receivables are generally unsecured. The obligors may also be entitled to the protection of a number of state and federal credit laws. Moreover, even if there are perfected security interests in the underlying collateral, there is the possibility that recoveries on repossessed collateral may not be sufficient to support payments on these securities.

To lessen the effect of failures by obligors on underlying assets to make payments, asset-backed securities may contain elements of credit support which fall into two categories: (i) liquidity protection and (ii) protection against losses resulting from ultimate default by an obligor on the underlying assets. Liquidity protection refers to the provision of advances, to ensure that the receipt of payments on the underlying pool occurs in a timely fashion. Protection against losses resulting from ultimate default ensures payment through insurance policies or letters of credit obtained by the issuer or sponsor from third parties. The degree of credit support provided for each issue is generally based on historical information respecting the level of credit risk associated with the underlying assets. Delinquency or loss in excess of that anticipated or failure of the credit support could adversely affect the return on an investment in such a security. Credit supports, if any, do not protect against fluctuation in the market values of asset-backed securities. Moreover, a credit support depends upon the financial ability of its issuer to honor the support.

**Sovereign and Quasi-Sovereign Debt Obligations.** Each Fund may invest in sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt obligations. Sovereign debt obligations are issued or guaranteed by a foreign government or one of its agencies, authorities, instrumentalities, political subdivisions or by a supra-national organization. Investments in sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt obligations involve special risks not present in corporate debt obligations. The issuer of the sovereign or quasi-sovereign debt or the governmental authorities that control the repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal or interest when due, and a Fund may have limited recourse in the event of a default. Quasi-sovereign debt typically is not guaranteed by a sovereign entity. During periods of economic uncertainty, the market prices of sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt, and a Fund's net asset value, may be more volatile than prices of U.S. debt obligations. In the past, certain non-U.S. markets have encountered difficulties in servicing their debt obligations, withheld payments of principal and interest and declared moratoria on the payment of principal and interest on their sovereign debts.

A sovereign or quasi-sovereign debtor's willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation, the extent of its foreign currency reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange, the relative size of the debt service burden, politics, the sovereign debtor's policy toward principal international lenders and local political constraints. Sovereign and quasi-sovereign debtors may also be dependent on expected disbursements from foreign governments, multilateral agencies and other entities to reduce principal and interest arrearages on their debt. The failure of a sovereign or quasi-sovereign debtor to implement economic reforms, achieve specified levels of economic performance or repay principal or interest when due may result in the cancellation of third-party commitments to lend funds to the sovereign or quasi- sovereign debtor, which may further impair such debtor's ability or willingness to service its debts.

**Debt Securities Issued by the World Bank for Reconstruction and Development ("World Bank").** Each Fund may invest in debt securities issued by the World Bank. Debt securities issued by the World Bank may include high quality global bonds backed by member governments, including the United States, Japan, Germany, France and the United Kingdom, as well as in bonds in "non-core" currencies, including emerging markets and European accession countries, structured notes, and discount notes represented by certificates, in bearer form only, or in un-certified form (Book Entry Discount Notes) with maturities of 360 days or less at a discount, and in the case of Discount Notes, in certified form only and on an interest bearing basis in the U.S. and Eurodollar markets.

**U.S. Government Securities.** The Funds 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, the government National Mortgage Association ("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 National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation.

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 federal agencies, such as those securities issued by Fannie Mae, are not guaranteed by the U.S. government. No assurance can be given that the U.S. government will provide financial support to such issuers 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.

Since 2008, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been in conservatorship and have received significant capital support through U.S. Treasury preferred stock purchases, as well as U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve purchases of their mortgage-backed securities. The Federal Housing Finance Agency ("FHFA") and the U.S. Treasury (through its agreement to purchase Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac preferred stock) have imposed strict limits on the size of their mortgage portfolios. The mortgage-backed security purchase programs ended in 2010. An FHFA stress test suggested that in a "severely adverse scenario" significant additional Treasury support might be required. No assurance can be given that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will remain successful in meeting their obligations with respect to the debt and mortgage-backed securities that they issue.

In addition, the problems faced by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, resulting in their being placed into federal conservatorship and receiving significant U.S. government support, have sparked serious debate among federal policy makers regarding the continued role of the U.S. government in providing liquidity for mortgage loans. In December 2011, Congress enacted the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011 which, among other provisions, requires that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac increase their single-family guaranty fees by at least 10 basis points and remit this increase to Treasury with respect to all loans acquired by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac on or after April 1, 2012 and before January 1, 2022. Nevertheless, discussions among policymakers have continued as to whether Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should be nationalized, privatized, restructured, or eliminated altogether. Fannie Mae has reported that there is "significant uncertainty regarding the future of our company, including how long the company will continue to exist in its current form, the extent of our role in the market, how long we will be in conservatorship, what form we will have and what ownership interest, if any, our current common and preferred stockholders will hold in us after the conservatorship is terminated, and whether we will continue to exist following conservatorship." Freddie Mac faces similar uncertainty about its future role. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac also are the subject of several continuing legal actions and investigations related to certain accounting, disclosure, or corporate governance matters, which (along with any resulting financial restatements) may continue to have an adverse effect on the guaranteeing entities. Congress is currently considering several pieces of legislation that would reform U.S. government sponsored enterprises, proposing to address their structure, mission, portfolio limits, and guarantee fees, among other issues.

**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 typically 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 U.S. 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 a Fund's shares.

**<u>Foreign Securities</u>**

Each Fund may invest in non-U.S. securities and instruments, or in instruments that provide exposure to such securities and instruments. These instruments may include debt or equity securities. Investments in non-U.S. securities involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in U.S. securities. For example, investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. There may be less information publicly available about non-U.S. issuers. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to different accounting, auditing, financial reporting and investor protection standards than U.S. issuers. Investments in non-U.S. securities may be subject to withholding or other taxes and may be subject to additional trading, settlement, custodial, and operational risks (including restrictions on the transfers of securities). With respect to certain countries, there is the possibility of government intervention and expropriation or nationalization of assets. Because legal systems differ, there is also the possibility that it will be difficult to obtain or enforce legal judgments in certain countries.

Non-U.S. markets may not be as developed or efficient as, and may be more volatile than, those in the U.S. While the volume of shares traded on non-U.S. markets generally have been growing, such markets usually have substantially less volume than U.S. markets. Therefore, a Fund's investments in non-U.S. securities may be less liquid and subject to more rapid and erratic price movements than comparable securities trading in the U.S. For example, non-U.S. equity securities may trade at price/earnings multiples higher than comparable U.S. securities and such levels may not be sustainable. There may be less government supervision and regulation of foreign stock exchanges, brokers, banks and listed companies abroad than in the U.S. Moreover, settlement practices for transactions in foreign markets may differ from those in U.S. markets. Such differences may include delays beyond periods customary in the U.S. and practices, such as delivery of securities prior to receipt of payment, that increase the likelihood of a failed settlement, which can result in losses to a Fund. Foreign exchanges may be open on days when a Fund does not price its shares, thus, the value of the securities in a Fund's portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell a Fund's shares. Conversely, Fund shares may trade on days when foreign exchanges are closed. Each of these factors can make investments in a Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments. In addition, a Fund may change its creation or redemption procedures without notice in connection with restrictions on the transfer of securities. For more information on creation and redemption procedures, see "Creation and Redemption of Creation Units" herein.

Foreign brokerage commissions, custodial expenses and other fees are also generally higher than for securities traded in the U.S. This may cause a Fund to incur higher portfolio transaction costs than domestic funds. Fluctuations in exchange rates may also affect the earning power and asset value of the foreign entity issuing a security, even one denominated in U.S. dollars. Dividend and interest payments may be repatriated based on the exchange rate at the time of disbursement, but restrictions on capital flows may be imposed.

Economic conditions, such as volatile currency exchange rates and interest rates, political events and other conditions may, without prior warning, lead to government intervention and the imposition of "capital controls." Countries use these controls to restrict volatile movements of capital entering (inflows) and exiting (outflows) their country to respond to certain economic conditions. Capital controls include the prohibition of, or restrictions on, the ability to transfer currency, securities or other assets. Levies may be placed on profits repatriated by foreign entities (such as a Fund). Capital controls may impact the ability of a Fund to create and redeem Creation Units, adversely affect the trading market for shares of a Fund, and cause shares of a Fund to trade at prices materially different from NAV. There can be no assurance that a country in which a Fund invests will not impose a form of capital control to the possible detriment of a Fund and its shareholders. A Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to foreign currencies for the purpose of purchasing foreign securities. This may hinder a Fund's performance, since any delay could result in a Fund missing an investment opportunity and purchasing securities at a higher price than originally intended, or incurring cash drag.

Investing in foreign companies may involve risks not typically associated with investing in companies domiciled in the United States. The value of securities denominated in foreign currencies, and of dividends from such securities, can change significantly when foreign currencies strengthen or weaken relative to the U.S. dollar. Foreign securities markets generally have less trading volume and less liquidity than U.S. markets, and prices in some foreign markets can be very volatile. Many foreign countries lack uniform accounting and disclosure standards comparable to those that apply to U.S. companies, and it may be more difficult to obtain reliable information regarding a foreign issuer's financial condition and operations. In addition, the costs of foreign investing, including withholding taxes, brokerage commissions, and custodial fees, generally are higher than for U.S. investments. Investing in companies located abroad also carries political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the United States. Foreign investment may be affected by actions of foreign governments adverse to the interests of U.S. investors, including the possibility of seizure, expropriation or nationalization of assets, including foreign deposits, confiscatory taxation, restrictions on U.S. investment, or on the ability to repatriate assets or to convert currency into U.S. dollars. There may be a greater possibility of default by foreign governments or foreign-government sponsored enterprises. Investments in foreign countries also involve a risk of local political, economic, or social instability, military action or unrest, or adverse diplomatic developments.

**Geographic Focus.** Funds that are less diversified across countries or geographic regions are generally riskier than more geographically diversified funds. To the extent a Fund focuses on a specific region, it will be more exposed to that region's economic cycles, currency exchange rates, stock market valuations and political risks, among others, compared with a more geographically diversified fund. The economies and financial markets of certain regions, such as Asia, can be interdependent and may be adversely affected by the same events. Set forth below for certain markets in which a Fund may invest are brief descriptions of some of the conditions and risks in each such market.

**Investments in Emerging Markets Securities.** A Fund may invest in markets that are considered to be "emerging." Investing in securities listed and traded in emerging markets may be subject to additional risks associated with emerging market economies. Such risks may include: (i) greater market volatility, (ii) greater risk of asset seizures and capital controls, (iii) lower trading volume and liquidity, (iv) greater social, political and economic uncertainty, (v) governmental controls on foreign investments and limitations on repatriation of invested capital, (vi) lower disclosure, corporate governance, auditing and financial reporting standards, (vii) fewer protections of property rights, (viii) restrictions on the transfer of securities or currency, and (ix) settlement and trading practices that differ from U.S. markets. Emerging markets are generally less liquid and less efficient than developed securities markets.

**Investments in Frontier Market Securities.** Frontier market countries generally have smaller economies and less developed capital markets or legal, regulatory and political systems than traditional emerging market countries. As a result, the risks of investing in emerging market countries are magnified in frontier market countries.

**Investments in Asia.** Investments in securities of issuers in Asian countries involve risks not typically associated with investments in securities of issuers in other regions. Such heightened risks include, among others, expropriation and/or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, political instability, including authoritarian and/or military involvement in governmental decision-making, armed conflict and social instability as a result of religious, ethnic and/or socio-economic unrest. Certain Asian economies have experienced rapid rates of economic growth and industrialization in recent years, and there is no assurance that these rates of economic growth and industrialization will be maintained.

Certain Asian countries have democracies with relatively short histories, which may increase the risk of political instability. These countries have faced political and military unrest, and further unrest could present a risk to their local economies and securities markets. Indonesia and the Philippines have each experienced violence and terrorism, which has negatively impacted their economies. North Korea and South Korea each have substantial military capabilities, and historical tensions between the two countries present the risk of war; in the recent past, these tensions have escalated. Any outbreak of hostilities between the two countries could have a severe adverse effect on the South Korean economy and securities market. Increased political and social unrest in these geographic areas could adversely affect the performance of investments in this region.

Certain governments in this region administer prices on several basic goods, including fuel and electricity, within their respective countries. Certain governments may exercise substantial influence over many aspects of the private sector in their respective countries and may own or control many companies. Future government actions could have a significant effect on the economic conditions in this region, which in turn could have a negative impact on private sector companies. There is also the possibility of diplomatic developments adversely affecting investments in the region.

Corruption and the perceived lack of a rule of law in dealings with international companies in certain Asian countries may discourage foreign investment and could negatively impact the long-term growth of certain economies in this region. In addition, certain countries in the region are experiencing high unemployment and corruption, and have fragile banking sectors. Their securities markets are not as developed as those of other countries and, therefore, are subject to additional risks such as trading halts.

Some economies in this region are dependent on a range of commodities, including oil, natural gas and coal. Accordingly, they are strongly affected by international commodity prices and particularly vulnerable to any weakening in global demand for these products. The market for securities in this region may also be directly influenced by the flow of international capital, and by the economic and market conditions of neighboring countries. Adverse economic conditions or developments in neighboring countries may increase investors' perception of the risk of investing in the region as a whole, which may adversely impact the market value of the securities issued by companies in the region.

**Investments in Brazil.** Brazil has experienced economic instability resulting from, among other things, periods of very high inflation, persistent structural public sector deficits and significant devaluations of its currency, leading also to a high degree of price volatility in both the Brazilian equity and foreign currency markets. Brazilian companies may also be adversely affected by high interest and unemployment rates, fluctuations in commodity prices, significant public health concerns, and associated declines in tourism.

**Investments in China.** The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions and policy in China and surrounding Asian countries. Investments in Chinese securities, including those that are Hong Kong-listed and U.S.-listed securities, subject the Fund to risks specific to China. The economy of China, which has been in a state of transition from a planned economy to a more market oriented economy, differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the level of government involvement, its state of development, its growth rate, control of foreign exchange, and allocation of resources.

Although the majority of productive assets in China are still owned by the Chinese government at various levels, the Chinese government has implemented economic reform measures emphasizing utilization of market forces in the development of the economy of China and a high level of management autonomy. The economy of China has experienced significant growth in the past 20 years, but growth has been uneven both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. Economic growth has often been accompanied by periods of high inflation in China. The Chinese government has implemented various measures from time to time to control inflation and restrain the rate of economic growth.

The Chinese government has carried out economic reforms to achieve decentralization and utilization of market forces to develop the economy of China. These reforms have resulted in significant economic growth and social progress. There can, however, be no assurance that the Chinese government will continue to pursue such economic policies or, if it does, that those policies will continue to be successful. Any such adjustment and modification of those economic policies may have an adverse impact on the securities market in China, the portfolio securities of a Fund or a Fund itself. Further, the Chinese government may from time to time adopt corrective measures to control the growth of the Chinese economy, which may also have an adverse impact on the capital growth and performance of a Fund. Political changes, social instability and adverse diplomatic developments in China could result in the imposition of additional government restrictions including expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxes or nationalization of some or all of the property held by the underlying issuers of a Fund's portfolio securities. As the Chinese economy develops, its growth may slow significantly and sometimes unexpectedly. The laws, regulations, including the investment regulations allowing foreigners to invest in Chinese securities, government policies and political and economic climate in China may change with little or no advance notice. Any such change could adversely affect market conditions and the performance of the Chinese economy and, thus, the value of securities in a Fund's portfolio.

The Chinese government continues to be an active participant in many economic sectors through ownership positions and regulation. The allocation of resources in China is subject to a high level of government control. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. Through its policies, the government may provide preferential treatment to particular industries or companies. The policies set by the government could have a substantial effect on the Chinese economy and a Fund's investments. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy, and may introduce new laws and regulations that have an adverse effect on a Fund.

In addition, the Chinese economy is export-driven and highly reliant on trade. Recent developments in relations between the United States and China have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the two countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, oversupply of certain manufactured goods, substantial price reductions of goods and possible failure of individual companies and/or large segments of China's export industry, all of which could have a negative impact on China's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on a Fund. In addition, worsening trade relations between the two countries could adversely impact a Fund, particularly to the extent that the Chinese government restricts foreign investments in on-shore Chinese companies or the U.S. government restricts investments by U.S. investors in China including by limiting the ability of Chinese issuers to list on the U.S. exchanges. Worsening trade relations may also result in market volatility and volatility in the price of Fund shares. In addition, the U.S government has imposed restrictions on the ability of U.S. investors to hold and/or acquire securities of certain Chinese companies, which may adversely impact a Fund, may mean that the Fund's underlying index may need to adjust its methodology or could increase tracking error for the Fund.

A Fund's underlying index may include companies that are subject to economic or trade restrictions (but not investment restrictions) imposed by the U.S. or other governments due to national security, human rights or other concerns of such government and a Fund that seeks to track an underlying index is generally expected to invest in such companies as long as these restrictions do not include restrictions on investments.

There has been increased attention to Chinese companies from the U.S. government and U.S. regulators, including the Department of the Treasury ("DOT") and its Office of Foreign Assets Control. On June 3, 2021, an amending executive order was issued to an executive order that was issued in November 2020, which established a new sanctions program designed to prohibit U.S. persons from entering into transactions in certain publicly traded securities, as well as derivatives and securities designed to provide investment exposure to such securities, of certain companies specified in the executive order. A number of Chinese issuers have been designated under this program and more could be added. Under current guidance, U.S. investors may purchase interests in an investment fund that does not make any new purchases of designated securities and is "seeking to" divest its holdings of such securities during the applicable divestment period. On August 9, 2023, the DOT issued regulations which will prohibit or require notification of investments by certain U.S. persons in certain sub-sets of national security technologies and products including semiconductors and microelectronics, quantum information technologies and certain artificial intelligence systems in or related to "countries of concern," defined as China including Hong Kong and Macau. These regulations are in effect as of January 2, 2025. As a result, the executive orders and related guidance may significantly reduce the liquidity of such securities, force a Fund to sell certain positions at inopportune times or for unfavorable prices, and restrict future investments by a Fund.

The performance of the Chinese economy may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross domestic product, rate of inflation, currency depreciation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position. Adverse changes to the economic conditions of its primary trading partners, such as the United States, Japan and South Korea, would adversely impact the Chinese economy and a Fund's investments. A downturn in the economies of China's primary trading partners could also slow or eliminate the growth of the Chinese economy and adversely impact a Fund's investments. Moreover, the slowdown in other significant economies of the world, such as the United States, the European Union ("EU") and certain Asian countries, may adversely affect economic growth in China. An economic downturn in China would likely adversely affect a Fund's investments.

The regulatory and legal framework for capital markets in China may not be as well developed as those of developed countries. Chinese laws and regulations affecting securities markets are relatively new and evolving, and enforcement of these regulations involve significant uncertainties. No assurance can be given that changes in such laws and regulations, their interpretation or their enforcement will not have a material adverse effect on their business operations or on a Fund.

A Fund may obtain exposure to companies based or operated in the People's Republic of China ("PRC") by investing through legal structures known as variable interest entities ("VIEs"). Because of Chinese governmental restrictions on non-Chinese ownership of companies in certain industries in the PRC, certain Chinese companies have used VIEs to facilitate foreign investment without distributing direct ownership of companies based or operated in the PRC. In such cases, the Chinese operating company establishes an offshore entity, and the offshore entity enters into contractual arrangements (such as powers of attorney, equity pledge agreements and other services or business cooperation agreements) with the operating company. These contractual arrangements are intended to give the offshore entity the ability to exercise power over and obtain economic rights from the operating company. Shares of the offshore entity, in turn, are listed and traded on exchanges outside of the PRC and are available to non-Chinese investors such as a Fund. This arrangement allows non-Chinese investors in the offshore entity to obtain economic exposure to the Chinese company without direct equity ownership in the Chinese company.

Although VIEs are a longstanding industry practice and well known to officials and regulators in the PRC, VIEs are not formally recognized under Chinese law. There is a risk that the PRC may cease to tolerate VIEs at any time or impose new restrictions on the structure, in each case either generally or with respect to specific industries, sectors or companies. Investments involving a VIE may also pose additional risks because such investments are made through an entity whose interests in the underlying operating company are established through contract rather than through equity ownership. For example, in the event of a dispute, the offshore entity's contractual claims with respect to the operating company may be deemed unenforceable in the PRC, thus limiting (or eliminating) the remedies and rights available to the offshore entity and its investors. Such legal uncertainty may also be exploited against the interests of the offshore entity and its investors. Further, the interests of the equity owners of the operating company may conflict with the interests of the investors of the offshore entity, and the fiduciary duties of the officers and directors of the operating company may differ from, or conflict with, the fiduciary duties of the officers and directors of the offshore entity. Foreign companies listed on U.S. exchanges, including offshore entities that utilize a VIE structure, also could face delisting or other ramifications for failure to meet the requirements of the SEC, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board ("PCAOB") or other United States regulators or due to worsening relations between the countries, which would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities. Audits performed by PCAOB-registered accounting firms in mainland China and Hong Kong may be less reliable than those performed by firms subject to PCAOB inspection. Accordingly, information about the Chinese securities in which a Fund invests may be less reliable or complete. Under amendments to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act enacted in December 2020, which requires that the PCAOB be permitted to inspect the accounting firm of a U.S.-listed Chinese issuer, Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if the PCAOB is unable to inspect the accounting firm. Any of the foregoing risks and events could negatively impact a Fund's performance.

Although China has begun the process of privatizing certain sectors of its economy, privatized entities may lose money and/or be re-nationalized. Accordingly, an investment in a Fund involves a risk of total loss. In the Chinese securities markets, a small number of issuers may represent a large portion of the entire market. The Chinese securities markets are characterized by relatively frequent trading halts and low trading volume, resulting in substantially less liquidity and greater price volatility. These risks may be more pronounced for the A Share market than for Chinese equity securities markets generally because the A Share market is subject to greater government restrictions and control, including the risk of nationalization or expropriation of private assets which could result in a total loss of an investment in a Fund.

Internal social unrest or confrontations with other neighboring countries, including military conflicts in response to such events, may also disrupt economic development in China and result in a greater risk of currency fluctuations, currency convertibility, interest rate fluctuations and higher rates of inflation. China has experienced security concerns, such as terrorism and strained international relations. Incidents involving China's or the region's security may cause uncertainty in Chinese markets and may adversely affect the Chinese economy and the Fund's investments.

Repatriations of gains and income on PRC securities may require the approval of China's State Administration of Foreign Exchange ("SAFE") and principal invested pursuant to the PRC securities quota may be subject to repatriation restrictions, depending on the license used and the period from remittance of funds into China.

Currently, there are two stock exchanges in mainland China, the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges. The Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges are supervised by the China Securities Regulatory Commission ("CSRC") and are highly automated with trading and settlement executed electronically. The Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges are substantially smaller, less liquid and more volatile than the major securities markets in the United States.

The Shanghai Stock Exchange commenced trading on December 19, 1990, the Shenzhen Stock Exchange commenced trading on July 3, 1991 and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange commenced trading on April 2, 1986. The Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges divide listed shares into two classes: A-Shares and B-Shares. Companies whose shares are traded on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges that are incorporated in mainland China may issue both A-Shares and B-Shares. In China, the A-Shares and B-Shares of an issuer trade on one exchange. A-Shares and B-Shares may both be listed on either the Shanghai or Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Both classes represent an ownership interest comparable to a share of common stock. A-Shares are traded on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges in Chinese currency. B-Shares are traded on the Shenzhen and Shanghai Stock Exchanges in Hong Kong dollars and U.S. dollars, respectively.

Foreign investors had historically been unable to participate in the PRC securities market. However, in late 2002, Investment Regulations promulgated by the CSRC came into effect, which were replaced by the updated Investment Regulations (*i.e.*, "Measures for the Administration of the Securities Investments of Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors in the PRC"), which came into effect on September 1, 2006, that provided a legal framework for certain Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors ("QFIIs") to invest in PRC securities and certain other securities historically not eligible for investment by non-Chinese investors, through quotas granted by SAFE to those QFIIs which have been approved by the CSRC. The RMB QFII ("RQFII") program was instituted in December 2011 and is substantially similar to the QFII program, but provides for greater flexibility in repatriating assets. In 2020, the PRC government eliminated QFII and RQFII quotas, meaning that entities registered with the appropriate Chinese regulator will no longer be subject to quotas when investing in PRC securities (but will remain subject to foreign shareholder limits), and merged the two programs into the Qualified Foreign Investor regime ("QFI").

In November 2014, the PRC government launched the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect program, which allows investors with brokerage accounts in Hong Kong to invest in certain A-Shares without a QFI license. A similar stock connect program, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect program, launched in November 2016, and the Shanghai-London Stock Connect Program and the China-Japan Stock Connect both launched in June 2019 (together, the "Stock Connect Programs").

In February 2016, the People's Bank of China established a program that permits foreign investors to invest directly in securities traded on the Chinese Interbank Bond Market ("CIBM"), even without a QFI license ("CIBM Program"). If a Fund participates in the CIBM Program, a PRC onshore settlement agent will be appointed for a Fund, which is required by the CIBM Program.

Bond Connect, a mutual market access scheme, commenced trading on July 3, 2017 and represents an exception to Chinese laws that generally restrict foreign investment in RMB Bonds. In August 2018, Bond Connect enhanced its settlement system to fully implement real-time delivery-versus-payment settlement of trades, which has resulted in increased adoption of Bond Connect by investors. However, if a Fund participates in Bond Connect, there is a risk that Chinese regulators may alter all or part of the structure and terms of, as well as the Fund's access to, Bond Connect in the future or eliminate it altogether, which may limit or prevent the Fund from investing directly in or selling its RMB Bonds.

There is no guarantee that any applicable quota received by Krane to invest in PRC securities will not be modified or revoked in the future. Additionally, given that the PRC securities markets are considered volatile and unstable, the creation and redemption of Creation Units may also be disrupted. A participating dealer may not redeem or create Creation Units of a Fund for securities if it believes PRC securities are not available.

<u>PRC Custodian and Dealer/Settlement Agent</u>.

A Fund is responsible for selecting the PRC Dealer/Settlement Agent to execute certain transactions for a Fund in the PRC markets. Krane can currently only use a limited number of PRC Dealers/Settlement Agents and may use more than one PRC Dealer/Settlement Agent for accessing some securities. Should, for any reason, a Fund's ability to use a given PRC Dealer/Settlement Agent be affected, this could disrupt the operations of a Fund and affect the ability of a Fund to track the underlying index or cause a premium or a discount to the trading price of a Fund's shares. A Fund may also incur losses due to the acts or omissions of either the relevant PRC Dealer/Settlement Agent or the PRC Custodian in the execution or settlement of any transaction or in the transfer of any funds or securities. Subject to the applicable laws and regulations in the PRC, Krane will make arrangements to ensure that the PRC Dealers/Settlement Agents and PRC Custodian have appropriate procedures to properly seek to safe-keep a Fund's assets.

According to the applicable Chinese regulations and market practice, the securities and cash accounts for a Fund held in the PRC pursuant to a QFI license are to be maintained in the joint names of Krane as the QFI holder and the Fund. Krane may not use the account for any other purpose than for maintaining a Fund's assets. However, given that the securities trading account will or would be maintained in the joint names of Krane and the Fund, the Fund's assets may not be as well protected as they would be if it were possible for them to be registered and held solely in the name of the Fund. In particular, there is a risk that creditors of Krane may assert that the securities are owned by Krane and not the Fund, and that a court would uphold such an assertion, in which case creditors of Krane could seize assets of the Fund. Because the QFI license would be in the name of Krane and the Fund, there is also a risk that regulatory actions taken against Krane by PRC government authorities may affect the Fund.

Investors should note that cash deposited in the cash account of a Fund with the PRC Custodian will not be segregated but will be a debt owing from the PRC Custodian to a Fund as a depositor. Such cash will be co-mingled with cash belonging to other clients of the PRC Custodian. In the event of bankruptcy or liquidation of the PRC Custodian, a Fund will not have any proprietary rights to the cash deposited in such cash account, and a Fund will become an unsecured creditor, ranking pari passu with all other unsecured creditors, of the PRC Custodian. A Fund may face difficulty and/or encounter delays in recovering such debt, or may not be able to recover it in full or at all, in which case a Fund will suffer losses.

In the event of any default of either the relevant PRC Dealer/Settlement Agent or the PRC Custodian (directly or through its delegate) in the execution or settlement of any transaction or in the transfer of any funds or securities in the PRC, a Fund may encounter delays in recovering its assets which may in turn adversely impact the NAV of that Fund.

<u>Specific Risks of Investing in the A-Shares Market</u>

The Funds may invest in A-Shares through a QFI license from CSRC and an A-Shares quota from SAFE, the Stock Connect Programs, and other investment companies, including other exchange-traded funds ("ETFs") which may be advised or otherwise serviced by Krane. The Stock Connect Programs are exceptions to Chinese law, which generally restricts foreign investment in A Shares. These programs are novel. Chinese regulators may alter or eliminate these programs at any time.

Because restrictions continue to exist and capital therefore cannot flow freely into and out of the A-Share market, it is possible that in the event of a market disruption, the liquidity of the A-Share market and trading prices of A-Shares could be more severely affected than the liquidity and trading prices of markets where securities are freely tradable and capital therefore flows more freely. A Fund cannot predict the nature or duration of such a market disruption or the impact that it may have on the A-Share market and the short-term and long-term prospects of its investments in the A-Share market. In the event that a Fund invests in A-Shares directly, a Fund may incur significant losses, or may not be able fully to implement or pursue its investment objectives or strategies, due to investment restrictions on QFIs, illiquidity of the Chinese securities markets, or delay or disruption in execution or settlement of trades. A-Shares may become subject to frequent and widespread trading halts.

The Chinese government has in the past taken actions that benefitted holders of A-Shares. As A-Shares become more available to foreign investors, such as a Fund, the Chinese government may be less likely to take action that would benefit holders of A-Shares. In addition, there is no guarantee that an A-Shares quota will be sufficient for a Fund's intended scope of investment.

The regulations which apply to investments by QFIs are relatively new and are unique to PRC investment schemes. The application and interpretation of such regulations are therefore relatively untested. In addition, there is little precedent or certainty evidencing how such discretion may be exercised now or in the future; and even if there were precedent, it may provide little guidance as PRC authorities would likely continue to have broad discretion.

If a Fund obtains a QFI license to invest in A-Shares, Krane will be required to transfer the entire investment principal into a local sub-custodian account within such time period as specified by SAFE. These limitations may also prevent a Fund from making certain distributions to shareholders.

Repatriations by QFIs are currently permitted daily and are not subject to repatriation restrictions or prior regulatory approval. However, there is no assurance that PRC rules and regulations will not change or that repatriation restrictions will not be imposed in the future. Further, such changes to the PRC rules and regulations may be applied retroactively. Any restrictions on repatriation of a Fund's portfolio investments could have an adverse effect on a Fund's ability to meet redemption requests.

If a Fund invests in A-Shares directly through a QFI license, it would be required to select a PRC sub-custodian for its investments in A-Shares, which is a mainland commercial bank qualified as a custodian for QFIs ("PRC custodian"). Given that the securities in an A-Shares trading account would be maintained in the joint names of Krane and a Fund, a Fund's assets may not be as well protected as they would be if it were possible for them to be registered and held solely in the name of a Fund. In particular, there is a risk that creditors of Krane may assert that the securities are owned by Krane and not a Fund, and that a court would uphold such an assertion, in which case creditors of Krane could seize assets of a Fund. There would also be a risk that regulatory actions taken against Krane might affect a Fund.

The Chinese government limits foreign investment in the securities of certain Chinese issuers and prohibits certain investments entirely. For example, currently, no single underlying foreign investor may hold more than 10% of the total outstanding shares in one listed company and all foreign investors may not hold, in aggregate, more than 30% of the total outstanding shares in one listed company. Such limits may not apply where foreign investors make strategic investment in listed companies in accordance with the Measures for the Administration of Strategic Investments in Listed Companies by Foreign Investors. Any restrictions or limitations could have adverse effects on the liquidity and performance of a Fund's holdings, which would increase the risk of tracking error and, at the worst, result in a Fund not being able to achieve its investment objective.

Regulations adopted by the CSRC and SAFE specify that all A-Shares purchased or sold through a QFI license must be executed through a specified set of brokers per exchange. Should a Fund's ability to use the relevant PRC broker be affected for any reason, it could disrupt the operations of a Fund, causing a premium or discount in the trading price of a Fund's shares relative to NAV. A Fund may also incur losses due to the acts or omissions of the PRC broker in the execution of any transaction or the transfer of funds or securities. In addition, limiting transactions to a particular PRC broker may result in higher brokerage commissions paid by a Fund.

If a Fund purchases A-Shares through a QFI license, a Fund, per Chinese regulations, would be required to maintain its securities and cash accounts in the PRC in the joint names of a Fund and the QFI holder. Although the accounts cannot be used for any purpose other than maintaining a Fund's assets, such assets may not be as well protected as they would be if they were registered and held solely in the name of a Fund. In particular, there is a risk that creditors of the QFI holder may seek to assert ownership in the event of such entity's bankruptcy or the like. Adverse actions taken against the QFI holder may also adversely impact the accounts.

If a Fund purchases A-Shares through a QFI license, cash deposited in the cash account of a Fund with the PRC custodian would not normally be, in fact, segregated for the benefit of a Fund, but will likely be deemed a general debt of the PRC custodian owing to a Fund as depositor. Such cash accordingly would be commingled with the cash of other clients of the PRC custodian. In the event of such custodian's bankruptcy or the like, it is unlikely that a Fund would have proprietary rights to the cash it deposited. Instead, a Fund would likely become an unsecured creditor, ranking pari passu with all other unsecured creditors of the custodian. A Fund may face delays in recovering the cash and may be unable to recover it at all.

In addition to investing directly in A-Shares, a Fund may seek exposure to China A-Shares by investing in depositary receipts, H shares or B-Shares on the component securities. The A Shares market may behave very differently from the B-Shares, H-Shares, and N-Shares and there may be little to no correlation between their performance. A Fund may also use derivatives or invest in ETFs that provide comparable exposures. If necessary, a Fund may suspend the sale of shares in Creation Units until it is determined that the requisite exposure to the component securities of the underlying index is obtainable. During the period that creations are suspended, Fund shares may trade at a significant premium or discount to net asset value (the "NAV"). Alternatively, a Fund may change its investment objective and track another index of Chinese-related stocks. In extreme circumstances beyond the control of a Fund, a Fund may incur significant losses due to limited investment capabilities, including based on the illiquidity of the Chinese securities markets, or delay or disruption in execution or settlement of trades. A-Shares may be subject to more frequent and/or extended trading halts than other exchange-traded securities.

The ability of a Fund to buy and sell A-Shares through the Stock Connect Programs on a particular day may be affected by public holidays of the participating exchanges, which differ.

*Tax Risk.* Per a circular (Caishui [2014] 79), the Fund is temporarily exempt from the Chinese tax on capital gains ("CGT") on trading in A-Shares as a QFI on the Shanghai Stock Exchange through the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect as of November 17, 2014, and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange through the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect as of December 5, 2016. There is no indication as to how long the temporary exemption will remain in effect. Accordingly, the Funds may be subject to such taxes in the future.

When the QFI transfers A-Shares and B-Shares, PRC Stamp Duty is currently imposed on the seller but not on the purchaser, at a rate of 0.1% on the transacted value. In addition, under the current PRC Business Tax ("BT") Law, which came into effect on January 1, 2009, taxpayer would be subject to PRC BT at a rate of 5% in respect of capital gains derived from the trading of A-Shares. However, Caishui [2005] 155 grants BT exemption to QFIs in respect of their gains derived from the trading of PRC securities (including A-Shares). The new BT Law, which came into effect on January 1, 2009, has not changed this exemption treatment at the time of this Prospectus. Dividend income or profit distributions on equity investment derived from China are not included in the taxable scope of BT.

Urban maintenance and construction tax (currently at the rate ranging from 1% to 7%), educational surcharges (currently at the rate of 3%) and local educational surcharges (currently at the rate of 2%) are imposed based on the business tax liabilities.

Each Fund reserves the right to establish a reserve for taxes which present uncertainty as to whether they will be assessed, although it currently does not do so. If a Fund establishes such a reserve but is not ultimately subject to these taxes, shareholders who redeemed or sold their shares while the reserve was in place will effectively bear the tax and may not benefit from the later release, if any, of the reserve. Conversely, if a Fund does not establish such a reserve but ultimately is subject to the tax, shareholders who redeemed or sold their shares prior to the tax being withheld, reserved or paid will have effectively avoided the tax. Investors should note that such provision, if any, may be excessive or inadequate to meet actual tax liabilities (which could include interest and penalties) on a Fund's investments. As a result, investors may be advantaged or disadvantaged depending on the final rules of the relevant tax authorities.

Investments in swaps and other derivatives may be subject to special U.S. federal income tax rules that could adversely affect the character, timing and amount of income earned by a Fund (*e.g.*, by causing amounts that would be capital gain to be taxed as ordinary income or to be taken into income earlier than would otherwise be necessary). Also, a Fund may be required to periodically adjust its positions in its swaps and derivatives to comply with certain regulatory requirements which may further cause these investments to be less efficient than a direct investment in the securities themselves. For example, swaps in which a Fund may invest may need to be reset on a regular basis in order to maintain compliance with the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), which may increase the likelihood that a Fund will generate short-term capital gains. In addition, because the application of these special rules may be uncertain, it is possible that the manner in which they are applied by a Fund may be determined to be incorrect. In that event, a Fund may be found to have failed to maintain its qualification as a RIC or to be subject to additional U.S. tax liability. Moreover, a Fund may make investments, both directly and through swaps or other derivative positions, in companies classified as passive foreign investment companies ("PFICs") for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Investments in PFICs are subject to special tax rules which may result in adverse tax consequences to a Fund and its shareholders.

*Currency, Capital Controls and Currency Conversion Risk.* Economic conditions and political events may lead to foreign government intervention and the imposition of additional or renewed capital controls in China, which may impact the ability of a Fund to buy, sell or otherwise transfer securities or currency, and limit a Fund's ability to pay redemptions, and cause a Fund to decline in value. Although the RMB is not presently freely convertible, there is no assurance that repatriation restrictions will not be (re-)imposed in the future. Because each Fund's NAV is determined on the basis of U.S. dollars, a Fund may lose value if the RMB depreciates against the U.S. dollar, even if the local currency value of a Fund's holdings goes up. A Fund may also be subject to delays in converting or transferring U.S. dollars to RMB for the purpose of purchasing A Shares. This may hinder its performance, including because any delay could result in the Fund missing an investment opportunity and purchasing securities at a higher price than originally intended, or incurring cash drag.

<u>China B-Shares</u>. The Funds may invest in shares of companies incorporated in mainland China that are traded in the mainland B-Share markets. B-Shares were originally intended to be available only to foreign investors or foreign institutions. However, since February 2001, B-Shares have been available to domestic individual investors who trade through legal foreign currency accounts. Unlike prices in the A-Share market, the prices of B-Shares are quoted in foreign currencies. The B-Share market commenced operations in April 1991 and was originally opened exclusively for foreign investors. In 2001, the B-Share market opened to Chinese domestic individual investors as well. However, Chinese domestic individual investors must trade with legal foreign currency accounts. The China B-Share market is composed of the Shanghai Stock Exchange (which settles in U.S. dollars) and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (which settles in Hong Kong dollars). The China B-Share market is generally smaller, less liquid and has a smaller issuer base than the China A-Share market. The A-Shares market may behave very differently from the B-Shares market, and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the two.

<u>China H-Shares</u>. The Funds may invest in shares of companies incorporated in mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. H-Shares are traded in Hong Kong dollars on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and must meet Hong Kong's listing and disclosure requirements. H-Shares may be traded by foreigners and offer a vehicle to foreigners to gain exposure to Chinese securities. Because they are traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, H-Shares involve a number of risks not typically associated with investing in countries with more democratic governments or more established economies or securities markets. Such risks may include the risk of nationalization or expropriation; greater social, economic and political uncertainty; increased competition from Asia's other low-cost emerging economies; currency exchange rate fluctuations; higher rates of inflation; controls on foreign investment and limitations on repatriation of invested capital; and greater governmental involvement in and control over the economy. Fluctuations in the value of the Hong Kong dollar will affect a Fund's holdings of H-Shares. The Hong Kong stock market may behave very differently from the domestic Chinese stock market and there may be little to no correlation between the performance of the Hong Kong stock market and the domestic Chinese stock market.

<u>China N-Shares</u>. The Funds may invest in shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on an American stock exchange, such as NYSE or Nasdaq. N-Shares are traded in U.S. dollars. N-Shares are issued by companies incorporated anywhere, but many are registered in Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, or the United States. Because companies issuing N-Shares often have business operations in China, they are subject to certain political and economic risks in China.

<u>P-Chip Companies</u>*.* The Funds may invest in shares of companies with controlling private Chinese shareholders that are incorporated outside mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. These businesses are often run by the private sector and have a majority of their business operations in mainland China. P-Chip shares are traded in Hong Kong dollars on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and may also be traded by foreigners. Because they are traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, P-Chips are also subject to risks similar to those associated with investments in H-Shares. They are also subject to risks affecting their jurisdiction of incorporation, including any legal or tax changes. Private Chinese companies may be more indebted, more susceptible to adverse changes in the economy, subject to asset seizures and nationalization, and negative political or legal developments.

<u>Red Chip Companies</u>. The Funds may invest in shares of companies with controlling Chinese shareholders that are incorporated outside mainland China, have a majority of their business operations in mainland China, and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. These businesses are controlled, either directly or indirectly, by the central, provincial or municipal governments of the PRC. Red Chip shares are traded in Hong Kong dollars on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and may also be traded by foreigners. Because Red Chip companies are controlled by various PRC governmental authorities, investing in Red Chips involves risks that political changes, social instability, regulatory uncertainty, adverse diplomatic developments, asset expropriation or nationalization, or confiscatory taxation could adversely affect the performance of Red Chip companies. Red Chip companies may be less efficiently run and less profitable than other companies.

<u>S-Chip Companies</u>. The Funds may invest in shares of companies with business operations in mainland China and listed on the Singapore Exchange ("S-Chips"). S-Chip shares are issued by companies incorporated anywhere, but many are registered in Singapore, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, or Bermuda. They are subject to risks affecting their jurisdiction of incorporation, including any legal or tax changes. S-Chip companies may or may not be owned at least in part by a Chinese central, provincial or municipal government and be subject to the types of risks that come with such ownership described herein. There may be little or no correlation between the performance of the Singapore stock market and the mainland Chinese stock market.

<u>Disclosure of Interests and Short Swing Profit Rule</u>*.* The Funds may be subject to shareholder disclosure of interest regulations promulgated by the CSRC. These regulations currently require a Fund to make certain public disclosures when a Fund and parties acting in concert with a Fund acquire 5% or more of the issued securities of a listed company. If the reporting requirement is triggered, a Fund will be required to report information which includes, but is not limited to: (a) information about a Fund and the type and extent of its holdings in the company; (b) a statement of a Fund's purposes for the investment and whether a Fund intends to increase its holdings over the following 12-month period; (c) a statement of a Fund's historical investments in the company over the previous six months; (d) the time of, and other information relating to, the transaction that triggered a Fund's holding in the listed company reaching the 5% reporting threshold; and (e) other information that may be required by the CSRC or the stock exchange. Additional information may be required if a Fund and its concerted parties constitute the largest shareholder or actual controlling shareholder of the listed company. The report must be made to the CSRC, the stock exchange, the invested company, and the CSRC local representative office where the listed company is located. A Fund would also be required to make a public announcement through a media outlet designated by the CSRC. The public announcement must contain the same content as the official report.

The relevant PRC regulations presumptively treat all affiliated investors and investors under common control as parties acting in concert. As such, under a conservative interpretation of these regulations, a Fund may be deemed as a "concert party" of other funds managed by Krane and/or its affiliates and therefore may be subject to the risk that a Fund's holdings may be required to be reported in the aggregate with the holdings of such other funds should the aggregate holdings trigger the reporting threshold under the PRC law.

If the 5% shareholding threshold is triggered by a Fund and parties acting in concert with the Fund, the Fund would be required to file its report within three days of the date the threshold is reached. During the time limit for filing the report, a trading freeze applies and the Fund would not be permitted to make subsequent trades in the invested company's securities. Any such trading freeze may impair the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective and undermine the Fund's performance, if a Fund would otherwise make trades during that period but is prevented from doing so by the regulation.

Once a Fund and parties acting in concert reach the 5% trading threshold as to any listed company, any subsequent incremental increase or decrease of 5% or more will trigger a further reporting requirement and an additional three-day trading freeze, and also an additional freeze on trading within two days of a Fund's report and announcement of the incremental change. These trading freezes may undermine a Fund's performance as described above. Also, Shanghai Stock Exchange requirements currently require a Fund and parties acting in concert, once they have reach the 5% threshold, to disclose whenever their shareholding drops below this threshold (even as a result of trading which is less than the 5% incremental change that would trigger a reporting requirement under the relevant CSRC regulation). CSRC regulations also contain additional disclosure (and tender offer) requirements that apply when an investor and parties acting in concert reach thresholds of 20% and greater than 30% shareholding in a company.

Subject to the interpretation of PRC courts and PRC regulators, the operation of the PRC short swing profit rule may prevent a Fund from reducing its holdings in a PRC company within six months of the last purchase of shares of the company if the Fund's holding in that company exceeds the threshold prescribed by the relevant exchange on which the PRC company's shares are listed. If a Fund's holdings are aggregated with other investors deemed as acting as concert parties of a Fund, a Fund will be subject to these restrictions even though it may not have caused or benefited by the activity. If a Fund violates the rule, it may be required by the listed company to return any profits realized from such trading to the listed company. In addition, the rule limits the ability of a Fund to repurchase securities of the listed company within six months of such sale. Moreover, under PRC civil procedures, a Fund's assets may be frozen to the extent of the claims made by the company in question. These risks may greatly impair the performance of a Fund.

**Investments in Eastern Europe.** Many countries in Eastern Europe are in their infancy and are developing rapidly, but such countries may lack the social, political and economic stability of more developed countries. Emerging market countries in Europe will be significantly affected by the fiscal and monetary controls of the European Monetary Union. Changes in regulations on trade, decreasing imports or exports, changes in the exchange rate of the euro and recessions among European countries may have a significant adverse effect on the economies of other European countries including those of Eastern Europe. The markets in Eastern Europe remain relatively undeveloped and can be particularly sensitive to political and economic developments, including those relating to Russia. Additionally, the small size and inexperience of the securities markets in Eastern European countries and the limited volume of trading in securities in those markets may make a Fund's investments in such countries illiquid or more volatile than investments in more developed countries.

**Investments in Germany.** Investment in German issuers subjects a Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risks specific to Germany. Recently, new concerns have emerged in relation to the economic health of the European Union. These concerns have led to downward pressure on the earnings of certain European issuers, including German financial services companies. Secessionist movements, such as the Catalan movement in Spain, may have an adverse effect on the German economy. The German economy is dependent to a significant extent on the economies of certain key trading partners, including the Netherlands, China, United States, United Kingdom, France, Italy and other European countries. Reduction in spending on German products and services, or changes in any of its key trading partners' economies may have an adverse impact on the German economy. Recent developments in relations between the United States and its trading partners have heightened concerns of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the countries. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on Germany's export industry and a commensurately negative impact on a Fund. In addition, heavy regulation of labor, energy and product markets in Germany may have an adverse impact on German issuers. Such regulations may negatively impact economic growth or cause prolonged periods of recession.

**Investments in Hong Kong.** The Funds may invest in securities listed and traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. In addition to the risks of investing in non-U.S. securities, investing in securities listed and traded in Hong Kong involves special considerations not typically associated with investing in countries with more democratic governments or more established economies or securities markets. Such risks may include: (i) the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets or confiscatory taxation; (ii) greater social, economic and political uncertainty (including the risk of war); (iii) dependency on exports and the corresponding importance of international trade; (iv) increasing competition from Asia's other low-cost emerging economies; (v) currency exchange rate fluctuations and the lack of available currency hedging instruments; (vi) higher rates of inflation; (vii) controls on foreign investment and limitations on repatriation of invested capital and on a Fund's ability to exchange local currencies for U.S. dollars; (viii) greater governmental involvement in and control over the economy; (ix) the risk that the Chinese government may decide not to continue to support the economic reform programs implemented since 1978 and could return to the prior, completely centrally planned, economy; (x) the fact that Chinese companies, particularly those located in China, may be smaller, less seasoned and newly organized; (xi) the differences in, or lack of, auditing and financial reporting standards which may result in unavailability of material information about issuers, particularly in China; (xii) the fact that statistical information regarding the economy of China may be inaccurate or not comparable to statistical information regarding the U.S. or other economies; (xiii) the less extensive, and still developing, regulation of the securities markets, business entities and commercial transactions; (xiv) the fact that the settlement period of securities transactions in foreign markets may be longer; (xv) the fact that the willingness and ability of the Chinese government to support the Chinese and Hong Kong economies and markets is uncertain; (xvi) the risk that it may be more difficult, or impossible, to obtain and/or enforce a judgment than in other countries; (xvii) the rapidity and erratic nature of growth, particularly in China, resulting in inefficiencies and dislocations; (xviii) the risk that, because of the degree of interconnectivity between the economies and financial markets of China and Hong Kong, any sizable reduction in the demand for goods from China, or an economic downturn in China, could negatively affect the economy and financial market of Hong Kong as well; and (xix) the risk that certain companies in a Fund's underlying index, if any, may have dealings with countries subject to sanctions or embargoes imposed by the U.S. Government or identified as state sponsors of terrorism.

Investments in Hong Kong are also subject to certain political risks. Following the establishment of the People's Republic of China by the Communist Party in 1949, the Chinese government renounced various debt obligations incurred by China's predecessor governments, which obligations remain in default, and expropriated assets without compensation. There can be no assurance that the Chinese government will not take similar action in the future. An investment in a Fund involves risk of a total loss. China has committed by treaty to preserve Hong Kong's autonomy and its economic, political and social freedoms for 50 years from the July 1, 1997 transfer of sovereignty from Great Britain to China. However, if China would exert its authority so as to alter the economic, political or legal structures or the existing social policy of Hong Kong, or is followed by political or economic disruptions, investor and business confidence in Hong Kong could be negatively affected, which in turn could negatively affect markets and business performance. These and other factors could have a negative impact on a Fund's performance.

**Investments in India.** Foreign investment in the securities of issuers in India is usually restricted or controlled to some degree. Under normal circumstances, income, gains and initial capital with respect to such investments are freely repatriable, subject to payment of applicable Indian taxes. There can be no assurance that these investment control regimes will not change in a way that makes it more difficult or impossible for a Fund to implement its investment objective or repatriate its income, gains and initial capital from India.

The Indian government exercises significant influence over many aspects of the economy. Government actions, bureaucratic obstacles and inconsistent economic reform could have a significant effect on the economy and a Fund's investments in India. There can be no assurance that the Indian government in the future, whether for purposes of managing its balance of payments or for other reasons, will not impose restrictions on foreign capital remittances abroad or otherwise modify the exchange control regime applicable to foreign institutional investors in such a way that may adversely affect the ability of a Fund to repatriate its income and capital.

Founders and their families control many Indian companies. Corporate governance standards of family-controlled companies may be weaker and less transparent, which increases the potential for loss and unequal treatment of investors. The securities market in India is substantially smaller, less liquid and significantly more volatile than the securities market in the U.S. Exchanges have also experienced problems such as temporary exchange closures, broker defaults, settlement delays and broker strikes that, if they occur again in the future, could affect the market prices and liquidity of the Indian securities in which a Fund invests. In addition, the governing bodies of the various Indian stock exchanges have from time to time imposed restrictions on trading in certain securities, limits on price movements and margin requirements. The relatively small market capitalizations of, and trading values on, the principal stock exchanges may cause a Fund's investments in securities listed on these exchanges to be comparatively less liquid and subject to greater price volatility than comparable U.S. investments.

Religious, cultural and border disputes persist in India. The Indian government has confronted separatist movements in several Indian states. The longstanding dispute with Pakistan over the bordering Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir remains unresolved. If the Indian government is unable to control the violence and disruption associated with these tensions (including both domestic and external sources of terrorism), the results could destabilize the economy and, consequently, adversely affect a Fund's investments. Both India and Pakistan have tested nuclear weapons, and the threat of deploying such weapons could hinder development of the Indian economy, and escalating tensions could impact the broader region, including China.

**Investments in Indonesia.** Indonesia is subject to a considerable degree of economic, political and social instability. Indonesia has experienced currency devaluations, substantial rates of inflation, widespread corruption and economic recessions. Indonesia is considered an emerging market, and its securities laws are unsettled. Judicial enforcement of contracts with foreign entities is inconsistent and, as a result of pervasive corruption, subject to the risk that cases will not be judged impartially. Indonesia has a history of political and military unrest and has recently experienced acts of terrorism that have targeted foreigners. Such acts of terrorism have had a negative impact on tourism, an important sector of the Indonesian economy. Additionally, Indonesia has faced violent separatist movements on the islands of Sumatra and Timor, as well as outbreaks of violence amongst religious and ethnic groups. Although the Indonesian government has recently revised policies intended to coerce cultural assimilation of ethnic minorities, a history of discrimination, official persecution, and populist violence continues to heighten the risk of economic disruption in Indonesia due to ethnic tensions. In addition, the Indonesian economy is heavily dependent on trading relationships with certain key trading partners, including China, Japan, Singapore and the United States.

**Investment in Japan.** The Japanese yen has shown volatility over the past two decades and such volatility could affect returns in the future. The yen may also be affected by currency volatility elsewhere in Asia. Depreciation of the yen, and any other currencies in which a Fund's securities are denominated, will decrease the value of the Fund's holdings.

Japan's growth prospects appear to be dependent on its export capabilities. Japan's neighbors, in particular China, have become increasingly important export markets. Despite a strengthening in the economic relationship between Japan and China, the countries' political relationship has at times been strained in recent years. Should political tension increase, it could adversely affect the economy and destabilize the region as a whole. Japan also remains heavily dependent on oil imports, and higher commodity prices could therefore have a negative impact on the economy. The natural disasters that have impacted Japan and the ongoing recovery efforts have had a negative effect on Japan's economy. Japan has an aging population and, as a result, Japan's workforce is shrinking. Japan's economy may suffer if this trend continues.

**Investments in Latin America.** Latin America, including Brazil and Mexico, has long suffered from political, economic, and social instability. For investors, this has meant additional risk caused by periods of regional conflict, political corruption, totalitarianism, protectionist measures, nationalization, hyperinflation, debt crises and defaults, sudden and large currency devaluation, and intervention by the military in civilian and economic spheres. For example, the government of Brazil imposes a tax on foreign investment in Brazilian stocks and bonds, which may affect the value of a Fund's investments in Brazilian issuers. While some Latin American governments have experienced privatization of state-owned companies and relaxation of trade restrictions, future free-market economic reforms are uncertain, and political unrest could result in significant disruption in securities markets in the region. The economies of certain Latin American countries have experienced high interest rates, economic volatility, inflation and high unemployment rates. Adverse economic events in one country may have a significant adverse effect on other Latin American countries.

Commodities (such as oil, gas and minerals) represent a significant percentage of the region's exports and many economies in this region are particularly sensitive to fluctuations in commodity prices. Some markets are in areas that have historically been prone to natural disasters or are economically sensitive to environmental events, and a natural disaster could have a significant adverse impact on the economies in the geographic region.

Many Latin American countries have high levels of debt, which may stifle economic growth, contribute to prolonged periods of recession and adversely impact a Fund's investments. Most countries have been forced to restructure their loans or risk default on their debt obligations. Interest on debt is subject to market conditions and may reach levels that would impair economic activity and create a difficult and costly environment for borrowers. Governments may be forced to reschedule or freeze their debt repayment, which could negatively affect local markets.

**Investments in Middle East.** Many Middle Eastern countries are prone to political turbulence, which may have an adverse impact on a Fund. Many economies in the Middle East are highly reliant on income from the sale of oil or trade with countries involved in the sale of oil, and their economies are therefore vulnerable to changes in the market for oil and foreign currency values. As global demand for oil fluctuates, many Middle Eastern economies may be significantly impacted.

In addition, many Middle Eastern governments have exercised and continue to exercise substantial influence over many aspects of the private sector. In certain cases, a Middle Eastern country's government may own or control many companies, including some of the largest companies in the country. Accordingly, governmental actions in the future could have a significant effect on economic conditions in Middle Eastern countries. This could affect private sector companies and a Fund, as well as the value of securities in a Fund's portfolio.

Certain Middle Eastern markets are in the earliest stages of development. As a result, there may be 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 investors and financial intermediaries. Brokers in Middle Eastern countries typically are fewer in number and less well capitalized than brokers in the United States.

The legal systems in certain Middle Eastern countries also may have an adverse impact on a Fund. For example, the potential liability of a shareholder in a U.S. corporation with respect to acts of the corporation generally is limited to the amount of the shareholder's investment. However, the notion of limited liability is less clear in certain Middle Eastern countries. A Fund therefore may be liable in certain Middle Eastern countries for the acts of a corporation in which it invests for an amount greater than its actual investment in that corporation. Similarly, the rights of investors in Middle Eastern issuers may be more limited than those of shareholders of a U.S. corporation. It may be difficult or impossible to obtain or enforce a legal judgment in a Middle Eastern country. Some Middle Eastern countries prohibit or impose substantial restrictions on investments in their capital markets, particularly their equity markets, by foreign entities such as a Fund. For example, certain countries may require governmental approval prior to investment by foreign persons or limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular issuer. Certain Middle Eastern countries may also limit the investment by foreign persons to only a specific class of securities of an issuer that may have less advantageous terms (including price) than securities of the issuer available for purchase by nationals.

The manner in which foreign investors may invest in companies in certain Middle Eastern countries, as well as limitations on those investments, may have an adverse impact on the operations of a Fund. For example, in certain of these countries, a Fund may be required to invest initially through a local broker or other entity and then have the shares that were purchased re-registered in the name of a Fund. Re-registration in some instances may not be possible on a timely basis. This may result in a delay during which a Fund may be denied certain of its rights as an investor, including rights as to dividends or to be made aware of certain corporate actions. There also may be instances where a Fund places a purchase order but is subsequently informed, at the time of re-registration, that the permissible allocation of the investment to foreign investors has been filled.

Substantial limitations may exist in certain Middle Eastern countries with respect to a Fund's ability to repatriate investment income or capital gains. A Fund could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, any required governmental approval for repatriation of capital, as well as by the application to a Fund of any restrictions on investment.

Certain Middle Eastern countries may be heavily dependent upon international trade and, consequently, have been and may continue to be negatively affected by trade barriers, exchange controls, managed adjustments in relative currency values and other protectionist measures imposed or negotiated by the countries with which they trade. These countries also have been and may continue to be adversely impacted by economic conditions in the countries with which they trade. In addition, certain issuers located in Middle Eastern countries in which a Fund invests may operate in, or have dealings with, countries subject to sanctions and/or embargoes imposed by the U.S. government and the United Nations, and/or countries identified by the U.S. government as state sponsors of terrorism. As a result, an issuer may sustain damage to its reputation if it is identified as an issuer which operates in, or has dealings with, such countries. A Fund, as an investor in such issuers, will be indirectly subject to those risks.

Certain Middle Eastern countries have strained relations with other Middle Eastern countries due to territorial disputes, historical animosities or defense concerns, which may adversely affect the economies of these Middle Eastern countries. Certain Middle Eastern countries experience significant unemployment, as well as widespread underemployment. Recently, many Middle Eastern countries have experienced political, economic and social unrest as protestors have called for widespread reform. These protests may adversely affect the economies of these Middle Eastern countries.

**Investments in Russia.** Russia has experienced political and economic turbulence and has endured decades of communist rule under which its citizens were collectivized into state agricultural and industrial enterprises. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia's government has been faced with the task of stabilizing and modernizing its economy. Investors in Russia have experienced significant losses due to expropriation, nationalization, confiscation of assets and property or the imposition of restrictions on foreign investments and repatriation of capital invested. There is no assurance that similar losses will not recur. The current government regime has become increasingly authoritarian, especially in its dealings with successful Russian companies. In this environment, there is always a risk that the government will abandon elements of a market economy and replace them with radically different political and economic policies that would be detrimental to the interests of foreign investors.

The Russian economy is heavily dependent upon the export of a range of commodities including industrial metals, forestry products, oil, and gas. Accordingly, it is strongly affected by international commodity prices and is particularly vulnerable to any weakening in global demand for these products. Foreign investors also face a high degree of currency risk when investing in Russian securities and a lack of available currency hedging instruments. In addition, Eastern European markets remain relatively underdeveloped and can be particularly sensitive to political and economic developments; adverse events in Eastern European countries may greatly impact the Russian economy.

Because of the recent formation of the Russian securities market as well as the underdeveloped state of the banking and telecommunications systems, settlement, clearing and registration of securities transactions are subject to significant risks. There is no central registration system for shareholders and these services are carried out by the companies themselves or by registrars located throughout Russia. These registrars are not necessarily subject to effective state supervision nor are they licensed with any governmental entity and it is possible for a Fund to lose share registration through fraud or negligence. In addition, while applicable Russian regulations impose liability on registrars for losses resulting from their errors, it may be difficult for a Fund to enforce any rights it may have against the registrar or issuer of the securities in the event of loss of share registration. Furthermore, significant delays or problems may occur in registering the transfer of securities, which could cause a Fund to incur losses due to a counterparty's failure to pay for securities a Fund has delivered or a Fund's inability to complete its contractual obligations because of theft or other reasons.

Poor accounting standards, inept management, pervasive corruption, insider trading and crime, and inadequate regulatory protection all pose significant risks, particularly to foreign investors. In addition, there is a risk that the Russian tax system will not be reformed to prevent inconsistent, retroactive and/or punitive taxation, or, in the alternative, a risk that a reformed tax system may result in inconsistent and unpredictable enforcement of the new tax laws. The Russian securities market is relatively new and a substantial proportion of securities transactions in Russia are privately negotiated outside the stock exchanges. The inexperience of the Russian securities market and the limited volume of trading in securities in the market may make obtaining accurate prices on portfolio securities from independent sources more difficult than in more developed markets. Additionally, little information is available to investors. As a result, it may be difficult to assess the value of an investment in Russian companies. Because of the recent formation of the Russian securities market and the underdeveloped state of the banking and telecommunications systems, securities transactions are subject to significant risks.

In addition, Russia also may attempt to assert its influence in the region through economic or even military measures, as it did with Georgia in the summer of 2008 and the Ukraine in 2014 and 2022. Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The extent and duration of the military action, resulting sanctions and resulting future market disruptions, including declines in its stock markets and the value of the ruble against the U.S. dollar, are impossible to predict, but could be significant. Any such disruptions caused by Russian military action or other actions (including cyberattacks and espionage) or resulting actual and threatened responses to such activity, including purchasing and financing restrictions, boycotts or changes in consumer or purchaser preferences, sanctions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Russian government, Russian companies or Russian individuals, including politicians, may impact Russia's economy and Russian issuers of securities in which the Fund invests. Actual and threatened responses to such activity, including purchasing restrictions, sanctions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Russian government or Russian companies, may impact Russia's economy and Russian issuers of securities in which the Fund invests. Actual and threatened responses to such military action may also impact the markets for certain Russian commodities, such as oil and natural gas, as well as other sectors of the Russian economy, and may likely have collateral impacts on such sectors globally.

The United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on certain Russian individuals and issuers, particularly in response to its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The United States and other nations or international organizations may impose additional, broader economic sanctions or take other actions that may adversely affect Russian-related issuers in the future. These sanctions, any future sanctions or other actions, or even the threat of further sanctions or other actions, may negatively affect the value and liquidity of a Fund's investments. For example, a Fund may be prohibited from investing in securities issued by companies subject to such sanctions. In addition, the sanctions may require a Fund to freeze its existing investments in Russian companies, prohibiting a Fund from buying, selling or otherwise transacting in these investments. Russia may undertake countermeasures or retaliatory actions which may further impair the value and liquidity of a Fund's portfolio and potentially disrupt its operations.

For these or other reasons, to the extent permitted by law, a Fund could seek to suspend creations and/or redemptions of Creation Units, including in the event that an emergency exists in which it is not reasonably practicable for a Fund to dispose of its securities or to determine its net asset value. During the period that creations or redemptions are affected, a Fund's shares could trade at a significant premium or discount to their net asset value. In the case of a period during which creations are suspended, a Fund could experience substantial redemptions, which may cause a Fund to experience increased transaction costs and make greater taxable distributions to shareholders of a Fund. A Fund could liquidate all or a portion of its assets, which may be at unfavorable prices.

**Investments in South Africa.** South Africa's two-tiered economy, with one rivaling developed countries and the other exhibiting many characteristics of developing countries, is characterized by uneven distribution of wealth and income and high rates of unemployment. This may cause civil and social unrest, which could adversely impact the South African economy. Ethnic and civil conflict could result in the abandonment of many of South Africa's free market reforms. In addition, South Africa has experienced high rates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and HIV remains a prominent health concern.

Although economic reforms have been enacted to promote growth and foreign investments, there can be no assurance that these programs will achieve the desired results. South Africa's inadequate currency reserves have left its currency vulnerable, at times, to devaluation. South Africa has privatized or has begun the process of privatization of certain entities and industries. In some instances, investors in certain newly privatized entities have suffered losses due to the inability of the newly privatized entities to adjust quickly to a competitive environment or to changing regulatory and legal standards. There is no assurance that such losses will not recur. Despite significant reform and privatization, the South African government continues to control a large share of South African economic activity. Heavy regulation of labor and product markets is pervasive and may stifle South African economic growth or cause prolonged periods of recession. The agriculture and mining sectors of South Africa's economy account for a large portion of its exports, and thus the South African economy is susceptible to fluctuations in these commodity markets. Moreover, the South African economy is heavily dependent upon the economies of Europe, Asia (particularly Japan) and the United States. Reduction in spending by these economies on South African products and services or negative changes in any of these economies may cause an adverse impact on the South African economy. South Africa has historically experienced acts of terrorism and strained international relations related to border disputes, historical animosities, racial tensions and other defense concerns. These situations may cause uncertainty in the South African market and may adversely affect the South African economy.

**Investments in South Korea.** The South Korean economy is heavily dependent on trading exports and on the economies of other Asian countries, especially China or Southeast Asia, and the United States as key trading partners. Distributions in trade activity, reductions in spending by these economies on South Korean products and services or negative changes in any of these economies may have an adverse impact on the South Korean economy. Furthermore, South Korea's economy may be impacted by currency fluctuations and increasing competition from Asia's other low-cost emerging economies. Finally, South Korea's economic growth potential has recently been on a decline due to, among other factors, a rapidly aging population and structural problems.

Substantial tensions with North Korea may cause further uncertainty in the political and economic climate of South Korea. North and South Korea each have substantial military capabilities, and historical tensions between the two present the ongoing risk of war. Recent events involving the North Korean military have escalated tensions between North and South Korea. Any outbreak of hostilities between the two countries, or even the threat of an outbreak of hostilities, may have a severe adverse effect on the South Korean economy and any investments in South Korea.

**Investments in Taiwan.** The political reunification of China and Taiwan, over which China continues to claim sovereignty, remains tense and is unlikely to be settled in the near future. China has staged frequent military drills off the coast of Taiwan and relations between China and Taiwan have been hostile at times. This continuing hostility between China and Taiwan may have an adverse impact on the values of a Fund's investments in China or Taiwan, or make such investments impracticable or impossible. Any escalation of hostility between China and Taiwan would likely have a significant adverse impact on the value of a Fund's investments in both countries and the region. In addition, certain Asian economies have experienced over-extension of credit, currency devaluations and restrictions, high unemployment, high inflation, decreased exports and economic recessions. Economic events in any one country may have a significant economic effect on the entire Asian region and any adverse events in the Asian markets may have a significant adverse effect on Taiwanese companies.

Taiwan's growth has been export-driven to a significant degree. As a result, Taiwan is affected by changes in the economies of its main trading partners. If growth in the export sector declines, future growth will be increasingly reliant on domestic demand. Taiwan has limited natural resources, resulting in dependence on foreign sources for certain raw materials and vulnerability to global fluctuations of price and supply. This dependence is especially pronounced in the energy sector. Any fluctuations or shortages in the commodity markets could have a negative impact on Taiwan's economy. A significant increase in energy prices could have an adverse impact on Taiwan's economy.

**Investments in the United Kingdom.** The United Kingdom has one of the largest economies in Europe and is heavily dependent on trade with the European Union ("EU"), and to a lesser extent the United States and China. As a result, the economy of the United Kingdom may be impacted by changes to the economic health of EU member counties, the United States and China. In 2016, the United Kingdom voted via referendum to exit the EU, commonly referred to as "Brexit". On December 31, 2020, the United Kingdom left the European Union. The United Kingdom and the European Union reached a trade agreement on December 31, 2020, which became effective on May 1, 2021 after being ratified by all applicable United Kingdom and European Union governmental bodies. The period following the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union is expected to be one of significant political and economic uncertainty particularly until the United Kingdom government and European Union member states agree and implement the terms of the United Kingdom's future relationship with the European Union. Brexit may create additional economic stresses for the United Kingdom, which may include causing a contraction of the United Kingdom economy and price volatility in United Kingdom stocks, decreased trade, capital outflows, devaluation of pounds sterling, and wider corporate bond spreads due to uncertainty and declines in business and consumer spending as well as foreign direct investment. The Fund may be negatively impacted by changes in law and tax treatment resulting from or following Brexit. Until the economic effects of Brexit become clearer, and while a period of political, regulatory and commercial uncertainty continues, there remains a risk that Brexit may negatively impact the value of investments held by the Fund. In addition, if one or more other countries were to exit the EU or abandon the use of the euro as a currency, the value of investments tied to those countries or the euro could decline significantly and unpredictably.

**<u>Currency Transactions</u>**

The Funds may enter into spot currency transactions, foreign currency forward and foreign currency futures contracts. Foreign currency forward and foreign currency futures contracts are derivatives and are subject to derivatives risk.

**Forward Foreign Currency Contracts.** A forward foreign currency exchange contract ("forward contract") involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts are principally traded in the interbank market conducted directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. A forward contract generally has no margin deposit requirement.

A non-deliverable forward contract is a forward contract where there is no physical settlement of two currencies at maturity. Non-deliverable forward contracts are contracts between parties in which one party agrees to make a payment to the other party (the "Counterparty") based on the change in market value or level of a specified currency. In return, the Counterparty agrees to make payment to the first party based on the return of a different specified currency. Non-deliverable forward contracts will usually be done on a net basis, with a Fund receiving or paying only the net amount of the two payments. The net amount of the excess, if any, of a Fund's obligations over its entitlements with respect to each non-deliverable forward contract is accrued on a daily basis and an amount of cash or highly liquid securities having an aggregate value at least equal to the accrued excess is maintained in an account at the Trust's custodian bank. The risk of loss with respect to non-deliverable forward contracts generally is limited to the net amount of payments that a Fund is contractually obligated to make or receive.

**Foreign Currency Futures Contracts.** A foreign currency futures contract is a contract involving an obligation to deliver or acquire the specified amount of a specific currency, at a specified price and at a specified future time. Futures contracts may be settled on a net cash payment basis rather than by the sale and delivery of the underlying currency.

Currency exchange transactions involve a significant degree of risk and the markets in which currency exchange transactions are effected are highly volatile, specialized and technical. Significant changes, including changes in liquidity and prices, can occur in such markets within very short periods of time, often within minutes. Currency exchange trading risks include, but are not limited to, exchange rate risk, maturity gap, interest rate risk, and potential interference by foreign governments through regulation of local exchange markets, foreign investment or particular transactions in foreign currency. If a Fund utilizes foreign currency transactions at an inappropriate time, such transactions may not serve their intended purpose and may lower a Fund's return. A Fund could experience losses if the value of any currency forwards and futures positions is poorly correlated with its other investments or if it could not close out its positions because of an illiquid market. Such contracts are subject to the risk that the counterparty will default on its obligations. In addition, a Fund will incur transaction costs, including trading commissions, in connection with certain foreign currency transactions.

**Foreign Exchange Spot Transactions.** The Funds may settle trades of holdings denominated in foreign currencies on a spot (*i.e.*, cash) basis at the prevailing rate in the foreign currency exchange market. A foreign exchange spot transaction, also known as FX spot, is an agreement between two parties to buy one currency against selling another currency at an agreed price for settlement on the spot date. The exchange rate at which the transaction is done is called the spot exchange rate. Unlike forward foreign currency exchange contracts and foreign currency futures contracts, which involve trading a particular amount of a currency pair at a predetermined price at some point in the future, the underlying currencies in a spot FX are exchanged following the settlement date.

**<u>Equity Securities</u>**

The Funds may invest in equity securities. Equity securities represent ownership interests in a company or partnership and include common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants to acquire common stock, securities convertible into common stock, and investments in master limited partnerships. 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 a Fund invests will cause the NAV of a Fund to fluctuate. Global stock markets, including the U.S. stock market, tend to be cyclical, with periods when stock prices generally rise and periods when stock prices generally decline. The Funds may purchase equity securities traded on exchanges or the over-the-counter ("OTC") market. The Funds may invest in the types of equity securities 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.

**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 a Fund is called for redemption or conversion, a 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 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 OTC 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.

**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.

**Rights.** A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights normally have a short life of usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price. An investment in rights may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. Investing in rights increases the potential profit or loss to be realized from the investment as compared with investing the same amount in the underlying securities.

**Depositary Receipts.** The Funds may invest in issuers located outside the United States directly, or in financial instruments that are indirectly linked to the performance of foreign issuers. Examples of such financial instruments include ADRs, Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs"), European Depositary Receipts ("EDRs"), International Depository Receipts ("IDRs"), "ordinary shares," and "New York shares" issued and traded in the United States. ADRs are U.S. dollar-denominated receipts typically issued by U.S. banks and trust companies that evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign issuer. The underlying securities may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. The underlying securities are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer's home country. The depositary bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions. Generally, ADRs in registered form are designed for use in domestic securities markets and are traded on exchanges or over-the-counter in the United States. GDRs, EDRs, and IDRs are similar to ADRs in that they are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer, however, GDRs, EDRs, and IDRs may be issued in bearer form and denominated in other currencies, and are generally designed for use in specific or multiple securities markets outside the United States. EDRs, for example, are designed for use in European securities markets while GDRs are designed for use throughout the world. Ordinary shares are shares of foreign issuers that are traded abroad and on a U.S. exchange. New York shares are shares that a foreign issuer has allocated for trading in the United States. ADRs, ordinary shares, and New York shares all may be purchased with and sold for U.S. dollars.

Depositary receipts may be sponsored or unsponsored. Although the two types of depositary receipt facilities (unsponsored or sponsored) are similar, there are differences regarding a holder's rights and obligations and the practices of market participants. A depository may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by (or acquiescence of) the underlying issuer; typically, however, the depository requests a letter of non-objection from the underlying issuer prior to establishing the facility. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of the facility. The depository usually charges fees upon the deposit and withdrawal of the underlying securities, the conversion of dividends into U.S. dollars or other currency, the disposition of non-cash distributions, and the performance of other services. The depository of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the underlying issuer or to pass through voting rights to depositary receipt holders with respect to the underlying securities.

Sponsored depositary receipt facilities are created in generally the same manner as unsponsored facilities, except that sponsored depositary receipts are established jointly by a depository and the underlying issuer through a deposit agreement. The deposit agreement sets out the rights and responsibilities of the underlying issuer, the depository, and the depositary receipt holders. With sponsored facilities, the underlying issuer typically bears some of the costs of the depositary receipts (such as dividend payment fees of the depository), although most sponsored depositary receipts holders may bear costs such as deposit and withdrawal fees. Depositories of most sponsored depositary receipts agree to distribute notices of shareholder meetings, voting instructions, and other shareholder communications and information to the depositary receipt holders at the underlying issuer's request.

Depositary receipts may be unregistered and unlisted. A Fund's investments may also include ADRs that are not purchased in the public markets and are restricted securities that can be offered and sold only to "qualified institutional buyers" under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Depositary receipts may become illiquid. If adverse market conditions were to develop during the period between a Fund's decision to sell these types of ADRs and the point at which a Fund is permitted or able to sell such security, a Fund might obtain a price less favorable than the price that prevailed when it decided to sell.

**<u>Real Estate Investment Trusts</u>**

The Funds may invest in the securities of real estate investment trusts ("REITs"). Risks associated with investments in securities of REITs include decline in the value of real estate, risks related to general and local economic conditions, overbuilding and increased competition, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws, casualty or condemnation losses, variations in rental income, changes in neighborhood values, the appeal of properties to tenants, and increases in interest rates. In addition, equity REITs may be affected by changes in the values of the underlying property owned by the trusts, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of credit extended. REITs are dependent upon management skills, may not be diversified and are subject to the risks of financing projects. REITs are also subject to heavy cash-flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, self-liquidation and the possibility of failing to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income and net gains under the Code and to maintain exemption from the 1940 Act. If an issuer of debt securities collateralized by real estate defaults, it is conceivable that the REITs could end up holding the underlying real estate. Because REITs have ongoing fees and expenses, which may include management, operating and administration expenses, REIT shareholders, including a Fund, will indirectly bear a proportionate share of those expenses in addition to the expenses of a Fund. However, such expenses are not considered to be Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and, therefore, are not reflected as such in a Fund's fee table.

**<u>Privately-Issued Securities</u>**

The Funds may invest in privately-issued securities, including those that are normally purchased pursuant to Rule 144A or Regulation S under the Securities Act. Privately-issued securities typically may be resold only to "qualified institutional buyers," in a privately negotiated transaction, to a limited number of purchasers or in limited quantities after they have been held for a specified period of time and other conditions are met for an exemption from registration. Because there may be relatively few potential purchasers for such securities, especially under adverse market or economic conditions or in the event of adverse changes in the financial condition of the issuer, a Fund may find it more difficult to sell such securities when it may be advisable to do so or it may be able to sell such securities only at prices lower than if such securities were more widely held and traded. At times, it also may be more difficult to determine the fair value of such securities for purposes of computing the Fund's NAV due to the absence of an active trading market. There can be no assurance that a privately-issued security that is deemed to be liquid when purchased will continue to be liquid for as long as it is held by the Fund, and its value may decline as a result.

**<u>Derivatives</u>**

The Funds may use derivative instruments as part of their investment strategies. Generally, derivatives are financial contracts the value of which depends upon, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate or index, and may relate to bonds, interest rates, currencies, commodities, and related indexes. Examples of derivative instruments include forward currency contracts, currency and interest rate swaps, currency options, futures contracts, including index futures, options, options on futures contracts, structured notes, and swap contracts.

Because a Fund may enter into (or "open") certain derivatives contracts with an initial investment that is less than the notional value of the contract, such contracts provide inherent economic leverage equal to the difference between the initial investment requirement (also known as initial margin requirement) and the notional value of the contract. A Fund's use of derivatives may be limited by the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") for qualification as a regulated investment company for U.S. federal tax purposes.

The SEC adopted Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act, which regulates the use of derivatives for certain funds registered under the Investment Company Act ("Rule 18f-4"). Unless a fund qualifies as a "limited derivatives user" as defined in Rule 18f-4, Rule 18f-4, among other things, requires the fund to establish a comprehensive derivatives risk management program, to comply with certain value-at-risk based leverage limits, to appoint a derivatives risk manager and to provide additional disclosure both publicly and to the SEC regarding its derivatives positions. For funds that qualify as limited derivatives users, Rule 18f-4 requires a fund to have policies and procedures to manage its aggregate derivatives risk.

To the extent a Fund transacts in commodity interests (*e.g.*, futures contracts, swap agreements, non-deliverable forward contracts), it will do so only in accordance with Rule 4.5 of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC"). Krane, on behalf of each Fund, has filed or will file a notice of eligibility for exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" in accordance with Rule 4.5 so that it is not subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator under the Commodity Exchange Act ("CEA") with respect to such Funds.

**Swap Contracts.** The Funds may enter into swap contracts, including interest rate swaps and currency swaps. A typical interest rate swap involves the exchange of a floating interest rate payment for a fixed interest payment. A typical foreign currency swap involves the exchange of cash flows based on the notional differences among two or more currencies. Swap contracts may be used to hedge or achieve exposure to, for example, currencies, interest rates, and money market securities without actually purchasing such currencies or securities. A Fund may also use swap contracts to invest in a market without owning or taking physical custody of the underlying securities in circumstances in which direct investment is restricted for legal reasons or is otherwise impracticable. Swap contracts will tend to shift a Fund's investment exposure from one type of investment to another or from one payment stream to another. Depending on their structure, swap contracts may increase or decrease a Fund's exposure to long- or short-term interest rates (in the United States or abroad), foreign currencies, corporate borrowing rates, or other factors, and may increase or decrease the overall volatility of a Fund's investments and its share price.

**Futures, Options and Options on Futures Contracts.** The Funds may enter into U.S. or foreign futures contracts, options and options on futures contracts. When a Fund purchases a futures contract, it agrees to purchase a specified underlying instrument at a specified future date. When a Fund sells a futures contract, it agrees to sell the underlying instrument at a specified future date. The price at which the purchase and sale will take place is fixed when a Fund enters into the contract. Futures can be held until their delivery dates, or can be closed out before then if a liquid secondary market is available.

The risk of loss in trading futures contracts or uncovered call options in some strategies (*e.g.*, selling uncovered stock index futures contracts) is potentially unlimited. The risk of a futures position may still be large as traditionally measured due to the low margin deposits required. In many cases, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in immediate and substantial loss or gain to the investor relative to the size of a required margin deposit.

When a Fund writes a call option, it is obligated to sell a security to a purchaser at a specified price at any time until a certain date if the purchaser decides to exercise the option. A Fund will receive a premium for writing a call option. So long as the obligation of the call option continues, a Fund may be assigned an exercise notice, requiring it to deliver the underlying security against payment of the exercise price. A Fund may be obligated to deliver securities underlying an option at less than the market price.

A call option is "covered" if a Fund simultaneously holds an equivalent position in the security underlying the option. When writing a covered call option, a Fund, in return for the premium, gives up the opportunity for profit from a price increase in the underlying security above the exercise price, but retains the risk of loss should the price of the security decline.

If a call option that a Fund has written expires unexercised, the Fund will realize a gain in the amount of the premium; however, that gain may be offset by a decline in the market value of the underlying security during the option period. If a call option that a Fund has written is exercised, the Fund will realize a gain or loss from the sale of the underlying security.

When a Fund purchases a call option, it pays a premium to the writer for the right to purchase a security from the writer for a specified amount at any time until a certain date. A Fund generally would purchase a call option to offset a previously written call option or to protect itself against an increase in the price of a security it intends to purchase.

When a Fund writes a put option, it is obligated to acquire a security at a certain price at any time until a certain date if the purchaser decides to exercise the option. A Fund will receive a premium for writing a put option. When writing a put option, a Fund, in return for the premium, takes the risk that it must purchase the underlying security at a price that may be higher than the current market price of the security. If a put option that a Fund has written expires unexercised, the Fund will realize a gain in the amount of the premium.

When a Fund purchases a put option, it pays a premium to the writer for the right to sell a security to the writer for a specified amount at any time until a certain date. A Fund generally would purchase a put option to protect itself against a decrease in the market value of a security it owns.

Utilization of futures and options on futures by a Fund involves the risk of imperfect or even negative correlation to the underlying index, if any, if the index underlying the futures contract differs from the underlying index, if any. There is also the risk of loss by a Fund of margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of a broker with whom a Fund has an open position in the futures contract or option. The purchase of put or call options will be based upon predictions by a Fund as to anticipated trends, which predictions could prove to be incorrect.

The potential for loss related to the purchase of an option on a futures contract is limited to the premium paid for the option plus transaction costs. Because the value of the option is fixed at the point of sale, there are no daily cash payments by the purchaser to reflect changes in the value of the underlying contract; however, the value of the option changes daily and that change would be reflected in the NAV of a Fund. The potential for loss related to writing options is unlimited.

*<u>General Information About Options on Securities</u>*. The exercise price of an option may be below, equal to, or above the market value of the underlying security at the time the option is written. Options normally have expiration dates between three and nine months from the date written. American-style options are exercisable at any time prior to their expiration date. European-style options are exercisable only immediately prior to their expiration date. The obligation under any option written by a Fund terminates upon expiration of the option or, at an earlier time, when the Fund offsets the option by entering into a "closing purchase transaction" to purchase an option of the same series. If an option is purchased by a Fund and is never exercised or closed out, the Fund will lose the entire amount of the premium paid.

Options are traded both on U.S. national securities exchanges and in the OTC market. Options also are traded on non-U.S. exchanges. Exchange-traded options are issued by a clearing organization affiliated with the exchange on which the option is listed; the clearing organization in effect guarantees completion of every exchange-traded option. In contrast, OTC options are contracts between a Fund and a counterparty, with no clearing organization guarantee. Thus, when a Fund sells (or purchases) an OTC option, it generally will be able to "close out" the option prior to its expiration only by entering into a closing transaction with the dealer to whom (or from whom) the Fund originally sold (or purchased) the option. There can be no assurance that a Fund would be able to liquidate an OTC option at any time prior to expiration. Unless a Fund is able to effect a closing purchase transaction in a covered OTC call option it has written, it will not be able to liquidate securities used as cover until the option expires or is exercised or until different cover is substituted. In the event of the counterparty's insolvency, a Fund may be unable to liquidate its options position and the associated cover.

The premium a Fund receives (or pays) when it writes (or purchases) an option is the amount at which the option is currently traded on the applicable market. The premium may reflect, among other things, the current market price of the underlying security, the relationship of the exercise price to the market price, the historical price volatility of the underlying security, the length of the option period, the general supply of and demand for credit, and the interest rate environment.

Closing transactions are effected in order to realize a profit (or minimize a loss) on an outstanding option, to prevent an underlying security from being called, or to permit the sale or the put of the underlying security. Furthermore, effecting a closing transaction permits a Fund to write another call option on the underlying security with a different exercise price or expiration date or both. There is, of course, no assurance that a Fund will be able to effect closing transactions at favorable prices. If a Fund cannot enter into such a transaction, it may be required to hold a security that it might otherwise have sold (or purchase a security that it might otherwise not have bought), in which case it would continue to be at market risk on the security.

A Fund will realize a profit or loss from a closing purchase transaction if the cost of the transaction is less or more than the premium received from writing the call or put option. Because increases in the market price of a call option generally reflect increases in the market price of the underlying security, any loss resulting from the repurchase of a call option is likely to be offset, in whole or in part, by appreciation of the underlying security owned by a Fund; however, a Fund could be in a less advantageous position than if it had not written the call option.

A Fund pays brokerage commissions or spreads in connection with purchasing or writing options, including those used to close out existing positions. From time to time, a Fund may purchase an underlying security for delivery in accordance with an exercise notice of a call option assigned to it, rather than deliver the security from its inventory. In those cases, additional brokerage commissions are incurred.

The hours of trading for options may not conform to the hours during which the underlying securities are traded. To the extent that the options markets close before the markets for the underlying securities close, significant price and rate movements can take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the options markets.

Additionally, volatility in the market for equity securities, which can impact a single stock or certain segments of stocks and can happen suddenly, can meaningfully increase the risk of loss associated with options.

*<u>FLEX Options</u>.* FLexible EXchange<sup>®</sup> Options ("FLEX Options") are customized option contracts available through national securities exchanges that are guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation ("OCC"). FLEX Options are listed on a U.S. national securities exchange. FLEX Options provide investors with the ability to customize assets referenced by the options, exercise prices, exercise styles (*i.e.*, American-style, exercisable any time prior to the expiration date, or European-style, exercisable only on the option expiration date) and expiration dates, while achieving price discovery in competitive, transparent auctions markets and avoiding the counterparty exposure of over-the-counter ("OTC") options positions. Each option contract entitles the holder thereof to purchase (for the call options) or sell (for the put options) shares of the reference asset at the strike price.

The OCC guarantees performance by each of the counterparties to the FLEX Options, becoming the "buyer for every seller and the seller for every buyer", with the goal of protecting clearing members and options traders from counterparty risk.

The FLEX Options in which a Fund invests will be options on an exchange-traded fund ("ETF" or "Reference Asset"). As such, the value of a Fund's FLEX Options will fluctuate with changes in the value of the securities included in, or held by, the Reference Asset, and thus the Reference Asset's price return. In addition to the value of the Reference Asset, the value of an option contract, in general, will reflect, among other things, the time remaining until its expiration date, the relationship of the exercise price to the market price of the underlying investment, and general market conditions. Option contracts that expire unexercised have no value.

Each of the options exchanges has established limitations governing the maximum number of call or put options on the same asset that may be bought or written by a single investor, whether acting alone or in concert with others (regardless of whether such options are written on the same or different exchanges or are held or written on one or more accounts or through one or more brokers). Under these limitations, option positions of all investment companies advised by Krane are combined for purposes of these limits. Pursuant to these limitations, an exchange may order the liquidation of positions and may impose other sanctions or restrictions. These positions limits may restrict the number of listed options that a Fund may buy or sell.

Each Fund utilizes FLEX Options that are cash-settled. Cash-settled option contracts give the holder the right to receive an amount (or owe an amount) of cash upon the exercise of the option contract. Gain or loss depends on changes in the value of the Reference Asset's price return relative to the strike price for a given option contract. The amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the Reference Asset's price return and the exercise price of the option contract times a specified multiple ("multiplier"), which determines the total value for each point of such difference.

If a Fund has purchased an option and exercises it before the closing value for that day is available, it runs the risk that the Reference Asset's price return may subsequently change. If such a change causes the exercised option to fall out of the money, the Fund will be required to pay the difference between the closing value of the Reference Asset's value and the exercise price of the option (times the applicable multiplier) to the assigned writer.

**Structured Notes and Securities.** The Funds may invest in structured instruments, including, without limitation, participation notes, certificates and warrants and other types of notes on which the amount of principal repayment and interest payments are based on the movement of one or more specified factors, such as the movement of a particular stock or stock index. Structured instruments may be derived from or based on a single security or securities, an index, a commodity, debt issuance or a foreign currency (a "reference"), and their interest rate or principal may be determined by an unrelated indicator. Structured securities may be positively or negatively indexed, so that appreciation of the reference may produce an increase or a decrease in the value of the structured security at maturity, or in the interest rate of the structured security. Structured securities may entail a greater degree of risk than other types of securities because a Fund bears the risk of the reference in addition to the risk that the counterparty to the structured security will be unable or unwilling to fulfill its obligations under the structured security to a Fund when due. A Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received in connection with a structured security in the event of the default or bankruptcy of the counterparty to the structured security. Structured securities may also be more volatile, less liquid, and more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities or more traditional debt securities.

**<u>Exchange-Traded Notes</u>**

A Fund may invest in exchange-traded notes ("ETNs"). ETNs are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities whose returns are linked to the performance of a particular market benchmark or strategy, minus applicable fees. ETNs are traded on an exchange (*e.g.*, the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE")) during normal trading hours; however, investors can also hold the ETN until maturity. At maturity, the issuer pays to the investor a cash amount equal to the principal amount, subject to the day's market benchmark or strategy factor. ETNs do not make periodic coupon payments or provide principal protection. ETNs are subject to credit risk, including the credit risk of the issuer, and the value of the ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuer's credit rating, despite the underlying market benchmark or strategy remaining unchanged. The value of an ETN may also be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying assets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer's credit rating, and economic, legal, political, or geographic events that affect the referenced underlying asset. When a Fund invests in ETNs, it will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN. A decision by a Fund to sell ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. In addition, although an ETN may be listed on an exchange, the issuer may not be required to maintain the listing, and there can be no assurance that a secondary market will exist for an ETN.

ETNs are also subject to tax risk. No assurance can be given that the IRS will accept, or a court will uphold, how a Fund characterizes and treats ETNs for tax purposes.

An ETN that is tied to a specific market benchmark or strategy may not be able to replicate and maintain exactly the composition and relative weighting of securities, commodities or other components in the applicable market benchmark or strategy. Some ETNs that use leverage can, at times, be relatively illiquid, and thus they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Leveraged ETNs are subject to the same risk as other instruments that use leverage in any form.

The market value of ETNs may differ from their market benchmark or strategy. This difference in price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for ETNs at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the securities, commodities or other components underlying the market benchmark or strategy that the ETN seeks to track. As a result, there may be times when an ETN trades at a premium or discount to its market benchmark or strategy.

**<u>Investments in Other Investment Companies</u>**

The Funds may invest in the securities of other investment companies to the extent that such an investment would be consistent with the requirements of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, or any rule, regulation or order of the SEC or interpretation thereof. Generally, a Fund may invest in the securities of another investment company (the "acquired company") provided that a Fund, immediately after such purchase or acquisition, does not own: (i) more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the acquired company; (ii) securities issued by the acquired company having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the value of the total assets of a Fund; or (iii) securities issued by the acquired company and all other investment companies having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of a Fund. Section 12(d)(1)(B) prohibits another investment company from selling its shares to a Fund if, after the sale (i) a Fund owns more than 3% of the other investment company's voting stock or (ii) a Fund and other investment companies, and companies controlled by them, own more than 10% of the voting stock of such other investment company. In addition, a Fund will not purchase a security issued by a closed-end fund if after such purchase a Fund and any other investment companies with the same investment adviser would own more than 10% of the voting shares of the closed-end investment company.

The Fund, however, is permitted to invest in shares of certain investment companies beyond the limits contained in the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, if the Fund complies with the adopted framework for fund of funds arrangements under Rule 12d1-4. Pursuant to Rule 12d1-4, the Fund is permitted to exceed the limits of Section 12 of the 1940 Act if the Fund complies with Rule 12d1-4's conditions, which contain elements from the SEC's prior exemptive orders permitting fund of funds arrangements, including (i) limits on control and voting; (ii) required evaluations and findings; (iii) required fund of funds investment agreements; and (iv) limits on complex structures.

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

Consistent with the restrictions discussed above, a Fund may invest in several different types of investment companies from time to time, including mutual funds, ETFs, closed-end funds, foreign investment companies and business development companies ("BDCs"). For example, a Fund may elect to invest in another investment company when such an investment presents a more efficient investment option than buying securities individually. A Fund also may invest in investment companies that are included as components of an index, such as BDCs, to seek to track the performance of that index. A BDC is a less common type of closed-end investment company that more closely resembles an operating company than a typical investment company. BDCs generally focus on investing in, and providing managerial assistance to, small, developing, financially troubled, private companies or other companies that may have value that can be realized over time and with management assistance. Similar to an operating company, a BDC's total annual operating expense ratio typically reflects all of the operating expenses incurred by the BDC, and is generally greater than the total annual operating expense ratio of a mutual fund that does not bear the same types of operating expenses.

The main risk of investing in other investment companies is that a Fund will be exposed to the risks of the investments held by the other investment companies. The market prices of ETFs will fluctuate in accordance with both changes in the market value of their underlying portfolio securities and due to supply and demand for the instruments on the exchanges on which they are traded (which may result in their trading at a discount or premium to their NAVs). Index-based investment companies may not replicate exactly the performance of their specific index because of transaction costs, and because of the temporary unavailability of certain component securities of the index, or strategy used to track the index.

Krane is subject to a conflict of interest in allocating a Fund's assets to investment companies from which they or their affiliates receive compensation or other benefits.

**<u>Borrowing</u>**

The Funds may borrow money to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. Borrowing for investment purposes is a form of leverage. Leveraging investments, by purchasing securities with borrowed money, is a speculative technique that increases investment risk. Because substantially all of a Fund's assets will fluctuate in value, whereas the interest obligations on borrowings may be fixed, the NAV of a Fund will increase more when a Fund's portfolio assets increase in value and decrease more when a Fund's portfolio assets decrease in value than would otherwise be the case. Moreover, interest costs on borrowings may fluctuate with changing market rates of interest and may partially offset or exceed the returns on the borrowed funds. A Fund also may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with a borrowing or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit, which would further increase the cost of borrowing. Under adverse conditions, a Fund might have to sell portfolio securities to meet interest or principal payments at a time when investment considerations would not favor such sales.

Although it has not entered into a credit facility (other than any overdrafts permitted by the Funds' custodian), a Fund may borrow money to facilitate management of a Fund's portfolio by enabling a Fund to meet redemption requests when the liquidation of portfolio instruments would be inconvenient or disadvantageous, and for temporary or emergency purposes, such as trade settlements and as necessary to distribute to shareholders any income required to maintain the Fund's status as a RIC. In this regard, a Fund may enter into a credit facility to borrow money for temporary or emergency purposes, including the funding of shareholder redemption requests, trade settlements, and as necessary to distribute to shareholders any income required to maintain a Fund's status as a RIC. Such borrowing is not for investment purposes and will be repaid by a Fund promptly. As required by the 1940 Act, a Fund must maintain continuous asset coverage (total assets, including assets acquired with borrowed funds, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of all amounts borrowed. If, at any time, the value of a Fund's assets should fail to meet this 300% coverage test, a Fund, within three days (not including Sundays and holidays), will reduce the amount of a Fund's borrowings to the extent necessary to meet this 300% coverage requirement. Maintenance of this percentage limitation may result in the sale of portfolio securities at a time when investment considerations otherwise indicate that it would be disadvantageous to do so.

While the Funds do not anticipate doing so, each Fund is authorized to pledge (*i.e.*, transfer a security interest in) portfolio securities in an amount up to one-third of the value of the Fund's total assets in connection with any borrowing.

**<u>Bank Deposits and Obligations</u>**

The Funds may invest in deposits and other obligations of U.S. and non-U.S. banks and financial institutions. Deposits and obligations of banks and financial institutions include certificates of deposit, time deposits, and bankers' acceptances. Certificates of deposit and time deposits represent an institution's obligation to repay funds deposited with it that earn a specified interest rate. Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates, while time deposits are non-negotiable deposits. A banker's acceptance is a time draft drawn on and accepted by a bank that becomes a primary and unconditional liability of the bank upon acceptance. Investments in obligations of non-U.S. banks and financial institutions may involve risks that are different from investments in obligations of U.S. banks. These risks include future unfavorable political and economic developments, seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits, currency controls, interest limitations or other governmental restrictions that might affect the payment of principal or interest on the securities held in a Fund. All investments in deposits and other obligations are subject to credit risk, which is the risk that a Fund may lose its investments in these instruments if, for example, the issuing financial institution collapses and is unable to meet its obligations. This risk is more acute for investments in deposits and other obligations that are not insured by a government or private entity.

**<u>Illiquid Securities</u>**

A Fund may invest up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. The liquidity of an investment will be determined based on relevant market, trading, and investment specific considerations as set forth in the Fund's liquidity risk management program (the "Liquidity Program") as required by Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act (the "Liquidity Rule"). Illiquid investments may trade at a discount to comparable, more liquid investments and the Fund may not be able to dispose of illiquid investments in a timely fashion or at their expected prices.

If illiquid investments exceed 15% of a Fund's net assets (including, for example, because of changes in the market value of its investments or because of redemptions), the Liquidity Rule and the Liquidity Program will require that certain remedial actions be taken. A Fund may not acquire illiquid investments if, immediately after the acquisition, more than 15% of the Fund's net assets would be in illiquid investments.

**<u>Portfolio Turnover</u>**

In general, Krane manages each Fund without regard to restrictions on portfolio turnover. The Funds' investment strategies may produce high portfolio turnover rates. To the extent a Fund invests in derivative or other instruments with short maturities, the instruments generally will have short-term maturities and, thus, be excluded from the calculation of portfolio turnover. The value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of in-kind creations or redemptions of a Fund's shares also is excluded from the calculation of the Fund's portfolio turnover rate. As a result, a Fund's reported portfolio turnover may be low despite relatively high portfolio activity which would, in turn, produce correspondingly greater expenses for a Fund, including brokerage commissions or dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of securities and reinvestments in other securities. Generally, the higher the rate of portfolio turnover of a fund, the higher these transaction costs borne by a fund and its long-term shareholders. Such sales may result in the realization of taxable capital gains (including short-term capital gains, which, when distributed, are generally taxed to shareholders at ordinary income tax rates) for certain taxable shareholders.

"Portfolio Turnover Rate" is defined under the rules of the SEC as the lesser of the value of the securities purchased or of the 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, derivatives and instruments with a remaining maturity of less than one-year are excluded from the calculation of the portfolio turnover rate. Instruments excluded from the calculation of portfolio turnover may include commercial paper, futures contracts and option contracts because they generally have a remaining maturity of less than one-year.

**<u>Repurchase Agreements</u>**

The Funds may enter into repurchase agreements. A repurchase agreement is a transaction in which a Fund purchases securities or other obligations from a bank or securities dealer (or its affiliate) and simultaneously commits to resell them to a counterparty at an agreed-upon date or upon demand and at a price reflecting a market rate of interest unrelated to the coupon rate or maturity of the purchased obligations. A Fund maintains custody of the underlying obligations prior to their repurchase, either through its regular custodian or through a special "triparty" custodian or sub-custodian that maintains separate accounts for both a Fund and its counterparty. Thus, the obligation of the counterparty to pay the repurchase price on the date agreed to or upon demand is, in effect, secured by such obligations.

Repurchase agreements carry certain risks not associated with direct investments in securities, including a possible decline in the market value of the underlying obligations. If their value becomes less than the repurchase price, plus any agreed-upon additional amount, the counterparty must provide additional collateral so that at all times the collateral is at least equal to the repurchase price plus any agreed-upon additional amount. The difference between the total amount to be received upon repurchase of the obligations and the price that was paid by a Fund upon acquisition is accrued as interest and included in its net investment income. Repurchase agreements collateralized by instruments other than U.S. government securities (such as commercial paper and corporate bonds) are subject to special risks as they may not have the benefit of certain protections in the event of the counterparty's insolvency. If the seller or guarantor becomes insolvent, a Fund may suffer delays, costs and possible losses in connection with the disposition of collateral.

**<u>Reverse Repurchase Agreements</u>**

The Funds may enter into reverse repurchase agreements, which involve the sale of securities held by a Fund subject to its agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon date or upon demand and at a price reflecting a market rate of interest. Reverse repurchase agreements are subject to a Fund's limitation on borrowings and may be entered into only with banks or securities dealers or their affiliates.

Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the buyer of the securities sold by a Fund might be unable to deliver them when a Fund seeks to repurchase. If the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the buyer or trustee or receiver may receive an extension of time to determine whether to enforce the Fund's obligation to repurchase the securities, and the Fund's use of the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement may effectively be restricted pending such decision.

**<u>Lending of Portfolio Securities</u>**

Each Fund may lend securities from its portfolio to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. In connection with such loans, a Fund remains the beneficial owner of the loaned securities and continues to be entitled to payments in amounts approximately equal to the interest, dividends or other distributions payable on the loaned securities. A Fund also has the right to terminate a loan at any time. A Fund does not have the right to vote on securities while they are on loan. Loans of portfolio securities will not exceed 33 1/3% of the value of a Fund's total assets (including the value of all assets received as collateral for the loan). A Fund will receive collateral in an amount equal to at least 100% of the current market value of the loaned securities. If the collateral consists of cash, a Fund will reinvest the cash and pay the borrower a pre-negotiated fee or "rebate" from any return earned on the investment. Should the borrower of the securities fail financially, a Fund may experience delays or trouble in recovering the loaned securities or exercising its rights in the collateral. In a loan transaction, a Fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities acquired with cash collateral. Krane is subject to potential conflicts of interest because the compensation paid to Krane increases in connection with any net income received by a Fund from a securities lending program.

**<u>Cyber-Security Risk</u>**

Each Fund, and its service providers, may be prone to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber-attacks. Cyber-attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber security breaches. Cyber-attacks affecting a Fund or its advisors, custodian, transfer agent, intermediaries and other third-party service providers may adversely impact a Fund. For instance, cyber-attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact a Fund's ability to calculate its NAV, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential business information, impede trading, subject a Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses and/or cause reputational damage. A Fund may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes. While a Fund's service providers have established business continuity plans, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, a Fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by its service providers or any other third parties whose operations may affect a Fund or its shareholders. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issues or securities in which a Fund may invest, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause a Fund's investment in such companies to lose value.

**INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS**

Unless otherwise noted, whenever a fundamental or non-fundamental investment policy or limitation states that a maximum percentage of a Fund's assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding quality standards, such standard or percentage limitation will be determined immediately after and as a result of a Fund's acquisition of such security or other asset. Accordingly, other than with respect to a Fund's limitations on borrowings, any subsequent change in values, net assets, or other circumstances will not be considered when determining whether the investment complies with a Fund's investment policies and limitations.

**<u>Fundamental Policies</u>**

The investment limitations below are fundamental policies of each Fund, and cannot be changed without the consent of the holders of a majority of each Fund's outstanding shares. The term "majority of the outstanding shares" means the vote of (i) 67% or more of each Fund's shares present at a meeting, if more than 50% of the outstanding shares of each Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of each Fund's outstanding shares, whichever is less.

The Funds may not:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, and any applicable exemptive relief.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, and any applicable exemptive relief.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. Act as an underwriter of another issuer's securities, except to the extent that the Fund may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act in the disposition of portfolio securities.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4. Purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, or any non-U.S. government, or their respective agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result, more than 25% of the Fund's total assets would be invested in the securities of companies whose principal business activities are in the same industry (excluding investment companies) or group of industries, except that the Fund will invest more than 25% of its total assets in securities of the same industry to approximately the same extent that the Fund's Index concentrates in the securities of a particular industry or group of industries.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;5. Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate, real estate investment trusts or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business).

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;6. Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options, futures contracts, forward contracts, swaps and other financial instruments or from investing in issuers engaged in the commodities business or securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities).

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;7. Lend any security or make any other loan except as permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, and any applicable exemptive relief. This limitation does not apply to purchases of debt securities or to repurchase agreements, or to acquisitions of loans, loan participations or other forms of debt instruments permissible under the Fund's investment policies.

For purposes on limitation 4 above, while each Fund is actively managed, each Fund invests 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in the KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF (the "Underlying ETF") and FLEX Options that reference the Underlying ETF. The Underlying ETF seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Index. The Index for the Underlying ETF is currently the CSI Overseas China Internet Index, which is also the Index for purposes of limitation 4 above.

Each Fund's fundamental policies will be interpreted broadly. For example, the policies will be interpreted to refer to the 1940 Act and the related rules as they are in effect from time to time, and to interpretations of or relating to the 1940 Act by the SEC and others as they are given from time to time. When a policy provides that an investment practice may be conducted as permitted by the 1940 Act, the policy will be interpreted to mean either that the 1940 Act expressly permits the practice or that the 1940 Act does not prohibit the practice.

**CONTINUOUS OFFERING**

The method by which Creation Units of shares are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units of shares are issued and sold by a Fund on an ongoing basis, at any point a "distribution," as such term is used in 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 requirement 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 Funds' Distributor, breaks them down into constituent 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 a 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, generally are required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act.

**MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST**

**<u>Board Responsibilities</u>**

The Board of Trustees is responsible for overseeing the management and affairs of each Fund and the Trust. The Board considers and approves contracts, as described herein, under which certain companies provide essential management and administrative services to the Trust. Like most ETFs, the day-to-day business of the Trust, including the day-to-day management of risk, is performed by third-party service providers, such as Krane, a sub-adviser, if applicable, the Distributor and the Administrator (as defined below). The Board oversees the Trust's service providers and overall risk management. Risk management seeks to identify and eliminate or mitigate the potential effects of risks, *i.e.*, events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Trust or a Fund. Under the overall supervision of the Board and the Audit Committee (discussed in more detail below), the service providers to the Funds employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify risks relevant to the operations of the Trust and a Fund to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust's business (*e.g.*, Krane is responsible for the oversight of a sub-adviser) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that activity.

Consistent with its responsibility for oversight of the Trust and the Funds, the Board oversees the management of risks relating to the administration and operations of the Trust and the Funds. Krane, as part of its responsibilities for the day-to-day operations of the Funds, is responsible for day-to-day risk management for the Funds. The Board performs its risk management oversight directly and, as to certain matters, through its committees. The following provides an overview of the principal, but not all, aspects of the Board's oversight of risk management for the Trust and the Funds.

In general, each Fund's risks include, among others, investment risk, liquidity risk, valuation risk and operational risk. The Funds' service providers, including Krane and any sub-adviser, as applicable, are responsible for adopting policies, procedures and controls designed to address various risks within their purview. Further, Krane is responsible for overseeing and monitoring the investments and operations of any sub-adviser. The Board also oversees risk management for the Trust and the Funds through review of regular reports, presentations and other information from officers of the Trust and other persons. In addition to reports from Krane, the Board also receives reports regarding other service providers to the Trust on a periodic or regular basis.

The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent and quality of the Fund services provided to the Funds by Krane and any sub-adviser and receives information from them on a periodic basis. In connection with its consideration of whether to approve and/or renew the advisory agreements with Krane and any sub-adviser, the Board will request information allowing the Board to review such services. The Board also receives reports related to Krane's and any sub-adviser's adherence to each Fund's investment restrictions and compliance with the stated policies of a Fund. In addition, the Board regularly receives information about each Fund's performance and investments.

The Trust's Chief Compliance Officer meets regularly with the Board to review and discuss compliance and other issues. At least annually, the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust's policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the Adviser and any sub-adviser. The report generally seeks to address: the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and material compliance matters since the date of the last report.

The Board normally also receives reports from the Trust's service providers regarding Fund operations, portfolio valuation and other matters. Annually, an independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of the Trust's financial statements, focusing on certain areas of risk to the Trust and the Trust's internal controls.

The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect a Fund can be identified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve a Fund's goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, despite the periodic reports the Board receives and the Board's discussions with the service providers to a Fund, it may not be made aware of all relevant information about certain risks. Most of the Trust's investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through Krane and other service providers, each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the Trust's and each other's in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board's risk management oversight is subject to substantial limitations.

**<u>Members of the Board and Officers of the Trust</u>**

Set forth below are the names, years of birth, position with the Trust, term of office, the principal occupations for a minimum of the last five years, number of portfolios overseen by, and other directorships of each of the persons currently serving as members of the Board and as Executive Officers of the Trust. Also included below is the term of office for each of the Executive Officers of the Trust. The members of the Board serve as Trustees for the life of the Trust or until retirement, removal, or their office is terminated pursuant to the Trust's Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust.

The Chairman of the Board, Jonathan Krane, is an interested person of the Trust as defined in the 1940 Act. No single Independent Trustee serves as a lead Independent Trustee. The Board has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics the Trust and its operations. The Board made this determination in consideration of, among other things, Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust (*i.e.*, "Independent Trustees") constitute at least fifty percent (50%) of the Board, the Audit Committee is composed of the Independent Trustees, and the Board oversees only a certain number of funds (and classes of shares).

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| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name, Address** <br> **and Year of Birth of<br> Trustee/Officer** | **Position(s)<br> Held with** <br> **the Trust,<br> Term of Office<br> and Length of<br> Time Served<br> (or Year Service Began)** | **Principal Occupation(s)** <br> **During Past 5 Years** | **Number of<br> Portfolios in<br> Fund Complex<br> Overseen**<br> **by Trustee/**<br> **Officer** | **Other**<br> **Directorships<br> Held by<br> Trustee/Officer**<br> **During Past 5 Years** |
| **Interested Trustee** | **Interested Trustee** | **Interested Trustee** | **Interested Trustee** | **Interested Trustee** |
| Jonathan Krane\*<br> (1968)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Trustee and Chairman of the Board, No set term; served since 2012 | Chief Executive Officer of Krane Funds Advisors, LLC from 2011 to present. | 40 | Director of Krane California Carbon Allowance Fund, Ltd. from 2024 to present. Director of KraneShares ETC plc from 2024 to present. Director of KraneShares ICAV from 2021 to present. |
| **Independent Trustees** | **Independent Trustees** | **Independent Trustees** | **Independent Trustees** | **Independent Trustees** |
| Luis Berruga<br> (1977)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Trustee, No set term; served since 2024 | Founder and Managing Partner of LBS Capital (family office and advisory business) from 2024 to present. Chief Executive Officer of Global X ETFs from 2018 to 2023. Chief Executive Officer of Global X Management Company LLC ("Global X") from 2014 to 2023; Chief Operating Officer of Global X in 2018; Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Global X from 2014 to 2018. | 40 | Independent Director of Sol Strategies from 2025 to present. Independent Director of VistaOne Fund from 2025 to present. Independent Director of Tidal Trust IV from 2025 to present. Interested Trustee of Global X Funds from 2018 to 2023. |

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| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name, Address** <br> **and Year of Birth of<br> Trustee/Officer** | **Position(s)<br> Held with** <br> **the Trust,<br> Term of Office<br> and Length of<br> Time Served<br> (or Year Service Began)** | **Principal Occupation(s)** <br> **During Past 5 Years** | **Number of<br> Portfolios in<br> Fund Complex<br> Overseen**<br> **by Trustee/**<br> **Officer** | **Other**<br> **Directorships<br> Held by<br> Trustee/Officer**<br> **During Past 5 Years** |
| John Ferguson<br> (1966)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Trustee, No set term; served since 2012 | President and CCO of Three Fifty Eight Investment Group, LLC from 2024 to present. Advisor to CEO and CCO of Covey Advisors LLC from 2023 to 2024. Chief Operating Officer of Shrewsbury River Capital from 2017 to 2020. Chief Operating Officer of Kang Global Investors LP (hedge fund adviser) from 2014 to 2016. President of Alden Global Capital, LLC (hedge fund adviser) from 2012 to 2014 (formerly, Chief Operating Officer from 2011 to 2012). Senior Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of K2 Advisors, LLC from 2005 to 2011. | 40 | Independent Director of Pula Capital Offshore Fund Ltd. (Cayman) from 2024 to present. Independent Director of K2 Advisors Offshore Fund Complex from 2022 to present. |
| Matthew Stroyman<br> (1968)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Trustee, No set term; served since 2012 | Founder and President of BlackRidge Ventures from 2018 to present (principal investment activities and strategic advisory services in a variety of industries to clients and partners that include institutional investment firms, family offices and high net-worth individuals). | 40 |  |
| **Officers** | **Officers** | **Officers** | **Officers** | **Officers** |
| Jonathan Krane<br> (1968)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer, No set term; served since 2012 | Chief Executive Officer of Krane Funds Advisors, LLC from 2011 to present. | 40 |  |
| Jennifer Tarleton (formerly Krane)<br> (1966)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Vice President and Secretary, No set term; served since 2012 | Vice President of Krane Funds Advisors, LLC from 2011 to present. | 40 |  |
| Michael Quain<br> (1957)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Chief Compliance Officer and Anti-Money Laundering Officer, No set term; served since 2015 | Principal/President of Quain Compliance Consulting, LLC from 2014 to present. | 40 |  |

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| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name, Address** <br> **and Year of Birth of<br> Trustee/Officer** | **Position(s)<br> Held with** <br> **the Trust,<br> Term of Office<br> and Length of<br> Time Served<br> (or Year Service Began)** | **Principal Occupation(s)** <br> **During Past 5 Years** | **Number of<br> Portfolios in<br> Fund Complex<br> Overseen**<br> **by Trustee/**<br> **Officer** | **Other**<br> **Directorships<br> Held by<br> Trustee/Officer**<br> **During Past 5 Years** |
| John Bourgeois<br> (1973)<br> SEI Investments Company<br> One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, PA 19456 | Assistant Treasurer, No set term; served since 2024 | Director of Accounting, SEI Investments Global Fund Services from May 2024 to present. Fund Accounting Manager, SEI Investments Global Fund Services from June 2001 to May 2024. | 40 |  |
| David Adelman<br> (1964)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York,<br> New York 10017 | Assistant Secretary, No set term; served since 2021 | Managing Director and the General Counsel, Krane Fund Advisors, LLC from 2021 to present. Partner, Reed Smith LLP from 2015 to 2021. | 40 |  |
| Jonathan Shelon<br> (1974)<br> 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017 | Assistant Secretary, No set term; served since 2019 | Chief Operating Officer, Krane Funds Advisors, LLC from 2015 to present. Chief Investment Officer of Specialized Strategies, J.P. Morgan from 2011 to 2015. | 40 |  |

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\* Mr. Krane is an "interested" person of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, by virtue of his ownership and controlling interest in Krane.

**<u>Board Standing Committees</u>**

The Board has established the following standing committees:

**Audit Committee.** Messrs. Berruga, Ferguson and Stroyman are members of the Trust's Audit Committee (the "Audit Committee") and Mr. Ferguson is the Chairman of the Audit Committee. The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee are to oversee the financial reporting process and internal controls of the Trust, including recommending the appointment and compensation of the Trust's independent auditors, and reviewing any significant disputes regarding financial reporting between Trust management and such independent auditors. Under the terms of the Audit Committee charter adopted by the Board, the Audit Committee is authorized to, among other things, (i) oversee the accounting and financial reporting processes of the Trust and its internal control over financial reporting; (ii) oversee the quality and integrity of a Fund's financial statements and the independent audits thereof; (iii) assist the Board with oversight of the Trust's compliance with legal and regulatory requirements that relate to the Trust's accounting and financial reporting, internal control over financial reporting and independent audits; (iv) approve, prior to appointment, the engagement of the Trust's independent auditors and, in connection therewith, review and evaluate the qualifications, independence and performance of the Trust's independent auditors; and (v) act as a liaison between the Trust's independent auditors and the full Board. The Board of the Trust has adopted a written charter for the Audit Committee. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, the Audit Committee held four meetings.

The Audit Committee also serves as the Qualified Legal Compliance Committee ("QLCC") for the Trust. The function of the QLCC is to receive, review and recommend resolution with respect to any report made or referred to the QLCC by an attorney of evidence of a material violation of applicable U.S. federal or state securities law, material breach of a fiduciary duty under U.S. federal or state law or a similar material violation by the Trust or by any officer, trustee, employee, or agent of the Trust. The QLCC meets as needed and during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, did not meet.

**Nominating Committee.** Messrs. Berruga, Ferguson and Stroyman are members of the Trust's Nominating Committee and Mr. Stroyman is the Chairman of the Nominating Committee. The principal responsibilities of the Nominating Committee are to (i) identify, select and nominate the appropriate number of candidates for election or appointment as members of the Board and (ii) recommend to the Board for its consideration any appropriate changes to the number or qualification of Board members. The Nominating Committee is solely responsible for the selection and nomination of the Trust's Independent Trustees and does not consider nominations for the office of Trustee made by Trust shareholders. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, the Nominating Committee held two meetings.

**<u>Individual Trustee Qualifications</u>**

The Board has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board because of his ability to review and understand information about the Trust and each Fund provided by management, to identify and request other information he may deem relevant to the performance of the Trustees' duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration of a Fund, and to exercise his business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of a Fund's shareholders. The Board has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on his experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as described below.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Krane should serve as Trustee because of his knowledge of, and the executive positions he holds, or has held, in the financial services industry. Specifically, Mr. Krane currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Adviser. Mr. Krane contributes expertise and institutional knowledge relating to both the Adviser and the Trust. Prior to founding the Adviser, Mr. Krane also served as Chief Executive Officer of the China division of a multinational company, where he gained valuable experience in managing a business and critical knowledge of business and investment opportunities in China. In addition, he has served on the boards of different corporations and, in doing so, has first-hand knowledge of the fiduciary duties and responsibilities bestowed upon trustees and directors. The Board believes that Mr. Krane's experience serving as Chief Executive Officer for multiple businesses in the financial services industry, his familiarity with the KraneShares complex, and his experience in serving on the boards of various companies qualify him to serve as a Trustee of the Trust.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Ferguson should serve as Trustee because of the experience he has gained working in the financial services and legal industries over the years. In particular, Mr. Ferguson has extensive experience in managing global investment adviser firms, including the management, creation and operation of hedge funds. Mr. Ferguson has also served as a corporate securities and tax attorney assisting and counseling clients with the organization and creation of both domestic and offshore funds. In addition, Mr. Ferguson has served as an officer for two registered investment companies and, in doing so, has gained experience and knowledge regarding the mutual fund industry. The Board believes that Mr. Ferguson's experience in the financial services, fund and legal industries and his day-to-day work in managing investment advisory firms, qualify him to serve as a Trustee of the Trust.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Stroyman should serve as Trustee because of the experience he has gained working in the financial services and real estate industries. Working as an investment banker early in his career, Mr. Stroyman developed a strong base of knowledge regarding corporate finance, structuring, public and private securities, and company valuations. Through his work in the real estate industry and relationships with large investment management firms, Mr. Stroyman has gained an understanding of sophisticated financial products. He has advised institutional clients including pension funds, endowments and other qualified investors in asset management, risk assessment, and repositioning and disposition of underperforming assets. The Board believes that the knowledge Mr. Stroyman has gained over the years working in the financial services and real estate industries and his value and understanding of fiduciary duties and responsibilities assigned to board members qualify him to serve as Trustee of the Trust.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Berruga should serve as Trustee because of his extensive knowledge of and experience in the financial services industry. In particular, Mr. Berruga has extensive experience managing a global investment advisory firm and exchange-traded fund sponsor, giving him a strong understanding of product development related to and operation of exchange-traded funds. In addition, Mr. Berruga serves or has served as a board member of various operating companies, exchange-traded funds and private funds, and thus has first-hand knowledge of the fiduciary duties and responsibilities bestowed upon trustees and directors. The Board believes that the knowledge Mr. Berruga has gained over the years working in the exchange-traded fund industry and his value and understanding of fiduciary duties and responsibilities assigned to board members qualify him to serve as Trustee of the Trust.

As of March 31, 2025, none of the Independent Trustees or members of their immediate family, beneficially owned or owned of record securities representing interests in Krane, any sub-adviser or distributor of the Trust, or any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with such persons. For this purpose, "immediate family member" includes an Independent Trustee's spouse, children residing in the same household and dependents of the Independent Trustee.

**<u>Fund Shares Owned by Board Members</u>**

As of December 31, 2024, the Trustees beneficially owned the following amounts of Fund shares and shares of other series of the Trust:

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Trustee** | **Funds** | **Aggregate**<br> **Dollar**<br> **Range of**<br> **Beneficial**<br> **Ownership<br> of Funds** |
| Luis Berruga |  |  |
| John Ferguson | KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF | $10001-$50000 |
| John Ferguson | KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF | $10001-$50000 |
| John Ferguson | KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | $50001-$100000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF | $10001-$50000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Jonathan Krane | KraneShares SSE Star Market 50 Index ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Matthew Stroyman |  |  |

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"Beneficial ownership" is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "1934 Act").

**<u>Board Compensation</u>**

Trustees who are "interested persons" of Krane are not compensated by the Trust for their service as a Trustee. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025: (a) Mr. Berruga received aggregate compensation from the Trust in the amount of $108,049; (b) Mr. Ferguson received aggregate compensation from the Trust in the amount of $190,000; (c) Mr. Stroyman received aggregate compensation from the Trust in the amount of $190,000; and (d) Patrick Campo (who retired from his position as Trustee effective December 31, 2024) received aggregate compensation from the Trust in the amount of $142,500. None of the Trustees accrued or received any retirement or pension benefits.

Effective September 1, 2023, the Trustees receive compensation from the Trust in the amount of $190,000 per year. Each Fund bears a proportionate share of Trustee compensation and expenses based on its relative net assets.

**INVESTMENT ADVISER**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane" or "Adviser") serves as investment adviser to each Fund pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and Krane (the "Investment Advisory Agreement"). Krane is a Delaware limited liability company registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the "Advisers Act"). Krane's offices are located at 280 Park Ave, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, Krane is responsible for reviewing, supervising and administering each Fund's investment program and the general management and administration of the Trust. Krane may engage a subadviser to assist it in managing a Fund's investments, but will be responsible for overseeing any subadvisers. Krane arranges for transfer agency, custody, fund administration and accounting, and other non-distribution related services necessary for each Fund to operate. Krane manages each Fund's business affairs, provides office facilities and equipment and certain clerical, bookkeeping and administrative services, and permits its officers and employees to serve as officers or Trustees of the Trust. Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, Krane bears all of its own costs associated with providing advisory services to the Funds. As part of the Investment Advisory Agreement, Krane has contractually agreed to pay all expenses of each Fund, except (i) interest and taxes (including, but not limited to, income, excise, transaction, transfer and withholding taxes); (ii) expenses of a Fund incurred with respect to the acquisition and disposition of portfolio securities and the execution of portfolio transactions, including brokerage commissions and short sale dividend or interest expense; (iii) expenses incurred in connection with any distribution plan adopted by the Trust in compliance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, including distribution fees; (iv) Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses; (v) litigation expenses; (vi) the compensation payable to the Adviser under the Investment Advisory Agreement; (vii) compensation and expenses of the Independent Trustees (including any Trustees' counsel fees); and (viii) any expenses determined to be extraordinary expenses by the Board. Nevertheless, there exists a risk that a Trust service provider will seek recourse against the Trust if is not timely paid by Krane for the fees and expenses for which it is responsible, which could materially adversely affect a Fund.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, each Fund pays Krane the fee shown in the table below, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate based on a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund.

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | 0.25% |
| KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | 0.25% |

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In addition to the advisory fee rate paid to Krane, as shown in the table above, under the Investment Advisory Agreement, each Fund pays Krane 10% of the monthly investment income received from the investment of cash collateral and loan fees received from borrowers in respect of securities loans (net of any amounts paid to the custodian and/or securities lending agent or rebated to borrowers) as compensation for the services provided by Krane in connection with any securities lending-related activities.

To the extent a Fund engages in securities lending, Krane will: (i) determine which securities are available for loan and notify the securities lending agent for a Fund (the "Agent"), (ii) monitor the Agent's activities to ensure that securities loans are effected in accordance with Krane's instructions and in accordance with applicable procedures and guidelines adopted by the Board, (iii) make recommendations to the Board regarding the Fund's participation in securities lending, (iv) prepare appropriate periodic reports for, and seek appropriate periodic approvals from, the Board with respect to securities lending activities, (v) respond to Agent inquiries concerning Agent's activities, and (vi) such other related duties as Krane deems necessary or appropriate. In addition, Krane may provide additional securities lending-related services as requested by the Trustees from time to time.

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, while the fees and expenses related to a Fund's securities lending-related activities reduce the revenues and income of the Fund from such activities, they are not fees and expenses for which Krane is responsible.

For the prior fiscal periods, Krane received the following compensation under the Investment Advisory Agreement:

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| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Fiscal Year Ended**<br> **3/31/25** | **Fiscal Year Ended**<br> **3/31/25** | **Fiscal Period Ended**<br> **3/31/24** | **Fiscal Period Ended**<br> **3/31/24** |
| | **Advisory Fees** | **Fees from<br> Securities Lending** | **Advisory Fees** | **Fees from<br> Securities Lending** |
| KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | $6650 | $0 | $888 | $0 |
| KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | $7168 | $0 | $898 | $0 |

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The Investment Advisory Agreement with respect to each Fund will continue in effect for two years from its initial effective date, and thereafter is subject to annual approval by (i) the Board of Trustees of the Trust or (ii) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, provided that in either event such continuance also is approved by a vote of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund. If the shareholders of a Fund fail to approve the Investment Advisory Agreement, Krane may continue to serve in the manner and to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and rules and regulations thereunder.

The Investment Advisory Agreement with respect to a Fund is terminable without any penalty, by vote of the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of a Fund, or by Krane, in each case on not less than sixty (60) days' prior written notice to the other party; provided that a shorter notice period shall be permitted for a Fund in the event its shares are no longer listed on a national securities exchange or in such other circumstances where a Fund waives such notice period. The Investment Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically and immediately in the event of its "assignment" (as defined in the 1940 Act).

China International Capital Corporation (USA) Holdings Inc., a wholly-owned, indirect subsidiary of China International Capital Corporation Limited owns a majority stake in Krane. As of March 31, 2025, Central Huijin Investment Limited, a mainland Chinese-domiciled entity, and HKSCC Nominees Limited, held approximately 40.11% and 39.42%, respectively, of the shares of China International Capital Corporation Limited. Central Huijin Investment Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Investment Corporation, which is a mainland Chinese sovereign wealth fund. KFA One Holdings, LLC, located at 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017, holds the remaining equity interests in Krane and Jonathan Krane, through his equity interests in KFA One Holdings, LLC, beneficially owns more than 10% of the equity interests in Krane.

Krane has received "manager of managers" exemptive relief from the SEC that permits Krane, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees, to appoint a "wholly-owned" or unaffiliated sub-adviser, as defined in the exemptive relief, or to change the terms of a sub-advisory agreement with a "wholly-owned" or unaffiliated sub-adviser without first obtaining shareholder approval. The exemptive order further permits Krane to add or to change a "wholly-owned" or unaffiliated sub-adviser or to change the fees paid to such parties from time to time without the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approval of the change and to disclose sub-advisers' fees only in the aggregate in its registration statement. Any increase in the aggregate advisory fee paid by any Fund remains subject to shareholder approval. Krane continues to have ultimate responsibility (subject to oversight by the Board of Trustees) to oversee the sub-advisers and recommend their hiring, termination, and replacement. A Fund will notify shareholders of any change of a Fund sub-adviser.

**PORTFOLIO MANAGERS**

**Portfolio Manager Fund Ownership.** The Funds are required to show the dollar range of each portfolio manager's "beneficial ownership" of shares of a Fund as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC.

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Krane's Portfolio Managers** | **Krane's Portfolio Managers** | **Krane's Portfolio Managers** |
| **Name** | **Funds Covered by this SAI** | **Dollar Range of Fund Ownership (dollars)** |
| James Maund | KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | $1-$10000 |
| James Maund | KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | $1-$10000 |
| Jonathan Shelon | KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | $10001-$50000 |
| Jonathan Shelon | KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | $10001-$50000 |

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**Other Accounts.** The portfolio managers are responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as follows:

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| | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Krane's Portfolio Managers** | **Krane's Portfolio Managers** | **Krane's Portfolio Managers** | **Krane's Portfolio Managers** | **Krane's Portfolio Managers** | **Krane's Portfolio Managers** | **Krane's Portfolio Managers** |
| | **Registered<br> Investment Companies\*** | **Registered<br> Investment Companies\*** | **Other Pooled<br> Investment Vehicles\*** | **Other Pooled<br> Investment Vehicles\*** | **Other Accounts\*** | **Other Accounts\*** |
| <br>**Name** | **Number of<br> Accounts** | **Total Assets<br> ($ millions)** | **Number of<br> Accounts** | **Total Assets<br> ($ millions)** | **Number of<br> Accounts** | **Total Assets<br> ($ millions)** |
| James Maund\* | 23 | $9082.71 | 10 | $623.49 | NA | NA |
| Jonathan Shelon\* | 23 | $9082.71 | 10 | $623.49 | 10 | $0.133 |

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**\*** The information provided is as of March 31, 2025. None of the accounts paid advisory fees based on the performance of the accounts.

**<u>Portfolio Manager Compensation</u>**

The portfolio managers receive a fixed base salary and incentive awards based on the profitability of Krane and the satisfaction of the account objectives. Nevertheless, to the extent a portfolio manager would derive additional compensation from managing other accounts, the portfolio manager may be motivated to favor the other accounts. To address this and other conflicts of interest, Krane has adopted various policies and procedures designed so that all clients are treated equitably and that no client is systematically favored or disadvantaged over time.

**<u>Description of Material Conflicts of Interest</u>**

A portfolio manager's management of "other accounts" may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with his management of a 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 a Fund. Therefore, a potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the similar investment objectives, whereby the portfolio manager could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include the portfolio manager's knowledge of the size, timing and possible market impact of a Fund's trades, whereby the portfolio manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts, including personal trading, and to the disadvantage of a Fund. However, Krane has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities among all accounts it manages are fairly and equitably allocated. Krane monitors and limits personal trading in accordance with its Code of Ethics, as described below.

**CODES OF ETHICS**

The Trust and Krane have each adopted a Code of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. The Codes of Ethics apply to the personal investing activities of trustees, directors, officers and certain employees ("access persons"). Rule 17j-1 and the Codes of Ethics are designed to prevent unlawful practices in connection with the purchase or sale of securities by access persons. Under the Codes of Ethics, access persons are permitted to engage in personal securities transactions (including investments in securities that may be purchased and held by a Fund), but are required to report their personal securities transactions for monitoring purposes. Each Code of Ethics is on file with the SEC and is available to the public.

**PROXY VOTING POLICY**

The Trust has adopted the proxy voting policies of Krane, a summary of which is set forth in the appendix to this SAI. The Trust is required to disclose annually a Fund's complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX covering the period from July 1 of one year through June 30 of the next and to file Form N-PX with the SEC no later than August 31 of each year. The Form N-PX is available, or will be available, (1) without charge, upon request, by calling 1.855.857.2638 and contacting <u>info@kraneshares.com</u>; (2) on or through the Funds' website at <u>www.kraneshares.com</u>; and (3) on the SEC's website at <u>www.sec.gov</u>.

**ADMINISTRATOR**

SEI Investments Global Funds Services (the "Administrator") serves as administrator for the Funds. SEI Investments Management Corporation ("SIMC"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEI Investments Company ("SEI Investments"), is the owner of all beneficial interest in the Administrator. The principal address of the Administrator is One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456. Under an Amended and Restated Administration Agreement with the Trust dated July 9, 2014, as amended (the "Administration Agreement"), the Administrator provides necessary administrative and accounting services for the maintenance and operations of the Trust and the Funds. In addition, the Administrator makes available the office space, equipment, personnel and facilities required to provide such services.

For its services under the Administration Agreement, the Administrator is entitled to a fee, based on assets under management, subject to a minimum fee. The Administrator may be reimbursed by the Funds for its out-of-pocket expenses. The Investment Advisory Agreement provides that Krane will pay certain operating expenses of the Trust, including the fees due to the Administrator under the Administration Agreement.

**CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER AGENT**

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. ("BBH") serves as custodian and transfer agent for the Trust. The principal address of BBH is 50 Post Office Square, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. Under the Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreement with the Trust dated December 12, 2012, BBH, in its capacity as custodian, maintains in separate accounts cash, securities and other assets of the Funds, keeps all necessary accounts and records, and provides other services. BBH is required, upon the order of the Trust, to deliver securities held by it, in its capacity as custodian, and to make payments for securities purchased by the Trust for a Fund.

Under the Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreement, foreign securities held by the Funds are generally held by sub-custodians in BBH's sub-custodian network.

BBH further acts as a transfer agent for the Trust's authorized and issued shares of beneficial interest, and as dividend disbursing agent of the Trust, under the Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreement. The Investment Advisory Agreement provides that Krane will pay certain operating expenses of the Trust, including the fees due to BBH under the Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreement.

**SECURITIES LENDING ARRANGEMENTS**

BBH serves as the securities lending agent for the Trust. The principal address of BBH is 50 Post Office Square, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. As the securities lending agent, BBH, among other matters, negotiates the specific loan terms for the Funds to loan their securities and receive compensation therefor, arranges for deliveries of securities and collateral under the securities lending program, and effects the investment of cash collateral received in connection with loaned securities, all as specified in the Securities Lending Agency Agreement and within the parameters established under the Trust's securities lending program. BBH is authorized to lend Fund securities only to such borrowers as have been approved by the Trust.

**DISTRIBUTOR AND DISTRIBUTION ARRANGEMENTS**

SEI Investments Distribution Co., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEI Investments, and an affiliate of the Administrator, serves as Distributor for the Trust. The principal address of the Distributor is One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456. The Distributor has entered into an Amended and Restated Distribution Agreement with the Trust dated July 9, 2014, (the "Distribution Agreement") pursuant to which it distributes shares of the Funds. The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable annually. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Funds through the Distributor only in Creation Units, as described in the Prospectus and below in the "Creation and Redemption of Creation Units" section. Shares in less than Creation Units are not distributed by the Distributor. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the 1934 Act and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA"). The Distributor is not affiliated with Krane or any national securities exchange.

The Distribution Agreement provides that it may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty: (i) by a vote of a majority of the independent Trustees; (ii) by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of a Fund; or (iii) on at least thirty (30) days' prior written notice to the other party. The Distribution Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).

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

**Distribution Plan.** Each Fund has adopted a Distribution Plan applicable to the Fund's shares. Under the Distribution Plan, the Distributor, or designated service providers, may receive up to 0.25% of a Fund's assets attributable to shares as compensation for distribution services pursuant to Rule 12b-1 of the 1940 Act.

Distribution services may include: (i) services in connection with distribution assistance, or (ii) payments to financial institutions and other financial intermediaries, such as broker-dealers, fund "supermarkets" and the Distributor's affiliates and subsidiaries, as compensation for services or reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance. The Distributor may, at its discretion, retain a portion of such payments to compensate itself for distribution services and distribution related expenses such as the costs of preparation, printing, mailing or otherwise disseminating sales literature, advertising, and prospectuses (other than those furnished to current shareholders of a Fund), promotional and incentive programs, and such other marketing expenses that the Distributor may incur. The plan is a compensation plan, which means that the Distributor is compensated regardless of its expenses, as opposed to a reimbursement plan which reimburses only for expenses incurred.

No distribution fees are currently charged to the Funds and there are currently no plans to impose these fees. The Plan was adopted in order to permit the implementation of each Fund's method of distribution. In the event that 12b-1 fees are charged in the future, because a Fund pays these fees out of assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees may cost you more than other types of sales charges and will increase the cost of your investment in a Fund.

The Plan will remain in effect for a period of one year and is renewable from year to year with respect to a Fund, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees and (2) by a vote of the majority of those Independent Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan ("Rule 12b-1 Trustees"). The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount of fees that may be paid by a Fund under the Plan unless such amendment is approved by a 1940 Act majority vote of the outstanding shares and by a Fund's Trustees in the manner described above. The Plan is terminable with respect to a Fund at any time by a vote of a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees or by a 1940 Act majority vote of the outstanding shares.

**Intermediary Compensation.** Krane and/or its affiliates, out of its own resources and not out of a Fund's assets (*i.e.*, without additional cost to a Fund or its shareholders), may pay certain broker dealers, banks and other financial intermediaries ("Intermediaries"), to the extent permitted by applicable law, for certain activities related to a Fund, including marketing and education support and the sale of a Fund's shares. These arrangements are sometimes referred to as "revenue sharing" arrangements. Revenue sharing arrangements are not financed by a Fund and, thus, do not result in increased Fund expenses. They are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fees and expenses sections of a Fund's Prospectus and they do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of a Fund's shares or the amount received by a shareholder as proceeds from the redemption of shares of a Fund.

Such compensation may be paid to Intermediaries that provide services to a Fund, including marketing and education support (such as through conferences, webinars and printed communications). Such compensation may also be paid to Intermediaries for inclusion of a Fund on a sales list, including a preferred or select sales list, in other sales programs. Krane periodically assesses the advisability of continuing to make these payments.

Payments to an Intermediary may be significant to the Intermediary, and amounts that Intermediaries pay to your adviser, broker or other investment professional, if any, may also be significant to such adviser, broker or investment professional. Because an Intermediary may make decisions about what investment options it will make available or recommend, and what services to provide in connection with various products, based on payments it receives or is eligible to receive, such payments create conflicts of interest between the Intermediary and its clients. For example, these financial incentives may cause the Intermediary to recommend a Fund over other investments. The same conflict of interest exists with respect to your financial adviser, broker or investment professionals if he or she receives similar payments from his or her Intermediary firm.

Intermediary information is current only as of the date of this SAI. Please contact your adviser, broker or other investment professional for more information regarding any payments his or her Intermediary firm may receive. Any payments made by Krane and/or its affiliates to an Intermediary may create an incentive for the Intermediary to encourage customers to buy shares of a Fund.

**CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES**

All shares of a Fund that have commenced operations are held of record in the name of the DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co. Although the Funds do not have information concerning the beneficial ownership of shares held in the names of DTC participants, as of June 30, 2025, the name and percentage ownership of each DTC participant\* that owned of record 5% or more of the outstanding shares of a Fund were as follows:

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Ticker** | **Fund** | **Participant Name and Address** | **Percentage of<br> Ownership** |
| KPRO | KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | BOFA SECURITIES, INC.<br> 100 North Tryon Street Charlotte NC 28255 | 77.2% |
| KPRO | KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.<br> 3000 Schwab Way, Westlake TX 76262 | 10.3% |
| KPRO | KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | PERSHING LLC<br> One Pershing Plaza Jersey City, NJ 07399 | 6.1% |
| KBUF | KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.<br> 3000 Schwab Way, Westlake TX 76262 | 61.9% |
| KBUF | KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | BOFA SECURITIES, INC.<br> 100 North Tryon Street Charlotte NC 28255  | 23.0% |

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\* DTC participants are listed according to their DTC number and may represent multiple companies under a single parent company, which have not been aggregated.

A person owning 25% or more of the voting securities of a Fund is termed a "Control Person" of the Fund. Shareholders owning voting securities in excess of 25% may determine the outcome of any matter affecting and voted on by shareholders of a Fund. The actions of an entity or person that controls a Fund could have an effect on other shareholders. For instance, a Control Person may have effective voting control over a Fund, and large redemptions by a Control Person could cause a Fund's other shareholders to pay a higher pro rata portion of the Fund's expenses.

**EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING**

A discussion of exchange listing and trading matters associated with an investment in a Fund is contained in the Prospectus. The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, such sections of the Prospectus.

The shares of the Fund are listed and traded on the Exchange identified on the cover of this SAI at prices that may differ from a Fund's NAV. There can be no assurance that the Exchange requirements necessary to maintain the listing of the shares of the Fund will continue to be met. The Exchange may, but is not required to, remove the shares of the Fund from listing if, among other matters: (i) the Exchange becomes aware that the Fund is no longer eligible to operate in reliance on Rule 6c-11 of the Investment Company Act; (ii) if the Fund no longer complies with the requirements set forth by the Exchange; (iii) following the initial 12-month period after commencement of trading of the Fund, there are fewer than fifty (50) Beneficial Owners (as that term is defined below) of the shares of the Fund; or (iv) such other event shall occur or condition exist that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the shares of the Fund from listing and trading upon termination of the Fund.

Trading prices of 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.

As in the case of other stocks traded on the Exchange, broker's commissions on purchases or sales of shares in market transactions will be based on investors' negotiated commission rates.

The Trust reserves the right to adjust the price levels of 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 a Fund or the value of investors' individual positions in the Fund.

**BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM**

The information below supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled "Shareholder Information."

The Depository Trust Company ("DTC") acts as securities depository for the Funds' shares. Shares of the Funds are represented by securities registered in the name of the DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, the DTC.

The DTC, a limited-purpose trust company, was created to hold securities of its participants ("DTC Participants") and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities' certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own the DTC. More specifically, the DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the Exchange, and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the "Indirect Participants").

Beneficial ownership of shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as "Beneficial Owners") is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by the DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of shares. The laws of some jurisdictions may require that certain purchasers of securities take physical delivery of such securities in definitive form. Such laws may impair the ability of certain investors to acquire beneficial interests in shares.

Conveyance of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. Pursuant to the Depositary Agreement between the Trust and the DTC, the DTC is required to make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee to be charged to the Trust a listing of the shares of a Fund held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall inquire of each such DTC Participant as to the number of Beneficial Owners holding shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

Share distributions shall be made to the DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all shares. The DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants' accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in shares of a Fund as shown on the records of the DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a "street name," and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.

The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in such shares, or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between the DTC and DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.

The DTC may decide to discontinue providing its service with respect to shares at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Trust and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Trust shall take action to find a replacement for the DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost.

**BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS**

Krane assumes general supervision over placing orders on behalf of a Fund for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities.

Although Krane strives to obtain the best net price under prevailing circumstances surrounding each trade, the determinative factor is whether a transaction represents the best overall execution for a Fund and not whether the lowest possible transaction cost is obtained. Krane considers the full range and quality of a broker-dealer's servicing in selecting the broker to meet best execution obligations, and may not pay the lowest transaction cost available. Krane reviews trading to ensure best execution, operational performance, and reasonable commission rates. Order flow may go through traditional broker-dealers, but may also be executed on an Electronic Communication Network, Alternative Trading System or other execution system.

Where multiple broker-dealers are available to execute portfolio transactions, in selecting the brokers or dealers for any transaction in portfolio securities, Krane's policy is to make such selection based on factors deemed relevant, which may include the breadth of the market in the security; the price of the security; the reasonableness of the commission or mark-up or mark-down, if any; execution capability; settlement capability; back office efficiency; and the financial condition of the broker or dealer, both for the specific transaction and on a continuing basis. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid or spreads is evaluated by Krane generally based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions paid or spreads by other institutional investors for comparable services. Brokers or dealers may also be selected because of their ability to handle special or difficult executions, such as may be involved in large block trades, less liquid securities, broad distributions, or other circumstances. Krane may also consider the provision or value of research, products or services a broker or dealer may provide, if any, as a factor in the selection of a broker or dealer or the determination of the reasonableness of commissions paid in connection with portfolio transactions. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of a Fund's shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or a dealer to execute its portfolio transactions.

When one or more broker-dealers is believed capable of providing the best combination of price and execution, a broker-dealer need not be selected based solely on the lowest commission rate available for a particular transaction. In such cases, Krane may pay a higher commission than otherwise obtainable from other brokers in return for brokerage research services provided to Krane consistent with Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act. Section 28(e) provides that Krane may cause a Fund to pay a broker-dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged as long as Krane makes a good faith determination that the amount of commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by the broker-dealer. To the extent Krane obtains brokerage and research services that it otherwise would acquire at its own expense, Krane may have incentive to place a greater volume of transactions or pay higher commissions than would otherwise be the case.

The types of products and services that Krane may obtain from broker-dealers through such arrangements may include research reports and other information on the economy, industries, sectors, groups of securities, individual companies, statistical information, political developments, technical market action, pricing and appraisal services, credit analysis, risk measurement analysis, performance and other analysis. Krane may use products and services provided by brokers in servicing all of its client accounts and not all such products and services may necessarily be used in connection with the account that paid commissions to the broker-dealer providing such products and services. Any advisory or other fees paid to Krane are not reduced as a result of the receipt of brokerage and research services.

In some cases, Krane may receive a product or service from a broker that has both a "research" and a "non-research" use. When this occurs, Krane will make a good faith allocation between the research and non-research uses of the product or service. The percentage of the service that is used for research purposes may be paid for with brokerage commissions, while Krane will use its own funds to pay for the percentage of the service that is used for non-research purposes. In making this good faith allocation, Krane faces a potential conflict of interest, but Krane believes that its allocation procedures are reasonably designed to appropriately allocate the anticipated use of such products and services to research and non-research uses.

The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of a Fund's shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or a dealer to execute its portfolio transactions.

Brokerage transactions may be conducted through "affiliated brokers or dealers," as defined in rules under the 1940 Act. An affiliated broker-dealer will receive compensation from a Fund in connection with the Fund's portfolio investment transactions conducted through them. This arrangement may present actual or perceived conflicts of interest, but the 1940 Act permits commissions to be paid by a fund to an "affiliated broker or dealer" if such commissions do not exceed the usual and customary broker's commission. Accordingly, the Funds have adopted compliance policies and procedures to permits such trades so long as, among other matters, the commissions paid to an affiliated broker-dealer are, in the judgment of the Krane or the subadviser (if applicable), reasonable and fair as compared to the commissions charged by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities.

An affiliated broker-dealer may engage in proprietary trading and advise accounts and funds that have investment objectives similar to those of a Fund and/or that engage in and compete for transactions in the same types of securities, currencies and other instruments as the Fund. Such activities could affect the prices and availability of the securities, currencies, and instruments in which a Fund invests, which could have an adverse impact on a Fund's performance. Such transactions by an affiliated broker-dealer, including for other client accounts, will be executed independently of a Fund's transactions and thus at prices or rates that may be more or less favorable than those obtained by the Fund.

**<u>Brokerage Commissions</u>**

Aggregate brokerage commissions paid by each of the following operational Funds on portfolio transactions for the fiscal periods shown are set forth in the table below:

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Fiscal Year Ended<br> March 31,<br> 2025** | **Fiscal Period Ended<br> March 31,<br> 2024** |
| KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | $7776 | $6,120\* |
| KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | $9256 | $6,120\*\* |

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\* For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF's inception, February 7, 2024 to March 31, 2024.

\*\* For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF's inception, February 7, 2024 to March 31, 2024.

**<u>Directed Brokerage</u>**

For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, the Funds paid the following in commissions on brokerage transactions directed to brokers pursuant to an agreement or understanding whereby the broker provides research or other brokerage services to Krane:

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Fund** | **Brokerage<br> Commissions for<br> Research Services**  | **Transactions Involving**<br> **Brokerage Commissions for<br> Research Services** |
| KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | $0 | $0 |
| KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | $0 | $0 |

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**<u>Affiliated Brokers</u>**

Of the aggregate brokerage commissions paid by each of the following operational Funds on portfolio transactions for the fiscal periods shown, below are the commissions paid by the Funds to a broker that is an affiliated person of the Fund:

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Fiscal Year Ended<br> March 31,<br> 2025** | **Fiscal Period Ended<br> March 31,<br> 2024** |
| KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | $0 | $0\* |
| KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | $0 | $0\*\* |

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\* For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF's inception, February 7, 2024 to March 31, 2024.

\*\* For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF's inception, February 7, 2024 to March 31, 2024.

**<u>Regular Broker-Dealers</u>**

Each Fund is required to identify any securities of its "regular brokers and dealers" (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) which a Fund may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. "Regular brokers or dealers" of a Fund are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year: (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from a Fund's portfolio transactions; (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio transactions of a Fund; or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of a Fund's shares. Such information is set out in the table below:

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| | **Ownership as of**<br> **March 31,<br> 2025** |
| KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF |  |
| KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF |  |

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**<u>Portfolio Turnover</u>**

Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year. High turnover rates are likely to result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses or dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions is evaluated by Krane based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions and spreads paid or incurred by the other institutional investors for comparable services.

During the two prior fiscal years/periods, the Funds' portfolio turnover rates were as follows:

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Fiscal Year Ended<br> March 31,<br> 2025** | **Fiscal Period Ended**<br> **March 31,<br> 2024** |
| KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | 4% | 0%\* |
| KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | 3% | 0%\*\* |

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\* For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF's inception, February 7, 2024 to March 31, 2024.

\*\* For the fiscal period starting from the KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF's inception, February 7, 2024 to March 31, 2024.

**CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS**

Except as otherwise noted below, the following applies to any Fund covered by this SAI:

**<u>General</u>**

The Trust issues and redeems shares of a Fund only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load but subject to the transaction fees described below, at the NAV next determined after receipt, on any Business Day (as defined below), of an order in proper form. A "Business Day", as used herein, is any day on which the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") is open for business. As of the date of this SAI, the NYSE observes the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Currently, the number of shares that constitutes a Creation Unit is 25,000 shares. In its discretion, the Board reserves the right to increase or decrease the number of the Fund's shares that constitute a Creation Unit. The Board reserves the right to declare a split or a consolidation in the number of shares outstanding of the Fund, and to make changes in the number of shares constituting a Creation Unit, including in the event that the per share price in the secondary market rises (or declines) to an amount that falls outside the range deemed desirable by the Board.

Creation Units may be purchased and redeemed only by or through a DTC Participant that has entered into an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Distributor (an "Authorized Participant"). Such Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of such Authorized Participant Agreement and on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including those set forth below, the Authorized Participant Agreement and any handbook governing the Authorized Participants (collectively, the "AP Agreement"). Investors who are not Authorized Participants must make appropriate arrangements with an Authorized Participant to purchase or redeem Creation Units. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not be a DTC Participant or may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Distributor and that Creation Unit orders may have to be placed by the investor's broker through an Authorized Participant. As a result, orders placed through an Authorized Participant may result in additional charges to such investor. A list of current Authorized Participants may be obtained from the Distributor.

Investors who are not Authorized Participants may purchase and sell shares of the Fund through an Authorized Participant or on the secondary market.

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

The Basket of securities comprising a Fund Deposit and a Fund Redemption (each, as defined below) may be representative of the Fund's portfolio holdings; or the Fund may utilize "Custom Baskets" provided that certain conditions are met. A Custom Basket is (i) a Basket that is composed of a non-representative selection of the Fund's portfolio holdings, (ii) a representative Basket that is different from the initial Basket used in transactions on the same business day, or (iii) a Basket that contains bespoke cash and/or security substitutions, including for a single Authorized Participant. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that govern the construction and acceptance of Baskets, including heightened requirements for Custom Baskets. Such policies and procedures provide detailed parameters for the construction and acceptance of Custom Baskets, establish processes for revisions to, or deviations from, such parameters, and specify the titles and roles of the employees of the Adviser who are required to review each Custom Basket for compliance with those parameters. In connection with the construction and acceptance of Custom Baskets, the Adviser may consider various factors, including, but not limited to: (1) whether the securities, assets and other positions comprising a Basket are consistent with the Fund's investment objective, policies and disclosure; (2) whether the securities, assets and other positions can legally and readily be acquired, transferred and held by the Fund and/or Authorized Participant(s), as applicable; (3) whether and to what extent to include cash in the Basket; (4) whether the Custom Basket increases the liquidity of a Fund's portfolio, noting that a Custom Basket may not be accepted which adversely affects the liquidity position of a Fund's portfolio when other Basket options exist; (5) whether the use of Custom Baskets may reduce costs, increase (tax) efficiency and improve trading in Fund shares; and (6) with respect to index-based strategies, whether the securities, assets and other positions aid the Fund to track its underlying index, if any. The policies and procedures apply different criteria to different types of Custom Baskets in order to mitigate against potential overreaching by an Authorized Participant, although there is no guarantee that such policies and procedures will be effective.

**<u>Purchases of Creation Units</u>**

The consideration for the purchase of Creation Units of the Fund consists of an in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities ("Deposit Securities") or cash for all or any portion of such securities ("Deposit Cash") (collectively, the "Deposit Basket") and the Cash Component, which is an amount equal to the difference between the aggregate NAV of a Creation Unit and the Deposit Basket. Together, the Deposit Basket and the Cash Component constitute the "Fund Deposit."

The Custodian or the Administrator makes available through the National Securities Clearing Corporation ("NSCC") on each Business Day, prior to the opening of regular trading on the Exchange, the list of names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security and Deposit Cash in the Deposit Basket, and the estimated amount of the Cash Component to be included in the current Fund Deposit. Such Fund Deposit will normally be applicable, subject to any adjustments as described below, in order to effect purchases of Creation Units of the Fund until such time as the next-announced Fund Deposit is made available. The means by which the Deposit Basket and Cash Component are to be delivered by the Authorized Participant to the Fund are set forth in the AP Agreement, except to the extent the Distributor and the Authorized Participant otherwise agree. Fund shares will be settled through the DTC system.

The identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities change pursuant to, among other matters, changes in the composition of the Fund's portfolio and as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time. The composition of the Deposit Securities may also change in response to adjustments to the weighting or composition of the component securities constituting a Fund's underlying index, if applicable.

Cash purchases of Creation Units will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind purchases. The Authorized Participant will pay the cash equivalent of the Deposit Securities as Deposit Cash plus or minus the same Cash Component.

Krane, on behalf of the Fund, will convert subscriptions that are made in whole or in part in cash, including Deposit Cash, into the relevant foreign currency prior to investment at the applicable exchange rate and subject to the applicable spread. Those purchasing Creation Units of the Fund bear the risk associated with changes in the currency exchange rate between the time they place their order and the time that the Fund converts any cash received into foreign investments.

**<u>Placement of Purchase Orders</u>**

To initiate an order for a Creation Unit, an Authorized Participant must submit to the Distributor an irrevocable order in proper form to purchase shares of the Fund before the earlier of (a) 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time or (b) two hours before the close of the trading session on the Exchange ("Cutoff Time"). For a purchase order to be processed based on the NAV calculated on a particular Business Day, the purchase order must be received in proper form and accepted by the Trust prior to the Cutoff Time. Investors who are not Authorized Participants and seek to place a purchase order for a Creation Unit through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Distributor by the Cutoff Time on such Business Day. Custom Orders must normally be received in proper form and accepted by the Trust at least two hours prior to Cutoff Time. A purchase order, if accepted by the Trust, will be processed based on the NAV as of next time it is calculated.

The AP Agreement sets forth the different methods whereby Authorized Participants can submit purchase orders. A purchase order is considered to be in "proper form" if a request in a form satisfactory to the Fund is (1) received by the Distributor from an Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another person within the time period set above, and (2) all the procedures and other requirements applicable to the method used by the Authorized Participant to submit the purchase order, such as, in the case of purchase orders submitted through the Distributor's website, the completion of all required fields, including as set forth in the AP Agreement, are properly followed.

Creation Unit orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure, may impede transmissions between the Distributor and an Authorized Participant. Orders to create shares of the Fund that are submitted on the Business Day immediately preceding a holiday or a day (other than a weekend) when the securities markets in a foreign market in which the Fund may invest are closed may not be accepted or may be charged the maximum transaction fee. The Distributor, in its discretion, may permit the submission of orders and requests by or through an Authorized Participant via communication through the facilities of the Distributor's proprietary website maintained for this purpose.

**<u>Acceptance of Orders for, and Issuance of, Creation Units</u>**

All questions as to whether an order has been submitted in proper form and the number of shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Fund and the Fund's determination shall be final and binding.

The Fund reserves the right to reject or revoke acceptance of a creation order, for any reason, provided that such action is not in contravention of Rule 6c-11. For example, the Fund may reject or revoke acceptance of a creation order including, but not limited to, when (i) the order is not in proper form; (ii) the investor(s), upon obtaining the shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding shares of the Fund; (iii) the Deposit Securities delivered do not conform to the identity and number of shares specified; (iv) acceptance of the Fund Deposit is not legally required or would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; or (v) circumstances outside the control of the Fund, the Distributor and Krane make it impracticable to process purchase orders. The Distributor shall notify a prospective purchaser of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such purchaser of the rejection or revocation of acceptance of such order. The Fund, the Custodian, the sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall any of them incur any liability for failure to give such notification.

Except as provided in the following paragraph, a Creation Unit will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Fund of the Deposit Securities and the payment of the Cash Component, Deposit Cash and creation transaction fees have been completed. In this regard, the Custodian will require, prior to the issuance of a Creation Unit, that the sub-custodian confirm to the Custodian that the Deposit Securities have been delivered to the account of the Fund at the sub-custodian(s). If the Fund does not receive the foregoing by the time specified herein the Creation Unit may not be delivered or the purchase order may be rejected.

The Fund may issue Creation Units to an Authorized Participant, notwithstanding the fact that all Deposit Securities have not been received, in reliance on the undertaking of the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing Deposit Securities as soon as possible, which undertaking shall be secured by such Authorized Participant's delivery and maintenance of collateral having a value of up to 115% of the value of the missing Deposit Securities. The only collateral that is acceptable is cash in U.S. dollars. Such cash collateral must be delivered no later than 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time on the contractual settlement date of the Creation Unit(s). The Fund may buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time, and the Authorized Participant will be liable for any shortfall between the cost to the Fund of purchasing such securities and the cash collateral. In addition, the cash collateral may be invested at the risk of the Authorized Participant, and any income on invested cash collateral will be paid to that Authorized Participant. Information concerning the Fund's current procedures for collateralization of missing Deposit Securities is available from the Distributor.

In certain cases, an Authorized Participant may create and redeem Creation Units on the same trade date. In these instances, the Fund reserves the right to settle these transactions on a net basis or require a representation from the Authorized Participant that the creation and redemption transactions are for separate Beneficial Owners.

Once the Fund has accepted a purchase order, upon the next determination of the NAV of the shares, the Fund may confirm the issuance of a Creation Unit, against receipt of payment, at such NAV. The Distributor will then transmit a confirmation of acceptance to the Authorized Participant that placed the order. Creation Units typically are settled on a "T+1" basis (i.e., one Business Day after trade date), subject to certain exceptions. However, the Fund reserves the right to settle Creation Unit transactions on a basis other than T+1, including in order to accommodate non-U.S. market holiday schedules, closures and settlement cycles, and to account for different treatment among non-U.S. and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates.

**<u>Creation Transaction Fees</u>**

A standard creation transaction fee is imposed to offset transfer and other costs associated with the issuance of Creation Units. The standard creation transaction fee is charged to the Authorized Participant on the day such Authorized Participant creates a Creation Unit, and is the same, regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased by the Authorized Participant on the applicable Business Day.

The Authorized Participant may also be required to pay a variable transaction fee (up to the maximum amount shown in the table below) to cover certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, market impact and other costs and expenses. Authorized Participants will also bear the costs of transferring the Deposit Securities, including any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses.

The standard creation transaction fee and maximum variable transaction fee for a Creation Unit are set forth below:

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **FUND** | **STANDARD<br> TRANSACTION FEE** | **MAXIMUM VARIABLE<br> TRANSACTION FEE\*** |
| KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | $25 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | $25 | 2.00% |

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\* As a percentage of the Creation Unit(s) purchased.

The Adviser may adjust the transactions fees from time to time based on actual experience.

**<u>Redemptions of Creation Units</u>**

The consideration paid by the Fund for the redemption of Creation Units consists of an in-kind basket of designated securities ("Redemption Securities") or cash for all or any portion of such securities ("Redemption Cash") (collectively, the "Fund Securities") and the Cash Component, which is an amount equal to the difference between the aggregate NAV of a Creation Unit and the Fund Securities. Together, the Fund Securities and the Cash Component constitute the "Fund Redemption."

The Custodian or the Administrator normally makes available through NSCC on each Business Day, prior to the opening of regular trading on the Exchange, the list of names and the number of shares of each Redemption Security and Redemption Cash, as applicable, and the estimated amount of the Cash Component to be included in the current Fund Redemption. Such Fund Redemption is applicable, subject to any adjustments as described below, for redemptions of Creation Units of the Fund until such time as the next-announced Fund Redemption is made available. The delivery of Fund shares will be settled through the DTC system. The means by which the Fund Securities and Cash Component are to be delivered to the Authorized Participant by the Fund are set forth in the AP Agreement, except to the extent the Distributor and the Authorized Participant otherwise agree.

The identity and number of shares of the Redemption Securities change pursuant to, among other matters, changes in the composition of the Fund's portfolio and as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time. The composition of the Redemption Securities may also change in response to adjustments to the weighting or composition of the component securities constituting a Fund's investments and may not be the same as the Deposit Securities.

Cash redemptions of Creation Units will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind redemptions. The Authorized Participant will receive the cash equivalent of the Fund Securities as Redemption Cash plus or minus the same Cash Component.

Krane, on behalf of the Fund, will sell investments denominated in foreign currencies and convert such proceeds into U.S. Dollars at the applicable exchange rate and subject to the applicable spread for redemptions that are made in whole or in part for cash, including Redemption Cash. Those redeeming Creation Units of the Fund bear the risk associated with changes in the currency exchange rate between the time they place their order and the time that the Fund converts any investments into U.S. Dollars.

**<u>Placement of Redemption Orders</u>**

To initiate a redemption order for a Creation Unit, an Authorized Participant must submit to the Distributor an irrevocable order in proper form to redeem shares of the Fund before the earlier of (a) 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time or (b) two hours before the close of the trading session on the Exchange ("Cutoff Time"). For a redemption order to be processed based on the NAV calculated on a particular Business Day, the redemption order must be received in proper form and accepted by the Trust prior to the Cutoff Time. Investors who are not Authorized Participants and seek to place a redemption order for a Creation Unit through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the redemption order to the Distributor by the Cutoff Time on such Business Day. A redemption order, if accepted by the Trust, will be processed based on the NAV as of the next time it is calculated.

The AP Agreement sets forth the different methods whereby Authorized Participants can submit redemption requests. A redemption request is considered to be in "proper form" if a request in a form satisfactory to the Fund is (1) received by the Distributor from an Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another person within the time period set above, and (2) all the procedures and other requirements applicable to the method used by the Authorized Participant to submit the redemption order, such as, in the case of redemption orders submitted through the Distributor's website, the completion of all required fields, including as set forth in the AP Agreement, are properly followed.

Creation Unit orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure, may impede transmissions between the Distributor and an Authorized Participant. Orders to redeem shares of the Fund that are submitted on the Business Day immediately preceding a holiday or a day (other than a weekend) when the securities markets in a foreign market in which the Fund may invest are closed may not be accepted or may be charged the maximum transaction fee. The Distributor, in its discretion, may permit the submission of orders and requests by or through an Authorized Participant via communication through the facilities of the Distributor's proprietary website maintained for this purpose.

**<u>Acceptance of Orders for, and Redemption of, Creation Units</u>**

All questions as to whether an order has been submitted in proper form and the requisite number of Fund shares and transaction fees have been delivered shall be determined by the Fund, and the Fund's determination shall be final and binding.

The Fund reserves the right to reject a redemption order if the order is not in proper form. In addition, the right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to the Fund (i) for any period during which the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings), (ii) for any period during which trading on the NYSE is suspended or restricted, (iii) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the shares of the Fund's portfolio securities or determination of its NAV is not reasonably practicable, or (iv) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC. The Fund or Distributor will notify the Authorized Participant of such rejection, but the Fund, Custodian, sub-custodian and Distributor shall not be liable for any failure to give such notification.

The payment by the Fund of the Fund Securities, including Redemption Securities and Redemption Cash, and Cash Component will not be issued until the transfer of the Creation Unit(s) and the applicable redemption transaction fees has been completed. If the Transfer Agent does not receive the investor's shares through DTC's facilities and the applicable redemption transaction fees by the required time, the redemption request may be rejected.

To the extent contemplated by the AP Agreement, in the event the Authorized Participant has submitted a redemption request in proper form but is unable to transfer all or part of the Creation Unit to be redeemed to the Fund's Transfer Agent, the Transfer Agent will nonetheless accept the redemption request in reliance on the undertaking by the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing shares as soon as possible. Such undertaking may be secured by the Authorized Participant's delivery and maintenance of collateral consisting of cash having a value (marked to market daily) of up to 115% of the value of the missing shares, which the Trust may change from time to time. The current procedures for collateralization of missing shares require, among other things, that any cash collateral shall be in the form of U.S. dollars in immediately available funds and shall be held by the Custodian and marked to market daily, and that the fees of the Custodian and any sub-custodians in respect of the delivery, maintenance and redelivery of the cash collateral shall be payable by the Authorized Participant. The AP Agreement will permit the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, to purchase the missing shares at any time and will subject the Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Trust of purchasing such shares, Fund Securities or Cash Component and the value of the collateral.

A redeeming Beneficial Owner or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such Beneficial Owner must maintain appropriate security arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction where Redemption Securities are customarily traded and will be delivered. If neither the redeeming Beneficial Owner nor the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such redeeming Beneficial Owner has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of Redemption Securities in the applicable non-U.S. jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of Redemption Securities in such jurisdiction, the Trust may redeem shares in Redemption Cash, and the redeeming Beneficial Owner will be required to receive its redemption proceeds as Redemption Cash.

In addition, because redemptions of shares for Redemption Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws, the Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Fund cannot lawfully deliver specific Redemption Securities or cannot do so without first registering a Fund Security under such laws.

Once the Fund has accepted a redemption order, upon the next determination of the NAV of the shares, the Fund may confirm the redemption of a Creation Unit, against receipt of payment, at such NAV. The Distributor will then transmit a confirmation of acceptance to the Authorized Participant that placed the order. Deliveries of redemption proceeds by the Fund typically are settled on a "T+1" basis (*i.e.*, one Business Day after trade date), but may be made up to seven days later, particularly in stressed market conditions. The Fund reserves the right to settle redemption transactions up to 15 days later to accommodate non-U.S. market holiday schedules (see below for further information), closures and settlement cycles, to account for different treatment among non-U.S. and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates (*i.e.*, 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.

In certain cases, an Authorized Participant may create and redeem Creation Units on the same trade date. In these instances, the Fund reserves the right to settle these transactions on a net basis or require a representation from the Authorized Participant that the creation and redemption transactions are for separate Beneficial Owners.

**<u>Redemption Transaction Fees</u>**

A standard redemption transaction fee is imposed to offset transfer and other costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units. The standard redemption transaction fee is charged to the Authorized Participant on the day such Authorized Participant redeems a Creation Unit, and is the same regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed by an Authorized Participant on the applicable Business Day.

The Authorized Participant may also be required to pay a variable transaction fee (up to the maximum amount shown in the table below) to cover certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, market impact and other costs and expenses. Authorized Participants will also bear the costs of transferring the Redemption Securities, including any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses. Investors who use the services of a broker or other financial intermediary may be charged a fee for such services.

The standard redemption transaction fee and maximum variable transaction fee for a Creation Unit are set forth below:

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **FUND** | **STANDARD<br> TRANSACTION<br> FEE** | **MAXIMUM<br> VARIABLE<br> TRANSACTION<br> FEE\*** |
| KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | $25 | 2.00% |
| KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | $25 | 2.00% |

---

\* As a percentage of the Creation Unit(s) redeemed.

The Adviser may adjust the transactions fees from time to time based on actual experience.

**<u>Taxation on Creations and Redemptions of Creation Units</u>**

An Authorized Participant generally will recognize either gain or loss upon the exchange of Deposit Securities for Creation Units. This gain or loss will generally equal the difference between (i) the sum of the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and any net amount of cash received by the Authorized Participant in the exchange and (ii) the sum of the Authorized Participant's aggregate basis in the Deposit Securities exchanged therefor and any net amount of cash paid for the Creation Units. However, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service may apply the wash sales rules to determine that any loss realized upon the exchange of Deposit Securities for Creation Units is not currently deductible. Authorized Participants should consult their own tax advisers.

Current U.S. federal tax laws dictate that capital gain or loss realized from the redemption of Creation Units will generally create long-term capital gain or loss if the Authorized Participant holds the Creation Units for more than one year, or short-term capital gain or loss if the Creation Units were held for one year or less, if the Creation Units are held as capital assets.

**<u>Postponement of Redemptions</u>**

For every occurrence of one or more intervening holidays in the applicable non-U.S. market that are not holidays observed in the U.S. equity market, the redemption settlement cycle will be extended by the number of such intervening holidays. In addition to holidays, other unforeseeable closings in a non-U.S. market due to emergencies may also prevent the Trust from delivering securities within normal settlement period. The securities delivery cycles currently practicable for transferring portfolio securities to redeeming investors, coupled with non-U.S. market holiday schedules, will require a delivery process longer than seven calendar days, in certain circumstances, but in no event longer than fifteen calendar days.

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

**TAXES**

The following discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences of investing in a Fund is based on the Code, U.S. Treasury regulations, and other applicable authority, all as in effect as of the date of the filing of this SAI. These authorities are subject to change by legislative or administrative action, possibly with retroactive effect. The following discussion is only a summary of some of the important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in a Fund. There may be other tax considerations applicable to particular shareholders. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisers regarding their particular situation and the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws.

**<u>Qualification as a RIC</u>**

Each Fund has elected or intends to elect to be treated, and intends to qualify each year, as a regulated investment company (a "RIC") under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code. In order to qualify for the special tax treatment accorded RICs and their shareholders, a Fund must, among other things:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(a) derive at least 90% of its gross income each year from (i) dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies, and (ii) net income derived from interests in "qualified publicly traded partnerships" (as defined below);

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(b) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of its taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the market value of a Fund's total assets consists of cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities, with investments in such other securities limited with respect to any one issuer to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of a Fund's total assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of a Fund's total assets is invested in (1) the securities (other than those of the U.S. government or other RICs) of any one issuer or two or more issuers that are controlled by a Fund and that are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses or (2) the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships; and

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(c) distribute with respect to each taxable year at least the sum of 90% of its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code without regard to the deduction for dividends paid – generally taxable ordinary income and the excess, if any, of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses) and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income.

In general, for purposes of the 90% of gross income requirement described in (a) above, income derived from a partnership will be treated as qualifying income only to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership that would be qualifying income if realized directly by a Fund. However, 100% of the net income derived from an interest in a "qualified publicly traded partnership" (generally, a partnership (i) interests in which are traded on an established securities market or are readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof, (ii) that derives at least 90% of its income from the passive income sources specified in Code section 7704(d), and (iii) that derives less than 90% of its income from the qualifying income described in (a)(i) of the prior paragraph) will be treated as qualifying income. In addition, although in general the passive loss rules of the Code do not apply to RICs, such rules do apply to a RIC with respect to items attributable to an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership.

The U.S. Treasury Department has authority to issue regulations that would exclude foreign currency gains from the 90% test described in (a) above if such gains are not directly related to a Fund's business of investing in stock or securities. Accordingly, regulations may be issued in the future that could treat some or all of a Fund's non-U.S. currency gains as non-qualifying income, thereby potentially jeopardizing a Fund's status as a RIC for all years to which the regulations are applicable.

**<u>Taxation of a Fund</u>**

If a Fund qualifies as a RIC, the Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on income and gains that are distributed in a timely manner to its shareholders in the form of dividends.

If a Fund fails to satisfy the qualifying income test in any taxable year or the diversification requirements for any quarter, the Fund may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. If these relief provisions are not available to a Fund for any year in which it fails to qualify as a RIC, all of its taxable income will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and its distributions (including capital gains distributions) generally will be taxable as ordinary income dividends to its shareholders, subject to the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders and lower tax rates on qualified dividend income for individual shareholders. In addition, a Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a RIC that is accorded special tax treatment.

Each Fund intends to distribute at least annually to its shareholders substantially all of its taxable income and its net capital gains. Taxable income that is retained by a Fund will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates. If a Fund retains any net capital gain, that gain will be subject to tax at corporate rates, but the Fund may designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its shareholders who (i) will be required to include in income for federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their shares of such undistributed amount, and (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the tax paid by the Fund on such undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to claim refunds on a properly filed U.S. tax return to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. For federal income tax purposes, the tax basis of shares owned by a shareholder of a Fund will be increased by an amount equal to the difference between the amount of undistributed capital gains included in the shareholder's gross income and the tax deemed paid by the shareholder under clause (ii) of the preceding sentence.

**<u>Deferral of Late Year Losses</u>**

A Fund may elect to treat part or all of any "qualified late year loss" as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund's taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such "qualified late year loss" as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing the Fund's distributions for any calendar year. A "qualified late year loss" generally includes net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (commonly referred to as "post-October losses") and certain other late-year losses.

**<u>Capital Loss Carryovers</u>**

If a Fund has a "net capital loss" (that is, capital losses in excess of capital gains), the excess (if any) of the Fund's net short-term capital losses over its net long-term capital gains is treated as a short-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund's next taxable year, and the excess (if any) of the Fund's net long-term capital losses over its net short-term capital gains is treated as a long-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund's next taxable year. Such capital loss carryover can be used to offset capital gains of the Fund in succeeding taxable years. The carryover of capital losses may be limited under the general loss limitation rules if a Fund experiences an ownership change as defined in the Code.

**<u>Excise Tax</u>**

If a Fund fails to distribute in a calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of 98% of its ordinary income for such year and 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 of such year, plus any retained amount from the prior year, the Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax on the undistributed amount. For these purposes, a Fund will be treated as having distributed any amount on which it has been subject to corporate income tax for the taxable year ending within the calendar year. A dividend paid to shareholders in January of a year generally is deemed to have been paid by a Fund on December 31 of the preceding year if the dividend was declared and payable to shareholders of record on a date in October, November, or December of that preceding year. Each Fund intends to declare and pay dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of the 4% excise tax, although there can be no assurance that it will be able to do so.

**<u>Fund Distributions</u>**

Distributions are taxable whether shareholders receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares. Moreover, distributions are generally subject to federal income tax as described herein to the extent they do not exceed a Fund's realized income and gains, even though such dividends and distributions may economically represent a return of a particular shareholder's investment. Such distributions are likely to occur in respect of shares purchased at a time when a Fund's NAV reflects gains that are either unrealized, or realized but not distributed. Such realized gains may be required to be distributed even when a Fund's NAV also reflects unrealized losses.

Dividends and other distributions by a Fund are generally treated under the Code as received by the shareholders at the time the dividend or distribution is made. However, if any dividend or distribution is declared by a Fund in October, November or December of any calendar year and payable to its shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month but is actually paid during the following January, such dividend or distribution will be deemed to have been received by each shareholder on December 31 of the year in which the dividend was declared.

Distributions by a Fund of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long a Fund owned the investments that generated those gains, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her Fund shares. Distributions of net capital gains from the sale of investments that a Fund owned for more than one year and that are properly designated by the Fund as capital gain dividends ("Capital Gain Dividends") will be taxable as long-term capital gains. Distributions from capital gains are generally made after applying any available capital loss carryovers.

Preferential long-term capital gain rates apply to individuals at a maximum rate of 20% for individuals with taxable income exceeding certain thresholds. Such preferential rates also apply to qualified dividend income if certain holding period requirements are met. Distributions of gains from the sale of investments that a Fund owned for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income.

Qualified dividend income is, in general, dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and certain foreign corporations (*i.e.*, foreign corporations incorporated in a possession of the United States or in certain countries with a comprehensive tax treaty with the United States, which includes China (but not Hong Kong which is treated as a separate jurisdiction), or the stock of which is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States). In order for some portion of the dividends received by a Fund's shareholders to be qualified dividend income, the Fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the dividend paying stocks in its portfolio, and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Fund's shares.

Given each Fund's investment objective, it is not expected that Fund distributions will be eligible for qualified dividend income treatment or the corporate dividends received deduction on Fund distributions attributable to dividends received.

For U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly), a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax will apply on all or a portion of their "net investment income," including interest, dividends, and capital gains, which generally includes taxable distributions received from a 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.

If a Fund makes distributions to a shareholder in excess of the Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits in any taxable year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of the shareholder's tax basis in its shares, and thereafter as capital gain. A return of capital is not taxable, but reduces a shareholder's tax basis in its shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of its shares.

Investors considering buying shares just prior to a dividend or capital gain distribution should be aware that, although the price of shares purchased at that time may reflect the amount of the forthcoming distribution, such dividend or distribution may nevertheless be taxable to them. If a Fund is the holder of record of any security on the record date for any dividends payable with respect to such security, such dividends will be included in the Fund's gross income not as of the date received but as of the later of (a) the date such security became ex-dividend with respect to such dividends (*i.e.*, the date on which a buyer of the security would not be entitled to receive the declared, but unpaid, dividends); or (b) the date the Fund acquired such security. Accordingly, in order to satisfy its income distribution requirements, a Fund may be required to pay dividends based on anticipated earnings, and shareholders may receive dividends in an earlier year than would otherwise be the case.

**<u>Sale or Exchange of Shares</u>**

A sale or exchange of shares in a Fund may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received (or deemed received) by the shareholder with respect to the shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be disallowed if shares of the same Fund are purchased within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

As noted above, for U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly), a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax will apply on "net investment income," including interest, dividends, and capital gains, which generally includes taxable distributions received from a Fund and taxable gains on the disposition of shares of a Fund.

**<u>Backup Withholding</u>**

A Fund (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which a shareholder holds Fund shares) generally is required to withhold and to 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 under-reported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that he, she or it is not subject to such withholding. The backup withholding tax rate is currently 24%.

**<u>Federal Tax Treatment of Certain Fund Investments</u>**

Transactions of a Fund in options, futures contracts, hedging transactions, forward contracts, swap contracts, straddles and foreign currencies may be subject to various special and complex tax rules, including mark-to-market, constructive sale, straddle, wash sale and short sale rules. These rules could affect whether gains and losses recognized by a Fund are treated as ordinary income or capital gain, accelerate the recognition of income to a Fund and/or defer a Fund's ability to recognize losses. These rules may in turn affect the amount, timing or character of the income distributed to shareholders by a Fund.

A Fund is required, for federal income tax purposes, to mark to market and recognize as income for each taxable year its net unrealized gains and losses as of the end of such year on certain regulated futures contracts, foreign currency contracts and options that qualify as Section 1256 contracts in addition to the gains and losses actually realized with respect to such contracts during the year. Except as described below under "Certain Foreign Currency Tax Issues," gain or loss from Section 1256 contracts that are required to be marked to market annually will generally be 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. Application of this rule may alter the timing and character of distributions to shareholders.

Some debt obligations that are acquired by a Fund may be treated as having original issue discount ("OID"). Generally, a Fund will be required to include OID in taxable income over the term of the debt security, even though payment of the OID is not received until a later time, usually when the debt security matures. If a Fund holds such debt instruments, it may be required to pay out as distributions each year an amount that is greater than the total amount of cash interest the Fund actually received. Such distributions may be made from the cash assets of a Fund or by liquidation of portfolio securities, if necessary. A Fund may realize gains or losses from such liquidations. In the event a Fund realizes net gains from such transactions, its shareholders may receive larger distributions than they would have in the absence of such transactions.

Any market discount recognized on a bond is taxable as ordinary income. A market discount bond is a bond acquired in the secondary market at a price below redemption value or adjusted issue price if issued with original issue discount. Absent an election by a Fund to include the market discount in income as it accrues, gains on the Fund's disposition of such an obligation will be treated as ordinary income rather than capital gain to the extent of the accrued market discount.

The covered call options written by a Fund generally will be treated as equity options governed by Section 1234 of the Code, and not as Section 1256 contracts. Pursuant to Section 1234 of the Code, if a written option expires unexercised, the premium received is short-term capital gain to the Fund. If a Fund enters into a closing transaction, the difference between the amount paid to close out its position and the premium received for writing the option is short-term capital gain or loss. If an option written by a Fund that is not a Section 1256 contract is cash settled, any resulting gain or loss will be short-term capital gain or loss. If a call option written by a Fund is exercised and physically settled, the premium received is included in the sale proceeds, increasing the gain or decreasing the loss realized by the Fund at the time of option exercise.

The Code contains special rules that apply to "straddles," defined generally as the holding of "offsetting positions with respect to personal property." For example, the straddle rules normally apply when a taxpayer holds stock and an offsetting option with respect to such stock or substantially identical stock or securities. In general, investment positions will be offsetting if there is a substantial diminution in the risk of loss from holding one position by reason of holding one or more other positions. A Fund may enter into

options transactions or certain other investments that may constitute positions in a straddle. If two or more positions constitute a straddle, recognition of a realized loss from one position must generally be deferred to the extent of unrecognized gain in an offsetting position. In addition, long-term capital gain may be recharacterized as short-term capital gain, or short-term capital loss as long-term capital loss. Interest and other carrying charges allocable to personal property that is part of a straddle are not currently deductible but must instead be capitalized. Similarly, "wash sale" rules apply to prevent the recognition of loss by a Fund from the disposition of stock or securities at a loss in a case in which identical or substantially identical stock or securities (or an option to acquire such property) is or has been acquired within a prescribed period.

Although the covered call options written by a Fund will represent offsetting positions with respect to the Fund's shares in the Underlying Fund, the Fund expects that its options will be "qualified covered call options," as defined in Code section 1092, that are not subject to the straddle rules. A call option written by a Fund will be a qualified covered call option if the option is to purchase stock held by the taxpayer (or stock acquired by the taxpayer in connection with the granting of the option) but only if: (i) the option is traded on a national securities exchange, (ii) the option is granted more than 30 days before the day on which the option expires, (iii) the option is not a deep-in-the-money option, (iv) the option is not granted by an options dealer (within the meaning of section 1256(g)(8)) in connection with his activity of dealing in options, and (v) gain or loss with respect to such option is not ordinary income or loss. In the case of FLEX Options, regulations impose the following additional requirements to qualify as "qualified covered call options": (i) the only payments permitted with respect to the option are a single fixed premium paid not later than five business days after the day on which the option is granted, and a single fixed strike price stated as a dollar amount that is payable entirely at (or within five business days of) exercise; (ii) an equity option with standardized terms is outstanding for the underlying equity; and (iii) the underlying security is stock in a single corporation.

**<u>Certain Foreign Currency Tax Issues</u>**

A Fund's gain or loss on foreign currency denominated debt securities and on certain other financial instruments, such as forward currency contracts and currency swaps, that is attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates occurring between the date of acquisition and the date of settlement or disposition of such securities or instruments generally will be treated under Section 988 of the Code as ordinary income or loss. A Fund may elect out of the application of Section 988 of the Code with respect to the tax treatment of each of its foreign currency forward contracts to the extent that (i) such contract is a capital asset in the hands of the Fund and is not part of a straddle transaction and (ii) the Fund makes an election by the close of the day the contract is entered into to treat the gain or loss attributable to such contract as capital gain or loss.

A Fund's forward contracts may qualify as Section 1256 contracts if the underlying currencies are currencies for which there are futures contracts that are traded on and subject to the rules of a qualified board or exchange. However, a forward currency contract that is a Section 1256 contract would, absent an election out of Section 988 of the Code as described in the preceding paragraph, be subject to Section 988. Accordingly, although such a forward currency contract would be marked to market annually like other Section 1256 contracts, the resulting gain or loss would be ordinary. If a Fund were to elect out of Section 988 with respect to forward currency contracts that qualify as Section 1256 contracts, the tax treatment generally applicable to Section 1256 contracts would apply to those forward currency contracts: that is, the contracts would be marked to market annually and gains and losses with respect to the contracts would be treated as long-term capital gains or losses to the extent of 60% thereof and short-term capital gains or losses to the extent of 40% thereof. If a Fund were to elect out of Section 988 with respect to any of its forward currency contracts that do not qualify as Section 1256 contracts, such contracts will not be marked to market annually and the Fund will recognize short-term or long-term capital gain or loss depending on the Fund's holding period therein. A Fund may elect out of Section 988 with respect to some, all or none of its forward currency contracts.

Finally, regulated futures contracts and non-equity options that qualify as Section 1256 contracts and are entered into by a Fund with respect to foreign currencies or foreign currency denominated debt instruments will be subject to the tax treatment generally applicable to Section 1256 contracts unless the Fund elects to have Section 988 apply to determine the character of gains and losses from all such regulated futures contracts and non-equity options held or later acquired by the Fund.

**<u>Foreign Investments</u>**

Income received by a Fund from sources within foreign countries (including, for example, interest on securities of non-U.S. issuers) may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such countries. Tax treaties between such countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes. If as of the end of a Fund's taxable year more than 50% of the Fund's assets consist of foreign securities, the Fund is expected to make an election to permit shareholders to claim a credit or deduction on their income tax returns for their pro rata portions of qualified taxes paid by the Fund during that taxable year to foreign countries in respect of foreign securities that the Fund has held for at least the minimum period specified in the Code. In such a case, shareholders will include in gross income from foreign sources their pro rata shares of such taxes. A shareholder's ability to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction in respect of foreign taxes paid by a Fund may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code, which may result in the shareholder not getting a full credit or deduction for the amount of such taxes. Because a foreign tax credit is only available for foreign taxes paid by a Fund, no such credit may be available for a reduction in a Fund's net asset value to reflect a reserve (if any) for Chinese withholding taxes. Shareholders who do not itemize on their federal income tax returns may claim a credit, but not a deduction, for such foreign taxes.

**<u>Passive Foreign Investment Companies</u>**

If a Fund purchases shares in a PFIC, it may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any "excess distribution" or gain from the disposition of such shares even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend by the Fund to its shareholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest may be imposed on the Fund in respect of deferred taxes arising from such distributions or gains. If a Fund were to invest in a PFIC and elect to treat the PFIC as a "qualified electing fund" under the Code, in lieu of the foregoing requirements, the Fund would be required to include in income each year a portion of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the qualified electing fund, even if not distributed to the Fund, and such amounts would be subject to the 90% and excise tax distribution requirements described above. In order to make this election, a Fund would be required to obtain certain annual information from the PFICs in which it invests, which may be difficult or impossible to obtain. Alternatively, a Fund may make a mark-to-market election that would result in the Fund being treated as if it had sold and repurchased its PFIC stock at the end of each year. In such case, the Fund would report any such gains as ordinary income and would deduct any such losses as ordinary losses to the extent of previously recognized gains. The election must be made separately for each PFIC owned by a Fund and, once made, would be effective for all subsequent taxable years, unless revoked with the consent of the IRS. By making the election, a Fund could potentially ameliorate the adverse tax consequences with respect to its ownership of shares in a PFIC, but in any particular year may be required to recognize income in excess of the distributions it receives from the PFIC and its proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock. A Fund may have to distribute this "phantom" income and gain to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement and to avoid imposition of the 4% excise tax. Each Fund will make the appropriate tax elections, if possible, and take any additional steps that are necessary to mitigate the effects of these rules.

**<u>Tax-Exempt Shareholders</u>**

Under current law, income of a RIC that would be treated as unrelated business taxable income ("UBTI") if earned directly by a tax-exempt entity generally will not be attributed as UBTI to a tax-exempt entity that is a shareholder in the RIC. Notwithstanding this "blocking" effect, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of its investment in a Fund if shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Code Section 514(b).

**<u>Non-U.S. Shareholders</u>**

In general, dividends other than Capital Gain Dividends paid by a Fund to a shareholder that is not a "U.S. person" within the meaning of the Code (a "foreign person") are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) even if they are funded by income or gains (such as foreign-source dividend and interest income) that, if paid to a foreign person directly, would not be subject to withholding. If a Fund were to recognize short-term capital gains or U.S.-source portfolio interest, properly reported short-term capital gain dividends and interest-related dividends paid by the Fund would not be subject to such withholding tax.

A beneficial holder of shares who is a non-U.S. person is not, in general, subject to U.S. federal income tax on gains (and is not allowed a U.S. income tax deduction for losses) realized on a sale of shares of a Fund or on Capital Gain Dividends or short-term capital gain dividends unless (i) such gain or dividend is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business carried on by such holder within the United States or (ii) in the case of an individual holder, the holder is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the sale or the receipt of the Capital Gain Dividend or short-term capital gains dividends and certain other conditions are met.

In order for a non-U.S. investor to qualify for an exemption from backup withholding, the foreign investor must comply with special certification and filing requirements. Foreign investors in a Fund should consult their tax advisers in this regard. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder's U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the Internal Revenue Service.

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

Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act ("FATCA"), a 30% withholding tax will be imposed on dividends paid by a Fund to (i) foreign financial institutions including non-U.S. investment funds unless they agree to collect and disclose to the Internal Revenue Service information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. account holders and (ii) certain other foreign entities, unless they certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners. A non-U.S. shareholder resident or doing business in a country that has entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the U.S. to implement a similar reporting regime will be exempt from this withholding tax if the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement. A Shareholder subject to such withholding tax will not receive additional amounts from the Fund to compensate for such withholding. Proposed regulations (which are effective while pending) eliminate the application of the FATCA withholding tax to capital gain dividends and redemption proceeds that was scheduled to take effect in 2019.

**<u>Creation and Redemption of Creation Units</u>**

An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize 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 and the sum of the exchanger's aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger's basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The Internal Revenue Service, 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 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 for more than one year.

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 for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will be treated as short-term capital gains or losses.

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

**<u>Section 351</u>**

The Trust on behalf of a Fund has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the shares 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 deposit 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.

**<u>Tax Shelter Reporting Regulations</u>**

Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if an individual shareholder recognizes a loss of $2 million or more in any single tax year or, for a corporate shareholder, $10 million or more in any single tax year, the shareholder must file with the Internal Revenue Service a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all RICs. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer's treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

**<u>General Considerations</u>**

The U.S. federal income tax discussion set forth above is for general information only. Prospective investors should consult their tax advisers regarding the specific federal income tax consequences of purchasing, holding and disposing of shares of a Fund, as well as the effect of state, local and foreign tax law and any proposed tax law changes.

**DETERMINATION OF NAV**

This information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled "Calculating NAV."

The NAV per share of each Fund is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of a Fund (*i.e.*, the value of its total assets less total liabilities and withholdings) by the total number of shares of a Fund outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent. Expenses and fees, including without limitation, the management, administration and distribution fees, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. The NAV per share for each Fund normally is calculated by the Administrator and determined as of the regularly scheduled close of normal trading on each day that the NYSE is scheduled to be open for business (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time). Any assets or liabilities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted into U.S. dollars at the current market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more sources.

Securities listed on a securities exchange (*i.e.*, exchange-traded equity securities), market or automated quotation system for which quotations are readily available (except for securities traded on NASDAQ), including securities traded over the counter, are valued by independent pricing agents at the last reported sale price on the primary exchange or market (foreign or domestic) on which they are traded (or at the time as of which the Fund's NAV is calculated if a security's exchange is normally open at that time). If there is no such reported sale, such securities are valued at the most recently reported bid price. For securities traded on NASDAQ, the NASDAQ Official Closing Price will be used. If a security price cannot be obtained from an independent, third-party pricing agent, the Fund seeks to obtain bid and ask prices from two broker-dealers who make a market in the portfolio instrument and determines the average of the two.

If available, debt securities are priced based upon valuations provided by independent, third-party pricing agents. Such values generally reflect the last reported sales price if the security is actively traded. The third-party pricing agents may also value debt securities at an evaluated bid price by employing methodologies that utilize actual market transactions, broker-supplied valuations, or other methodologies designed to identify the market value for such securities. Debt obligations with remaining maturities of sixty days or less may be valued at their amortized cost, which approximates market value. The prices for foreign securities are reported in local currency and converted to U.S. dollars using currency exchange rates. The exchange rates used for valuation are captured as of the close of the London Stock Exchange each day normally at 4:00 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time.

The value of a swap contract is equal to the obligation (or rights) under the swap contract, which will generally be equal to the net amounts to be paid or received under the contract based upon the relative values of the positions held by each party to the contract as determined by the applicable independent, third party pricing agent.

Swaps cleared through a central clearing house ("centrally cleared swaps") are valued at the settlement price established each day by the board of the exchange on which they are listed. The daily settlement prices for centrally cleared swaps are provided by an independent pricing agent. Swaps which are not centrally cleared are priced based on valuations provided by an independent pricing agent.

In a typical equity swap, one party agrees to pay another party the return on a stock, stock index, or basket of stocks (the "equity leg" of the swap) in return for interest payment(s) calculated based on the notional amount of the swap (the "financing leg" of the swap). Each leg of the swap is valued separately, and the net amount of the two legs is included in the Fund's net asset value. The value of the equity leg of the swap is provided by an independent pricing agent based on the value of the financial instrument underlying the swap. The value of the financing leg of the swap is systematically calculated by the Fund's accounting agent based on the details of the swap.

Exchange-traded options, except as discussed below for FLEX Options, are valued at the mean of their most recent bid and asked price, if available, and otherwise, long positions will be valued at the most-recent bid price, and short positions will be valued at the most-recent ask price. OTC options are valued based upon prices determined by the applicable independent, third party pricing agent. FLEX Options are normally valued using a model-based price provided by a third-party pricing vendor. On days when a trade in a FLEX Option occurs, the trade price will be used to value such FLEX Options in lieu of the model price.

Futures are valued at the settlement price established by the board of trade on which they are traded. Foreign currency forward contracts are valued at the current day's interpolated foreign exchange rate, as calculated using the current day's spot rate and the 30-, 60-, 90- and 180-day forward rates provided by an independent pricing agent.

On certain days, the settlement price for futures may not be available at the time the Fund calculates its NAV. On such days, the best available price (which is typically the last trade price) may be used to value futures.

Securities issued by a wholly owned subsidiary of a Fund will be valued at the subsidiary's net asset value, which will be determined using the same pricing policies and procedures applicable to the Fund.

Investments in open-end investment companies that do not trade on an exchange are valued at the end of day NAV per share. Investments in open-end investment companies that trade on an exchange are valued in the same manner as other exchange-traded equity securities (described above).

Investments for which market prices are not "readily available," or are not deemed to reflect current market values, or are debt securities where no evaluated price is available from third-party pricing agents pursuant to established methodologies, are fair valued in accordance with the Adviser's valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board. Some of the more common reasons that may necessitate that a security be valued using "fair value" pricing may include, but are not limited to: the security's trading has been halted or suspended; the security's primary trading market is temporarily closed; or the security has not been traded for an extended period of time.

In addition, a Fund may fair value its securities if an event that may materially affect the value of a Fund's securities that trade outside of the United States (a "Significant Event") has occurred between the time of the security's last close and the time that a Fund calculates its NAV. A Significant Event may relate to a single issuer or to an entire market sector, country or region. Events that may be Significant Events may include: government actions, natural disasters, armed conflict, acts of terrorism and significant market fluctuations. If Krane becomes aware of a Significant Event that has occurred with respect to a portfolio instrument or group of portfolio instruments after the closing of the exchange or market on which the portfolio instrument or portfolio instruments principally trade, but before the time at which a Fund calculates its NAV, it will notify the Administrator and may request that an ad hoc meeting of the Fair Value Pricing Committee be called.

With respect to trade-halted securities, the Adviser typically will fair value a trade-halted security by adjusting the security's last market close price by the security's sector performance, as measured by a predetermined index, unless Krane's Fair Value Pricing Committee determines to make additional adjustments. Certain foreign securities exchanges have mechanisms in place that confine one day's price movement in an individual security to a pre-determined price range based on that day's opening price ("Collared Securities"). Fair value determinations for Collared Securities will generally be capped based on any applicable pre-determined "limit down" or "limit up" prices established by the relevant foreign securities exchange. As an example, China A-Shares can only be plus or minus ten percent in one day of trading in the relevant mainland China equity market. As a result, the fair value price determination on a given day will generally be capped plus or minus ten percent.

Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that a fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value that could actually be realized upon the sale of the security or that another fund that uses market quotations or its own fair value procedures to price the same securities.

Trading in securities on many foreign exchanges is normally completed before the close of business on each Business Day. In addition, securities trading in a particular country or countries may not take place on each Business Day or may take place on days that are not Business Days. Changes in valuations on certain securities may occur at times or on days on which a Fund's NAV is not calculated and on which Fund shares do not trade and sales and redemptions of shares do not occur. As a result, the value of a Fund's portfolio securities and the net asset value of its shares may change on days when share purchases or sales cannot occur.

Fund shares are purchased or sold on a national securities exchange at market prices, which may be higher or lower than NAV. Transactions in Fund shares will be priced at NAV only if shares are purchased or redeemed directly from a Fund in Creation Units. No secondary sales will be made to brokers or dealers at concession by the Distributor or by a Fund. Purchases and sales of shares in the secondary market, which will not involve a Fund, will be subject to customary brokerage commissions and charges.

With respect to the securities of private companies, the Administrator will obtain the price of private company securities from the Valuation Designee, who will determine their fair value using various inputs, including observable data such as cost basis, primary financing rounds, tender offers, and secondary market activity. The Valuation Designee will also consider pricing from independent pricing experts<sup>1</sup>, comparables of public and private companies, and relevant market news. While primary financing rounds, tender offers, and cost basis are expected to be the main drivers of fair value, all factors will be considered. A daily dashboard will be stored to record data being considered. In addition to conducting a pricing and trend analysis on the data received from the independent pricing experts, the Valuation Designee will take business cycle, market depth, transaction size and other relevant factors into consideration when reviewing observable data and will periodically assess the pricing methodology used by the independent pricing experts.

<sup>1</sup> It is currently expected that the Valuation Designee will get pricing from two independent pricing agents.

**DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS**

Each Fund intends to distribute dividends and net realized capital gains, if any, to investors annually. Each Fund may make distributions on a more frequent basis. A Fund may occasionally be required to make supplemental distributions at some other time during the year. Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole shares only if the broker through whom you purchased shares makes such option available. Your broker is responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions to you.

The Trust reserves the right to declare special distributions if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable.

**OTHER INFORMATION**

**<u>Portfolio Holdings</u>**

The Board has approved portfolio holdings disclosure policies and procedures that govern the timing and circumstances of disclosure to shareholders and third parties of a Fund's portfolio holdings and the use of material non-public information about a Fund's holdings. These policies and procedures, as described below, are designed to ensure that disclosure of portfolio holdings is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, and address conflicts of interest between the interests of Fund shareholders and those of Krane, any sub-adviser, the Distributor, or any affiliated person of a Fund, Krane, any sub-adviser or the Distributor. The policies and procedures apply to all officers, employees, and agents of a Fund, including Krane and any sub-adviser.

Each Fund discloses on its website at the start of each Business Day the identities and quantities of the securities and other assets held by a Fund that will form the basis of a Fund's calculation of its NAV on that Business Day. The portfolio holdings so disclosed will be based on information as of the close of business on the prior Business Day. This information is generally used in connection with the creation and redemption process and is disseminated on a daily basis through the facilities of the Exchange, the National Securities Clearing Corporation ("NSCC") and/or other fee-based subscription services to NSCC members and/or subscribers to those other fee-based subscription services, including Authorized Participants, and to entities that publish and/or analyze such information in connection with the process of purchasing or redeeming Creation Units or trading shares of a Fund in the secondary market.

Daily access to non-public information concerning a Fund's portfolio holdings also is permitted (i) to certain personnel of those service providers that are involved in portfolio management and providing administrative, operational, risk management, or other support to portfolio management, including affiliated broker-dealers and/or Authorized Participants, and (ii) to other personnel of Krane and other service providers, such as a sub-adviser, the administrator, the custodian and the fund accountant, who deal directly with, or assist in, functions related to investment management, administration, custody and fund accounting, as may be necessary to conduct business in the ordinary course in a manner consistent with agreements with a Fund and/or the terms of a Fund's current registration statement.

From time to time, non-public information concerning Fund portfolio holdings also may be provided to other entities that provide services to a Fund, including, among others, rating or ranking organizations, in the ordinary course of business, no earlier than one business day following the date of the information. Portfolio holdings information made available in connection with the creation and redemption process may be provided to other entities that provide services to a Fund in the ordinary course of business after it has been disseminated to the NSCC.

A Fund's chief compliance officer, or a compliance manager designated by the chief compliance officer, also may grant exceptions to permit additional disclosure of Fund portfolio holdings information at differing times and with different lag times (the period from the date of the information to the date the information is made available), if any, in instances where a Fund has legitimate business purposes for doing so, it is in the best interests of shareholders, and the recipients are subject to a duty of confidentiality, including a duty not to trade on the nonpublic information and are required to execute an agreement to that effect. The Board will be informed of any such disclosures at its next regularly scheduled meeting or as soon as is reasonably practicable thereafter. In no event will a Fund, Krane, any sub-adviser, or any other party receive any direct or indirect compensation in connection with the disclosure of information about a Fund's portfolio holdings.

The Board exercises continuing oversight of the disclosure of a Fund's portfolio holdings by (1) overseeing the implementation and enforcement of the Trust's the portfolio holdings policies and procedures by a Fund's chief compliance officer and a Fund, (2) considering reports and recommendations by the chief compliance officer concerning any material compliance matters (as defined in Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act and Rule 206(4)-7 under the Advisers Act) that may arise in connection with any portfolio holdings policies and procedures, and (3) considering whether to approve or ratify any amendment to any of the portfolio holdings policies and procedures. The Board and a Fund reserve the right to amend the policies and procedures in their sole discretion at any time and from time to time without prior notice to shareholders. For purposes of the policies and procedures, the term "portfolio holdings" means investment positions held by a Fund that are not publicly disclosed.

In addition to the permitted disclosures described above, a Fund must publicly disclose its complete holdings quarterly in SEC filings. These reports are available, free of charge, on the EDGAR database on the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov.

No person is authorized to disclose a Fund's portfolio holdings or other investment positions except in accordance with the Trust's policies and procedures.

**<u>Voting Rights</u>**

Each share of a Fund is entitled to one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Shareholders receive one vote for every full Fund share owned. Shareholders of each Fund will vote separately on matters relating solely to that Fund. All shares of a Fund are freely transferable.

As a Delaware statutory trust, the Trust is not required to hold annual shareholder meetings unless otherwise required by the 1940 Act. However, for the purpose of considering removal of a Trustee as provided in Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act, a special meeting may be called by shareholders owning at least 10% of the outstanding shares of the Trust. Shareholder inquiries can be made by contacting the Trust at the number and website address provided under "Shareholder Inquiries" below.

**<u>Shareholder Inquiries</u>**

Shareholders may visit the Trust's web site at www.kraneshares.com or call 1.855.857.2638 or call to obtain information about account statements, procedures, and other related information.

**COUNSEL**

K&L Gates LLP, 1601 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20006, serves as counsel to the Trust.

**INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM**

KPMG LLP, 1735 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, the Trust's independent registered public accounting firm, provides audit and tax services with respect to the Funds.

**FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**

The Funds' audited financial statements, including the notes thereto and the report of KPMG LLP, the Funds' independent registered public accounting firm, are incorporated by reference into this SAI from the Funds' Form N-CSR for the year ending March 31, 2025.

**APPENDIX A - PROXY VOTING POLICY**

Form N-1A requires an investment company to describe the policies and procedures that it uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities. In connection with this requirement, the Trust's Board has delegated voting of the Fund's proxies to Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Adviser" or "KFA"), subject to the Board's oversight. The Board has directed that proxies be voted consistent with the Fund and its shareholders' best interests and in compliance with all applicable proxy voting rules and regulations. Below is a summary of the proxy voting policies and procedures adopted by the Adviser:

**Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures Summary**

***Background***

Investment advisers are fiduciaries that owe a duty of care and loyalty to each of their clients with respect to services undertaken on the client's behalf, including monitoring corporate events and exercising proxy authority. In the context of voting, the specific obligations that flow from the investment adviser's fiduciary duty depend upon the scope of voting authority assumed by the adviser. To satisfy its fiduciary duty in making any voting determination, an investment adviser must make the determination in the best interest of the client and must not place its own interests ahead of the interest of the client.

***Policies and Procedures***

**Proxy Voting Requirements**

Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act requires each registered investment adviser that exercises proxy voting authority with respect to client securities to:

● Adopt and implement written policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the adviser votes client securities in the best interest of clients, including sufficient ongoing oversight of any third party retained to assist with voting responsibilities;

● Disclose to clients how they may obtain information from the adviser about how the adviser voted proxies for their securities; and

● Describe the adviser's proxy voting policies and procedures to clients and furnish them with a copy of such policies and procedures on request.

Paragraph (c)(2) of Rule 204-2 under the Advisers Act imposes additional recordkeeping requirements on investment advisers that execute proxy voting authority, as described under "Recordkeeping" below and in the *Maintenance of Books and Records* section of this Manual.<sup>1</sup>

**Policy**

Each Adviser complies with Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act and all other applicable laws and regulations to the extent the Adviser votes proxies on behalf of Clients. KFA votes proxies for the securities in the KraneShares Trust, on behalf of each series of the Trust (the "Funds") for which it has been granted investment authority. KFA has retained Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. ("Broadridge") to track the Funds' proxy votes, the subsequent action taken by the Funds upon receipt of the vote, and where applicable, the issuer's management and shareholder recommendations (system name: ProxyEdge). KFA will provide ongoing oversight of Broadridge with respect to the ProxyEdge system which is used to assist in KFA's proxy voting duties.

Where KFA has responsibility for voting proxies, KFA will take reasonable steps under the circumstances so that proxies are received and voted in the best interest of its Clients, including the Funds, which generally means voting proxies in accordance with this policy. KFA may abstain from voting to the extent that KFA determines that such abstention is in the Client's best interest (based on a quantitative/qualitative materiality assessment). KFA generally does not vote proxies on behalf of separate account clients (if any). Separate account clients either vote their own proxies or designate an independent third party to vote proxies at the client's discretion.

<sup>1</sup> Each Adviser notes that the fiduciary duties described in Section 404(a)(1)(A) and (B) of ERISA require that, in voting proxies, the responsible fiduciary consider those factors that may affect the value of a plan's investment and not subordinate the interests of the plan's participants and beneficiaries in their retirement income to unrelated objectives. As such, to the extent that the one or both of the Advisers becomes an ERISA fiduciary, they will consider whether a plan's vote is expected to have an effect on the value of the plan's investment that warrants the additional cost of voting before making any proxy vote.

**Proxy Advisory Firm - General Guidelines and Oversight**

Where KFA has proxy voting authority, KFA generally votes in accordance with pre-determined proxy voting guidelines prepared by Glass Lewis & Co. ("GL Guidelines"), where Glass Lewis serves as an independent, unaffiliated third-party proxy advisory service firm.<sup>2</sup> KFA believes that utilizing an independent third party's framework and analysis to support KFA's assessments of proxy proposals assists KFA in making sure that all proxy voting decisions are made in the best interests of KFA's Clients and Funds. However, KFA may diverge from the GL Guidelines to the extent that KFA believes it is in the best interest of a Fund or Client account to vote differently. In determining whether to vote in accordance with the GL Guidelines, KFA will take into account all information received with respect to the particular proxy vote, including any information provided by the issuer. KFA will provide ongoing oversight of any proxy advisory firm engaged to ensure the proxy advisory firm has the capacity and competency to adequately analyze proxy issues, including but not limited to reviewing (1) the adequacy and quality of the proxy advisory firm's staffing and personnel; (2) the robustness of its policies and procedures regarding its ability to (i) ensure that its proxy voting recommendations are based on current and accurate information and (ii) identify and address any conflicts of interest and any other considerations that the investment adviser believes would be appropriate in considering the nature and quality of the services provided by the proxy advisory firm.

**Conflicts of Interests**

KFA has adopted these policies and procedures that are designed to identify conflicts or potential conflicts that could arise between its own interests and those of its Clients, including the Funds. For example, conflicts of interest may arise when:

● proxy votes where the issuer is an affiliate, or the subject of the proxy measure involved a material economic or business interest of an affiliate;

● proxy votes regarding non-routine matters are solicited by an issuer that has an institutional separate account relationship with KFA;<sup>3</sup>

● a proponent of a proxy proposal has a business relationship with KFA; or

● KFA has business relationships with participants in proxy contests, corporate directors or director candidates.

The Compliance Team and KFA's Investment Team are responsible for monitoring and resolving possible material conflicts of interest with respect to proxy voting. KFA will identify any conflicts that exist between its interests and those of a Client by reviewing KFA's relationship with the issuer of each security to determine if KFA or any of its employees has any financial, business, or personal relationship with the issuer. Any person with knowledge of a personal conflict of interest relating to a particular matter shall disclose that conflict to the Investment Team or the Compliance Team and may be required to recuse him or herself from the proxy voting process.

If it is determined that a conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest is material, the CCO will work with appropriate personnel to agree upon a method to resolve such conflict before voting proxies affected by the conflict. It is KFA's expectation that voting in accordance with the GL Guidelines will, in most cases, adequately address any possible conflicts of interest.

KFA will maintain a record of the resolution of any conflict of interest with respect to proxy voting.

<sup>2</sup> As of the dated of these policies and procedures, KFA relies on the 2024 Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Thematic Voting Policy ("GL ESG Policy Guidelines"). To the extent the GL ESG Policy Guidelines do not provide a specific approach to a ballot, or an ESG rule does not trigger for a particular ballot, the default vote will come from the In-House Glass Lewis Guidelines.

<sup>3</sup> For this purpose, KFA generally will consider as "non-routine" any matter listed in New York Stock Exchange Rule 452.11, relating to when a member adviser may not vote a proxy without instructions from its customer (for example, contested matters are deemed non-routine).

**Special Issues with Voting Foreign Proxies**

Although KFA has arrangements with BBH (custodian) and Broadridge to vote foreign proxies, voting proxies with respect to shares of foreign stocks may involve significantly greater effort and corresponding cost due to the variety of regulatory schemes and corporate practices in foreign countries with respect to proxy voting. Logistical problems in voting foreign proxies include the following:

● Each country has its own rules and practices regarding shareholder notification, voting restrictions, registration conditions and "share blocking" (as described in the following bullet point).

● To vote shares in some countries, the shares may be "blocked" by the custodian or depository (or bearer shares deposited with a specified financial institution) for a specified number of days (usually five or fewer but sometimes longer) before or after the shareholder meeting. When blocked, shares typically may not be traded until the day after the blocking period. KFA may refrain from voting shares of foreign stocks subject to blocking restrictions where, in KFA's judgment, the benefit from voting the shares is outweighed by the interest of maintaining liquidity in the shares. This decision generally is made on a case-by-case basis based on relevant factors, including the length of the blocking period, the significance of the holding, and whether the stock is considered a long-term holding.

● Often it is difficult to ascertain the date of a shareholder meeting because certain countries, such as France, do not require companies to publish announcements in any official stock exchange publication.

● Timeframes between shareholder notification, distribution of proxy materials, book closure and the actual meeting date may be too short to allow timely action.

● Language barriers will generally mean that an English translation of proxy information must be obtained or commissioned before the relevant shareholder meeting, if possible.

● Some companies and/or jurisdictions require that, in order to be eligible to vote, the shares of the beneficial holders be registered in the company's share registry.

● Lack of a "proxy voting service" by custodians in certain countries, which in certain cases may require KFA to have a power of attorney in place with the local custodian for voting.

● Lack of proxy statement information (where KFA is limited to what is available on Proxy Ballot and Issuer's website).

● Proxy votes for the issuer are suppressed or restricted due to operational constraints, including sanctions.

● Meetings are informational only and/or have to be attended in person.

Because the cost of voting on a particular proxy proposal, including lengthy operational processing, could exceed the expected benefit to a Fund or Client account, KFA may, after weighing the costs and benefits of voting on proxy proposals relating to foreign securities, make the decision not to vote a proxy proposal. At times, KFA may abstain from voting proxies of companies for the reasons stated above.

**Affiliated Entities**

For the avoidance of doubt, when required by contract or requested in writing, it is KFA's policy to generally abstain from voting proxies as they relate to affiliated entities of subadvisors who co-manage the portfolios of the Funds.

**Voting Contrary to Guidelines**

To the extent a proxy is voted contrary to the GL Guidelines for the reasons stated above (i.e. conflicts of interest, foreign proxies with special issues, affiliated entities), or otherwise (for example, proxy is a "case by case" under which the third-party proxy advisory service firm does not provide a recommendation or due to a sanction or operational restriction), such override must be made in the Client account's or Fund's best interest. In such cases, the reason for such decision must be agreed on by both the Compliance Team and the Investment Team and recorded. To the extent the contrary vote is determined during monthly reviews, Krane Compliance will communicate that to the Investment Team, if not previously identified.

**Proxy Voting Reporting**

Information regarding how KFA voted proxies on behalf of the Funds is available on the SEC's website at <u>http://sec.gov</u>. Information regarding how KFA voted proxies on behalf of Client accounts is available upon request.

KFA must provide the Funds' Board with a report that describes any significant issues that arose during the year as they relate to voting proxies, including any votes that were made inconsistent with this policy. Additionally, on at least an annual basis, any changes to this policy with respect to the Funds must be reported to the Board, which shall review and, in its discretion, approve the use of such amended policy.

KFA's CCO will meet with the Stewardship Committee periodically, but no less frequently than annually, to review compliance with this policy.

**Securities Subject to Lending Arrangements**

The investment policies of a Fund may permit the Fund to engage in securities lending transactions from time to time. Securities lending will be conducted in accordance with each Fund's investment policies, policies adopted by the Board, and the terms and conditions of various SEC interpretive positions.

Under the Securities Lending Policy approved by the Board, in the event that KFA determines that a loaned security would otherwise remain on loan on the proxy record date and the matters involved would have a material effect on the applicable Fund's investment in the loaned securities, KFA will exercise its best efforts to vote proxies on the securities loaned, either by terminating the loan or by entering into an alternative arrangement with the borrower of the securities in time to be able to cast such vote or to exercise such consent. This assessment would be based on a quantitative and qualitative materiality assessment conducted by the Compliance Team and reviewed by the Investment Team.

**Class Actions**

KFA does not commit to participate in all class actions that may arise with regard to Client account or Fund portfolio securities. Upon receipt of class action information, the Compliance Team and/or Investment Team will evaluate the costs versus the benefits of participation in the suit for each pertinent Client. Unless it is determined that it would be in the best interest of the Client or Fund, KFA will not participate in the class action on behalf of the Client or Fund. The Compliance Team or Investment Team will either return to the sender any documents inadvertently received by KFA regarding the class action, or forward the documents to the pertinent Client(s). If a determination is made that the benefits of participating in a class action outweigh the cost of participation, KFA will distribute any compensation received pro rata to the investors in the Funds(s) and/or to the Client based on the current percentage holdings in the Fund or Client account, or as otherwise appropriately arranged and disclosed to Clients.

Class Action Notices should be forwarded to the CCO upon receipt.

**Recordkeeping**

To the extent that KFA exercises proxy voting authority with respect to its Clients, it shall make and retain the following:

● a copy of this policy;

● a copy of each proxy statement that KFA receives regarding Client securities;

● a record of each vote cast by KFA on behalf of a Client;

● a copy of each written Client request for information on how KFA voted proxies on behalf of the Client, and a copy of any written response by KFA to any written or oral Client request for information on how KFA voted proxies on behalf of the requesting Client.

KFA shall retain these records in an easily accessible place for five years from the end of the fiscal year during which the last entry was made on such record, the first two years in KFA's principal office. The CCO will confirm that KFA complies with all applicable recordkeeping requirements associated with proxy voting.

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---

| |
|:---|
| ESG<br> Thematic Voting Policy Guidelines |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2025 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;www.glasslewis.com |

---

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---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| [About Glass Lewis](#egssai4_001) | 5 |
| [Summary of Changes for 2025](#egssai4_002) | 6 |
| [Introduction](#egssai4_005) | 7 |
| [Election of Directors](#egssai4_006) | 8 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board of Directors](#egssai4_007) | 8 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Composition](#egssai4_008) | 8 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Independence](#egssai4_009) | 10 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Committee Composition](#egssai4_010) | 10 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Diversity, Tenure and Refreshment](#egssai4_011) | 10 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Director Overboarding](#egssai4_012) | 11 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Size](#egssai4_013) | 11 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Classified Boards](#egssai4_014) | 12 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Controlled Companies](#egssai4_015) | 12 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Significant Shareholders](#egssai4_016) | 12 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Director Performance and Oversight](#egssai4_017) | 12 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Environmental and Social Oversight and Performance](#egssai4_018) | 13 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board-Level Oversight of Environmental and Social Risks](#egssai4_019) | 13 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Climate Risk](#egssai4_020) | 13 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Stakeholder Considerations](#egssai4_021) | 14 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Review of Risk Management Controls](#egssai4_022) | 14 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Slate Elections](#egssai4_023) | 14 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Responsiveness](#egssai4_024) | 14 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Separation of the Roles of CEO and Chair](#egssai4_025) | 15 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Governance Following an IPO or Spin-Off](#egssai4_026) | 15 |

---

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---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| [Financial Reporting](#egssai4_027) | 16 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Accounts and Reports](#egssai4_028) | 16 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Income Allocation (Distribution of Dividends)](#egssai4_029) | 16 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Appointment of Auditors and Authority to Set Fees](#egssai4_030) | 16 |
| [Compensation](#egssai4_031) | 17 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Compensation Reports and Compensation Policies](#egssai4_032) | 17 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Linking Compensation to Environmental and Social Issues](#egssai4_033) | 18 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Long-Term Incentive Plans](#egssai4_034) | 18 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Performance-Based Equity Compensation](#egssai4_035) | 18 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Director Compensation](#egssai4_036) | 19 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Retirement Benefits for Directors](#egssai4_037) | 19 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Limits on Executive Compensation](#egssai4_038) | 19 |
| [Governance Structure](#egssai4_039) | 20 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Amendments to the Articles of Association](#egssai4_040) | 20 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Anti-Takeover Measures](#egssai4_041) | 20 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Multi-Class Share Structures](#egssai4_042) | 20 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Cumulative Voting](#egssai4_043) | 20 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Fair Price Provision](#egssai4_044) | 21 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Supermajority Vote Requirements](#egssai4_045) | 21 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Poison Pills (Shareholder Rights Plan)](#egssai4_046) | 21 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Increase in Authorized Shares](#egssai4_047) | 22 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Issuance of Shares](#egssai4_048) | 23 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Repurchase of Shares](#egssai4_049) | 23 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Reincorporation](#egssai4_050) | 23 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Tax Havens](#egssai4_051) | 23 |

---

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---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Advance Notice Requirements](#egssai4_052) | 24 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Transaction of Other Business](#egssai4_053) | 24 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Anti-Greenmail Proposals](#egssai4_054) | 24 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Virtual-Only Shareholder Meetings](#egssai4_055) | 24 |
| [Mergers, Acquisitions & Contested Meetings](#egssai4_056) | 25 |
| [Shareholder Proposals](#egssai4_057) | 26 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Governance Proposals](#egssai4_058) | 26 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Environmental Proposals](#egssai4_059) | 26 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Say on Climate](#egssai4_060) | 27 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Shareholder Proposals](#egssai4_061) | 27 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Management Proposals](#egssai4_062) | 27 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Social Proposals](#egssai4_063) | 27 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Compensation Proposals](#egssai4_064) | 28 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Trojan Horse Proposals](#egssai4_065) | 28 |
| [Connect with Glass Lewis](#egssai4_066) | 30 |

---

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About Glass Lewis

Glass Lewis is the world's choice for governance solutions. We enable institutional investors and publicly listed companies to make informed decisions based on research and data. We cover 30,000+ meetings each year, across approximately 100 global markets. Our team has been providing in-depth analysis of companies since 2003, relying solely on publicly available information to inform its policies, research, and voting recommendations.

Our customers include the majority of the world's largest pension plans, mutual funds, and asset managers, collectively managing over $40 trillion in assets. We have teams located across the United States, Europe, and Asia-Pacific giving us global reach with a local perspective on the important governance issues.

Investors around the world depend on Glass Lewis' **<u>Viewpoint</u>** platform to manage their proxy voting, policy implementation, recordkeeping, and reporting. Our industry leading **<u>Proxy Paper</u>** product provides comprehensive environmental, social, and governance research and voting recommendations weeks ahead of voting deadlines. Public companies can also use our innovative **<u>Report Feedback Statement</u>** to deliver their opinion on our proxy research directly to the voting decision makers at every investor client in time for voting decisions to be made or changed.

The research team engages extensively with public companies, investors, regulators, and other industry stakeholders to gain relevant context into the realities surrounding companies, sectors, and the market in general. This enables us to provide the most comprehensive and pragmatic insights to our customers.

Join the Conversation

Glass Lewis is committed to ongoing engagement with all market participants.

<u>info@glasslewis.com</u>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <u>www.glasslewis.com</u>

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Summary of Changes for 2025

Board Diversity

The ESG Policy has updated its policy concerning gender diversity on boards. The policy has been updated to provide that, if less than 33% of the board is gender-diverse the ESG Policy will vote against all incumbent male nominating committee members for large- and mid-cap companies; however, where local market standards dictate a higher level of expected gender diversity, the ESG policy will follow the local market requirement. , Previously, the ESG Policy would vote against male members of the nominating committee in instances where large- and mid-cap companies did not have at least 30% gender diversity. The policy will continue to recommend against male members of the nominating committee when small-cap companies do not have at least one gender-diverse director on their boards.

Vote-No Campaigns

The ESG Policy will carefully review any "vote-no" campaigns launched by shareholders as a result of their concerns regarding a company's failure to adequately address environmental and social risks or those related to poor compensation or governance practices. When it is determined that such campaigns either address a failure of oversight on behalf of the company or broadly seek to promote more responsible corporate behavior, the ESG Policy may vote in line with the recommendations of the shareholder(s) running the vote-no campaign.

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Introduction

Institutional investors are increasingly recognizing the importance of incorporating material environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors into their investment processes. Active ownership on ESG issues will typically include also applying these considerations to proxy voting practices, and the ESG Policy allows clients to apply these enhanced ESG considerations when voting at the annual and special meetings of their portfolio companies.

The ESG Policy was designed for clients with a strong focus on environmental and social issues or as a supplemental voting policy for ESG-focused funds. This policy is also ideal for investors who would like to vote in a stakeholder-focused and progressive manner.

Implementation of the ESG Policy may vary market-to-market in accordance with regulatory requirements, corporate governance best practices, and other relevant standards in individual markets.

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Election of Directors

Board of Directors

Boards are established in order to represent shareholders and protect their interests. The ESG Policy seeks boards that have a record for protecting shareholders and delivering value over the medium- and long-term. For boards that wish to protect and enhance the interests of shareholders they must have sufficient levels of independence (the percentage varies by local market practice and regulations), boast a record of positive performance, have directors with diverse backgrounds, and appoint new directors that have a depth of relevant experience.

Board Composition

The ESG Policy examines a variety of elements to the board when voting on director elections. In terms of the directors, the policy looks at each individual on the board and explores their relationship with the company, the company's executives and with other board members. This is to ensure and determine whether a director has an existing relationship with the company that are likely to impact any decision processes of that board member.

The biographical information provided by the company on the individual director is essential for investors to understand the background and skills of the directors of the board. This information should be provided in the company's documents well in advance of the shareholder meeting, in order to give shareholders sufficient time to analyze the information. In cases where the company fails to disclose the names or backgrounds of director nominees, the ESG Policy may vote against or abstain from voting on the directors' elections.

The ESG Policy will vote in favor of governance structures that will drive positive performance and enhance shareholder value. The most crucial test of a board's commitment to the company and to its shareholders is the performance of the board and its members. The performance of directors in their capacity as board members and as executives of the company, when applicable, and in their roles at other companies where they serve is critical to this evaluation.

Directors are formed into three categories based on an examination of the type of relationship they have with the company. The table below includes a breakdown of how Glass Lewis classifies these director relationships with the company.

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Insider** | **Affiliate** | **Independent** |
| >Someone who serves as a director and as an employee of the Company | >A director who has a material financial, familial or other relationship with the company, or its executives, but is NOT an employee of the company | >No material financial, familial or other current relationships with the company, it's executives or other board members except for service |
| >May also include executive chairs (who act as an employee of the company or is paid as an employee of the company) | >A director who owns or controls, directly or indirectly 20% or more of the company's voting stock (except where local regulations or best practices set a different threshold). | >A director who owns, directly or indirectly less than 10% of the company's voting stock (local regulations and best practices may set a different threshold) |
|  | >A director who has been employed by the company within the past 5 calendar years | >A director who has not been employed by the company for a minimum of 5 calendar years |
|  | >A director who performs material consulting, legal, advisory, accounting or other professional services for the company | >A director who is not involved in any Related Party Transactions (RPT) with the company (most common RPT's - Consulting, Legal, and Accounting/Advisory services) |
|  | >A director who is involved in an "Interlocking Directorship" |  |

---

Common other reasons the ESG Policy will vote against a director:

(i) A director who attends less than 75% of the board and applicable committee meetings.

(ii) A director who is also the CEO of a company where a serious restatement has occurred after the CEO certified the pre-restatement financial statements.

(iii) An affiliated director when the board is not sufficiently independent in accordance with market best practice standards.

(iv) An affiliate or insider on any of the key committees (audit, compensation, nominating) or an affiliate or insider on any of the key committees and there is insufficient independence on that committee, both of the above can vary in accordance with the markets best practice standards.

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The following conflicts of interests may hinder a director's performance and may result in a vote against:

(i) A director who presently sits on an excessive number of public company boards (see the relevant market guidelines for confirmation of the excessive amount).

(ii) Director, or a director whose immediate family member, or the firm at which the director is employed, provides material professional services to the company at any time during the past five years.

(iii) Director, or a director whose immediate family member, engages in airplane, real estate or other similar deals, including perquisite type grants from the company.

(iv) Director with an interlocking directorship.

(v) All board members who served at a time when a poison pill with a term of longer than one year was adopted without shareholder approval within the prior twelve months.

(vi) A director who has received two against recommendations from Glass Lewis for identical reasons within the prior year at different companies.

Board Independence

A board composed of at least two-thirds independent is most effective in protecting shareholders' interests. Generally, the ESG Policy will vote against responsible directors if the board is less than two-thirds independent, however, this is also dependent on the market best practice standards.

Board Committee Composition

It is best practice to have independent directors serving on the audit, compensation, nominating and governance committees. As such, the ESG Policy will support boards with this structure and encourage change when this is not the case. However, board committee independence thresholds may vary depending on the market.

With respect to the creation of board committees and the composition thereof, the ESG Policy will generally support shareholder proposals requesting that companies create a committee to oversee material E&S issues, such as committees dedicated to climate change oversight or the oversight of public policy risks. The ESG Policy will also generally support shareholder proposals calling for the appointment of directors with specific expertise to the board, such as those requesting the appointment of an environmental expert or an individual with significant human rights expertise.

Board Diversity, Tenure and Refreshment

The ESG Policy acknowledges the importance of ensuring that the board is comprised of directors who have a diversity of skills, backgrounds, thoughts, and experiences. As such, having diverse boards benefits companies greatly by encompassing an array of different perspectives and insights.

In terms of board tenure and refreshment, the ESG Policy strongly supports routine director evaluations, including independent external reviews, and periodic board refreshment in order to enable the company to maintain a fresh set of ideas and business strategies in an ever-changing world and market. Having directors with diverse experiences and skills can strengthen the position of a company within the market. Therefore, the ESG Policy promotes refreshment within boards, as a lack of refreshment can lead to poor company performance. Thus, the ESG Policy may consider voting against directors with a lengthy tenure (e.g. over 12

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years) when we identify significant performance or governance concerns indicating that a fresh perspective would be beneficial and there is no evidence of any plans of future board refreshment.

The ESG Policy will also evaluate a company's policies and actions with respect to board refreshment and diversity. As a part of this evaluation, we will review the diversity of board members and support shareholder proposals to report on or increase board diversity. The nominating and governance committee, as an agent for the shareholders, is responsible for the governance by the board of the company and its executives. In performing this role, the committee is responsible and accountable for selection of objective and competent board members. To that end, the ESG Policy will: (i) vote against members of the nominating committee in the event that the board has an average tenure of over ten years and the board has not appointed a new nominee to the board in at least five years; (ii) vote against the incumbent male nominating committee members in instances where the board of a large- or mid-cap company is comprised of fewer than 33% gender-diverse directors, or the local market requirement for gender diversity where higher; or (iii) vote against the male members of the nominating committee where there is not at least one gender-diverse director on the board of a small-cap company.

The ESG Policy conducts a further level of analysis for U.S. companies included in the Russel 1000 index. For these companies, the ESG Policy will vote against members of the nominating and governance committee when they receive a "Poor" score in Glass Lewis' Diversity Disclosure Assessment. The Diversity Disclosure Assessment is an analysis of companies' proxy statement disclosure relating to board diversity, skills and the director nomination process. This assessment reflects how a company's proxy statement presents: (i) the board's current percentage of racial/ethnic diversity; (ii) whether the board's definition of diversity explicitly includes gender and/or race/ethnicity; (iii) whether the board has adopted a policy requiring women and minorities to be included in the initial pool of candidates when selecting new director nominees ("Rooney Rule"); and (iv) board skills disclosure.

Director Overboarding

The ESG Policy will generally recommend that shareholders vote against a director who serves as an executive officer (other than executive chair) of any public company while serving on more than one external public company board, a director who serves as an executive chair of any public company while serving on more than two external public company boards, and any other director who serves on more than five public company boards.

Board Size

Although there is not a universally acceptable optimum board size, boards should have a minimum of five directors to ensure sufficient diversity in decision making and to enable the establishment of key committees with independent directors. Further, boards should not be composed of more than 20 directors as the board may suffer as a result of too many voices to be heard and have difficulty reaching consensus on issues with this number of members. As a result, the ESG Policy will generally vote against the chair of the nominating committee at a board with fewer than five directors or more than 20 directors.

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Classified Boards

The ESG Policy favors the repeal of staggered boards in favor of the annual election of directors. Staggered boards are generally less accountable to shareholders than annually elected directors to the board. In addition, the annual election of directors encourages board members to focus on protecting the interests of shareholders. Further to this, if shareholders are unsatisfied with board members the annual election of directors allows them to voice these concerns.

Controlled Companies

The ESG Policy allows certain exceptions to the independence standards at controlled companies. The board's main function is to protect shareholder interests, however, when an individual, entity, or group own more than 50% of the voting shares, the interests of majority shareholders are the interests of that entity or individual. As a result, the ESG Policy does not apply the usual two-thirds independence threshold on controlled companies instead it includes the following guidelines:

(i) As long as insiders and/or affiliates are connected to the controlling entity, the ESG Policy will accept the presence of non-independent board members.

(ii) The compensation, nominating, and governance committees do not need to consist solely of independent directors. However, the compensation committee should not have any insider members, but affiliates are accepted.

(iii) The board does not need an independent chair or an independent lead or presiding director.

(iv) The audit committee should consist solely of independent directors, regardless of the controlled status of the company.

Significant Shareholders

Significant shareholders are either an individual or an entity which holds between 20-50% of a company's voting power, and the ESG Policy provides that shareholders should be allowed proportional representation on the board and in committees (excluding the audit committee) based on their percentage of ownership.

Director Performance and Oversight

Board members performance and their actions in regard to performance of the board is an essential element to understanding the board's commitment to the company and to shareholders. The ESG Policy will look at the performance of individuals as directors and executives of the company and of other companies where they have served. Often a director's past conduct is indicative of future conduct and performance.

The ESG Policy will typically vote against directors who have served on boards or as executives of companies with records of poor performance, inadequate risk oversight, excessive compensation, audit or accounting-related issues, and other actions or indicators of mismanagement. However, the ESG Policy will also reevaluate the directors based on factors such as the length of time that has passed since the incident, the director's role, and the severity of the issue.

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Environmental and Social Oversight and Performance

The ESG Policy considers the oversight afforded to environmental and social issues. The ESG Policy looks to ensure that companies maintain appropriate board-level oversight of material risks to their operations, including those that are environmental and social in nature. When it is clear that these risks have not been properly managed or mitigated, the ESG Policy may vote against members of the board who are responsible for the oversight of environmental and social risks. In the absence of explicit board oversight of environmental and social issues, the ESG Policy may vote against members of the audit committee. In making these determinations, the ESG Policy will take into account the situation at hand, its effect on shareholder value, as well as any corrective action or other response made by the company.

Board-Level Oversight of Environmental and Social Risks

The insufficient oversight of environmental and social issues can present direct legal, financial, regulatory and reputational risks that could serve to harm shareholder interests. As a result, the ESG Policy promotes oversight structures that ensure that companies are mitigating attendant risks ad capitalizing on related opportunities to the best extent possible.

To that end, the ESG Policy looks to boards to maintain clear oversight of material risks to their operations, including those that are environmental and social in nature. These risks could include, but are not limited to, matters related to climate change, human capital management, diversity, stakeholder relations, and health, safety & environment.

Glass Lewis will review a company's overall governance practices to identify which directors or board-level committees have been charged with oversight of environmental and/or social issues. Given the importance of the board's role in overseeing environmental and social risks, the ESG Policy will vote against members of the governance committee that fails to provide explicit disclosure concerning the board's role in overseeing these issues.

Climate Risk

Given the importance of companies mitigation and management of climate-related risks, the ESG Policy includes specific consideration for companies' disclosure of and policies concerning climate change. For companies included in the Climate Action 100+ focus list and those that operate in industries where the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) has determined that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions represent a financially material risk, the ESG Policy will vote against the chair of the board in instances where a company has not adopted a net zero emissions target or ambition. For all other companies, the ESG Policy will vote against the chair of the board in instances where companies have not established any forward-looking GHG emissions reduction targets. In both instances, if the chair of the board is also the company's CEO, the ESG Policy will vote against the chair of the audit committee.

The ESG Policy also takes into consideration investors' growing expectation for robust climate and sustainability disclosures. For Climate Action 100+ focus list companies, as well as those where SASB has determined that GHG emissions represent a material risk, the ESG Policy will vote against the chair of the board when the company has failed to produce reporting that is aligned with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures ("TCFD") or IFRS S2 framework . For all other companies, the ESG Policy may vote against the chair of the board when they have not produced sufficient sustainability reporting.

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Stakeholder Considerations

In order to drive long-term shareholder value, companies require a social license to operate. A lack of consideration for stakeholders can present legal, regulatory, and reputational risks. With this view, the ESG Policy will vote against the chair of the board in instances where companies in major blue chip indices are not signatories or participants in the United Nations Global Compact ("UNGC") or have not adopted a human rights policy that is aligned with the standards set forth by the International Labour Organization ("ILO") or the Universal Declaration on Human Rights ("UDHR").

For U.S. companies listed in the S&P 500 index, the ESG Policy will also evaluate whether companies have provided sufficient disclosure concerning their workforce diversity. In instances where these companies have not disclosed their full EEO-1 reports, the ESG Policy will vote against the nominating and governance chair.

Review of Risk Management Controls

The ESG Policy evaluates the risk management function of a public company on a case-by-case basis. Companies, particularly financial firms, should have a dedicated risk committee, or a committee on the board in charge of risk oversight, as well as a chief risk officer who reports directly to that committee, not to the CEO or another executive of the company. When analyzing the risk management practices of public companies the ESG Policy takes note of any significant losses or write-downs on financial assets and/or structured transactions. In cases where a company has disclosed a sizable loss or write-down, and where the company's board-level risk committee's poor oversight contributed to the loss, the ESG Policy will recommend that shareholders vote against such committee members on that basis. In addition, in cases where a company maintains a significant level of financial risk exposure but fails to disclose any explicit form of board-level risk oversight (committee or otherwise), the ESG Policy may vote against the chair of the board on that basis.

Slate Elections

In some countries, in particular Italy, companies elect their board members as a slate, whereby shareholders are unable to vote on the election of an individual director, but rather are limited to voting for or against the board as a whole. The ESG Policy will generally support the slate if no major governance or board-related concerns have been raised in the analysis, and the slate appears to support and protect the best interests of all shareholders.

Board Responsiveness

Majority-Supported Shareholder Proposals

We expect clear action from the board when shareholder proposals receive support from a majority of votes cast (excluding abstentions and broker non-votes). In our view, this may include fully implementing the request of the shareholder proposal and/or engaging with shareholders on the issue and providing sufficient disclosures to address shareholder concerns.

Significantly Supported Shareholder Proposals

When shareholder proposals receive significant support (generally more than 30% but less than majority of votes cast), we believe an initial level of board responsiveness is warranted. In instances where a shareholder

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proposal has received at least 30% shareholder support, we generally believe boards should engage with shareholders on the issue and provide disclosure addressing shareholder concerns and outreach initiatives.

Further, as discussed above, at controlled companies and companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will carefully examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders when determining whether board responsiveness is warranted.

Separation of the Roles of CEO and Chair

The separation of the positions of CEO and chair creates a better and more independent governance structure than a combined CEO/chair position. The role of executives is to manage the business based on the course charted by the board. Executives should be in the position of reporting and answering to the board for their performance in achieving their goals as set out by the board. This would become more complicated if they too held the position of chair as it would be difficult for them to fulfil the duty of being both the overseer and policy setter when they, the CEO/chair control both the agenda and boardroom.

The ESG Policy views an independent chair as better able to oversee the executives of the company and set a pro-shareholder agenda without the management conflicts that a CEO and other executive insiders often face. Such oversight and concern for shareholders allows for a more proactive and effective board of directors that is better able to look out for the interests of shareholders.

Furthermore, it is the board's responsibility to select a chief executive to best serve the company and its shareholders and to replace this person when his or her duties have not been appropriately fulfilled. Such a replacement becomes more difficult and happens less frequently when the chief executive is also in the position of overseeing the board.

However, even considering the above, the ESG Policy will not vote against CEOs who also chair the board. The ESG Policy will generally support separating the positions of CEO and chair whenever the question is posed in a shareholder proposal, as in the long-term it is in the best interests of the company.

In the absence of an independent chair, the ESG Policy will support the appointment of a presiding or lead independent director with authority to set the agenda for the meeting and to lead sessions. In the case where the company has neither an independent chair nor independent lead director, the ESG Policy may vote against the chair of the governance committee.

Governance Following an IPO or Spin-Off

Companies that have recently completed an initial public offering (IPO), or spin-off should be given adequate time to fully adjust and comply with marketplace listing requirements and meet basic corporate governance standards. The ESG Policy generally allows the company a one-year period following the IPO to comply with these requirements and as such refrains from voting based on governance standards (e.g., board independence, committee membership and structure, meeting attendance, etc.).

However, there are some cases that warrant shareholder action against the board of a company that have completed an IPO or spin-off in the past year. The ESG Policy will evaluate the terms of applicable governing documents when determining the recommendations and whether the shareholders rights will be severely restricted. In order to come to a conclusion the following points will be considered:

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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. The adoption of anti-takeover provisions such as a poison pill or classified board;

2. Supermajority vote requirements to amend governing documents;

3. The presence of exclusive forum or fee-shifting provisions;

4. Whether shareholders can call special meetings or act by written consent;

5. The voting standard provided for the election of directors;

6. The ability of shareholders to remove directors without cause;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;7. The presence of evergreen provisions in the company's equity compensation arrangements; and

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;8. The presence of a multi-class share structure which does not afford common shareholders voting power that is aligned with their economic interest.

Anti-takeover provisions can negatively impact future shareholders who (except for electing to buy or sell the stock) are unable to weigh in on matters that might negatively impact their ownership interest. In cases where the anti-takeover provision was adopted prior to the IPO, the ESG Policy may vote against the members of the board who served when it was adopted if the board:

(i) Did not also commit to submit the anti-takeover provision to a shareholder vote at the company's next shareholder meeting following the IPO; or

(ii) Did not provide a sound rationale or sunset provision for adopting the anti-takeover provision.

Financial Reporting

Accounts and Reports

Excluding situations where there are concerns surrounding the integrity of the statements/reports, the ESG Policy will generally vote for Accounts and Reports proposals.

Where the required documents have not been published at the time that the vote is cast, the ESG Policy will abstain from voting on this proposal.

Income Allocation (Distribution of Dividends)

The ESG Policy will generally vote for proposals concerning companies' distribution of dividends. However, particular scrutiny will be given to cases where the company's dividend payout ratio is exceptionally low or excessively high relative to its peers, and where the company has not provided a satisfactory explanation for this disparity.

Appointment of Auditors and Authority to Set Fees

The role of the auditor is crucial in protecting shareholder value. Like directors, auditors should be free from conflicts of interest and should assiduously avoid situations that require them to make choices between their own interests and the interests of the shareholders. Because of the importance of the role of the auditor, rotating auditors is an important safeguard against the relationship between the auditor and the company becoming too close, resulting in a lack of oversight due to complacency or conflicts of interest. Accordingly, the ESG Policy will vote against auditor ratification proposals in instances where it is clear that a company's auditor has not been changed for 20 or more years.

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In instances where a company has retained an auditor for fewer than 20 years, the ESG Policy will generally support management's recommendation for the selection of an auditor, as well as the board's authority to fix auditor fees. However, there are a number of exceptions to this policy, and the ESG Policy will vote against the appointment of the auditor and/or the authorization of the board to set auditor fees in the following scenarios:

● The independence of an incumbent auditor or the integrity of the audit has been compromised.

● Audit fees combined with audit-related fees total less than one-half of total fees.

● There have been any recent restatements or late filings by the company and responsibility for such can be attributed to the auditor (e.g., a restatement due to a reporting error).

● The company has aggressive accounting policies.

● The company has poor disclosure or lack of transparency in financial statements.

● There are other relationships, or issues of concern, with the auditor that might suggest a conflict of interest.

● The company is changing auditors as a result of a disagreement between the company and the auditor on a matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedures.

Compensation

Compensation Reports and Compensation Policies

Depending on the market, compensation report and policy vote proposals may be either advisory or binding, e.g. in the UK a non-binding compensation report based upon the most recent fiscal year is voted upon annually, and a forward-looking compensation policy will be subject to a binding vote every three years.

In all markets company filings are evaluated closely to determine how well information pertinent to Compensation practices has been disclosed, the extent to which overall compensation is tied to performance, which performance metrics have been employed, as well as how the company's remuneration practices compare to that of its peers.

The ESG Policy will vote against the approval of a compensation report or policy in the following scenarios:

● There is a significant disconnect between pay and performance;

● Performance goals and metrics are inappropriate or insufficiently challenging;

● There is a lack of disclosure regarding performance metrics as well as a lack of clarity surrounding the implementation of these metrics.

● Short-term (e.g., generally less than three year) performance measurement is weighted excessively in incentive plans;

● Excessive discretion is afforded to, or exercised by, management or the Compensation Committee to deviate from defined performance metrics and goals in determining awards;

● Ex gratia or other non-contractual payments have been made and the reasoning for this is inadequate.

● Guaranteed bonuses are established;

● Egregious or excessive bonuses, equity awards or severance payments have been granted;

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● Excessive increases (e.g. over 10%) in fixed payments, such as salary or pension entitlements, that are not adequately justified

● Where there is an absence of structural safeguarding mechanisms such as clawback and malus policies included in the Incentive plan.

Linking Compensation to Environmental and Social Issues

On top of Glass Lewis' robust evaluation of companies' compensation plans, the ESG Policy will evaluate if, and to what extent, a company has provided a link between compensation and environmental and social criteria. In most markets, should a company not provide any environmental or social considerations in its remuneration scheme, the ESG Policy will vote against the proposed plan. For companies with a greater degree of exposure to environmental and climate-related issues (i.e., Climate Action 100+ focus list companies and those where SASB has deemed GHG emissions to be financially material), the ESG Policy will vote against compensation proposals if the company has not adequately incentivized executives to act in ways that mitigate a company's climate impact. The ESG Policy will also support shareholder resolutions requesting the inclusion of sustainability metrics in executive compensation plans.

Long-Term Incentive Plans

The ESG Policy recognizes the value of equity-based incentive programs. When used appropriately, they provide a means of linking an employee's pay to a company's performance, thereby aligning their interests with those of shareholders. In addition, equity-based compensation is an effective way to attract, retain and motivate key employees.

In order to allow for meaningful shareholder review, incentive programs should generally include:

(i) specific and appropriate performance goals;

(ii) a maximum award pool; and

(iii) a maximum award amount per employee.

In addition, the payments made should be reasonable relative to the performance of the business and total compensation paid to those included under the plan should be in line with compensation paid by the company's peers.

Performance-Based Equity Compensation

The ESG Policy supports performance-based equity compensation plans for senior executives; where it is warranted by both their performance, and that of the company. While it is unnecessary to base equity-based compensation for all employees to company performance, placing such limitations on grants to senior executives is considered advisable (although in specific scenarios equity-based compensation granted to senior executives without performance criteria is acceptable under Glass Lewis guidelines, such as in the case of moderate incentive grants made in an initial offer of employment). While it is not uncommon for a board to state that tying equity compensation to performance goals may hinder them in attracting, and retaining, talented executives, the ESG Policy takes the stance that performance-based compensation aids in aligning executive interests to that of shareholders, and as such will support the company in achieving its objectives.

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The ESG Policy will generally vote in favor of all performance-based option or share schemes; with the exception of plans that include a provision to allow for the re-testing of performance conditions; for which a vote against is recommended.

Director Compensation

The ESG Policy supports non-employee directors receiving an appropriate form, and level, of compensation for the time and effort they spend serving on the board and its committees; and director fees being at a level that allows a company to retain and attract qualified individuals. The ESG Policy compares the cost of director compensation to that of peer companies with similar market capitalizations in the same country so that compensation plans may be evaluated thoroughly, and a fair vote outcome reached.

Retirement Benefits for Directors

The ESG Policy will typically vote against the granting of retirement benefits to non-executive directors. Such extended payments can impair the objectivity and independence of these board members. Initial, and annual fees should be of a level that provides appropriate compensation to directors throughout their service to the company.

Limits on Executive Compensation

As a general rule, shareholders should not seek to micromanage executive compensation programs. Such matters should be left to the board's compensation committee. The election of directors, and specifically those who sit on the compensation committee, is viewed as an appropriate mechanism for shareholders to express their support, or disapproval, of board policy on this issue. Further, companies whose pay-for-performance is in line with their peers should be granted the flexibility to compensate their executives in a manner that drives sustainable growth. However, the ESG Policy favors performance-based compensation as an effective means of motivating executives to act in the best interests of shareholders. Performance-based compensation may be limited if a chief executive's pay is capped at a low level rather than flexibly tied to the performance of the company.

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Governance Structure

Amendments to the Articles of Association

The ESG Policy will evaluate proposed amendments to a company's articles of association on a case-by-case basis. The ESG Policy is generally opposed to bundling several amendments under a single proposal as it prevents shareholders from evaluating each amendment on its own merits. In cases, where it is a bundled amendment, the ESG Policy will evaluate each amendment individually and only support the proposal if, in the aggregate, the amendments are in the best interests of shareholders.

Anti-Takeover Measures

Multi-Class Share Structures

The ESG Policy views multi-class share structures as not in the best interests of shareholders and instead is in favor of one vote per share. This structure operates as a safeguard for common shareholders by ensuring that those who hold a significant minority of shares are still able to weigh in on issues set forth by the board. The economic stake of each shareholder should match their voting power and that no small group of shareholders, family or otherwise, should have differing voting rights from those of all other shareholders.

The ESG Policy considers a multi-class share structure as having the potential to negatively impact the overall corporate governance of a company. Companies should have share class structures that protect the interests of non-controlling shareholders as well as any controlling entity. Therefore, the ESG Policy will generally vote in favor of recapitalization proposals to eliminate multi-class share structures. Similarly, the ESG Policy will typically vote against proposals to adopt a new class of common stock.

Cumulative Voting

When voting on cumulative voting proposals, the ESG Policy will factor in the independence of the board and the company's governance structure. Cumulative voting is often found on ballots at companies where independence is lacking and where the appropriate balances favoring the interests of shareholders are not in place. However, cumulative voting increases the ability of minority shareholders to elect a director by allowing shareholders to cast as many shares of stock they own multiplied by the number of directors to be elected. Cumulative voting allows shareholders to cast all their votes for one single nominee, or a smaller number of nominees than up for election, thereby raising the likelihood of electing one or more of their preferred nominees to the board. Accordingly, cumulative voting generally acts as a safeguard for shareholders by ensuring that those who hold a significant minority of shares can elect a candidate of their choosing to the board. As a result, the ESG Policy will typically vote in favor proposals concerning cumulative voting.

However, in the case where the company has adopted a true majority vote standard (i.e., where a director must receive a majority of votes cast to be elected, as opposed to a modified policy indicated by a resignation policy only), the ESG Policy will vote against cumulative voting proposals due to the incompatibility of the two election methods. For companies, that have not adopted the true majority vote standard but have some form of majority voting, the ESG Policy will also recommend voting against cumulative voting proposals if the company has also not adopted anti-takeover provisions and has been responsive to shareholders.

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In instances where a company has not adopted majority voting standards and is facing both an election on the adoption of majority voting and a proposal to adopt cumulative voting, the ESG Policy will support only the majority voting proposal.

Fair Price Provision

Fair price provisions, which are rare, require that certain minimum price and procedural requirements to be observed by any party that acquires more than a specified percentage of a corporation's common stock. The intention of this provision is to protect minority shareholder value when an acquirer seeks to accomplish a merger or other transaction which would eliminate or change the rights of the shareholder. Fair price provisions sometimes protecting the rights of shareholders in a takeover situation. However, more often than not they act as an impediment to takeovers, potentially limiting gains to shareholders from a variety of transactions that could potentially increase share price. As a result, the ESG Policy will generally vote to fair price provisions.

Supermajority Vote Requirements

The ESG Policy favors a simple majority voting structure except where a supermajority voting requirement is explicitly intended to protect the rights of minority shareholders in a controlled company. In the case of non-controlled companies, supermajority vote requirements act as impediments to shareholder action on ballot items that are critical to their interests. For example, supermajority vote requirements can strongly limit the voice of shareholders in making decisions on critical matters such as the selling of the business. Supermajority vote requirements can also allow small groups of shareholders to overrule and dictate the will of the majority of shareholders. Thus, having a simple majority is appropriate for protecting the rights of all shareholders.

Poison Pills (Shareholder Rights Plan)

The ESG Policy will generally oppose companies' adoption of poison pills, as they can reduce management accountability by substantially limiting opportunities for corporate takeovers. As a result, rights plans can prevent shareholders from receiving a buy-out premium for their stock. Generally, the ESG Policy will vote against these plans to protect their financial interests. While boards should be given wide latitude in directing the activities of the company and charting the company's course, on an issue such as this where the link between the financial interests of shareholders and their right to consider and accept buyout offers is so substantial, shareholders should be allowed to vote on whether or not they support such a plan's implementation. In certain limited circumstances, the ESG Policy will support a limited poison pill to accomplish a particular objective, such as the closing of an important merger, or a pill that contains what we believe to be a reasonable 'qualifying offer' clause.

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Increase in Authorized Shares

Adequate capital stock is important to a company's operation. When analyzing a request for additional shares, the ESG Policy will typically review four common reasons why a company may need additional capital stock:

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| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**1. Stock Split** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Three Metrics:<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(a) Historical stock pre-split price (if any)<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(b) Current price relative to the company's most common trading price over the past 52 weeks<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(c) Some absolute limits on stock price (that will either make the split appropriate or would produce an unreasonable price) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**2. Shareholder Defenses** | &nbsp;&nbsp; Additional authorized shares could be used to bolster takeover defenses such as a poison pill. The proxy filings often discuss the usefulness of additional shares in defending against a hostile takeover. |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**3. Financing for Acquisitions** | &nbsp;&nbsp; Examine whether the company has a history of using stock for acquisitions and attempts to determine what levels of stock have generally been required to accomplish such transactions. |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**4. Financing for Operations** | &nbsp;&nbsp; Review the company's cash position and its ability to secure financing through borrowing or other means. |

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The ESG Policy will generally support proposals when a company could reasonably use the requested shares for financing, stock splits and stock dividends, as having adequate shares to allow management to make quick decisions and effectively operate the business is critical. The ESG Policy favors that, when a company is undertaking significant transactions, management will justify its use of additional shares rather than providing a blank check in the form of large pools of unallocated shares available for any purpose.

Generally, the ESG Policy will support proposals to increase authorized shares up to 100% of the number of shares currently authorized unless, after the increase the company would be left with less than 30% of its authorized shares outstanding. In markets where such authorities typically also authorize the board to issue new shares without separate shareholder approval, the ESG Policy applies the policy described below on the issuance of shares.

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Issuance of Shares

The issuance of additional shares generally dilutes existing shareholders in most circumstances. Further, the availability of additional shares, where the board has discretion to implement a poison pill, can often serve as a deterrent to interested suitors. In cases where a company has not detailed a plan for use of the proposed shares, or where the number of shares far exceeds those needed to accomplish a detailed plan, the ESG Policy will typically vote against the authorization of additional shares. In the case of a private placement, the ESG Policy will also factor in whether the company is offering a discount to its share price.

Generally, the ESG Policy will support proposals to authorize the board to issue shares (with pre-emptive rights) when the requested increase is equal to or less than the current issued share capital. The authority of these shares should not exceed five years unless that is the market best practice. In accordance with the different market practices, the specific thresholds for share issuance can vary. And, as a result, the ESG Policy will vote on these proposals on a case-by-case basis.

The ESG Policy will also generally support proposals to suspend pre-emption rights for a maximum of 5-20% of the issued ordinary share capital of the company, depending on best practice in the country in which the company is located. This authority should not exceed five years, or less for some countries.

Repurchase of Shares

The ESG Policy typically supports proposals to repurchase shares when the plan includes the following provisions:

(i) A maximum number of shares which may be purchased (typically not more than 10-15% of the issued share capital); and

(ii) A maximum price which may be paid for each share (as a percentage of the market price).

Reincorporation

A company is in the best position to determine the appropriate jurisdiction of incorporation. The ESG Policy will factor in several elements when a management proposal to reincorporate the company is put to vote. These elements include reviewing the relevant financial benefits, generally related to incorporate tax treatment, as well as changes in corporate governance provisions, especially those related to shareholder rights, resulting from the change in domicile. In cases where the financial benefits are too small to be meaningful and there is a decrease in shareholder rights, the ESG Policy will vote against the transaction.

Tax Havens

The ESG Policy evaluates a company's potential exposure to risks related to a company's tax haven policies on an as-needed basis and will support shareholder proposals requesting that companies report on the risks associated with their use of tax havens or that request that companies adopt policies to discontinue operations or withdraw from tax havens. The ESG Policy will also vote against reincorporation proposals when companies have proposed to redomicile in known tax havens.

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Advance Notice Requirements

Typically, the ESG Policy will recommend vote against provisions that would require advance notice of shareholder proposals or of director nominees. Advance notice requirements typically range between three to six months prior to the annual meeting. These requirements often make it impossible for a shareholder who misses the deadline to present a shareholder proposal or director nominee that may be in the best interests of the company. Shareholders should be able to review and vote on all proposals and director nominees and are able to vote against proposals that appear with little prior notice. Therefore, by setting advance notice requirements it limits the opportunity for shareholders to raise issues that may arise after the window closes.

Transaction of Other Business

In general, the ESG Policy will vote against proposals that put the transaction of other business items proposal up for vote at an annual or special meeting, as granting unfettered discretion is unwise.

Anti-Greenmail Proposals

The ESG Policy will support proposals to adopt a provision preventing the payment of greenmail, which would serve to prevent companies from buying back company stock at significant premiums from a certain shareholder. The anti-greenmail provision helps to protect the company as it requires that a majority of shareholders other than the majority shareholder approve the buyback, thus, eliminating cases where a majority shareholder could attempt to charge a board a large premium for the shares.

Virtual-Only Shareholder Meetings

A growing number of companies have elected to hold shareholder meetings by virtual means only. The ESG Policy supports companies allowing a virtual option alongside an in-person meeting, so long as the shareholder interests are not compromised. Without proper controls, conducting a virtual-only meeting of shareholders could eliminate or significantly limit the rights of shareholders to confront, and ask management on any concerns they may have. When companies decide to only hold virtual-only meetings, the ESG Policy will examine the level of disclosure provided by the company on the virtual meeting procedures and may vote against members of the nominating and governance committee if the company does not provide disclosure assuring that shareholders will be afforded the same rights and opportunities to participate as they would at an in-person meeting.

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Mergers, Acquisitions & Contested Meetings

For merger and acquisition proposals, the ESG Policy undertakes a thorough examination of all elements of the transactions and determine the transaction's likelihood of maximizing shareholder return. In order to make a voting recommendation, the ESG Policy will examine the process conducted, the specific parties and individuals involved in negotiating an agreement, as well as the economic and governance terms of the proposal.

In the case of contested merger situations, or board proxy fights, the ESG Policy will evaluate the plan presented by the dissident party and how, if elected, it plans to enhance or protect shareholder value. The ESG Policy will also consider any concerns presented by the board, including any plans for improving the performance of the company, when making the ultimate recommendation. In addition, the ESG Policy will support shareholder proposals asking a company to consider the effects of a merger, spin-off, or other transaction on its employees and other stakeholders.

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Shareholder Proposals

The ESG Policy has a strong emphasis on enhancing the environmental, social and governance performance of companies. Accordingly, the ESG Policy will be broadly supportive of environmental and social shareholder proposals aimed at enhancing a company's policies and performance with respect to such issues. The ESG Policy will carefully examine each proposal's merits in order to ensure it seeks enhanced environmental disclosure and/or practices, and is not conversely aimed at limiting environmental or social disclosure or practices. Accordingly, the ESG Policy will not support proposals aimed at limiting or rescinding companies' ESG-related disclosures, goals or initiatives

Governance Proposals

The ESG Policy supports increased shareholder participation and access to a company and its board of directors. Accordingly, the ESG Policy will generally vote in favor of initiatives that seek to enhance shareholder rights, such as the introduction of majority voting to elect directors, the adoption and amendment of proxy access bylaws, the elimination/reduction of supermajority provisions, the declassification of the board, the submission of shareholder rights' plans to a shareholder vote, and the principle of one share, one vote.

The ESG Policy will also support proposals aimed at increasing the diversity of boards or management as well as those requesting additional information concerning workforce diversity and the adoption of more inclusive nondiscrimination policies. Further, the ESG Policy will support enhanced oversight of environmental and social issues at the board level by supporting resolutions calling for the creation of an environmental or social committee of the board or proposals requesting that the board adopt a subject-matter expert, such as one with deep knowledge and experience in human rights or climate change-related issues. The ESG Policy will also generally vote for proposals seeking to increase disclosure of a company's business ethics and code of conduct, as well as of its activities that relate to social welfare.

Environmental Proposals

The ESG Policy will generally support proposals regarding the environment, in particular, those seeking improved sustainability reporting and disclosure about company practices which impact the environment. The ESG Policy will vote in favor of increased disclosure of a company's environmental risk through company-specific disclosure as well as compliance with international environmental conventions and adherence to environmental principles. Similarly, the ESG Policy will support proposals requesting companies develop greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals, comprehensive recycling programs, and other proactive means to mitigate a company's environmental footprint.

The ESG Policy will also vote for proposals seeking that companies provide certain disclosures or adopt certain policies related to mitigating their climate change-related risks. For example, regardless of industry, the ESG Policy will support proposals requesting that companies disclose information concerning their scenario analyses or that request the company provide disclosure in line with certain globally-recognized environmental and social reporting recommendations. Further, the ESG Policy will support proposals requesting that a company consider energy efficiency and renewable energy sources in its project development and overall business strategy.

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The ESG Policy will also evaluate a company's impact on the environment, in addition to the regulatory risk a company may face by not adopting environmentally responsible policies.

Say on Climate

Shareholder Proposals

Beginning in 2021, companies began placing management proposals on their ballots that ask shareholders to vote on their climate transition plans, or a Say on Climate vote. The ESG Policy will generally recommend in favor of shareholder proposals requesting that companies adopt a Say on Climate vote.

Management Proposals

When evaluating management-sponsored votes seeking approval of climate transition plans the ESG Policy looks to the board to provide information concerning the governance of the Say on Climate vote. Specifically, the ESG Policy evaluates whether companies provide sufficient disclosure concerning the board's role in setting strategy in light of this vote, and how the board intends to interpret the vote results for the proposal. In instances where disclosure concerning the governance of the Say on Climate vote is not present, the ESG Policy will either abstain, or, depending on the quality of the plan presented, will vote against the proposal.

The ESG Policy also looks to companies to clearly articulate their climate plans in a distinct and easily understandable document, this disclosure, it is important that companies clearly explain their goals, how their GHG emissions targets support achievement of broader goals (i.e. net zero emissions goals), and any foreseeable obstacles that could hinder their progress on these initiatives.

When evaluating these proposals, the ESG Policy will take into account a variety of factors, including: (i) the request of the resolution (e.g., whether companies are asking shareholders to approve its disclosure or its strategy); (ii) the board's role in overseeing the company's climate strategy; (iii) the company's industry and size; (iv) whether the company's GHG emissions targets and the disclosure of these targets appear reasonable in light of its operations and risk profile; and (iv) where the company is on its climate reporting journey (e.g., whether the company has been reporting and engaging with shareholders on climate risk for a number of years or if this is a relatively new initiative). In addition, the ESG Policy will determine if sufficient disclosure has been made concerning a company's capital allocations and expenditures in the context of its strategy and will also evaluate any stated net zero ambitions or targets. If either of these are absent, the ESG Policy will generally vote against management Say on Climate proposals.

Social Proposals

The ESG Policy will support proposals requesting that a company develop sustainable business practices, such as animal welfare policies, human rights policies, and fair lending policies. Furthermore, the ESG Policy will support reporting and reviewing a company's political and charitable spending as well as its lobbying practices. In addition, the ESG Policy will support proposals requesting that companies cease political spending or associated activities.

The ESG Policy will also generally support enhancing the rights of workers, as well as considering the communities and broader constituents in the areas in which companies do business. Accordingly, the ESG Policy will generally vote for proposals requesting that companies provide greater disclosure regarding impact on local

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stakeholders, workers' rights and human rights in general. In addition, the ESG Policy will support proposals for companies to adopt or comply with certain codes of conduct relating to labor standards, human rights conventions, and corporate responsibility at large. The ESG Policy will also support proposals requesting independent verification of a company's contractors' compliance with labor and human rights standards. In addition, the ESG Policy supports the International Labor Organization standards and encourage companies to adopt such standards in its business operations.

The ESG Policy will provide for a review of the performance and oversight of certain directors in instances in which a company is found to have violated international human rights standards. Pursuant to the ESG Policy, if directors have not adequately overseen the overall business strategy of the company to ensure that basic human rights standards are met or if a company is subject to regulatory or legal action with a foreign government or entity due to human rights violations, the Policy may vote against directors taking into account the severity of the violations and the outcome of the claims.

The ESG Policy also generally votes in favor of proposals seeking increased disclosure regarding public health and safety issues, including those related to product responsibility. In particular, the ESG Policy supports proposals calling for the labeling of the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), the elimination or reduction of toxic emissions and use of toxic chemicals in manufacturing, and the prohibition of tobacco sales to minors. The ESG Policy also supports proposals seeking a report on a company's drug reimportation guidelines, as well as on a company's ethical responsibility as it relates to drug distribution and manufacture. The ESG Policy further supports proposals related to worker safety and companies' compliance with internationally recognized human rights or safety standards.

Compensation Proposals

The ESG Policy recognizes that ESG performance factors should be an important component of the overall consideration of proper levels of executive performance and compensation. Therefore, the ESG Policy generally votes in favor of proposals seeking to tie executive compensation to performance measures such as compliance with environmental regulations, health and safety regulations, nondiscrimination laws and compliance with international human rights standards. Furthermore, the ESG Policy will generally support proposals that seek to evaluate overall director performance based on environmental and social criteria.

The ESG Policy will support proposals seeking to prohibit or require more disclosure about stock hedging and pledging by executives. The ESG Policy will also generally support proposals requesting that companies adopt executive stock retention policies and prohibiting the accelerated vesting of equity awards. Furthermore, the ESG Policy will vote in favor of shareholder proposals to link pay with performance, to eliminate or require shareholder approval of golden coffins, and to clawback unearned bonuses. Finally, the ESG Policy will support proposals requesting disclosure from companies regarding gender pay inequity and company initiatives to reduce the gap in compensation paid to women compared to men.

Vote-No Campaigns

The ESG Policy will carefully review any "vote-no" campaigns launched by shareholders as a result of their concerns regarding a company's failure to adequately oversee environmental and social risks or those related to poor compensation or governance practices. When it is determined that such campaigns either address a failure

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of oversight on behalf of the company or that broadly seek to promote more responsible corporate behavior, the ESG Policy may vote in line with the recommendations of the shareholder(s) running the vote-no campaign.

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Connect with Glass Lewis

Corporate Website \| www.glasslewis.com

Email \| info@glasslewis.com

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|:---|:---|:---|
| Social | \| | ![](esgproxy_002.jpg)<u>@glasslewis</u>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;![](esgproxy_003.jpg) <u>Glass, Lewis & Co.</u> |

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Global Locations

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **North** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**United States** | **Europe** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**Ireland** |
| **America** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *Headquarters* <br> 255 California Street |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 15 Henry Street <br> Limerick V94 V9T4 |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Suite 1100 |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;+353 61 534 343 |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;San Francisco, CA 94111 |  |  |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;+1 415 678 4110 |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**United Kingdom** |
|  |  |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;80 Coleman Street |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;New York, NY |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Suite 4.02 |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;+1 646 606 2345 |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;London EC2R 5BJ |
|  |  |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;+44 20 7653 8800 |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2323 Grand Boulevard |  |  |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Suite 1125 |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**France** |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kansas City, MO 64108 |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;*Proxinvest* |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;+1 816 945 4525 |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;6 Rue d'Uzès |
|  |  |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;75002 Paris |
|  |  |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;+33 ()1 45 51 50 43 |
|  |  |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**Germany** |
|  |  |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;*IVOX Glass Lewis* |
| **Asia** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**Australia** |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kaiserallee 23a |
| **Pacific** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;*CGI Glass Lewis* |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;76133 Karlsruhe |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Suite 5.03, Level 5 |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;+49 721 35 49622 |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;255 George Street |  |  |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sydney NSW 2000 |  |  |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;+61 2 9299 9266 |  |  |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**Japan** |  |  |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Shinjuku Mitsui Building |  |  |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;11th floor |  |  |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2-1-1, Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, |  |  |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Tokyo 163-0411, Japan |  |  |

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DISCLAIMER© 2025 Glass, Lewis & Co., and/or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.

This document is intended to provide an overview of the Glass Lewis ESG thematic proxy voting policy. These guidelines are meant to be an option for institutional investors interested in aligning their proxy voting with the named theme and can be fully customized by clients to reflect their investment strategies and views.

The information included herein is not intended to be exhaustive and does not address all potential voting issues. Glass Lewis' proxy voting guidelines, as they generally apply to certain issues or types of proposals, are further explained in supplemental guidelines and reports that are made available on Glass Lewis' website – <u>http://www.glasslewis.com</u>. None of Glass Lewis' guidelines have been set or approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or any other regulatory body. Additionally, none of the information contained herein is or should be relied upon as investment advice. The content of this document has been developed based on Glass Lewis' experience with proxy voting and corporate governance issues, engagement with clients and issuers, and review of relevant studies and surveys, and has not been tailored to any specific person or entity. Glass Lewis' proxy voting guidelines are grounded in corporate governance best practices, which often exceed minimum legal requirements. Accordingly, unless specifically noted otherwise, a failure to meet these guidelines should not be understood to mean that the company or individual involved has failed to meet applicable legal requirements.

No representations or warranties express or implied, are made as to the accuracy or completeness of any information included herein. In addition, Glass Lewis shall not be liable for any losses or damages arising from or in connection with the information contained herein or the use, reliance on, or inability to use any such information. Glass Lewis expects its subscribers to possess sufficient experience and knowledge to make their own decisions entirely independent of any information contained in this document.

All information contained in this report is protected by law, including, but not limited to, copyright law, and none of such information may be copied or otherwise reproduced, repackaged, further transmitted, transferred, disseminated, redistributed or resold, or stored for subsequent use for any such purpose, in whole or in part, in any form or manner, or by any means whatsoever, by any person without Glass Lewis' prior written consent.

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United States

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|:---|
| 2025 Benchmark Policy Guidelines |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;www.glasslewis.com |

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**Table of Contents**

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| [About Glass Lewis](#aad4_001) | 6 |
| [Guidelines Introduction](#aad4_002) | 7 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Summary of Changes for 2025](#aad4_003) | 7 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Clarifying Amendments](#aad4a_003) | 8 |
| [A Board of Directors that Serves Shareholder Interest](#aad4_004) | 9 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Election of Directors](#aad4_005) | 9 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Independence](#aad4_006) | 9 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Committee Independence](#aad4_007) | 12 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Independent Chair](#aad4_008) | 12 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Performance](#aad4_009) | 14 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Responsiveness](#aad4_010) | 15 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Responsiveness to Shareholder Proposals](#aad4a_010) | 16 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[The Role of a Committee Chair](#aad4_011) | 16 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Audit Committees and Performance](#aad4_012) | 17 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Standards for Assessing the Audit Committee](#aad4_013) | 17 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Material Weaknesses](#aad4a_013) | 20 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Compensation Committee Performance](#aad4_014) | 21 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Nominating and Governance Committee Performance](#aad4_015) | 23 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board-Level Risk Management Oversight](#aad4_016) | 26 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Oversight of Environmental and Social Issues](#aad4_017) | 27 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Oversight of Technology](#aad4_018) | 28 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Accountability for Environmental and Social Performance](#aad4_019) | 30 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Director Commitments](#aad4_020) | 31 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Other Considerations](#aad4_021) | 32 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Controlled Companies](#aad4_022) | 33 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Significant Shareholders](#aad4_023) | 34 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Governance Following an IPO, Spin-Off, or Direct Listing](#aad4_024) | 34 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Governance Following a Business Combination with a Special Purpose Acquisition Company](#aad4_025) | 36 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Dual-Listed or Foreign-Incorporated Companies](#aad4_026) | 36 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[OTC-listed Companies](#aad4_027) | 37 |

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| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Mutual Fund Boards](#aad4_028) | 37.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Declassified Boards](#aad4_029) | 38.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Composition and Refreshment](#aad4_030) | 39.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Diversity](#aad4_031) | 40.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Gender Diversity](#aad4_032) | 40.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Board Underrepresented Community Diversity](#aad4_033) | 41.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[State Laws on Diversity](#aad4_034) | 41.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Disclosure of Director Diversity and Skills](#aad4_035) | 42.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Stock Exchange Diversity Disclosure Requirements |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Proxy Access](#aad4_037) | 42.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Majority Vote for Election of Directors](#aad4_038) | 43.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[The Plurality Vote Standard](#aad4_039) | 43.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Advantages of a Majority Vote Standard](#aad4_040) | 43.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Conflicting and Excluded Proposals](#aad4_041) | 44.0 |
| [Transparency and Integrity in Financial Reporting](#aad4_042) | 45.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Auditor Ratification](#aad4_043) | 46.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Voting Recommendations on Auditor Ratification](#aad4_044) | 47.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Pension Accounting Issues](#aad4_045) | 48.0 |
| [The Link Between Compensation and Performance](#aad4_046) | 49.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation (Say-on-Pay)](#aad4_047) | 49.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Say-on-Pay Voting Recommendations](#aad4_048) | 50.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Company Responsiveness](#aad4_049) | 52.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Pay for Performance](#aad4_050) | 52.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Short-Term Incentives](#aad4_051) | 53.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Long-Term Incentives](#aad4_052) | 55.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Grants of Front-Loaded Awards](#aad4_053) | 56.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Linking Executive Pay to Environmental and Social Criteria](#aad4_054) | 57.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[One-Time Awards](#aad4_055) | 58.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Contractual Payments and Arrangements](#aad4_056) | 58.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Sign-on Awards and Severance Benefits](#aad4_057) | 58.0 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Change in Control](#aad4_058) | 59.0 |

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| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Excise Tax Gross-ups](#aad4_059) | 59 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Amended Employment Agreements](#aad4_060) | 60 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Recoupment Provisions (Clawbacks)](#aad4_061) | 60 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Hedging of Stock](#aad4_062) | 60 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Pledging of Stock](#aad4_063) | 61 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Executive Ownership Guidelines](#aad4a_063) | 61 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Compensation Consultant Independence](#aad4_064) | 62 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[CEO Pay Ratio](#aad4_065) | 62 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Frequency of Say-on-Pay](#aad4_066) | 62 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Vote on Golden Parachute Arrangements](#aad4_067) | 63 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Equity-Based Compensation Proposals](#aad4_068) | 63 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Option Exchanges and Repricing](#aad4_069) | 65 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Option Backdating, Spring-Loading and Bullet-Dodging](#aad4_070) | 65 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Director Compensation Plans](#aad4_071) | 67 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Employee Stock Purchase Plans](#aad4_072) | 67 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Executive Compensation Tax Deductibility — Amendment to IRC 162(M)](#aad4_073) | 67 |
| [Governance Structure and the Shareholder Franchise](#aad4_074) | 69 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Anti-Takeover Measures](#aad4_075) | 69 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Poison Pills (Shareholder Rights Plans)](#aad4_076) | 69 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[NOL Poison Pills](#aad4_077) | 69 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Fair Price Provisions](#aad4_078) | 71 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Control Share Statutes](#aad4a_078) | 71 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Quorum Requirements](#aad4_079) | 72 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Director and Officer Indemnification](#aad4_080) | 72 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Officer Exculpation](#aad4_081) | 72 |

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| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Reincorporation](#aad4_082) | 73 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Exclusive Forum and Fee-Shifting Bylaw Provisions](#aad4_083) | 74 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Authorized Shares](#aad4_084) | 75 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Advance Notice Requirements](#aad4_085) | 76 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Virtual Shareholder Meetings](#aad4_086) | 76 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Voting Structure](#aad4_087) | 77 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Multi-Class Share Structures](#aad4_088) | 77 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Cumulative Voting](#aad4_089) | 78 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Supermajority Vote Requirements](#aad4_090) | 79 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Transaction of Other Business](#aad4_091) | 79 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Anti-Greenmail Proposals](#aad4_092) | 79 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Mutual Funds: Investment Policies and Advisory Agreements](#aad4_093) | 79 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Real Estate Investment Trusts](#aad4_094) | 80 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Preferred Stock Issuances at REITs](#aad4_095) | 80 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Business Development Companies](#aad4_096) | 80 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Authorization to Sell Shares at a Price Below Net Asset Value](#aad4_097) | 81 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Auditor Ratification and Below-NAV Issuances](#aad4_098) | 81 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Special Purpose Acquisition Companies](#aad4_099) | 82 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Extension of Business Combination Deadline](#aad4_100) | 82 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[SPAC Board Independence](#aad4_101) | 82 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Director Commitments of SPAC Executives](#aad4_102) | 82 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Shareholder Proposals](#aad4_103) | 83 |
| [Overall Approach to Environmental, Social & Governance Issues](#aad4_104) | 84 |
| [Connect with Glass Lewis](#aad4_105) | 86 |

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About Glass Lewis

Glass Lewis is the world's choice for governance solutions. We enable institutional investors and publicly listed companies to make informed decisions based on research and data. We cover 30,000+ meetings each year, across approximately 100 global markets. Our team has been providing in-depth analysis of companies since 2003, relying solely on publicly available information to inform its policies, research, and voting recommendations.

Our customers include the majority of the world's largest pension plans, mutual funds, and asset managers, collectively managing over $40 trillion in assets. We have teams located across the United States, Europe, and Asia-Pacific giving us global reach with a local perspective on the important governance issues.

Investors around the world depend on Glass Lewis' **<u>Viewpoint</u>** platform to manage their proxy voting, policy implementation, recordkeeping, and reporting. Our industry leading **<u>Proxy Paper</u>** product provides comprehensive environmental, social, and governance research and voting recommendations weeks ahead of voting deadlines. Public companies can also use our innovative **<u>Report Feedback Statement</u>** to deliver their opinion on our proxy research directly to the voting decision makers at every investor client in time for voting decisions to be made or changed.

The research team engages extensively with public companies, investors, regulators, and other industry stakeholders to gain relevant context into the realities surrounding companies, sectors, and the market in general. This enables us to provide the most comprehensive and pragmatic insights to our customers.

Join the Conversation<br>Glass Lewis is committed to ongoing engagement with all market participants.<br><u>info@glasslewis.com</u>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \|&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; www.glasslewis.com<br>

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Guidelines Introduction

Summary of Changes for 2025

Glass Lewis evaluates these guidelines on an ongoing basis and formally updates them on an annual basis. This year we've made noteworthy revisions in the following areas, which are summarized below but discussed in greater detail in the relevant section of this document:

*Update: 10 March 2025. Glass Lewis has modified our approach to providing proxy voting guidance considering diversity factors at US companies under our Benchmark Policy. For more information, please see our <u>2025 Supplemental Statement on Diversity Considerations at US Companies</u>.*

*Update: 17 December 2024. We have removed our discussion on page 42 of stock exchange diversity disclosure requirements.*

Board Oversight of AI

We have included a new discussion on our approach to artificial intelligence (AI)-related risk oversight. In recent years, companies have rapidly begun to develop and adopt uses for artificial intelligence (AI) technologies throughout various aspects of their operations. Deployed and overseen effectively, AI technologies have the potential to make companies' operations and systems more efficient and productive. However, as the use of these technologies has grown, so have the potential risks associated with companies' development and use of AI. Given these potential risks, the benchmark policy takes the view that boards should be cognizant of, and take steps to mitigate exposure to, any material risks that could arise from their use or development of AI.

In the absence of material incidents related to a company's use or management of AI-related issues, our benchmark policy will generally not make voting recommendations on the basis of a company's oversight of, or disclosure concerning, AI-related issues. However, in instances where there is evidence that insufficient oversight and/or management of AI technologies has resulted in material harm to shareholders, Glass Lewis will review a company's overall governance practices and identify which directors or board-level committees have been charged with oversight of AI-related risks. We will also closely evaluate the board's response to, and management of, this issue as well as any associated disclosures and the benchmark policy may recommend against appropriate directors should we find the board's oversight, response or disclosure concerning AI-related issues to be insufficient.

Change-In-Control Provisions

We have updated our discussion of change-in-control provisions in the section "The Link Between Compensation and Performance" to define our benchmark policy view that companies that allow for committee discretion over the treatment of unvested awards should commit to providing clear rationale for how such awards are treated in the event a change in control occurs.

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Clarifying Amendments

The following clarifications of our existing policies are included this year:

Board Responsiveness to Shareholder Proposals

We have revised our discussion of board responsiveness to shareholder proposal to reflect that when shareholder proposals receive significant shareholder support (generally more than 30% but less than majority of votes cast), the benchmark policy generally takes the view that boards should engage with shareholders on the issue and provide disclosure addressing shareholder concerns and outreach initiatives.

Reincorporation

We have revised our discussion on reincorporations to reflect that we review all proposals to reincorporate to a different state or country on a case-by-case basis. Our review includes the changes in corporate governance provisions, especially those relating to shareholder rights,material differences in corporate statutes and legal precedents, and relevant financial benefits, among other factors, resulting from the change in domicile.

Approach to Executive Pay Program

We have provided some clarifying statements to the discussion of in the section titled "The Link Between Compensation and Performance" to emphasize Glass Lewis' holistic approach to analyzing executive compensation programs. There are few program features that, on their own, lead to an unfavorable recommendation from Glass Lewis for a say-on-pay proposal. Our analysis reviews pay programs on a case-by-case basis. We do not utilize a pre-determined scorecard approach when considering individual features such as the allocation of the long-term incentive between performance-based awards and time-based awards. Unfavorable factors in a pay program are reviewed in the context of rationale, overall structure, overall disclosure quality, the program's ability to align executive pay with performance and the shareholder experience and the trajectory of the pay program resulting from changes introduced by the compensation committee.

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A Board of Directors that Serves Shareholder Interest

Election of Directors

The purpose of Glass Lewis' proxy research and advice is to facilitate shareholder voting in favor of governance structures that will drive performance, create shareholder value and maintain a proper tone at the top. Glass Lewis looks for talented boards with a record of protecting shareholders and delivering value over the medium- and long-term. We believe that a board can best protect and enhance the interests of shareholders if it is sufficiently independent, has a record of positive performance, and consists of individuals with diverse backgrounds and a breadth and depth of relevant experience.

Independence

The independence of directors, or lack thereof, is ultimately demonstrated through the decisions they make. In assessing the independence of directors, we will take into consideration, when appropriate, whether a director has a track record indicative of making objective decisions. Likewise, when assessing the independence of directors we will also examine when a director's track record on multiple boards indicates a lack of objective decision-making. Ultimately, we believe the determination of whether a director is independent or not must take into consideration both compliance with the applicable independence listing requirements as well as judgments made by the director.

We look at each director nominee to examine the director's relationships with the company, the company's executives, and other directors. We do this to evaluate whether personal, familial, or financial relationships (not including director compensation) may impact the director's decisions. We believe that such relationships make it difficult for a director to put shareholders' interests above the director's or the related party's interests. We also believe that a director who owns more than 20% of a company can exert disproportionate influence on the board, and therefore believe such a director's independence may be hampered, in particular when serving on the audit committee.

Thus, we put directors into three categories based on an examination of the type of relationship they have with the company:

**Independent Director** — An independent director has no material financial, familial or other current relationships with the company, its executives, or other board members, except for board service and standard fees paid for that service. Relationships that existed within three to five years<sup>1</sup> before the

<sup>1</sup> NASDAQ originally proposed a five-year look-back period but both it and the NYSE ultimately settled on a three-year look-back prior to finalizing their rules. A five-year standard for former employment relationships is more appropriate, in our view, because we believe that the unwinding of conflicting relationships between former management and board members is more likely to be complete and final after five years. However, Glass Lewis does not apply the five-year look-back period to directors who have previously served as executives of the company on an interim basis for less than one year.

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inquiry are usually considered "current" for purposes of this test. For material financial relationships with the company, we apply a three-year look back, and for former employment relationships with the company, we apply a five-year look back.

**Affiliated Director** — An affiliated director has, (or within the past three years, had) a material financial, familial or other relationship with the company or its executives, but is not an employee of the company.<sup>2</sup> This includes directors whose employers have a material financial relationship with the company.<sup>3</sup> In addition, we view a director who either owns or controls 20% or more of the company's voting stock, or is an employee or affiliate of an entity that controls such amount, as an affiliate.<sup>4</sup>

We view 20% shareholders as affiliates because they typically have access to and involvement with the management of a company that is fundamentally different from that of ordinary shareholders. More importantly, 20% holders may have interests that diverge from those of ordinary holders, for reasons such as the liquidity (or lack thereof) of their holdings, personal tax issues, etc.

Glass Lewis applies a three-year look back period to all directors who have an affiliation with the company other than former employment, for which we apply a five-year look back.

Definition of **"Material"**: A material relationship is one in which the dollar value exceeds:

● $50,000 (or where no amount is disclosed) for directors who are paid for a service they have agreed to perform for the company, outside of their service as a director, including professional or other services. This threshold also applies to directors who are the majority or principal owner of a firm that receives such payments; or

● $120,000 (or where no amount is disclosed) for those directors employed by a professional services firm such as a law firm, investment bank, or consulting firm and the company pays the firm, not the individual, for services.<sup>5</sup> This dollar limit would also apply to charitable contributions to schools where a

<sup>2</sup> If a company does not consider a non-employee director to be independent, Glass Lewis will classify that director as an affiliate.

<sup>3</sup> We allow a five-year grace period for former executives of the company or merged companies who have consulting agreements with the surviving company. (We do not automatically recommend voting against directors in such cases for the first five years.) If the consulting agreement persists after this five-year grace period, we apply the materiality thresholds outlined in the definition of "material."

<sup>4</sup> This includes a director who serves on a board as a representative (as part of his or her basic responsibilities) of an investment firm with greater than 20% ownership. However, while we will generally consider him/her to be affiliated, we will not recommend voting against unless (i) the investment firm has disproportionate board representation or (ii) the director serves on the audit committee.

<sup>5</sup> We may deem such a transaction to be immaterial where the amount represents less than 1% of the firm's annual revenues and the board provides a compelling rationale as to why the director's independence is not affected by the relationship.

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 board member is a professor; or charities where a director serves on the board or is an executive;<sup>6</sup> and any aircraft and real estate dealings between the company and the director's firm; or

● 1% of either company's consolidated gross revenue for other business relationships (e.g., where the director is an executive officer of a company that provides services or products to or receives services or products from the company).<sup>7</sup>

Definition of **"Familial"** — Familial relationships include a person's spouse, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, in-laws, and anyone (other than domestic employees) who shares such person's home. A director is an affiliate if: i) he or she has a family member who is employed by the company and receives more than $120,000<sup>8</sup> in annual compensation; or, ii) he or she has a family member who is employed by the company and the company does not disclose this individual's compensation.

Definition of **"Company"** — A company includes any parent or subsidiary in a group with the company or any entity that merged with, was acquired by, or acquired the company.

**Inside Director** — An inside director simultaneously serves as a director and as an employee of the company. This category may include a board chair who acts as an employee of the company or is paid as an employee of the company. In our view, an inside director who derives a greater amount of income as a result of affiliated transactions with the company rather than through compensation paid by the company (i.e., salary, bonus, etc. as a company employee) faces a conflict between making decisions that are in the best interests of the company versus those in the director's own best interests. Therefore, we will recommend voting against such a director.

Additionally, we believe a director who is currently serving in an interim management position should be considered an insider, while a director who previously served in an interim management position for less than one year and is no longer serving in such capacity is considered independent. Moreover, a director who previously served in an interim management position for over one year and is no longer serving in such capacity is considered an affiliate for five years following the date of the director's resignation or departure from the interim management position.

Voting Recommendations on the Basis of Board Independence

Glass Lewis believes a board will be most effective in protecting shareholders' interests if it is at least two-thirds independent. We note that each of the Business Roundtable, the Conference Board, and the Council of Institutional Investors advocates that two-thirds of the board be independent. Where more than one-third of

<sup>6</sup> We will generally take into consideration the size and nature of such charitable entities in relation to the company's size and industry along with any other relevant factors such as the director's role at the charity. However, unlike for other types of related party transactions, Glass Lewis generally does not apply a look-back period to affiliated relationships involving charitable contributions; if the relationship between the director and the school or charity ceases, or if the company discontinues its donations to the entity, we will consider the director to be independent.

<sup>7</sup> This includes cases where a director is employed by, or closely affiliated with, a private equity firm that profits from an acquisition made by the company. Unless disclosure suggests otherwise, we presume the director is affiliated.

<sup>8</sup> Pursuant to SEC rule Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Exchange Act, compensation exceeding $120,000 is the minimum threshold deemed material for disclosure of transactions involving family members of directors.

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the members are affiliated or inside directors, we typically<sup>8</sup> recommend voting against some of the inside and/or affiliated directors in order to satisfy the two-thirds threshold.

In the case of a less than two-thirds independent board, Glass Lewis strongly supports the existence of a presiding or lead director with authority to set the meeting agendas and to lead sessions outside the insider chair's presence.

In addition, we scrutinize avowedly "independent" chairs and lead directors. We believe that they should be unquestionably independent, or the company should not tout them as such.

Committee Independence

We believe that only independent directors should serve on a company's audit, compensation, nominating, and governance committees.<sup>9</sup> We typically recommend that shareholders vote against any affiliated or inside director seeking appointment to an audit, compensation, nominating, or governance committee, or who has served in that capacity in the past year.

Pursuant to Section 952 of the Dodd-Frank Act, as of January 11, 2013, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved new listing requirements for both the NYSE and NASDAQ which require that boards apply enhanced standards of independence when making an affirmative determination of the independence of compensation committee members. Specifically, when making this determination, in addition to the factors considered when assessing general director independence, the board's considerations must include: (i) the source of compensation of the director, including any consulting, advisory or other compensatory fee paid by the listed company to the director (the "Fees Factor"); and (ii) whether the director is affiliated with the listing company, its subsidiaries, or affiliates of its subsidiaries (the "Affiliation Factor").

Glass Lewis believes it is important for boards to consider these enhanced independence factors when assessing compensation committee members. However, as discussed above in the section titled Independence, we apply our own standards when assessing the independence of directors, and these standards also take into account consulting and advisory fees paid to the director, as well as the director's affiliations with the company and its subsidiaries and affiliates. We may recommend voting against compensation committee members who are not independent based on our standards.

Independent Chair

Glass Lewis believes that separating the roles of CEO (or, more rarely, another executive position) and chair creates a better governance structure than a combined CEO/chair position. An executive manages the business

<sup>8</sup> With a staggered board, if the affiliates or insiders that we believe should not be on the board are not up for election, we will express our concern regarding those directors, but we will not recommend voting against the other affiliates or insiders who are up for election just to achieve two-thirds independence. However, we will consider recommending voting against the directors subject to our concern at their next election if the issue giving rise to the concern is not resolved.

<sup>9</sup> We will recommend voting against an audit committee member who owns 20% or more of the company's stock, and we believe that there should be a maximum of one director (or no directors if the committee is composed of less than three directors) who owns 20% or more of the company's stock on the compensation, nominating, and governance committees.

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according to a course the board charts. Executives should report to the board regarding their performance in achieving goals set by the board. This is needlessly complicated when a CEO chairs the board, since a CEO/chair presumably will have a significant influence over the board.

While many companies have an independent lead or presiding director who performs many of the same functions of an independent chair (e.g., setting the board meeting agenda), we do not believe this alternate form of independent board leadership provides as robust protection for shareholders as an independent chair.

It can become difficult for a board to fulfill its role of overseer and policy setter when a CEO/chair controls the agenda and the boardroom discussion. Such control can allow a CEO to have an entrenched position, leading to longer-than-optimal terms, fewer checks on management, less scrutiny of the business operation, and limitations on independent, shareholder-focused goal-setting by the board.

A CEO should set the strategic course for the company, with the board's approval, and the board should enable the CEO to carry out the CEO's vision for accomplishing the board's objectives. Failure to achieve the board's objectives should lead the board to replace that CEO with someone in whom the board has confidence.

Likewise, an independent chair can better oversee executives and set a pro-shareholder agenda without the management conflicts that a CEO and other executive insiders often face. Such oversight and concern for shareholders allows for a more proactive and effective board of directors that is better able to look out for the interests of shareholders.

Further, it is the board's responsibility to select a chief executive who can best serve a company and its shareholders and to replace this person when his or her duties have not been appropriately fulfilled. Such a replacement becomes more difficult and happens less frequently when the chief executive is also in the position of overseeing the board.

Glass Lewis believes that the installation of an independent chair is almost always a positive step from a corporate governance perspective and promotes the best interests of shareholders. Further, the presence of an independent chair fosters the creation of a thoughtful and dynamic board, not dominated by the views of senior management. Encouragingly, many companies appear to be moving in this direction — one study indicates that only 10 percent of incoming CEOs in 2014 were awarded the chair title, versus 48 percent in 2002.<sup>10</sup> Another study finds that 53 percent of S&P 500 boards now separate the CEO and chair roles, up from 37 percent in 2009, although the same study found that only 34 percent of S&P 500 boards have truly independent chairs.<sup>11</sup>

We do not recommend that shareholders vote against CEOs who chair the board. However, we typically recommend that our clients support separating the roles of chair and CEO whenever that question is posed in a proxy (typically in the form of a shareholder proposal), as we believe that it is in the long-term best interests of the company and its shareholders.

Further, where the company has neither an independent chair nor independent lead director, we will recommend voting against the chair of the governance committee.

<sup>10</sup> Ken Favaro, Per-Ola Karlsson and Gary L. Nelson. "The $112 Billion CEO Succession Problem." (*Strategy+Business*, Issue 79, Summer 2015).

<sup>11</sup> Spencer Stuart Board Index, 2019, p. 6.

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Performance

The most crucial test of a board's commitment to the company and its shareholders lies in the actions of the board and its members. We look at the performance of these individuals as directors and executives of the company and of other companies where they have served.

We find that a director's past conduct is often indicative of future conduct and performance. We often find directors with a history of overpaying executives or of serving on boards where avoidable disasters have occurred serving on the boards of companies with similar problems. Glass Lewis has a proprietary database of directors serving at over 8,000 of the most widely held U.S. companies. We use this database to track the performance of directors across companies.

Voting Recommendations on the Basis of Performance

We typically recommend that shareholders vote against directors who have served on boards or as executives of companies with records of poor performance, inadequate risk oversight, excessive compensation, audit- or accounting-related issues, and/or other indicators of mismanagement or actions against the interests of shareholders. We will reevaluate such directors based on, among other factors, the length of time passed since the incident giving rise to the concern, shareholder support for the director, the severity of the issue, the director's role (e.g., committee membership), director tenure at the subject company, whether ethical lapses accompanied the oversight lapse, and evidence of strong oversight at other companies.

Likewise, we examine the backgrounds of those who serve on key board committees to ensure that they have the required skills and diverse backgrounds to make informed judgments about the subject matter for which the committee is responsible.

We believe shareholders should avoid electing directors who have a record of not fulfilling their responsibilities to shareholders at any company where they have held a board or executive position. We typically recommend voting against:

● A director who fails to attend a minimum of 75% of board and applicable committee meetings, calculated in the aggregate.<sup>12</sup>

● A director who belatedly filed a significant form(s) 4 or 5, or who has a pattern of late filings if the late filing was the director's fault (we look at these late filing situations on a case-by-case basis).

● A director who is also the CEO of a company where a serious and material restatement has occurred after the CEO had previously certified the pre-restatement financial statements.

● A director who has received two against recommendations from Glass Lewis for identical reasons within the prior year at different companies (the same situation must also apply at the company being analyzed).

Furthermore, with consideration given to the company's overall corporate governance, pay-for-performance alignment and board responsiveness to shareholders, we may recommend voting against directors who served

<sup>12</sup> However, where a director has served for less than one full year, we will typically not recommend voting against for failure to attend 75% of meetings. Rather, we will note the poor attendance with a recommendation to track this issue going forward. We will also refrain from recommending to vote against directors when the proxy discloses that the director missed the meetings due to serious illness or other extenuating circumstances.

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throughout a period in which the company performed significantly worse than peers and the directors have not taken reasonable steps to address the poor performance.

Board Responsiveness

Glass Lewis believes that boards should be responsive to shareholders when a significant percentage of shareholders vote contrary to the recommendation of management, depending on the issue.

When 20% of more of shareholders vote contrary to management (which occurs when more than 20% of votes on the proposal are cast as AGAINST and/or ABSTAIN), we believe that boards should engage with shareholders on the issue and demonstrate some initial level of responsiveness. These include instances when 20% or more of shareholders:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(i) withhold votes from (or vote against) a director nominee; or

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(ii) vote against a management-sponsored proposal.

In our view, a 20% threshold is significant enough to warrant a close examination of the underlying issues and an evaluation of whether the board responded appropriately following the vote, particularly in the case of a compensation or director election proposal. While the 20% threshold alone will not automatically generate a negative vote recommendation from Glass Lewis on a future proposal (e.g., to recommend against a director nominee, against a say-on-pay proposal, etc.), it may be a contributing factor to our recommendation to vote against management's recommendation in the event we determine that the board did not respond appropriately.

When a majority of shareholders vote contrary to management, we believe that boards should engage with shareholders on the issue and provide a more robust response to fully address shareholder concerns. These include instances when a majority or more of shareholders:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(i) withhold votes from (or vote against) a director nominee;

(ii) vote against a management-sponsored proposal;

At controlled companies and companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will carefully examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders when determining whether board responsiveness is warranted. In the case of companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will generally examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders on a "one share, one vote" basis. At controlled and multi-class companies, when at least 20% or more of unaffiliated shareholders vote contrary to management, we believe that boards should engage with shareholders and demonstrate some initial level of responsiveness, and when a majority or more of unaffiliated shareholders vote contrary to management, we believe that boards should engage with shareholders and provide a more robust response to address shareholder concerns.

As a general framework, our evaluation of board responsiveness involves a review of publicly available disclosures (e.g., the proxy statement, annual report, 8-Ks, company website, etc.) released following the date of the company's last annual meeting up through the publication date of our most current Proxy Paper. Depending on the specific issue, our focus typically includes, but is not limited to, the following:

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● At the board level, any changes in directorships, committee memberships, disclosure of related party transactions, meeting attendance, or other responsibilities;

● Any revisions made to the company's articles of incorporation, bylaws or other governance documents;

● Any press or news releases indicating changes in, or the adoption of, new company policies, business practices or special reports; and

● Any modifications made to the design and structure of the company's compensation program, as well as an assessment of the company's engagement with shareholders on compensation issues as discussed in the Compensation Discussion & Analysis (CD&A), particularly following a material vote against a company's say-on-pay.

● Proxy statement disclosure discussing the board's efforts to engage with shareholders and the actions taken to address shareholder concerns.

Our Proxy Paper analysis will include a case-by-case assessment of the specific elements of board responsiveness that we examined along with an explanation of how that assessment impacts our current voting recommendations.

Board Responsiveness to Shareholder Proposals

Majority-Supported Shareholder Proposals

We expect clear action from the board when shareholder proposals receive support from a majority of votes cast (excluding abstentions and broker non-votes). In our view, this may include fully implementing the request of the shareholder proposal and/or engaging with shareholders on the issue and providing sufficient disclosures to address shareholder concerns.

Significantly Supported Shareholder Proposals

When shareholder proposals receive significant support (generally more than 30% but less than majority of votes cast), we believe an initial level of board responsiveness is warranted. In instances where a shareholder proposal has received at least 30% shareholder support, we generally believe boards should engage with shareholders on the issue and provide disclosure addressing shareholder concerns and outreach initiatives.

Further, as discussed above, at controlled companies and companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will carefully examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders when determining whether board responsiveness is warranted.

The Role of a Committee Chair

Glass Lewis believes that a designated committee chair maintains primary responsibility for the actions of his or her respective committee. As such, many of our committee-specific voting recommendations are against the applicable committee chair rather than the entire committee (depending on the seriousness of the issue). In cases where the committee chair is not up for election due to a staggered board, and where we have identified multiple concerns, we will generally recommend voting against other members of the committee who are up for election, on a case-by-case basis.

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In cases where we would ordinarily recommend voting against a committee chair but the chair is not specified, we apply the following general rules, which apply throughout our guidelines:

● If there is no committee chair, we recommend voting against the longest-serving committee member or, if the longest-serving committee member cannot be determined, the longest-serving board member serving on the committee (i.e., in either case, the "senior director"); and

● If there is no committee chair, but multiple senior directors serving on the committee, we recommend voting against both (or all) such senior directors.

In our view, companies should provide clear disclosure of which director is charged with overseeing each committee. In cases where that simple framework is ignored and a reasonable analysis cannot determine which committee member is the designated leader, we believe shareholder action against the longest serving committee member(s) is warranted. Again, this only applies if we would ordinarily recommend voting against the committee chair but there is either no such position or no designated director in such role.

Audit Committees and Performance

Audit committees play an integral role in overseeing the financial reporting process because stable capital markets depend on reliable, transparent, and objective financial information to support an efficient and effective capital market process. Audit committees play a vital role in providing this disclosure to shareholders.

When assessing an audit committee's performance, we are aware that an audit committee does not prepare financial statements, is not responsible for making the key judgments and assumptions that affect the financial statements, and does not audit the numbers or the disclosures provided to investors. Rather, an audit committee member monitors and oversees the process and procedures that management and auditors perform. The 1999 Report and Recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Committee on Improving the Effectiveness of Corporate Audit Committees stated it best:

*A proper and well-functioning system exists, therefore, when the three main groups responsible for financial reporting — the full board including the audit committee, financial management including the internal auditors, and the outside auditors — form a 'three legged stool' that supports responsible financial disclosure and active participatory oversight. However, in the view of the Committee, the audit committee must be 'first among equals' in this process, since the audit committee is an extension of the full board and hence the ultimate monitor of the process.*

Standards for Assessing the Audit Committee

For an audit committee to function effectively on investors' behalf, it must include members with sufficient knowledge to diligently carry out their responsibilities. In its audit and accounting recommendations, the Conference Board Commission on Public Trust and Private Enterprise said "members of the audit committee must be independent and have both knowledge and experience in auditing financial matters."<sup>13</sup>

<sup>13</sup> Commission on Public Trust and Private Enterprise. The Conference Board. 2003.

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We are skeptical of audit committees where there are members that lack expertise as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Chief Financial Officer (CFO) or corporate controller, or similar experience. While we will not necessarily recommend voting against members of an audit committee when such expertise is lacking, we are more likely to recommend voting against committee members when a problem such as a restatement occurs and such expertise is lacking.

Glass Lewis generally assesses audit committees against the decisions they make with respect to their oversight and monitoring role. The quality and integrity of the financial statements and earnings reports, the completeness of disclosures necessary for investors to make informed decisions, and the effectiveness of the internal controls should provide reasonable assurance that the financial statements are materially free from errors. The independence of the external auditors and the results of their work all provide useful information by which to assess the audit committee.

When assessing the decisions and actions of the audit committee, we typically defer to its judgment and generally recommend voting in favor of its members. However, we will consider recommending that shareholders vote against the following:

● All members of the audit committee when options were backdated, there is a lack of adequate controls in place, there was a resulting restatement, and disclosures indicate there was a lack of documentation with respect to the option grants.

● The audit committee chair, if the audit committee does not have a financial expert or the committee's financial expert does not have a demonstrable financial background sufficient to understand the financial issues unique to public companies.

● The audit committee chair, if the audit committee did not meet at least four times during the year.

● The audit committee chair, if the committee has less than three members.

● Any audit committee member who sits on more than three public company audit committees, unless the audit committee member is a retired CPA, CFO, controller or has similar experience, in which case the limit shall be four committees, taking time and availability into consideration including a review of the audit committee member's attendance at all board and committee meetings.<sup>14</sup>

● All members of an audit committee who are up for election and who served on the committee at the time of the audit, if audit and audit-related fees total one-third or less of the total fees billed by the auditor.

● The audit committee chair when tax and/or other fees are greater than audit and audit-related fees paid to the auditor for more than one year in a row (in which case we also recommend against ratification of the auditor).

● The audit committee chair when fees paid to the auditor are not disclosed.

● All members of an audit committee where non-audit fees include fees for tax services (including, but not limited to, such things as tax avoidance or shelter schemes) for senior executives of the company. Such services are prohibited by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB).

<sup>14</sup> Glass Lewis may exempt certain audit committee members from the above threshold if, upon further analysis of relevant factors such as the director's experience, the size, industry-mix and location of the companies involved and the director's attendance at all the companies, we can reasonably determine that the audit committee member is likely not hindered by multiple audit committee commitments.

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● All members of an audit committee that reappointed an auditor that we no longer consider to be independent for reasons unrelated to fee proportions.

● All members of an audit committee when audit fees are excessively low, especially when compared with other companies in the same industry.

● The audit committee chair if the committee failed to put auditor ratification on the ballot for shareholder approval. However, if the non-audit fees or tax fees exceed audit plus audit-related fees in either the current or the prior year, then Glass Lewis will recommend voting against the entire audit committee.

● All members of an audit committee where the auditor has resigned and reported that a section 10A<sup>15</sup>letter has been issued.

● All members of an audit committee at a time when material accounting fraud occurred at the company.<sup>16</sup>

● All members of an audit committee at a time when annual and/or multiple quarterly financial statements had to be restated, and any of the following factors apply:<sup>17</sup>

○ The restatement involves fraud or manipulation by insiders;

○ The restatement is accompanied by an SEC inquiry or investigation;

○ The restatement involves revenue recognition;

○ The restatement results in a greater than 5% adjustment to costs of goods sold, operating expense, or operating cash flows; or

○ The restatement results in a greater than 5% adjustment to net income, 10% adjustment to assets or shareholders equity, or cash flows from financing or investing activities.

● All members of an audit committee if the company repeatedly fails to file its financial reports in a timely fashion. For example, the company has filed two or more quarterly or annual financial statements late within the last five quarters.

● All members of an audit committee when it has been disclosed that a law enforcement agency has charged the company and/or its employees with a violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

● All members of an audit committee when the company has aggressive accounting policies and/or poor disclosure or lack of sufficient transparency in its financial statements.

<sup>15</sup> Auditors are required to report all potential illegal acts to management and the audit committee unless they are clearly inconsequential in nature. If the audit committee or the board fails to take appropriate action on an act that has been determined to be a violation of the law, the independent auditor is required to send a section 10A letter to the SEC. Such letters are rare and therefore we believe should be taken seriously.

<sup>16</sup> Research indicates that revenue fraud now accounts for over 60% of SEC fraud cases, and that companies that engage in fraud experience significant negative abnormal stock price declines—facing bankruptcy, delisting, and material asset sales at much higher rates than do non-fraud firms (Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. "Fraudulent Financial Reporting: 1998-2007." May 2010).

<sup>17</sup> The SEC issued guidance in March 2021 related to classification of warrants as liabilities at special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs). We will generally refrain from recommending against audit committee members when the restatement in question is solely as a result of the aforementioned SEC guidance.

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● All members of the audit committee when there is a disagreement with the auditor and the auditor resigns or is dismissed (e.g., the company receives an adverse opinion on its financial statements from the auditor).

● All members of the audit committee if the contract with the auditor specifically limits the auditor's liability to the company for damages.<sup>18</sup>

● All members of the audit committee who served since the date of the company's last annual meeting if, since the last annual meeting, the company has reported a material weakness that has not yet been corrected and the company has not disclosed a remediation plan; or when a material weakness has been ongoing for more than one year and the company has not disclosed an updated remediation plan that clearly outlines the company's progress toward remediating the material weakness.

Material Weaknesses

Effective internal controls over financial reporting should ensure the integrity of companies' accounting and financial reporting.

The SEC guidance regarding Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting requires that reports on internal control should include: (i) a statement of management's responsibility for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting for the company; (ii) management's assessment of the effectiveness of the company's internal control over financial reporting as of the end of the company's most recent fiscal year; (iii) a statement identifying the framework used by management to evaluate the effectiveness of the company's internal control over financial reporting; and (iv) a statement that the registered public accounting firm that audited the company's financial statements included in the annual report has issued an attestation report on management's assessment of the company's internal control over financial reporting.

A material weakness occurs when a company identifies a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal controls over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the company's annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Failure to maintain effective internal controls can create doubts regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP and may lead to companies publishing financial statements that are not free of errors or misstatements.

We believe it is the responsibility of audit committees to ensure that material weaknesses are remediated in a timely manner and that companies disclose remediation plans that include detailed steps to resolve a given material weakness. In cases where a material weakness has been ongoing for more than one fiscal year, we expect the company to disclose an updated remediation plan at least annually thereafter. Updates to existing remediation plans should state the progress the company has made toward remediating the material weakness and the remaining actions the company plans to take until the material weakness is fully remediated. As such, we are critical of audit committees when companies disclose remediation plans that remain unchanged from a prior period.

<sup>18</sup> The Council of Institutional Investors. "Corporate Governance Policies," p. 4, April 5, 2006; and "Letter from Council of Institutional Investors to the AICPA," November 8, 2006.

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When a material weakness is reported and the company has not disclosed a remediation plan, or when a material weakness has been ongoing for more than one year and the company has not disclosed an updated remediation plan that clearly outlines the company's progress toward remediating the material weakness, we will consider recommending that shareholders vote against all members of a company's audit committee who served on the committee during the time when the material weakness was identified.

We also take a dim view of audit committee reports that are boilerplate, and which provide little or no information or transparency to investors. When a problem such as a material weakness, restatement or late filings occurs, in forming our judgment with respect to the audit committee we take into consideration the transparency of the audit committee report.

Compensation Committee Performance

Compensation committees have a critical role in determining the compensation of executives. This includes deciding the basis on which compensation is determined, as well as the amounts and types of compensation to be paid. This process begins with the hiring and initial establishment of employment agreements, including the terms for such items as pay, pensions and severance arrangements. It is important in establishing compensation arrangements that compensation be consistent with, and based on the long-term economic performance of, the business's long-term shareholders returns.

Compensation committees are also responsible for the oversight of the transparency of compensation. This oversight includes disclosure of compensation arrangements, the matrix used in assessing pay for performance, and the use of compensation consultants. In order to ensure the independence of the board's compensation consultant, we believe the compensation committee should only engage a compensation consultant that is not also providing any services to the company or management apart from their contract with the compensation committee. It is important to investors that they have clear and complete disclosure of all the significant terms of compensation arrangements in order to make informed decisions with respect to the oversight and decisions of the compensation committee.

Finally, compensation committees are responsible for oversight of internal controls over the executive compensation process. This includes controls over gathering information used to determine compensation, establishment of equity award plans, and granting of equity awards. For example, the use of a compensation consultant who maintains a business relationship with company management may cause the committee to make decisions based on information that is compromised by the consultant's conflict of interests. Lax controls can also contribute to improper awards of compensation such as through granting of backdated or spring- loaded options, or granting of bonuses when triggers for bonus payments have not been met.

Central to understanding the actions of compensation committee is a careful review of the CD&A report included in each company's proxy. We review the CD&A in our evaluation of the overall compensation practices of a company, as overseen by the compensation committee. The CD&A is also integral to the evaluation of compensation proposals at companies, such as advisory votes on executive compensation, which allow shareholders to vote on the compensation paid to a company's top executives.

When assessing the performance of compensation committees, we will consider recommending that shareholders vote against the following:

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● All members of a compensation committee during whose tenure the committee failed to address shareholder concerns following majority shareholder rejection of the say-on-pay proposal in the previous year. Where the proposal was approved but there was a significant shareholder vote (i.e., greater than 20% of votes cast) against the say-on-pay proposal in the prior year, if the board did not respond sufficiently to the vote including actively engaging shareholders on this issue, we will also consider recommending voting against the chair of the compensation committee or all members of the compensation committee, depending on the severity and history of the compensation problems and the level of shareholder opposition.

● All members of the compensation committee who are up for election and served when the company failed to align pay with performance if shareholders are not provided with an advisory vote on executive compensation at the annual meeting.<sup>19</sup>

● Any member of the compensation committee who has served on the compensation committee of at least two other public companies that have consistently failed to align pay with performance and whose oversight of compensation at the company in question is suspect.

● All members of the compensation committee (during the relevant time period) if the company entered into excessive employment agreements and/or severance agreements.

● All members of the compensation committee when performance goals were changed (i.e., lowered) when employees failed or were unlikely to meet original goals, or performance-based compensation was paid despite goals not being attained.

● All members of the compensation committee if excessive employee perquisites and benefits were allowed.

● The compensation committee chair if the compensation committee did not meet during the year.

● All members of the compensation committee when the company repriced options or completed a "self tender offer" without shareholder approval within the past two years.

● All members of the compensation committee when vesting of in-the-money options is accelerated.

● All members of the compensation committee when option exercise prices were backdated. Glass Lewis will recommend voting against an executive director who played a role in and participated in option backdating.

● All members of the compensation committee when option exercise prices were spring-loaded or otherwise timed around the release of material information.

● All members of the compensation committee when a new employment contract is given to an executive that does not include a clawback provision and the company had a material restatement, especially if the restatement was due to fraud.

● The chair of the compensation committee where the CD&A provides insufficient or unclear information about performance metrics and goals, where the CD&A indicates that pay is not tied to performance, or where the compensation committee or management has excessive discretion to alter performance terms or increase amounts of awards in contravention of previously defined targets.

<sup>19</sup> If a company provides shareholders with a say-on-pay proposal, we will initially only recommend voting against the company's say-on-pay proposal and will not recommend voting against the members of the compensation committee unless there is a pattern of failing to align pay and performance and/or the company exhibits egregious compensation practices. For cases in which the disconnect between pay and performance is marginal and the company has outperformed its peers, we will consider not recommending against compensation committee members.

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● All members of the compensation committee during whose tenure the committee failed to implement a shareholder proposal regarding a compensation-related issue, where the proposal received the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting shares at a shareholder meeting, and when a reasonable analysis suggests that the compensation committee (rather than the governance committee) should have taken steps to implement the request.<sup>20</sup>

● All members of the compensation committee when the board has materially decreased proxy statement disclosure regarding executive compensation policies and procedures in a manner which substantially impacts shareholders' ability to make an informed assessment of the company's executive pay practices.

● All members of the compensation committee when new excise tax gross-up provisions are adopted in employment agreements with executives, particularly in cases where the company previously committed not to provide any such entitlements in the future.

● All members of the compensation committee when the board adopts a frequency for future advisory votes on executive compensation that differs from the frequency approved by shareholders.

● The chair of the compensation committee when" mega-grants" have been granted and the awards present concerns such as excessive quantum, lack of sufficient performance conditions, and/or are excessively dilutive, among others.

Nominating and Governance Committee Performance

The nominating and governance committee is responsible for the governance by the board of the company and its executives. In performing this role, the committee is responsible and accountable for selection of objective and competent board members. It is also responsible for providing leadership on governance policies adopted by the company, such as decisions to implement shareholder proposals that have received a majority vote. At most companies, a single committee is charged with these oversight functions; at others, the governance and nominating responsibilities are apportioned among two separate committees.

Consistent with Glass Lewis' philosophy that boards should have diverse backgrounds and members with a breadth and depth of relevant experience, we believe that nominating and governance committees should consider diversity when making director nominations within the context of each specific company and its industry. In our view, shareholders are best served when boards make an effort to ensure a constituency that is not only reasonably diverse on the basis of age, race, gender and ethnicity, but also on the basis of geographic knowledge, industry experience, board tenure and culture.

Regarding the committee responsible for governance, we will consider recommending that shareholders vote against the following:

● All members of the governance committee<sup>21</sup> during whose tenure a shareholder proposal relating to important shareholder rights received support from a majority of the votes cast (excluding abstentions

<sup>20</sup> In all other instances (i.e., a non-compensation-related shareholder proposal should have been implemented) we recommend that shareholders vote against the members of the governance committee.

<sup>21</sup> If the board does not have a committee responsible for governance oversight and the board did not implement a shareholder proposal that received the requisite support, we will recommend voting against the entire board. If the

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and broker non-votes) and the board has not begun to implement or enact the proposal's subject matter.<sup>22</sup> Examples of such shareholder proposals include those seeking a declassified board structure, a majority vote standard for director elections, or a right to call a special meeting. In determining whether a board has sufficiently implemented such a proposal, we will examine the quality of the right enacted or proffered by the board for any conditions that may unreasonably interfere with the shareholders' ability to exercise the right (e.g., overly restrictive procedural requirements for calling a special meeting).

● All members of the governance committee when a shareholder resolution is excluded from the meeting agenda but the SEC has declined to state a view on whether such resolution should be excluded, or when the SEC has verbally permitted a company to exclude a shareholder proposal but there is no written record provided by the SEC about such determination and the company has not provided any disclosure concerning this no-action relief.

● The governance committee chair when the chair is not independent and an independent lead or presiding director has not been appointed.<sup>23</sup>

● The governance committee chair at companies with a multi-class share structure and unequal voting rights when the company does not provide for a reasonable sunset of the multi-class share structure (generally seven years or less).

● In the absence of a nominating committee, the governance committee chair when there are fewer than five, or the whole governance committee when there are more than 20 members on the board.

● The governance committee chair when the committee fails to meet at all during the year.

● The governance committee chair, when for two consecutive years the company provides what we consider to be "inadequate" related party transaction disclosure (i.e., the nature of such transactions and/or the monetary amounts involved are unclear or excessively vague, thereby preventing a share- holder from being able to reasonably interpret the independence status of multiple directors above and beyond what the company maintains is compliant with SEC or applicable stock exchange listing requirements).

● The governance committee chair, when during the past year the board adopted a forum selection clause (i.e., an exclusive forum provision)<sup>24</sup>designating either a state's courts for intra-corporate disputes, shareholder proposal at issue requested that the board adopt a declassified structure, we will recommend voting against all director nominees up for election.

<sup>22</sup> Where a compensation-related shareholder proposal should have been implemented, and when a reasonable analysis suggests that the members of the compensation committee (rather than the governance committee) bear the responsibility for failing to implement the request, we recommend that shareholders only vote against members of the compensation committee.

<sup>23</sup> We believe that one independent individual should be appointed to serve as the lead or presiding director. When such a position is rotated among directors from meeting to meeting, we will recommend voting against the governance committee chair as we believe the lack of fixed lead or presiding director means that, effectively, the board does not have an independent board leader.

<sup>24</sup> A forum selection clause is a bylaw provision stipulating that a certain state or federal jurisdiction is the exclusive forum for specified legal matters. Such a clause effectively limits a shareholder's legal remedy regarding appropriate choice of venue and related relief.

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and/or federal courts for matters arising under the Securities Act of 1933 without shareholder approval,<sup>25</sup> or if the board is currently seeking shareholder approval of a forum selection clause pursuant to a bundled bylaw amendment rather than as a separate proposal.

● All members of the governance committee during whose tenure the board adopted, without shareholder approval, provisions in its charter or bylaws that, through rules on director compensation, may inhibit the ability of shareholders to nominate directors.

● The governance committee chair when the board takes actions to limit shareholders' ability to vote on matters material to shareholder rights (e.g., through the practice of excluding a shareholder proposal by means of ratifying a management proposal that is materially different from the shareholder proposal).

● The governance committee chair when directors' records for board and committee meeting attendance are not disclosed, or when it is indicated that a director attended less than 75% of board and committee meetings but disclosure is sufficiently vague that it is not possible to determine which specific director's attendance was lacking.

● The governance committee chair when a detailed record of proxy voting results from the prior annual meeting has not been disclosed.

● The governance committee chair when a company does not clearly disclose the identity of a shareholder proponent (or lead proponent when there are multiple filers) in their proxy statement. For a detailed explanation of this policy, please refer to our comprehensive *Proxy Paper Guidelines for Shareholder Proposals & ESG-Related Issues*, available at www.glasslewis.com/voting-policies-current/ .

In addition, we may recommend that shareholders vote against the chair of the governance committee, or the entire committee, where the board has amended the company's governing documents to reduce or remove important shareholder rights, or to otherwise impede the ability of shareholders to exercise such right, and has done so without seeking shareholder approval. Examples of board actions that may cause such a recommendation include: the elimination of the ability of shareholders to call a special meeting or to act by written consent; an increase to the ownership threshold required for shareholders to call a special meeting; an increase to vote requirements for charter or bylaw amendments; the adoption of provisions that limit the ability of shareholders to pursue full legal recourse — such as bylaws that require arbitration of shareholder claims or that require shareholder plaintiffs to pay the company's legal expenses in the absence of a court victory (i.e., "fee-shifting" or "loser pays" bylaws); the adoption of a classified board structure; and the elimination of the ability of shareholders to remove a director without cause.

Regarding the nominating committee, we will consider recommending that shareholders vote against the following:

● All members of the nominating committee, when the committee nominated or renominated an individual who had a significant conflict of interest or whose past actions demonstrated a lack of integrity or inability to represent shareholder interests.

● The nominating committee chair, if the nominating committee did not meet during the year.

<sup>25</sup> Glass Lewis will evaluate the circumstances surrounding the adoption of any forum selection clause as well as the general provisions contained therein. Where it can be reasonably determined that a forum selection clause is narrowly crafted to suit the particular circumstances facing the company and/or a reasonable sunset provision is included, we may make an exception to this policy.

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● In the absence of a governance committee, the nominating committee chair when the chair is not independent, and an independent lead or presiding director has not been appointed.

● The nominating committee chair, when there are fewer than five, or the whole nominating committee when there are more than 20 members on the board.

● The nominating committee chair, when a director received a greater than 50% against vote the prior year and not only was the director not removed, but the issues that raised shareholder concern were not corrected.<sup>26</sup>

● The chair of the nominating committee of a board that is not at least 30 percent gender diverse,<sup>27</sup>or all members of the nominating committee of a board with no gender diverse directors, at companies within the Russell 3000 index. For companies outside of the Russell 3000 index, we will recommend voting against the chair of the nominating committee if there are no gender diverse directors.

● The chair of the nominating committee of a board with fewer than one director from an underrepresented community on the board, at companies within the Russell 1000 index.

● The nominating committee chair when, alongside other governance or board performance concerns, the average tenure of non-executive directors is 10 years or more and no new independent directors have joined the board in the past five years. We will not be making voting recommendations solely on this basis; rather, insufficient board refreshment may be a contributing factor in our recommendations when additional board-related concerns have been identified.

In addition, we may consider recommending shareholders vote against the chair of the nominating committee where the board's failure to ensure the board has directors with relevant experience, either through periodic director assessment or board refreshment, has contributed to a company's poor performance. Where these issues warrant an against vote in the absence of both a governance and a nominating committee, we will recommend voting against the board chair, unless the chair also serves as the CEO, in which case we will recommend voting against the longest-serving director.

Board-Level Risk Management Oversight

Glass Lewis evaluates the risk management function of a public company board on a strictly case-by-case basis. Sound risk management, while necessary at all companies, is particularly important at financial firms which inherently maintain significant exposure to financial risk. We believe such financial firms should have a chief risk officer reporting directly to the board and a dedicated risk committee or a committee of the board charged with risk oversight. Moreover, many non-financial firms maintain strategies which involve a high level of exposure to financial risk. Similarly, since many non-financial firms have complex hedging or trading strategies, those firms should also have a chief risk officer and a risk committee.

<sup>26</sup> Considering that shareholder disapproval clearly relates to the director who received a greater than 50% against vote rather than the nominating chair, we review the severity of the issue(s) that initially raised shareholder concern as well as company responsiveness to such matters, and will only recommend voting against the nominating chair if a reasonable analysis suggests that it would be most appropriate. In rare cases, we will consider recommending against the nominating chair when a director receives a substantial (i.e., 20% or more) vote against based on the same analysis.

<sup>27</sup> Women and directors that identify with a gender other than male or female.

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Our views on risk oversight are consistent with those expressed by various regulatory bodies. In its December 2009 Final Rule release on Proxy Disclosure Enhancements, the SEC noted that risk oversight is a key competence of the board and that additional disclosures would improve investor and shareholder understanding of the role of the board in the organization's risk management practices. The final rules, which became effective on February 28, 2010, now explicitly require companies and mutual funds to describe (while allowing for some degree of flexibility) the board's role in the oversight of risk.

When analyzing the risk management practices of public companies, we take note of any significant losses or writedowns on financial assets and/or structured transactions. In cases where a company has disclosed a sizable loss or writedown, and where we find that the company's board-level risk committee's poor oversight contributed to the loss, we will recommend that shareholders vote against such committee members on that basis. In addition, in cases where a company maintains a significant level of financial risk exposure but fails to disclose any explicit form of board-level risk oversight (committee or otherwise),<sup>28</sup> we will consider recommending to vote against the board chair on that basis. However, we generally would not recommend voting against a combined chair/CEO, except in egregious cases.

Board Oversight of Environmental and Social Issues

Glass Lewis recognizes the importance of ensuring the sustainability of companies' operations. We believe that insufficient oversight of material environmental and social issues can present direct legal, financial, regulatory and reputational risks that could serve to harm shareholder interests. Therefore, we believe that these issues should be carefully monitored and managed by companies, and that all companies should have an appropriate oversight structure in place to ensure that they are mitigating attendant risks and capitalizing on related opportunities to the best extent possible.

To that end, Glass Lewis believes that companies should ensure that boards maintain clear oversight of material risks to their operations, including those that are environmental and social in nature. These risks could include, but are not limited to, matters related to climate change,human capital management, diversity, stakeholder relations, and health, safety & environment. Given the importance of the board's role in overseeing environmental and social risks, we believe this responsibility should be formally designated and codified in the appropriate committee charters or other governing documents.

While we believe that it is important that these issues are overseen at the board level and that shareholders are afforded meaningful disclosure of these oversight responsibilities, we believe that companies should determine the best structure for this oversight. In our view, this oversight can be effectively conducted by specific directors, the entire board, a separate committee, or combined with the responsibilities of a key committee.

For companies in the Russell 3000 index and in instances where we identify material oversight concerns, Glass Lewis will review a company's overall governance practices and identify which directors or board-level committees have been charged with oversight of environmental and/or social issues. Furthermore, given the importance of the board's role in overseeing environmental and social risks, Glass Lewis will generally

<sup>28</sup> A committee responsible for risk management could be a dedicated risk committee, the audit committee, or the finance committee, depending on a given company's board structure and method of disclosure. At some companies, the entire board is charged with risk management.

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recommend voting against the governance committee chair of a company in the Russell 1000 index that fails to provide explicit disclosure concerning the board's role in overseeing these issues.

When evaluating the board's role in overseeing environmental and/or social issues, we will examine a company's committee charters and governing documents to determine if the company has codified and maintained a meaningful level of oversight of and accountability for a company's material environmental and social impacts.

Board Oversight of Technology

Cyber Risk Oversight

Companies and consumers are exposed to a growing risk of cyber-attacks. These attacks can result in customer or employee data breaches, harm to a company's reputation, significant fines or penalties, and interruption to a company's operations. Further, in some instances, cyber breaches can result in national security concerns, such as those impacting companies operating as utilities, defense contractors, and energy companies.

In response to these issues, regulators have increasingly been focused on ensuring companies are providing appropriate and timely disclosures and protections to stakeholders that could have been adversely impacted by a breach in a company's cyber infrastructure.

On July 26, 2023, the SEC approved final rules requiring public companies to report cybersecurity incidents deemed material within four days of identifying them, detailing their nature, scope, timing, and material impact under Item 1.05 on Form 8-K.

Furthermore, in annual reports, companies must disclose their processes for assessing, identifying, and managing material cybersecurity risks, along with their material effects; and describe whether any risks from prior incidents have materially affected its business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition (or are reasonably likely to), pursuant to Regulation S-K Item 106. Item 106 will also require registrants to describe the board of directors' oversight of risks from cybersecurity threats and management's role and expertise in assessing and managing material risks from cybersecurity threats. Similar rules were also adopted for foreign private issuers. The final rules became effective on September 5, 2023.

Given the regulatory focus on, and the potential adverse outcomes from, cyber-related issues, it is our view that cyber risk is material for all companies. We therefore believe that it is critical that companies evaluate and mitigate these risks to the greatest extent possible. With that view, we encourage all issuers to provide clear disclosure concerning the role of the board in overseeing issues related to cybersecurity, including how companies are ensuring directors are fully versed on this rapidly evolving and dynamic issue. We believe such disclosure can help shareholders understand the seriousness with which companies take this issue.

In the absence of material cyber incidents, we will generally not make voting recommendations on the basis of a company's oversight or disclosure concerning cyber-related issues. However, in instances where cyber-attacks have caused significant harm to shareholders we will closely evaluate the board's oversight of cybersecurity as well as the company's response and disclosures.

Moreover, in instances where a company has been materially impacted by a cyber-attack, we believe shareholders can reasonably expect periodic updates communicating the company's ongoing progress towards

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resolving and remediating the impact of the cyber-attack. We generally believe shareholders are best served when such updates include (but are not necessarily limited to) details such as when the company has fully restored its information systems, when the company has returned to normal operations, what resources the company is providing for affected stakeholders, and any other potentially relevant information, until the company considers the impact of the cyber-attack to be fully remediated. These disclosures should focus on the company's response to address the impacts to affected stakeholders and should not reveal specific and/or technical details that could impede the company's response or remediation of the incident or that could assist threat actors.

In such instances, we may recommend against appropriate directors should we find the board's oversight, response or disclosure concerning cybersecurity-related issues to be insufficient, or are not provided to shareholders.

Board Oversight of Artificial Intelligence

In recent years, companies have rapidly begun to develop and adopt uses for artificial intelligence (AI) technologies throughout various aspects of their operations. Deployed and overseen effectively, AI technologies have the potential to make companies' operations and systems more efficient and productive. However, as the use of these technologies has grown, so have the potential risks associated with companies' development and use of AI. Given these potential risks, we believe that boards should be cognizant of, and take steps to mitigate exposure to, any material risks that could arise from their use or development of AI.

Companies that use or develop AI technologies should consider adopting strong internal frameworks that include ethical considerations and ensure they have provided a sufficient level of oversight of AI. As such, boards may seek to ensure effective oversight and address skills gaps by engaging in continued board education and/or appointing directors with AI expertise. With that view, we believe that all companies that develop or employ the use of AI in their operations should provide clear disclosure concerning the role of the board in overseeing issues related to AI, including how companies are ensuring directors are fully versed on this rapidly evolving and dynamic issue. We believe such disclosure can help shareholders understand the seriousness with which companies take this issue.

While we believe that it is important that these issues are overseen at the board level and that shareholders are afforded meaningful disclosure of these oversight responsibilities, we believe that companies should determine the best structure for this oversight. In our view, this oversight can be effectively conducted by specific directors, the entire board, a separate committee, or combined with the responsibilities of a key committee.

In the absence of material incidents related to a company's use or management of AI-related issues, we will generally not make voting recommendations on the basis of a company's oversight of, or disclosure concerning, AI-related issues. However, in instances where there is evidence that insufficient oversight and/or management of AI technologies has resulted in material harm to shareholders, Glass Lewis will review a company's overall governance practices and identify which directors or board-level committees have been charged with oversight of AI-related risks. We will also closely evaluate the board's response to, and management of, this issue as well as any associated disclosures and may recommend against appropriate directors should we find the board's oversight, response or disclosure concerning AI-related issues to be insufficient.

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Board Accountability for Environmental and Social Performance

Glass Lewis carefully monitors companies' performance with respect to environmental and social issues, including those related to climate and human capital management. In situations where we believe that a company has not properly managed or mitigated material environmental or social risks to the detriment of shareholder value, or when such mismanagement has threatened shareholder value, Glass Lewis may recommend that shareholders vote against the members of the board who are responsible for oversight of environmental and social risks. In the absence of explicit board oversight of environmental and social issues, Glass Lewis may recommend that shareholders vote against members of the audit committee. In making these determinations, Glass Lewis will carefully review the situation, its effect on shareholder value, as well as any corrective action or other response made by the company.

For more information on how Glass Lewis evaluates environmental and social issues, please see Glass Lewis' Overall Approach to ESG as well as our comprehensive *Proxy Paper Guidelines for Shareholder Proposals &ESG- Related Issues,* available at www.glasslewis.com/voting-policies-current/.

Board Accountability for Climate-related Issues

Given the exceptionally broad impacts of a changing climate on companies, the economy, and society in general, we view climate risk as a material risk for all companies. We therefore believe that boards should be considering and evaluating their operational resilience under lower-carbon scenarios. While all companies maintain exposure to climate-related risks, we believe that additional consideration should be given to, and that disclosure should be provided by those companies whose GHG emissions represent a financially material risk.

We believe that companies with this increased risk exposure should provide clear and comprehensive disclosure regarding these risks, including how they are being mitigated and overseen. We believe such information is crucial to allow investors to understand the company's management of this issue, as well as the impact of a lower carbon future on the company's operations.

In line with this view, Glass Lewis will carefully examine the climate-related disclosures provided by companies in the S&P 500 index with material exposure to climate risk stemming from their own operations<sup>29</sup>, as well as companies where we believe emissions or climate impacts, or stakeholder scrutiny thereof, represent an outsized, financially material risk, in order to assess whether they have produced disclosures in line with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) or IFRS S2 Climate-related Disclosures. We will also assess whether these companies have disclosed explicit and clearly defined board-level oversight responsibilities for climate-related issues. In instances where we find either (or both)of these disclosures to be absent or significantly lacking, we may recommend voting against the chair of the committee (or board) charged with oversight of climate-related issues, or if no committee has been charged with such oversight, the chair of the governance committee. Further, we may extend our recommendation on this basis to additional members of the responsible committee in cases where the committee chair is not standing for

<sup>29</sup> This policy will generally apply to companies in the following SASB-defined industries: agricultural products, air freight & logistics, airlines, chemicals, construction materials, containers & packaging, cruise lines, electric utilities & power generators, food retailers & distributors, health care distributors, iron & steel producers, marine transportation, meat, poultry & dairy, metals & mining, non-alcoholic beverages, oil & gas, pulp & paper products, rail transportation, road transportation, semiconductors, waste management.

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election due to a classified board, or based on other factors, including the company's size, industry and its overall governance profile.

Director Commitments

We believe that directors should have the necessary time to fulfill their duties to shareholders. In our view, an overcommitted director can pose a material risk to a company's shareholders, particularly during periods of crisis. In addition, recent research indicates that the time commitment associated with being a director has been on a significant upward trend in the past decade.<sup>30</sup> As a result, we generally recommend that shareholders vote against a director who serves as an executive officer (other than executive chair) of any public company<sup>31</sup> while serving on more than one external public company board, a director who serves as an executive chair of any public company while serving on more than two external public company boards, and any other director who serves on more than five public company boards.

Because we believe that executives will primarily devote their attention to executive duties, we generally will not recommend that shareholders vote against overcommitted directors at the companies where they serve as an executive.

When determining whether a director's service on an excessive number of boards may limit the ability of the director to devote sufficient time to board duties, we may consider relevant factors such as the size and location of the other companies where the director serves on the board, the director's board roles at the companies in question, whether the director serves on the board of any large privately-held companies, the director's tenure on the boards in question, and the director's attendance record at all companies. In the case of directors who serve in executive roles other than CEO (e.g., executive chair), we will evaluate the specific duties and responsibilities of that role in determining whether an exception is warranted.

We may also refrain from recommending against certain directors if the company provides sufficient rationale for their continued board service. The rationale should allow shareholders to evaluate the scope of the directors' other commitments, as well as their contributions to the board including specialized knowledge of the company's industry, strategy or key markets, the diversity of skills, perspective and background they provide, and other relevant factors. We will also generally refrain from recommending to vote against a director who serves on an excessive number of boards within a consolidated group of companies in related industries, or a director that represents a firm whose sole purpose is to manage a portfolio of investments which include the company.

<sup>30</sup> For example, the 2015-2016 NACD Public Company Governance Survey states that, on average, directors spent a total of 248.2 hours annual on board-related matters during the past year, which it describes as a "historically high level" that is significantly above the average hours recorded in 2006. Additionally, the 2020 Spencer Stuart Board Index indicates that, while 39% of S&P 500 CEOs serve on one additional public board, just 2% of S&P 500 CEOs serve on two additional public boards and only one CEO serves on three.

<sup>31</sup> When the executive officer in question serves only as an executive at a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) we will generally apply the higher threshold of five public company directorships.

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Other Considerations

In addition to the three key characteristics — independence, performance, experience — that we use to evaluate board members, we consider conflict-of-interest issues as well as the size of the board of directors when making voting recommendations.

Conflicts of Interest

We believe board members should be wholly free of identifiable and substantial conflicts of interest, regardless of the overall level of independent directors on the board. Accordingly, we recommend that shareholders vote against the following types of directors:

● A CFO who is on the board: In our view, the CFO holds a unique position relative to financial reporting and disclosure to shareholders. Due to the critical importance of financial disclosure and reporting, we believe the CFO should report to the board and not be a member of it.

● A director who provides — or a director who has an immediate family member who provides — material consulting or other material professional services to the company. These services may include legal, consulting,<sup>32</sup> or financial services. We question the need for the company to have consulting relationships with its directors. We view such relationships as creating conflicts for directors, since they may be forced to weigh their own interests against shareholder interests when making board decisions. In addition, a company's decisions regarding where to turn for the best professional services may be compromised when doing business with the professional services firm of one of the company's directors.

● A director, or a director who has an immediate family member, engaging in airplane, real estate, or similar deals, including perquisite-type grants from the company, amounting to more than $50,000. Directors who receive these sorts of payments from the company will have to make unnecessarily complicated decisions that may pit their interests against shareholder interests.

● Interlocking directorships: CEOs or other top executives who serve on each other's boards create an interlock that poses conflicts that should be avoided to ensure the promotion of shareholder interests above all else.<sup>33</sup>

● All board members who served at a time when a poison pill with a term of longer than one year was adopted without shareholder approval within the prior twelve months.<sup>34</sup> In the event a board is classified and shareholders are therefore unable to vote against all directors, we will recommend voting against the remaining directors the next year they are up for a shareholder vote. If a poison pill with a

<sup>32</sup> We will generally refrain from recommending against a director who provides consulting services for the company if the director is excluded from membership on the board's key committees and we have not identified significant governance concerns with the board.

<sup>33</sup> We do not apply a look-back period for this situation. The interlock policy applies to both public and private companies. On a case-by-case basis, we evaluate other types of interlocking relationships, such as interlocks with close family members of executives or within group companies. Further, we will also evaluate multiple board interlocks among non-insiders (i.e., multiple directors serving on the same boards at other companies), for evidence of a pattern of poor oversight.

<sup>34</sup> Refer to the "Governance Structure and the Shareholder Franchise" section for further discussion of our policies regarding anti-takeover measures, including poison pills.

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term of one year or less was adopted without shareholder approval, and without adequate justification, we will consider recommending that shareholders vote against all members of the governance committee. If the board has, without seeking shareholder approval, and without adequate justification, extended the term of a poison pill by one year or less in two consecutive years, we will consider recommending that shareholders vote against the entire board.

Size of the Board of Directors

While we do not believe there is a universally applicable optimal board size, we do believe boards should have at least five directors to ensure sufficient diversity in decision-making and to enable the formation of key board committees with independent directors. Conversely, we believe that boards with more than 20 members will typically suffer under the weight of "too many cooks in the kitchen" and have difficulty reaching consensus and making timely decisions. Sometimes the presence of too many voices can make it difficult to draw on the wisdom and experience in the room by virtue of the need to limit the discussion so that each voice may be heard.

To that end, we typically recommend voting against the chair of the nominating committee (or the governance committee, in the absence of a nominating committee) at a board with fewer than five directors or more than 20 directors.

Controlled Companies

We believe controlled companies warrant certain exceptions to our independence standards. The board's function is to protect shareholder interests; however, when an individual, entity (or group of shareholders party to a formal agreement) owns more than 50% of the voting shares, the interests of the majority of shareholders are the interests of that entity or individual. Consequently, Glass Lewis does not apply our usual two-thirds board independence rule and therefore we will not recommend voting against boards whose composition reflects the makeup of the shareholder population.

Independence Exceptions

The independence exceptions that we make for controlled companies are as follows:

● We do not require that controlled companies have boards that are at least two-thirds independent. So long as the insiders and/or affiliates are connected with the controlling entity, we accept the presence of non-independent board members.

● The compensation committee and nominating and governance committees do not need to consist solely of independent directors.

○ We believe that standing nominating and corporate governance committees at controlled companies are unnecessary. Although having a committee charged with the duties of searching for, selecting, and nominating independent directors can be beneficial, the unique composition of a controlled company's shareholder base makes such committees weak and irrelevant.

○ Likewise, we believe that independent compensation committees at controlled companies are unnecessary. Although independent directors are the best choice for approving and monitoring senior executives' pay, controlled companies serve a unique shareholder population whose voting power ensures the protection of its interests. As such, we believe that having affiliated directors on a controlled company's compensation committee is acceptable. However, given

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that a controlled company has certain obligations to minority shareholders we feel that an insider should not serve on the compensation committee. Therefore, Glass Lewis will recommend voting against any insider (the CEO or otherwise) serving on the compensation committee.

● Controlled companies do not need an independent chair or an independent lead or presiding director. Although an independent director in a position of authority on the board — such as chair or presiding director — can best carry out the board's duties, controlled companies serve a unique shareholder population whose voting power ensures the protection of its interests.

Size of the Board of Directors

We have no board size requirements for controlled companies.

Audit Committee Independence

Despite a controlled company's status, unlike for the other key committees, we nevertheless believe that audit committees should consist solely of independent directors. Regardless of a company's controlled status, the interests of all shareholders must be protected by ensuring the integrity and accuracy of the company's financial statements. Allowing affiliated directors to oversee the preparation of financial reports could create an insurmountable conflict of interest.

Board Responsiveness at Multi-Class Companies

At controlled companies and companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will carefully examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders when determining whether board responsiveness is warranted. In the case of companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will generally examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders on a "one share, one vote" basis. At controlled and multi-class companies, when at least 20% or more of unaffiliated shareholders vote contrary to management, we believe that boards should engage with shareholders and demonstrate some initial level of responsiveness, and when a majority or more of unaffiliated shareholders vote contrary to management we believe that boards should engage with shareholders and provide a more robust response to fully address shareholder concerns.

Significant Shareholders

Where an individual or entity holds between 20-50% of a company's voting power, we believe it is reasonable to allow proportional representation on the board and committees (excluding the audit committee) based on the individual or entity's percentage of ownership.

Governance Following an IPO, Spin-Off, or Direct Listing

We believe companies that have recently completed an initial public offering (IPO), spin-off, or direct listing should be allowed adequate time to fully comply with marketplace listing requirements and meet basic corporate governance standards. Generally speaking, we refrain from making recommendations on the basis of governance standards (e.g., board independence, committee membership and structure, meeting attendance, etc.) during the one-year period following an IPO.

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However, some cases warrant shareholder action against the board of a company that have completed an IPO, spin-off, or direct listing within the past year. When evaluating companies that have recently gone public, Glass Lewis will review the terms of the applicable governing documents in order to determine whether shareholder rights are being severely restricted indefinitely. We believe boards that approve highly restrictive governing documents have demonstrated that they may subvert shareholder interests following the IPO. In conducting this evaluation, Glass Lewis will consider:

● The adoption of anti-takeover provisions such as a poison pill or classified board

● Supermajority vote requirements to amend governing documents

● The presence of exclusive forum or fee-shifting provisions

● Whether shareholders can call special meetings or act by written consent

● The voting standard provided for the election of directors

● The ability of shareholders to remove directors without cause

● The presence of evergreen provisions in the company's equity compensation arrangements

● The presence of a multi-class share structure which does not afford common shareholders voting power that is aligned with their economic interest

In cases where Glass Lewis determines that the board has approved overly restrictive governing documents, we will generally recommend voting against members of the governance committee. If there is no governance committee, or if a portion of such committee members are not standing for election due to a classified board structure, we will expand our recommendations to additional director nominees, based on who is standing for election.

In cases where, preceding an IPO, the board adopts a multi-class share structure where voting rights are not aligned with economic interest, or an anti-takeover provision, such as a poison pill or classified board, we will generally recommend voting against all members of the board who served at the time of the IPO if the board: (i) did not also commit to submitting these provisions to a shareholder vote at the company's first shareholder meeting following the IPO; or (ii) did not provide for a reasonable sunset of these provisions (generally three to five years in the case of a classified board or poison pill; or seven years or less in the case of a multi-class share structure). In the case of a multi-class share structure, if these provisions are put to a shareholder vote, we will examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders when determining the vote outcome.

In our view, adopting an anti-takeover device unfairly penalizes future shareholders who (except for electing to buy or sell the stock) are unable to weigh in on a matter that could potentially negatively impact their ownership interest. This notion is strengthened when a board adopts a classified board with an infinite duration or a poison pill with a five- to ten-year term immediately prior to going public, thereby insulating management for a substantial amount of time.

In addition, shareholders should also be wary of companies that adopt supermajority voting requirements before their IPO. Absent explicit provisions in the articles or bylaws stipulating that certain policies will be phased out over a certain period of time, long-term shareholders could find themselves in the predicament of having to attain a supermajority vote to approve future proposals seeking to eliminate such policies.

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Governance Following a Business Combination with a Special Purpose Acquisition Company

The business combination of a private company with a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) facilitates the private entity becoming a publicly traded corporation. Thus, the business combination represents the private company's de-facto IPO. We believe that some cases warrant shareholder action against the board of a company that have completed a business combination with a SPAC within the past year.

At meetings where shareholders vote on the business combination of a SPAC with a private company, shareholders are generally voting on a new corporate charter for the post-combination company as a condition to approval of the business combination. In many cases, shareholders are faced with the dilemma of having to approve corporate charters that severely restrict shareholder rights to facilitate the business combination. Therefore, when shareholders are required to approve binding charters as a condition to approval of a business combination with a SPAC, we believe shareholders should also be provided with advisory votes on material charter amendments as a means to voice their opinions on such restrictive governance provisions.

When evaluating companies that have recently gone public via business combination with a SPAC, Glass Lewis will review the terms of the applicable governing documents to determine whether shareholder rights are being severely restricted indefinitely and whether these restrictive provisions were put forth for a shareholder vote on an advisory basis at the prior meeting where shareholders voted on the business combination.

In cases where, prior to the combined company becoming publicly traded, the board adopts a multi-class share structure where voting rights are not aligned with economic interest, or an anti-takeover provision, such as a poison pill or classified board, we will generally recommend voting against all members of the board who served at the time of the combined company becoming publicly traded if the board: (i) did not also submit these provisions to a shareholder vote on an advisory basis at the prior meeting where shareholders voted on the business combination; (ii) did not also commit to submitting these provisions to a shareholder vote at the company's first shareholder meeting following the company becoming publicly traded; or (iii) did not provide for a reasonable sunset of these provisions (generally three to five years in the case of a classified board or poison pill; or seven years or less in the case of a multi-class share structure).

Consistent with our view on IPOs, adopting an anti-takeover device unfairly penalizes future shareholders who (except for electing to buy or sell the stock) are unable to weigh in on a matter that could potentially negatively impact their ownership interest.

Dual-Listed or Foreign-Incorporated Companies

For companies that trade on multiple exchanges or are incorporated in foreign jurisdictions but trade only in the U.S., we will apply the governance standard most relevant in each situation. We will consider a number of factors in determining which Glass Lewis country-specific policy to apply, including but not limited to: (i) the corporate governance structure and features of the company including whether the board structure is unique to a particular market; (ii) the nature of the proposals; (iii) the location of the company's primary listing, if one can be determined; (iv) the regulatory/governance regime that the board is reporting against; and (v) the availability and completeness of the company's SEC filings.

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OTC-listed Companies

Companies trading on the OTC Bulletin Board are not considered "listed companies" under SEC rules and therefore not subject to the same governance standards as listed companies. However, we believe that more stringent corporate governance standards should be applied to these companies given that their shares are still publicly traded.

When reviewing OTC companies, Glass Lewis will review the available disclosure relating to the shareholder meeting to determine whether shareholders are able to evaluate several key pieces of information, including: (i) the composition of the board's key committees, if any; (ii) the level of share ownership of company insiders or directors; (iii) the board meeting attendance record of directors; (iv) executive and non-employee director compensation; (v) related-party transactions conducted during the past year; and (vi) the board's leadership structure and determinations regarding director independence.

We are particularly concerned when company disclosure lacks any information regarding the board's key committees. We believe that committees of the board are an essential tool for clarifying how the responsibilities of the board are being delegated, and specifically for indicating which directors are accountable for ensuring: (i) the independence and quality of directors, and the transparency and integrity of the nominating process; (ii) compensation programs that are fair and appropriate; (iii) proper oversight of the company's accounting, financial reporting, and internal and external audits; and (iv) general adherence to principles of good corporate governance.

In cases where shareholders are unable to identify which board members are responsible for ensuring oversight of the above-mentioned responsibilities, we may consider recommending against certain members of the board. Ordinarily, we believe it is the responsibility of the corporate governance committee to provide thorough disclosure of the board's governance practices. In the absence of such a committee, we believe it is appropriate to hold the board's chair or, if such individual is an executive of the company, the longest-serving non-executive board member accountable.

Mutual Fund Boards

Mutual funds, or investment companies, are structured differently from regular public companies (i.e., operating companies). Typically, members of a fund's advisor are on the board and management takes on a different role from that of regular public companies. Thus, we focus on a short list of requirements, although many of our guidelines remain the same.

The following mutual fund policies are similar to the policies for regular public companies:

● **Size of the board of directors** — The board should be made up of between five and twenty directors.

● **The CFO on the board** — Neither the CFO of the fund nor the CFO of the fund's registered investment advisor should serve on the board.

● **Independence of the audit committee** — The audit committee should consist solely of independent directors.

● **Audit committee financial expert** — At least one member of the audit committee should be designated as the audit committee financial expert.

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The following differences from regular public companies apply at mutual funds:

● **Independence of the board** — We believe that three-fourths of an investment company's board should be made up of independent directors. This is consistent with a proposed SEC rule on investment company boards. The Investment Company Act requires 40% of the board to be independent, but in 2001, the SEC amended the Exemptive Rules to require that a majority of a mutual fund board be independent. In 2005, the SEC proposed increasing the independence threshold to 75%. In 2006, a federal appeals court ordered that this rule amendment be put back out for public comment, putting it back into "proposed rule" status. Since mutual fund boards play a vital role in overseeing the relationship between the fund and its investment manager, there is greater need for independent oversight than there is for an operating company board.

● **When the auditor is not up for ratification** — We do not recommend voting against the audit committee if the auditor is not up for ratification. Due to the different legal structure of an investment company compared to an operating company, the auditor for the investment company (i.e., mutual fund) does not conduct the same level of financial review for each investment company as for an operating company.

● **Non-independent chair** — The SEC has proposed that the chair of the fund board be independent. We agree that the roles of a mutual fund's chair and CEO should be separate. Although we believe this would be best at all companies, we recommend voting against the chair of an investment company's nominating committee as well as the board chair if the chair and CEO of a mutual fund are the same person and the fund does not have an independent lead or presiding director. Seven former SEC commissioners support the appointment of an independent chair and we agree with them that "an independent board chair would be better able to create conditions favoring the long-term interests of fund shareholders than would a chair who is an executive of the advisor." (See the comment letter sent to the SEC in support of the proposed rule at http://www.sec.gov/news/studies/indchair.pdf .)

● **Multiple funds overseen by the same director** — Unlike service on a public company board, mutual fund boards require much less of a time commitment. Mutual fund directors typically serve on dozens of other mutual fund boards, often within the same fund complex. The Investment Company Institute's (ICI) Overview of Fund Governance Practices, 1994-2012, indicates that the average number of funds served by an independent director in 2012 was 53. Absent evidence that a specific director is hindered from being an effective board member at a fund due to service on other funds' boards, we refrain from maintaining a cap on the number of outside mutual fund boards that we believe a director can serve on.

Declassified Boards

Glass Lewis favors the repeal of staggered boards and the annual election of directors. We believe staggered boards are less accountable to shareholders than boards that are elected annually. Furthermore, we feel the annual election of directors encourages board members to focus on shareholder interests.

Empirical studies have shown: (i) staggered boards are associated with a reduction in a firm's valuation; and (ii) in the context of hostile takeovers, staggered boards operate as a takeover defense, which entrenches management, discourages potential acquirers, and delivers a lower return to target shareholders.

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In our view, there is no evidence to demonstrate that staggered boards improve shareholder returns in a takeover context. Some research has indicated that shareholders are worse off when a staggered board blocks a transaction; further, when a staggered board negotiates a friendly transaction, no statistically significant difference in premium occurs.<sup>35</sup> Additional research found that charter-based staggered boards "reduce the market value of a firm by 4% to 6% of its market capitalization" and that "staggered boards bring about and not merely reflect this reduction in market value."<sup>36</sup> A subsequent study reaffirmed that classified boards reduce shareholder value, finding "that the ongoing process of dismantling staggered boards, encouraged by institutional investors, could well contribute to increasing shareholder wealth." <sup>37</sup>

Shareholders have increasingly come to agree with this view. In 2019, 90% of S&P 500 companies had declassified boards, up from 68% in 2009.<sup>38</sup> Management proposals to declassify boards are approved with near unanimity and shareholder proposals on the topic also receive strong shareholder support; in 2014, shareholder proposals requesting that companies declassify their boards received average support of 84% (excluding abstentions and broker non-votes), whereas in 1987, only 16.4% of votes cast favored board declassification.<sup>39</sup> Further, a growing number of companies, nearly half of all those targeted by shareholder proposals requesting that all directors stand for election annually, either recommended shareholders support the proposal or made no recommendation, a departure from the more traditional management recommendation to vote against shareholder proposals.

Given our belief that declassified boards promote director accountability, the empirical evidence suggesting staggered boards reduce a company's value and the established shareholder opposition to such a structure, Glass Lewis supports the declassification of boards and the annual election of directors.

Board Composition and Refreshment

Glass Lewis strongly supports routine director evaluation, including independent external reviews, and periodic board refreshment to foster the sharing of diverse perspectives in the boardroom and the generation of new ideas and business strategies. Further, we believe the board should evaluate the need for changes to board composition based on an analysis of skills and experience necessary for the company, as well as the results of the director evaluations, as opposed to relying solely on age or tenure limits. When necessary, shareholders can address concerns regarding proper board composition through director elections.

<sup>35</sup> Lucian Bebchuk, John Coates IV, Guhan Subramanian, "The Powerful Antitakeover Force of Staggered Boards: Further Findings and a Reply to Symposium Participants," 55 Stanford Law Review 885-917 (2002).

<sup>36</sup> Lucian Bebchuk, Alma Cohen, "The Costs of Entrenched Boards" (2004).

<sup>37</sup> Lucian Bebchuk, Alma Cohen and Charles C.Y. Wang, "Staggered Boards and the Wealth of Shareholders: Evidence from a Natural Experiment," SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1706806 (2010), p. 26.

<sup>38</sup> Spencer Stuart Board Index, 2019, p. 15.

<sup>39</sup> Lucian Bebchuk, John Coates IV and Guhan Subramanian, "The Powerful Antitakeover Force of Staggered Boards: Theory, Evidence, and Policy".

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In our view, a director's experience can be a valuable asset to shareholders because of the complex, critical issues that boards face. This said, we recognize that in rare circumstances, a lack of refreshment can contribute to a lack of board responsiveness to poor company performance.

We will note as a potential concern instances where the average tenure of non-executive directors is 10 years or more and no new directors have joined the board in the past five years. While we will be highlighting this as a potential area of concern, we will not be making voting recommendations strictly on this basis, unless we have identified other governance or board performance concerns.

On occasion, age or term limits can be used as a means to remove a director for boards that are unwilling to police their membership and enforce turnover. Some shareholders support term limits as a way to force change in such circumstances.

While we understand that age limits can aid board succession planning, the long-term impact of age limits restricts experienced and potentially valuable board members from service through an arbitrary means. We believe that shareholders are better off monitoring the board's overall composition, including the diversity of its members, the alignment of the board's areas of expertise with a company's strategy, the board's approach to corporate governance, and its stewardship of company performance, rather than imposing inflexible rules that don't necessarily correlate with returns or benefits for shareholders.

However, if a board adopts term/age limits, it should follow through and not waive such limits. In cases where the board waives its term/age limits for two or more consecutive years, Glass Lewis will generally recommend that shareholders vote against the nominating and/or governance committee chair, unless a compelling rationale is provided for why the board is proposing to waive this rule, such as consummation of a corporate transaction.

Board Diversity

*Update: 10 March 2025. Glass Lewis has modified our approach to providing proxy voting guidance considering diversity factors at US companies under our Benchmark Policy. For more information, please see our <u>2025 Supplemental Statement on Diversity Considerations at US Companies</u>.*

Glass Lewis recognizes the importance of ensuring that the board is composed of directors who have a diversity of skills, thought and experience, as such diversity benefits companies by providing a broad range of perspectives and insights. Glass Lewis closely reviews the composition of the board for representation of diverse director candidates.

Board Gender Diversity

We consider the nominating and governance committee to be responsible for ensuring sufficient board diversity, or for publicly communicating its rationale or a plan for increasing diversity. As such, we will generally recommend voting against the chair of the nominating committee of a board that is not at least 30 percent gender diverse, or all members of the nominating committee of a board with no gender diverse directors, at companies within the Russell 3000 index. For companies outside the Russell 3000 index, our policy requires a minimum of one gender diverse director.

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When making these voting recommendations, we will carefully review a company's disclosure of its diversity considerations and may refrain from recommending that shareholders vote against directors when boards have provided sufficient rationale for the lack of diversity or a plan to address the lack of diversity, including a timeline of when the board intends to appoint additional gender diverse directors (generally by the next annual meeting or as soon as reasonably practicable).

We may extend our gender diversity recommendations to additional members of the nominating committee in cases where the committee chair is not standing for election due to a classified board, or based on other factors, including the company's size and industry, applicable laws in its state of headquarters, and its overall governance profile.

Board Underrepresented Community Diversity

We will generally recommend against the chair of the nominating committee of a board with fewer than one director from an underrepresented community on the board at companies within the Russell 1000 index.

We define "underrepresented community director" as an individual who self-identifies as Black, African American, North African, Middle Eastern, Hispanic, Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander, Native American, Native Hawaiian, or Alaskan Native, or who self-identifies as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. For the purposes of this evaluation, we will rely solely on self-identified demographic information as disclosed in company proxy statements.

When making these voting recommendations, we will carefully review a company's disclosure of its diversity considerations and may refrain from recommending that shareholders vote against directors when boards have provided a sufficient rationale or plan to address the lack of diversity on the board, including a timeline to appoint additional directors from an underrepresented community (generally by the next annual meeting or as soon as reasonably practicable).

We may extend our underrepresented community diversity recommendations to additional members of the nominating committee in cases where the committee chair is not standing for election due to a classified board, or based on other factors, including the company's size and industry, applicable laws in its state of headquarters, and its overall governance profile.

State Laws on Diversity

Several states have begun to encourage board diversity through legislation. Some state laws imposed mandatory board composition requirements, while other states have enacted or are considering legislation that encourages companies to diversify their boards but does not mandate board composition requirements. Furthermore, several states have enacted or are considering enacting certain disclosure or reporting requirements in filings made with each respective state annually.

Glass Lewis will recommend in accordance with mandatory board composition requirements set forth in applicable state laws when they come into effect. We will generally refrain from recommending against directors when applicable state laws do not mandate board composition requirements, are non-binding, or solely impose disclosure or reporting requirements.

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We note that during 2022, California's Senate Bill 826 and Assembly Bill 979 regarding board gender and "underrepresented community" diversity, respectively, were both deemed to violate the equal protection clause of the California state constitution. These laws are currently in the appeals process.

Accordingly, where we previously recommended in accordance with mandatory board composition requirements set forth in California's SB 826 and AB 979, we will refrain from providing recommendations pursuant to these state board composition requirements until further notice while we continue to monitor the appeals process. However, we will continue to monitor compliance with these requirements.

Disclosure of Director Diversity and Skills

Because company disclosure is critical when measuring the mix of diverse attributes and skills of directors, Glass Lewis assesses the quality of such disclosure in companies' proxy statements. Accordingly, we reflect how a company's proxy statement presents: (i) the board's current percentage of racial/ethnic diversity; (ii) whether the board's definition of diversity explicitly includes gender and/or race/ethnicity; (iii) whether the board has adopted a policy requiring women and minorities to be included in the initial pool of candidates when selecting new director nominees (aka "Rooney Rule"); and (iv) board skills disclosure. Such ratings will help inform our assessment of a company's overall governance and may be a contributing factor in our recommendations when additional board-related concerns have been identified.

At companies in the Russell 1000 index that have not provided any disclosure in any of the above categories, we will generally recommend voting against the chair of the nominating and/or governance committee. Further, when companies in the Russell 1000 index have not provided any disclosure of individual or aggregate racial/ethnic minority board demographic information, we will generally recommend voting against the chair of the nominating and/or governance committee.

Proxy Access

In lieu of running their own contested election, proxy access would not only allow certain shareholders to nominate directors to company boards but the shareholder nominees would be included on the company's ballot, significantly enhancing the ability of shareholders to play a meaningful role in selecting their representatives. Glass Lewis generally supports affording shareholders the right to nominate director candidates to management's proxy as a means to ensure that significant, long-term shareholders have an ability to nominate candidates to the board.

Companies generally seek shareholder approval to amend company bylaws to adopt proxy access in response to shareholder engagement or pressure, usually in the form of a shareholder proposal requesting proxy access, although some companies may adopt some elements of proxy access without prompting. Glass Lewis considers several factors when evaluating whether to support proposals for companies to adopt proxy access including the specified minimum ownership and holding requirement for shareholders to nominate one or more directors, as well as company size, performance and responsiveness to shareholders.

For a discussion of recent regulatory events in this area, along with a detailed overview of the Glass Lewis approach to shareholder proposals regarding Proxy Access, refer to Glass Lewis' *Proxy Paper Guidelines for Shareholder Proposals & ESG-Related Issues*, available at www.glasslewis.com.

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Majority Vote for Election of Directors

Majority voting for the election of directors is fast becoming the de facto standard in corporate board elections. In our view, the majority voting proposals are an effort to make the case for shareholder impact on director elections on a company-specific basis.

While this proposal would not give shareholders the opportunity to nominate directors or lead to elections where shareholders have a choice among director candidates, if implemented, the proposal would allow shareholders to have a voice in determining whether the nominees proposed by the board should actually serve as the overseer-representatives of shareholders in the boardroom. We believe this would be a favorable outcome for shareholders.

The number of shareholder proposals requesting that companies adopt a majority voting standard has declined significantly during the past decade, largely as a result of widespread adoption of majority voting or director resignation policies at U.S. companies. In 2019, 89% of the S&P 500 Index had implemented a resignation policy for directors failing to receive majority shareholder support, compared to 65% in 2009.<sup>40</sup>

The Plurality Vote Standard

Today, most U.S. companies still elect directors by a plurality vote standard. Under that standard, if one shareholder holding only one share votes in favor of a nominee (including that director, if the director is a shareholder), that nominee "wins" the election and assumes a seat on the board. The common concern among companies with a plurality voting standard is the possibility that one or more directors would not receive a majority of votes, resulting in "failed elections."

Advantages of a Majority Vote Standard

If a majority vote standard were implemented, a nominee would have to receive the support of a majority of the shares voted in order to be elected. Thus, shareholders could collectively vote to reject a director they believe will not pursue their best interests. Given that so few directors (less than 100 a year) do not receive majority support from shareholders, we think that a majority vote standard is reasonable since it will neither result in many failed director elections nor reduce the willingness of qualified, shareholder-focused directors to serve in the future. Further, most directors who fail to receive a majority shareholder vote in favor of their election do not step down, underscoring the need for true majority voting.

We believe that a majority vote standard will likely lead to more attentive directors. Although shareholders only rarely fail to support directors, the occasional majority vote against a director's election will likely deter the election of directors with a record of ignoring shareholder interests. Glass Lewis will therefore generally support proposals calling for the election of directors by a majority vote, excepting contested director elections.

In response to the high level of support majority voting has garnered, many companies have voluntarily taken steps to implement majority voting or modified approaches to majority voting. These steps range from a

<sup>40</sup> Spencer Stuart Board Index, 2019, p. 15.

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modified approach requiring directors that receive a majority of withheld votes to resign (i.e., a resignation policy) to actually requiring a majority vote of outstanding shares to elect directors.

We feel that the modified approach does not go far enough because requiring a director to resign is not the same as requiring a majority vote to elect a director and does not allow shareholders a definitive voice in the election process. Further, under the modified approach, the corporate governance committee could reject a resignation and, even if it accepts the resignation, the corporate governance committee decides on the director's replacement. And since the modified approach is usually adopted as a policy by the board or a board committee, it could be altered by the same board or committee at any time.

Conflicting and Excluded Proposals

SEC Rule 14a-8(i)(9) allows companies to exclude shareholder proposals "if the proposal directly conflicts with one of the company's own proposals to be submitted to shareholders at the same meeting." On October 22, 2015, the SEC issued Staff Legal Bulletin No. 14H (SLB 14H) clarifying its rule concerning the exclusion of certain shareholder proposals when similar items are also on the ballot. SLB 14H increased the burden on companies to prove to SEC staff that a conflict exists; therefore, many companies still chose to place management proposals alongside similar shareholder proposals in many cases.

During the 2018 proxy season, a new trend in the SEC's interpretation of this rule emerged. Upon submission of shareholder proposals requesting that companies adopt a lower special meeting threshold, several companies petitioned the SEC for no-action relief under the premise that the shareholder proposals conflicted with management's own special meeting proposals, even though the management proposals set a higher threshold than those requested by the proponent. No-action relief was granted to these companies; however, the SEC stipulated that the companies must state in the rationale for the management proposals that a vote in favor of management's proposal was tantamount to a vote against the adoption of a lower special meeting threshold. In certain instances, shareholder proposals to lower an existing special meeting right threshold were excluded on the basis that they conflicted with management proposals seeking to ratify the existing special meeting rights. We find the exclusion of these shareholder proposals to be especially problematic as, in these instances, shareholders are not offered any enhanced shareholder right, nor would the approval (or rejection) of the ratification proposal initiate any type of meaningful change to shareholders' rights.

In instances where companies have excluded shareholder proposals, such as those instances where special meeting shareholder proposals are excluded as a result of "conflicting" management proposals, Glass Lewis will take a case-by-case approach, taking into account the following issues:

● The threshold proposed by the shareholder resolution;

● The threshold proposed or established by management and the attendant rationale for the threshold;

● Whether management's proposal is seeking to ratify an existing special meeting right or adopt a bylaw that would establish a special meeting right; and

● The company's overall governance profile, including its overall responsiveness to and engagement with shareholders.

Glass Lewis generally favors a 10-15% special meeting right. Accordingly, Glass Lewis will generally recommend voting for management or shareholder proposals that fall within this range. When faced with conflicting

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proposals, Glass Lewis will generally recommend in favor of the lower special meeting right and will recommend voting against the proposal with the higher threshold. However, in instances where there are conflicting management and shareholder proposals and a company has not established a special meeting right, Glass Lewis may recommend that shareholders vote in favor of the shareholder proposal and that they abstain from a management-proposed bylaw amendment seeking to establish a special meeting right. We believe that an abstention is appropriate in this instance in order to ensure that shareholders are sending a clear signal regarding their preference for the appropriate threshold for a special meeting right, while not directly opposing the establishment of such a right.

In cases where the company excludes a shareholder proposal seeking a reduced special meeting right by means of ratifying a management proposal that is materially different from the shareholder proposal, we will generally recommend voting against the chair or members of the governance committee.

In other instances of conflicting management and shareholder proposals, Glass Lewis will consider the following:

● The nature of the underlying issue;

● The benefit to shareholders of implementing the proposal;

● The materiality of the differences between the terms of the shareholder proposal and management proposal;

● The context of a company's shareholder base, corporate structure and other relevant circumstances; and

● A company's overall governance profile and, specifically, its responsiveness to shareholders as evidenced by a company's response to previous shareholder proposals and its adoption of progressive shareholder rights provisions.

In recent years, we have seen the dynamic nature of the considerations given by the SEC when determining whether companies may exclude certain shareholder proposals. We understand that not all shareholder proposals serve the long-term interests of shareholders, and value and respect the limitations placed on shareholder proponents, as certain shareholder proposals can unduly burden companies. However, Glass Lewis believes that shareholders should be able to vote on issues of material importance.

We view the shareholder proposal process as an important part of advancing shareholder rights and encouraging responsible and financially sustainable business practices. While recognizing that certain proposals cross the line between the purview of shareholders and that of the board, we generally believe that companies should not limit investors' ability to vote on shareholder proposals that advance certain rights or promote beneficial disclosure. Accordingly, Glass Lewis will make note of instances where a company has successfully petitioned the SEC to exclude shareholder proposals. If after review we believe that the exclusion of a shareholder proposal is detrimental to shareholders, we may, in certain very limited circumstances, recommend against members of the governance committee.

Transparency and Integrity in Financial Reporting

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Auditor Ratification

The auditor's role as gatekeeper is crucial in ensuring the integrity and transparency of the financial information necessary for protecting shareholder value. Shareholders rely on the auditor to ask tough questions and to do a thorough analysis of a company's books to ensure that the information provided to shareholders is complete, accurate, fair, and that it is a reasonable representation of a company's financial position. The only way shareholders can make rational investment decisions is if the market is equipped with accurate information about a company's fiscal health. As stated in the October 6, 2008 Final Report of the Advisory Committee on the Auditing Profession to the U.S. Department of the Treasury:

*"The auditor is expected to offer critical and objective judgment on the financial matters under consideration, and actual and perceived absence of conflicts is critical to that expectation. The Committee believes that auditors, investors, public companies, and other market participants must understand the independence requirements and their objectives, and that auditors must adopt a mindset of skepticism when facing situations that may compromise their independence."*

As such, shareholders should demand an objective, competent and diligent auditor who performs at or above professional standards at every company in which the investors hold an interest. Like directors, auditors should be free from conflicts of interest and should avoid situations requiring a choice between the auditor's interests and the public's interests. Almost without exception, shareholders should be able to annually review an auditor's performance and to annually ratify a board's auditor selection. Moreover, in October 2008, the Advisory Committee on the Auditing Profession went even further, and recommended that "to further enhance audit committee oversight and auditor accountability... disclosure in the company proxy statement regarding shareholder ratification [should] include the name(s) of the senior auditing partner(s) staffed on the engagement."<sup>41</sup>

On August 16, 2011, the PCAOB issued a Concept Release seeking public comment on ways that auditor independence, objectivity and professional skepticism could be enhanced, with a specific emphasis on mandatory audit firm rotation. The PCAOB convened several public roundtable meetings during 2012 to further discuss such matters. Glass Lewis believes auditor rotation can ensure both the independence of the auditor and the integrity of the audit; we will typically recommend supporting proposals to require auditor rotation when the proposal uses a reasonable period of time (usually not less than 5-7 years), particularly at companies with a history of accounting problems.

On June 1, 2017, the PCAOB adopted new standards to enhance auditor reports by providing additional important information to investors. For companies with fiscal year end dates on or after December 15, 2017, reports were required to include the year in which the auditor began serving consecutively as the company's auditor. For large accelerated filers with fiscal year ends of June 30, 2019 or later, and for all other companies with fiscal year ends of December 15, 2020 or later, communication of critical audit matters (CAMs) will also be required. CAMs are matters that have been communicated to the audit committee, are related to accounts or

<sup>41</sup> "Final Report of the Advisory Committee on the Auditing Profession to the U.S. Department of the Treasury." p. VIII:20, October 6, 2008.

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disclosures that are material to the financial statements, and involve especially challenging, subjective, or complex auditor judgment.

Glass Lewis believes the additional reporting requirements are beneficial for investors. The additional disclosures can provide investors with information that is critical to making an informed judgment about an auditor's independence and performance. Furthermore, we believe the additional requirements are an important step toward enhancing the relevance and usefulness of auditor reports, which too often are seen as boilerplate compliance documents that lack the relevant details to provide meaningful insight into a particular audit.

Voting Recommendations on Auditor Ratification

We generally support management's choice of auditor except when we believe the auditor's independence or audit integrity has been compromised. Where a board has not allowed shareholders to review and ratify an auditor, we typically recommend voting against the audit committee chair. When there have been material restatements of annual financial statements or material weaknesses in internal controls, we usually recommend voting against the entire audit committee.

Reasons why we may not recommend ratification of an auditor include:

● When audit fees plus audit-related fees total less than the tax fees and/or other non-audit fees.

● Recent material restatements of annual financial statements, including those resulting in the reporting of material weaknesses in internal controls and including late filings by the company where the auditor bears some responsibility for the restatement or late filing.<sup>42</sup>

● When the auditor performs prohibited services such as tax-shelter work, tax services for the CEO or CFO, or contingent-fee work, such as a fee based on a percentage of economic benefit to the company.

● When audit fees are excessively low, especially when compared with other companies in the same industry.

● When the company has aggressive accounting policies.

● When the company has poor disclosure or lack of transparency in its financial statements.

● Where the auditor limited its liability through its contract with the company or the audit contract requires the corporation to use alternative dispute resolution procedures without adequate justification.

● We also look for other relationships or concerns with the auditor that might suggest a conflict between the auditor's interests and shareholder interests.

● In determining whether shareholders would benefit from rotating the company's auditor, where relevant we will consider factors that may call into question an auditor's effectiveness, including auditor tenure, a pattern of inaccurate audits, and any ongoing litigation or significant controversies. When Glass Lewis considers ongoing litigation and significant controversies, it is mindful that such matters may involve unadjudicated allegations. Glass Lewis does not assume the truth of such allegations or that the

<sup>42</sup> An auditor does not audit interim financial statements. Thus, we generally do not believe that an auditor should be opposed due to a restatement of interim financial statements unless the nature of the misstatement is clear from a reading of the incorrect financial statements.

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law has been violated. Instead, Glass Lewis focuses more broadly on whether, under the particular facts and circumstances presented, the nature and number of such lawsuits or other significant controversies reflects on the risk profile of the company or suggests that appropriate risk mitigation measures may be warranted."

Pension Accounting Issues

A pension accounting question occasionally raised in proxy proposals is what effect, if any, projected returns on employee pension assets should have on a company's net income. This issue often arises in the executive- compensation context in a discussion of the extent to which pension accounting should be reflected in business performance for purposes of calculating payments to executives.

Glass Lewis believes that pension credits should not be included in measuring income that is used to award performance-based compensation. Because many of the assumptions used in accounting for retirement plans are subject to the company's discretion, management would have an obvious conflict of interest if pay were tied to pension income. In our view, projected income from pensions does not truly reflect a company's performance.

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The Link Between Compensation and Performance

Glass Lewis carefully reviews the compensation awarded to senior executives, as we believe that this is an important area in which the board's priorities are revealed. Glass Lewis strongly believes executive compensation should be linked directly with the performance of the business the executive is charged with managing. We believe the most effective compensation arrangements provide for an appropriate mix of performance-based short- and long-term incentives in addition to fixed pay elements while promoting a prudent and sustainable level of risk-taking.

Glass Lewis believes that comprehensive, timely and transparent disclosure of executive pay is critical to allowing shareholders to evaluate the extent to which pay is aligned with company performance. When reviewing proxy materials, Glass Lewis examines whether the company discloses the performance metrics used to determine executive compensation. We recognize performance metrics must necessarily vary depending on the company and industry, among other factors, and may include a wide variety of financial measures as well as industry-specific performance indicators. However, we believe companies should disclose why the specific performance metrics were selected and how the actions they are designed to incentivize will lead to better corporate performance.

Moreover, it is rarely in shareholders' interests to disclose competitive data about individual salaries below the senior executive level. Such disclosure could create internal personnel discord that would be counterproductive for the company and its shareholders. We do not believe shareholders need or will benefit from detailed reports about individual management employees other than the most senior executives.

Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation (Say-on-Pay)

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the "Dodd-Frank Act") required most companies to hold an advisory vote on executive compensation at the first shareholder meeting that occurs six months after enactment of the bill (January 21, 2011).

This practice of allowing shareholders a non-binding vote on a company's compensation report is standard practice in many non-U.S. countries, and has been a requirement for most companies in the United Kingdom since 2003 and in Australia since 2005. Although say-on-pay proposals are non-binding, a high level of "against" or "abstain" votes indicates substantial shareholder concern about a company's compensation policies and procedures.

Given the complexity of most companies' compensation programs, Glass Lewis applies a highly nuanced approach when analyzing advisory votes on executive compensation. We review each company's compensation on a case-by-case basis, recognizing that each company must be examined in the context of industry, size, maturity, performance, financial condition, its historic pay for performance practices, and any other relevant internal or external factors.

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We believe that each company should design and apply specific compensation policies and practices that are appropriate to the circumstances of the company and, in particular, will attract and retain competent executives and other staff, while motivating them to grow the company's long-term shareholder value.

Where we find those specific policies and practices serve to reasonably align compensation with performance, and such practices are adequately disclosed, Glass Lewis will recommend supporting the company's approach. If, however, those specific policies and practices fail to demonstrably link compensation with performance, Glass Lewis will generally recommend voting against the say-on-pay proposal.

Glass Lewis reviews say-on-pay proposals on both a qualitative basis and a quantitative basis, with a focus on several main areas:

● The overall design and structure of the company's executive compensation programs including selection and challenging nature of performance metrics;

● The implementation and effectiveness of the company's executive compensation programs including pay mix and use of performance metrics in determining pay levels;

● The quality and content of the company's disclosure;

● The quantum paid to executives; and

● The link between compensation and performance as indicated by the company's current and past pay- for-performance grades.

We also review any significant changes or modifications, including post fiscal year-end changes and one-time awards, particularly where the changes touch upon issues that are material to Glass Lewis recommendations. Additionally, while we recognize their rarity in the U.S. market, beneficial features such as but not limited to post-vesting and/or post-retirement holding requirements may be viewed positively in our holistic analysis.

Say-on-Pay Voting Recommendations

In cases where we find deficiencies in a company's compensation program's design, implementation or management, we will recommend that shareholders vote against the say-on-pay proposal. Generally, such instances include:

● Evidence of a pattern of poor pay-for-performance practices (e.g., deficient or failing pay-for-performance grades or a misalignment between incentive payouts and the shareholder experience),

● Unclear or questionable disclosure regarding the overall compensation structure (e.g., limited information regarding benchmarking processes, limited rationale for bonus performance metrics and targets, etc.),

● Questionable adjustments to certain aspects of the overall compensation structure (e.g., limited rationale for significant changes to performance targets or metrics, the payout of guaranteed bonuses or sizable retention grants, etc.), and/or

● Other egregious compensation practices.

Glass Lewis approaches its analysis of executive compensation programs on a case-by-case basis. Glass Lewis reviews all factors related to named executive officer compensation, including quantitative analyses, structural features, the presence of effective best practice policies,disclosure quality and trajectory-related factors. Except for particularly egregious pay decisions and practices, no one factor would ordinarily lead to an unfavorable

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recommendation without a review of the company's rationale and/or the influence of such decisions or practices on other aspects of the pay program, most notably the company's ability to align executive pay with performance and the shareholder experience.

Although not an exhaustive list, the following factors are viewed negatively. When weighed together, they may cause Glass Lewis to recommend voting against a say-on-pay vote:

● Inappropriate or outsized self-selected peer groups and/or benchmarking issues such as compensation targets set well above the median without adequate justification;

● Egregious or excessive bonuses, equity awards, perquisites or severance payments, including golden handshakes and golden parachutes;

● Insufficient response to low shareholder support;

● Problematic contractual payments, such as guaranteed bonuses;

● Adjustments to performance results that lead to problematic pay outcomes;

● Insufficiently challenging performance targets and/or high potential payout opportunities;

● Performance targets lowered without justification;

● Discretionary bonuses paid when short- or long-term incentive plan targets were not met;

● High executive pay relative to peers that is not justified by outstanding company performance; and

● The terms of the long-term incentive plans are inappropriate (please see "Long-Term Incentives").

The aforementioned issues influence Glass Lewis' assessment of the structure of a company's compensation program. We evaluate structure on a "Good, Fair, Poor" rating scale whereby a "Good" rating represents a compensation program with little to no concerns and market-leading practices, a "Fair" rating represents a compensation program with some concerns but general adherence to best practices and a "Poor" rating represents a compensation program that deviates significantly from best practice or contains one or more egregious compensation practices.

We believe that it is important for companies to provide investors with clear and complete disclosure of all the significant terms of compensation arrangements. Similar to structure, we evaluate disclosure on a "Good, Fair, Poor" rating scale. A "Good" rating represents a thorough discussion of all elements of compensation with rationale. A "Fair" rating represents an adequate discussion of all or most elements of compensation with rationale. A "Poor" rating represents an incomplete or absent discussion of compensation. In instances where a company has simply failed to provide sufficient disclosure of its policies, we may recommend shareholders vote against this proposal solely on this basis, regardless of the appropriateness of compensation levels. Glass Lewis understands that regulatory disclosure rules such as smaller reporting company disclosure standards may condone the omission of key executive compensation information. However, we believe that companies should provide sufficient information in the proxy statement to enable shareholders to vote in an informed manner.

In general, most companies will fall within the "Fair" range for both structure and disclosure, and Glass Lewis largely uses the "Good" and "Poor" ratings to highlight outliers.

Where we identify egregious compensation practices, we may also recommend voting against the compensation committee based on the practices or actions of its members during the year. Such practices may include approving large one-off payments, the inappropriate, unjustified use of discretion, or sustained poor pay for performance practices. (Refer to the section on "Compensation Committee Performance" for more information.)

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Company Responsiveness

When companies receive a significant level of shareholder opposition to a say-on-pay proposal, which occurs when more than 20% of votes on the proposal are cast as AGAINST and/or ABSTAIN, we believe the board should demonstrate a commensurate level of engagement and responsiveness to the concerns behind the disapproval, with a particular focus on responding to shareholder feedback. When assessing the level of opposition to say-on-pay proposals, we may further examine the level of opposition among disinterested shareholders as an independent group. While we recognize that sweeping changes cannot be made to a compensation program without due consideration, and that often a majority of shareholders may have voted in favor of the proposal, given that the average approval rate for say-on-pay proposals is about 90%, we believe the compensation committee should demonstrate in its proxy statement a level of response to a significant vote against. In general, our expectations regarding the minimum appropriate levels of responsiveness will correspond with the level of shareholder opposition, as expressed both through the magnitude of opposition in a single year, and through the persistence of shareholder disapproval over time.

Responses we consider appropriate include engaging with large shareholders, especially dissenting shareholders, to identify their concerns, and, where reasonable, implementing changes and/or making commitments that directly address those concerns within the company's compensation program. In cases where particularly egregious pay decisions caused the say on pay proposal to fail, Glass Lewis will closely consider whether any changes were made directly relating to the pay decision that may address structural concerns that shareholders have. In the absence of any evidence in the disclosure that the board is actively engaging shareholders on these issues and responding accordingly, we may recommend holding compensation committee members accountable for failing to adequately respond to shareholder opposition. Regarding such recommendations, careful consideration will be given to the level of shareholder protest and the severity and history of compensation practices.

Pay for Performance

Glass Lewis believes an integral part of a well-structured compensation package is a successful link between pay and performance. Our proprietary pay-for-performance model, which serves as our primary quantitative analysis, was developed to better evaluate the link between pay and performance. Generally, compensation and performance are measured against a peer group of appropriate companies that may overlap, to a certain extent, with a company's self-disclosed peers. This quantitative analysis provides a consistent framework and historical context for our clients to determine how well companies link executive compensation to relative performance. Companies that demonstrate a weaker link are more likely to receive a negative recommendation; however, other qualitative factors such as overall incentive structure, significant forthcoming changes to the compensation program or reasonable long-term payout levels may mitigate our concerns to a certain extent.

While we assign companies a letter grade of A, B, C, D or F based on the alignment between pay and performance under our primary model, the grades derived from the Glass Lewis pay-for-performance analysis do not follow the traditional U.S. school letter grade system. Rather, the grades are generally interpreted as follows:

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| **Grade of A**: | The company's percentile rank for pay is significantly less than its percentile rank for performance |
| **Grade of B**: | The company's percentile rank for pay is moderately less than its percentile rank for performance |

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| **Grade of C**: | The company's percentile rank for pay is approximately aligned with its percentile rank for performance |
| **Grade of D**: | The company's percentile rank for pay is higher than its percentile rank for performance |
| **Grade of F**: | The company's percentile rank for pay is significantly higher than its percentile rank for performance |

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Separately, a specific comparison between the company's executive pay and its peers' executive pay levels may be discussed in the analysis for additional insight into the grade. Likewise, a specific comparison between the company's performance and its peers' performance is reflected in the analysis for further context.

We use this analysis to inform our voting decisions on say-on-pay proposals. If a company receives a "D" or "F" from our proprietary model, we are more likely to recommend that shareholders vote against the say-on-pay proposal. However, important supplemental quantitative factors like analyses of realized pay levels and the "compensation actually paid" data mandated by the SEC's 2022 final rule regarding pay versus performance may be considered, and other qualitative factors such as an effective overall incentive structure, the relevance of selected performance metrics, significant forthcoming enhancements or reasonable long-term payout levels may give us cause to recommend in favor of a proposal even when we have identified a disconnect between pay and performance.

In determining the peer groups used in our pay-for-performance letter grades, Glass Lewis utilizes a proprietary methodology that considers both market and industry peers, along with each company's self-disclosed peers and peers of those company-disclosed peers. Each component is considered on a weighted basis and is subject to size-based ranking and screening. Since the peer group used is based on an independent, proprietary technique, it will often differ from the one used by the company which, in turn, will affect the resulting analyses. While Glass Lewis believes that the independent, rigorous methodology it uses provides a valuable perspective on the company's compensation program, the company's self-selected peer group may also presented in the Proxy Paper for comparative purposes and for supplemental analyses.

Short-Term Incentives

A short-term bonus or incentive (STI)should be demonstrably tied to performance. Whenever possible, we believe a mix of corporate and individual performance measures is appropriate. We would normally expect performance measures for STI plans to be based on company-wide or divisional financial measures as well as non-financial, qualitative or non-formulaic factors such as those related to safety, environmental issues, and customer satisfaction when they are material to the company's overall health. While we recognize that companies operating in different sectors or markets may seek to utilize a wide range of metrics, we expect such measures to be appropriately tied to a company's business drivers.

Further, the threshold, target and maximum performance goals and corresponding payout levels that can be achieved under STI plans should be disclosed. Shareholders should expect stretching performance targets for the maximum award to be achieved. Any increase in the potential target and maximum award should be clearly justified to shareholders, as should any decrease in target and maximum performance levels from the previous year.

Glass Lewis recognizes that disclosure of some measures or performance targets may include commercially confidential information. Therefore, we believe it may be reasonable to exclude such information in some cases

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as long as the company provides sufficient justification for non-disclosure. However, where a short-term bonus has been paid, companies should disclose the extent to which performance has been achieved against relevant targets, including disclosure of the actual target achieved.

Where management has received significant short-term incentive payments but overall performance and/or the shareholder experience over the measurement year prima facie appears to be poor or negative, we believe the company should provide a clear explanation of why these significant short-term payments were made. We also believe any significant changes to the program structure should be accompanied by rationalizing disclosure. Further, where a company has applied upward discretion, which includes lowering goals mid-year, increasing calculated payouts or retroactively pro-rating performance periods, we expect a robust discussion of why the decision was necessary.

Adjustments to GAAP figures may be considered in Glass Lewis' assessment of the effectiveness of the incentive at tying executive pay with performance. We believe that where companies use non-GAAP or bespoke metrics, clear reconciliations between these figures and GAAP figures in audited financial statements should be provided. Moreover, Glass Lewis believes that in circumstances where significant adjustments were applied to performance results, thorough, detailed discussion of adjustments akin to a GAAP-to-non-GAAP reconciliation and their impact on payouts within the proxy statement is warranted. The absence of such enhanced disclosure for significant adjustments will impact Glass Lewis' assessment of the quality of disclosure and, in turn, may play a role in the overall recommendation for the advisory vote on executive compensation.

Glass Lewis recognizes the importance of the compensation committee's prudent and responsible exercise of discretion over incentive pay outcomes to account for significant, material events that would otherwise be excluded from performance results of selected metrics of incentive programs. For instance, litigation settlement charges are typically removed from non-GAAP results before the determination of formulaic incentive payouts, or health and safety failures may not be reflected in performance results where companies do not expressly include health and safety metrics in incentive plans. Such events may nevertheless be consequential to corporate performance results, impact the shareholder experience, and, in some cases, may present material risks. Conversely, certain events may adversely impact formulaic payout results despite being outside executives' control. We believe that companies should provide thorough discussion of how such events were considered in the committee's decisions to exercise discretion over incentive payouts.

We do not generally recommend against a pay program due to the use of a non-formulaic plan. If a company has chosen to rely primarily on a subjective assessment or the board's discretion in determining short-term bonuses, we believe that the proxy statement should provide a meaningful discussion of the board's rationale in determining the bonuses paid as well as a rationale for the use of a non-formulaic mechanism. Particularly where the aforementioned disclosures are substantial and satisfactory, such a structure will not provoke serious concern in our analysis on its own. However, in conjunction with other significant issues in a program's design or operation, such as a disconnect between pay and performance, the absence of a cap on payouts, or a lack of performance-based long-term awards, the use of a non-formulaic bonus may help drive a negative recommendation.

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Long-Term Incentives

Glass Lewis recognizes the value of equity-based incentive programs, which are often the primary long-term incentive for executives. When used appropriately, they can provide a vehicle for linking an executive's pay to company performance, thereby aligning their interests with those of shareholders. In addition, equity-based compensation can be an effective way to attract, retain and motivate key employees.

There are certain elements that Glass Lewis believes are common to most well-structured long-term incentive (LTI) plans. These include:

● No re-testing or lowering of performance conditions;

● Performance metrics that cannot be easily manipulated by management;

● Two or more performance metrics;

● At least one relative performance metric that compares the company's performance to a relevant peer group or index;

● Performance periods of at least three years;

● Stretching metrics that incentivize executives to strive for outstanding performance while not encouraging excessive risk-taking;

● Reasonable individual award limits;

● Equity granting practices that are clearly disclosed and

● Additional post-vesting holding periods to encourage long-term executive share ownership.

In evaluating long-term incentive grants, Glass Lewis generally believes that at least half of the grant should consist of performance-based awards, putting a material portion of executive compensation at-risk and demonstrably linked to the performance of the company. While we will consistently raise concern with programs that do not meet this criterion, we may refrain from a negative recommendation in the absence of other significant issues with the program's design or operation. However, in cases where performance-based awards are significantly rolled back or eliminated from a company's long-term incentive plan, such decisions will generally be viewed negatively outside of exceptional circumstances. Given the reduction in rigor and accountability in the pay program, Glass Lewis will assess the revision's impact on the pay program's ability to align executive pay with performance and shareholder experience; programs that fail our assessment may receive an unfavorable recommendation. They may also lead to an unfavorable recommendation from Glass Lewis if the change is not offset by meaningful revisions such as to pay quantum and vesting periods, particularly in the absence of cogent rationale.

As with the short-term incentive, Glass Lewis recognizes the importance of the compensation committee's judicious and responsible exercise of discretion over incentive pay outcomes to account for significant events that would otherwise be excluded from performance results of selected metrics of incentive programs. We believe that companies should provide thorough discussion of how such events were considered in the committee's decisions to exercise discretion or refrain from applying discretion over incentive pay outcomes. Furthermore, considerations related to the use of non-GAAP metrics under the STI plan similarly apply to the long-term incentive program.

Performance measures should be carefully selected and should relate to the specific business/industry in which the company operates and, especially, to the key value drivers of the company's business. As with short-term

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incentive plans, the basis for any adjustments to metrics or results should be clearly explained, as should the company's judgment on the use of discretion and any significant changes to the performance program structure.

While cognizant of the inherent complexity of certain performance metrics, Glass Lewis generally believes that measuring a company's performance with multiple metrics serves to provide a more complete picture of the company's performance than a single metric. Further, reliance on just one metric may focus too much management attention on a single target and is therefore more susceptible to manipulation. When utilized for relative measurements, external benchmarks such as a sector index or peer group should be disclosed and transparent. The rationale behind the selection of a specific index or peer group should also be disclosed. Internal performance benchmarks should also be disclosed and transparent, unless a cogent case for confidentiality is made and fully explained. Similarly, actual performance and vesting levels for previous grants earned during the fiscal year should be disclosed.

We also believe shareholders should evaluate the relative success of a company's compensation programs, particularly with regard to existing equity-based incentive plans, in linking pay and performance when evaluating potential changes to LTI plans and determining the impact of additional stock awards. We will therefore review the company's pay-for-performance analyses (see above for more information) and specifically the proportion of total compensation that is stock-based.

Grants of Front-Loaded Awards

Many U.S. companies have chosen to provide large grants, usually in the form of equity awards, that are intended to serve as compensation for multiple years. This practice, often called front-loading, is taken up either in the regular course of business or as a response to specific business conditions and with a predetermined objective. The so-called "mega-grant", an outsized award to one individual sometimes valued at over $100 million is sometimes but not always provided as a front-loaded award. We believe shareholders should generally be wary of this granting approach, and we accordingly weigh these grants with particular scrutiny.

While the use of front-loaded awards is intended to lock-in executive service and incentives, the same rigidity also raises the risk of effectively tying the hands of the compensation committee. As compared with a more responsive annual granting schedule program, front-loaded awards may preclude improvements or changes to reflect evolving business strategies or to respond to other unforeseen factors. Additionally, if structured poorly, early vesting of such awards may reduce or eliminate the retentive power at great cost to shareholders. The considerable emphasis on a single grant can place intense pressures on every facet of its design, amplifying any potential perverse incentives and creating greater room for unintended consequences. In particular, provisions around changes of control or separations of service must ensure that executives do not receive excessive payouts that do not reflect shareholder experience or company performance.

We consider a company's rationale for granting awards under this structure and also expect any front-loaded awards to include a firm commitment not to grant additional awards for a defined period, as is commonly associated with this practice. Even when such a commitment is provided, unexpected circumstances may lead the board to make additional payments or awards for retention purposes, or to incentivize management towards more realistic goals or a revised strategy. If a company breaks its commitment not to grant further awards, we may recommend against the pay program unless a convincing rationale is provided. The multiyear nature of these awards generally lends itself to significantly higher compensation figures in the year of grant

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than might otherwise be expected. In our qualitative analysis of the grants of front-loaded awards to executives, Glass Lewis considers the quantum of the award on an annualized basis and may compare this result to the prior practice and peer data, among other benchmarks. Additionally, for awards that are granted in the form of equity, Glass Lewis may consider the total potential dilutive effect of such award on shareholders.

In situations where the front-loaded award was meant to cover a certain portion of the regular long-term incentive grant for each year during the covered period, our analysis of the value of the remaining portion of the regular long-term incentives granted during the period covered by the award will account for the annualized value of the front-loaded portion, and we expect no supplemental grant be awarded during the vesting period of the front-loaded portion.

Linking Executive Pay to Environmental and Social Criteria

Glass Lewis believes that explicit environmental and/or social (E&S) criteria in executive incentive plans, when used appropriately, can serve to provide both executives and shareholders a clear line of sight into a company's ESG strategy, ambitions, and targets. Although we are strongly supportive of companies' incorporation of material E&S risks and opportunities in their long-term strategic planning, we believe that the inclusion of E&S metrics in compensation programs should be predicated on each company's unique circumstances. In order to establish a meaningful link between pay and performance, companies must consider factors including their industry, size, risk profile, maturity, performance, financial condition, and any other relevant internal or external factors.

When a company is introducing E&S criteria into executive incentive plans, we believe it is important that companies provide shareholders with sufficient disclosure to allow them to understand how these criteria align with their strategies. Additionally, Glass Lewis recognizes that there may be situations where certain E&S performance criteria are reasonably viewed as prerequisites for executive performance, as opposed to behaviors and conditions that need to be incentivized. For example, we believe that shareholders should interrogate the use of metrics that award executives for ethical behavior or compliance with policies and regulations. It is our view that companies should provide shareholders with disclosures that clearly lay out the rationale for selecting specific E&S metrics, the target-setting process, and corresponding payout opportunities. Further, particularly in the case of qualitative metrics, we believe that shareholders should be provided with a clear understanding of the basis on which the criteria will be assessed. Where quantitative targets have been set, we believe that shareholders are best served when these are disclosed on an ex-ante basis, or the board should outline why it believes it is unable to do so.

While we believe that companies should generally set long-term targets for their environmental and social ambitions, we are mindful that not all compensation schemes lend themselves to the inclusion of E&S metrics. We also are of the view that companies should retain flexibility in not only choosing to incorporate E&S metrics in their compensation plans, but also in the placement of these metrics. For example, some companies may resolve that including E&S criteria in the annual bonus may help to incentivize the achievement of short-term milestones and allow for more maneuverability in strategic adjustments to long-term goals. Other companies may determine that their long-term sustainability targets are best achieved by incentivizing executives through metrics included in their long-term incentive plans.

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One-Time Awards

Glass Lewis believes shareholders should generally be wary of awards granted outside of the standard incentive schemes, as such awards have the potential to undermine the integrity of a company's regular incentive plans or the link between pay and performance, or both. We generally believe that if the existing incentive programs fail to provide adequate incentives to executives, companies should redesign their compensation programs rather than make additional grants.

However, Glass Lewis reviews grants of supplemental awards on a case-by-case, company-by-company basis to give adequate consideration for unique circumstances. Companies should provide a thorough description of the awards, including a cogent and convincing explanation of their necessity and why existing awards do not provide sufficient motivation and a discussion of how the quantum of the award and its structure were determined. Further, such awards should be tied to future service and performance whenever possible.

Additionally, we believe companies making supplemental or one-time awards should also describe if and how the regular compensation arrangements will be affected by these additional grants. In reviewing a company's use of supplemental awards, Glass Lewis will evaluate the terms and size of the grants in the context of the company's overall incentive strategy and granting practices, as well as the current operating environment.

Contractual Payments and Arrangements

Beyond the quantum of contractual payments, Glass Lewis will also consider the design of any entitlements. Certain executive employment terms may help to drive a negative recommendation, including, but not limited to:

● Excessively broad change in control triggers;

● Inappropriate severance entitlements;

● Inadequately explained or excessive sign-on arrangements;

● Guaranteed bonuses (especially as a multiyear occurrence); and

● Failure to address any concerning practices in amended employment agreements.

In general, we are wary of terms that are excessively restrictive in favor of the executive, or that could potentially incentivize behaviors that are not in a company's best interest.

Sign-on Awards and Severance Benefits

We acknowledge that there may be certain costs associated with transitions at the executive level. In evaluating the size of severance and sign-on arrangements, we may consider the executive's regular target compensation level, or the sums paid to other executives (including the recipient's predecessor, where applicable) in evaluating the appropriateness of such an arrangement.

We believe sign-on arrangements should be clearly disclosed and accompanied by a meaningful explanation of the payments and the process by which the amounts were reached. Further, the details of and basis for any "make-whole" payments (paid as compensation for awards forfeited from a previous employer) should be provided.

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With respect to severance, we believe companies should abide by predetermined payouts in most circumstances. While in limited circumstances some deviations may not be inappropriate, we believe shareholders should be provided with a meaningful explanation of any additional or increased benefits agreed upon outside of regular arrangements. However, where Glass Lewis determines that such predetermined payouts are particularly problematic or unfavorable to shareholders, we may consider the execution of such payments in a negative recommendation for the advisory vote on executive compensation.

In the U.S. market, most companies maintain severance entitlements based on a multiple of salary and, in many cases, bonus. In almost all instances we see, the relevant multiple is three or less, even in the case of a change in control. We believe the basis and total value of severance should be reasonable and should not exceed the upper limit of general market practice. We consider the inclusion of long-term incentives in cash severance calculations to be inappropriate, particularly given the commonality of accelerated vesting and the proportional weight of long-term incentives as a component of total pay. Additional considerations, however, will be accounted for when reviewing atypically structured compensation approaches.

Change in Control

Glass Lewis considers double-trigger change in control arrangements, which require both a change in control and termination or constructive termination, to be best practice. Any arrangement that is not explicitly double- trigger may be considered a single-trigger or modified single-trigger arrangement. Companies that allow for committee discretion over the treatment of unvested awards should commit to providing clear rationale for the committee's ultimate decision as to how such awards should be treated in the event a change in control occurs.

Further, we believe that excessively broad definitions of change in control are potentially problematic as they may lead to situations where executives receive additional compensation where no meaningful change in status or duties has occurred.

Excise Tax Gross-ups

Among other entitlements, Glass Lewis is strongly opposed to excise tax gross-ups related to IRC § 4999 and their expansion, especially where no consideration is given to the safe harbor limit. We believe that under no normal circumstance is the inclusion of excise tax gross-up provisions in new agreements or the addition of such provisions to amended agreements acceptable. In consideration of the fact that minor increases in change-in- control payments can lead to disproportionately large excise taxes, the potential negative impact of tax gross- ups far outweighs any retentive benefit.

Depending on the circumstances, the addition of new gross-ups around this excise tax may lead to negative recommendations for a company's say-on-pay proposal, the chair of the compensation committee, or the entire committee, particularly in cases where a company had committed not to provide any such entitlements in the future. For situations in which the addition of new excise tax gross ups will be provided in connection with a specific change-in-control transaction, this policy may be applied to the say-on-pay proposal, the golden parachute proposal and recommendations related to the compensation committee for all involved corporate parties, as appropriate.

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Amended Employment Agreements

Any contractual arrangements providing for problematic pay practices which are not addressed in materially amended employment agreements will potentially be viewed by Glass Lewis as a missed opportunity on the part of the company to align its policies with current best practices. Such problematic pay practices include, but are not limited to, excessive change in control entitlements, modified single-trigger change in control entitlements, excise tax gross-ups, and multi-year guaranteed awards.

Recoupment Provisions (Clawbacks)

On October 26, 2022, the SEC adopted Rule 10D-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The rule mandates national securities exchanges and associations to promulgate new listing standards requiring companies to maintain recoupment policies ("clawback provisions"). The final clawback listing standards were approved by the SEC, effective October 2, 2023 and required listed companies to adopt a compliant policy by December 1, 2023. Glass Lewis believes that clawback provisions play an important role in mitigating excessive risk-taking that may be encouraged by poorly structured variable incentive programs. Current listing standards require recoupment of erroneously awarded payouts to current and former executive officers in the event of an accounting restatement or correction to previous financial statements that is material to the current period, regardless of fault or misconduct.

Glass Lewis recognizes that excessive risk-taking that can materially and adversely impact shareholders may not necessarily result in such restatements. We believe that clawback policies should allow recovery from current and former executive officers in the event of a restatement of financial results or similar revision of performance indicators upon which the awards were based. Additionally, recoupment policies should provide companies with the ability to claw back variable incentive payments (whether time-based or performance-based) when there is evidence of problematic decisions or actions, such as material misconduct, a material reputational failure, material risk management failure, or a material operational failure, the consequences of which have not already been reflected in incentive payments and where recovery is warranted.

In situations where the company ultimately determines not to follow through with recovery, Glass Lewis will assess the appropriateness of such determination for each case. A thorough, detailed discussion of the company's decision to not pursue recoupment and, if applicable, how the company has otherwise rectified the disconnect between executive pay outcomes and negative impacts of their actions on the company and the shareholder experience will be considered. The absence of such enhanced disclosure may impact Glass Lewis' assessment of the quality of disclosure and, in turn, may play a role in Glass Lewis' overall recommendation for the advisory vote on executive compensation. The clawback policy should provide recoupment authority regardless of whether the employment of the executive officer was terminated with or without cause.

Hedging of Stock

Glass Lewis believes that the hedging of shares by executives in the shares of the companies where they are employed severs the alignment of interests of the executive with shareholders. We believe companies should adopt strict policies to prohibit executives from hedging the economic risk associated with their share ownership in the company.

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Pledging of Stock

Glass Lewis believes that shareholders should examine the facts and circumstances of each company rather than apply a one-size-fits-all policy regarding employee stock pledging. Glass Lewis believes that shareholders benefit when employees, particularly senior executives, have meaningful financial interest in the success of the company under their management, and therefore we recognize the benefits of measures designed to encourage employees to both buy shares out of their own pocket and to retain shares they have been granted; blanket policies prohibiting stock pledging may discourage executives and employees from doing either.

However, we also recognize that the pledging of shares can present a risk that, depending on a host of factors, an executive with significant pledged shares and limited other assets may have an incentive to take steps to avoid a forced sale of shares in the face of a rapid stock price decline. Therefore, to avoid substantial losses from a forced sale to meet the terms of the loan, the executive may have an incentive to boost the stock price in the short term in a manner that is unsustainable, thus hurting shareholders in the long-term. We also recognize concerns regarding pledging may not apply to less senior employees, given the latter group's significantly more limited influence over a company's stock price. Therefore, we believe that the issue of pledging shares should be reviewed in that context, as should policies that distinguish between the two groups.

Glass Lewis believes that the benefits of stock ownership by executives and employees may outweigh the risks of stock pledging, depending on many factors. As such, Glass Lewis reviews all relevant factors in evaluating proposed policies, limitations and prohibitions on pledging stock, including:

● The number of shares pledged;

● The percentage executives' pledged shares are of outstanding shares;

● The percentage executives' pledged shares are of each executive's shares and total assets;

● Whether the pledged shares were purchased by the employee or granted by the company;

● Whether there are different policies for purchased and granted shares;

● Whether the granted shares were time-based or performance-based;

● The overall governance profile of the company;

● The volatility of the company's stock (in order to determine the likelihood of a sudden stock price drop);

● The nature and cyclicality, if applicable, of the company's industry;

● The participation and eligibility of executives and employees in pledging;

● The company's current policies regarding pledging and any waiver from these policies for employees and executives; and

● Disclosure of the extent of any pledging, particularly among senior executives.

Executive Ownership Guidelines

The alignment between shareholder interests and those of executives helps to ensure that executives are acting in the best long-term interests of disinterested shareholders. Companies should facilitate this relationship through the adoption and enforcement of meaningful minimum executive share ownership requirements. Companies should clearly disclose their executive ownership requirements in their Compensation Discussion and Analysis section and how the various types of outstanding equity awards are counted or excluded from the ownership level calculation.

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In determining whether executives have met the requirements or not, the inclusion of unearned performance- based full value awards and/or unexercised stock options without cogent rationale may be viewed as problematic. While Glass Lewis views the inclusion of unearned performance-based equity in the ownership determination renders executive share ownership policies less effective, we continue to believe that performance-based equity compensation plays an important role in the separate issue of aligning executive pay with performance.

Compensation Consultant Independence

As mandated by Section 952 of the Dodd-Frank Act, as of January 11, 2013, the SEC approved listing requirements for both the NYSE and NASDAQ which require compensation committees to consider six factors (https://www.sec.gov/rules/final/2012/33-9330.pdf, p.31-32) in assessing compensation advisor independence. According to the SEC, "no one factor should be viewed as a determinative factor." Glass Lewis believes this six- factor assessment is an important process for every compensation committee to undertake but believes companies employing a consultant for board compensation, consulting and other corporate services should provide clear disclosure beyond just a reference to examining the six points, in order to allow shareholders to review the specific aspects of the various consultant relationships.

We believe compensation consultants are engaged to provide objective, disinterested, expert advice to the compensation committee. When the consultant or its affiliates receive substantial income from providing other services to the company, we believe the potential for a conflict of interest arises and the independence of the consultant may be jeopardized. Therefore, Glass Lewis will, when relevant, note the potential for a conflict of interest when the fees paid to the advisor or its affiliates for other services exceed those paid for compensation consulting.

CEO Pay Ratio

As mandated by Section 953(b) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Consumer and Protection Act, beginning in 2018, issuers will be required to disclose the median annual total compensation of all employees except the CEO, the total annual compensation of the CEO or equivalent position, and the ratio between the two amounts. Glass Lewis will display the pay ratio as a data point in our Proxy Papers, as available. While we recognize that the pay ratio has the potential to provide additional insight when assessing a company's pay practices, at this time it will not be a determinative factor in our voting recommendations. On the other hand, we believe the underlying data may help shareholders evaluate the rationale for certain executive pay decisions such as increases in fixed pay levels.

Frequency of Say-on-Pay

The Dodd-Frank Act also requires companies to allow shareholders a non-binding vote on the frequency of say- on-pay votes (i.e., every one, two or three years). Additionally, Dodd-Frank requires companies to hold such votes on the frequency of say-on-pay votes at least once every six years.

We believe companies should submit say-on-pay votes to shareholders every year. We believe that the time and financial burdens to a company with regard to an annual vote are relatively small and incremental and are

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outweighed by the benefits to shareholders through more frequent accountability. Implementing biannual or triennial votes on executive compensation limits shareholders' ability to hold the board accountable for its compensation practices through means other than voting against the compensation committee. Unless a company provides a compelling rationale or unique circumstances for say-on-pay votes less frequent than annually, we will generally recommend that shareholders support annual votes on compensation.

Vote on Golden Parachute Arrangements

The Dodd-Frank Act also requires companies to provide shareholders with a separate non-binding vote on approval of golden parachute compensation arrangements in connection with certain change-in-control transactions. However, if the golden parachute arrangements have previously been subject to a say-on-pay vote which shareholders approved, then this required vote is waived.

Glass Lewis believes the narrative and tabular disclosure of golden parachute arrangements benefits all shareholders. Glass Lewis analyzes each golden parachute arrangement on a case-by-case basis, taking into account, among other items: the nature of the change-in-control transaction, the ultimate value of the payments particularly compared to the value of the transaction, any excise tax gross-up obligations, the tenure and position of the executives in question before and after the transaction, any new or amended employment agreements entered into in connection with the transaction, and the type of triggers involved (i.e., single vs. double). In cases where new problematic features, such as excise tax gross-up obligations or new and excessive single-trigger entitlements, are introduced in a golden parachute proposal, such features may contribute to a negative recommendation not only for the golden parachute proposal under review, but for the next say-on-pay proposal of any involved corporate parties, as well as recommendations against their compensation committee as appropriate.

Equity-Based Compensation Proposals

We believe that equity compensation awards, when not abused, are useful for retaining employees and providing an incentive for them to act in a way that will improve company performance. Glass Lewis recognizes that equity-based compensation plans are critical components of a company's overall compensation program, and we analyze such plans accordingly based on both quantitative and qualitative factors.

Our quantitative analysis assesses the plan's cost and the company's pace of granting utilizing a number of different analyses, comparing the program with absolute limits we believe are key to equity value creation and with a carefully chosen peer group. In general, our model seeks to determine whether the proposed plan is either absolutely excessive or is more than one standard deviation away from the average plan for the peer group on a range of criteria, including dilution to shareholders and the projected annual cost relative to the company's financial performance. Each of the analyses (and their constituent parts) is weighted and the plan is scored in accordance with that weight.

We compare the program's expected annual expense with the business's operating metrics to help determine whether the plan is excessive in light of company performance. We also compare the plan's expected annual cost to the enterprise value of the firm rather than to market capitalization because the employees, managers and directors of the firm contribute to the creation of enterprise value but not necessarily market capitalization

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(the biggest difference is seen where cash represents the vast majority of market capitalization). Finally, we do not rely exclusively on relative comparisons with averages because, in addition to creeping averages serving to inflate compensation, we believe that some absolute limits are warranted.

We then consider qualitative aspects of the plan such as plan administration, the method and terms of exercise, repricing history, express or implied rights to reprice, and the presence of evergreen provisions. We also closely review the choice and use of, and difficulty in meeting, the awards' performance metrics and targets, if any. We believe significant changes to the terms of a plan should be explained for shareholders and clearly indicated. Other factors such as a company's size and operating environment may also be relevant in assessing the severity of concerns or the benefits of certain changes. Finally, we may consider a company's executive compensation practices in certain situations, as applicable.

We evaluate equity plans based on certain overarching principles:

● Companies should seek more shares only when needed;

● Requested share amounts or share reserves should be conservative in size so that companies must seek shareholder approval every three to four years (or more frequently);

● If a plan is relatively expensive, it should not grant options solely to senior executives and board members;

● Dilution of annual net share count or voting power, along with the "overhang" of incentive plans, should be limited;

● Annual cost of the plan (especially if not shown on the income statement) should be reasonable as a percentage of financial results and should be in line with the peer group;

● The expected annual cost of the plan should be proportional to the business's value;

● The intrinsic value that option grantees received in the past should be reasonable compared with the business's financial results;

● Plans should not permit repricing of stock options without shareholder approval;

● Plans should not contain excessively liberal administrative or payment terms;

● Plans should not count shares in ways that understate the potential dilution, or cost, to common shareholders. This refers to "inverse" full-value award multipliers;

● Selected performance metrics should be challenging and appropriate, and should be subject to relative performance measurements; and

● Stock grants should be subject to minimum vesting and/or holding periods sufficient to ensure sustainable performance and promote retention.

Meanwhile, for individual equity award proposals where the recipient of the proposed grant is also a large shareholder of the company whose vote can materially affect the passage of the proposal, we believe that the company should strongly consider the level of approval from disinterested shareholders before proceeding with the proposed grant. Glass Lewis recognizes potential conflicts of interests when vote outcomes can be heavily influenced by the recipient of the grant. A required abstention vote or non-vote from the recipient for an equity award proposal in these situations can help to avoid such conflicts. This favorable feature will be weighed alongside the structure, disclosure, dilution, provided rationale, and other provisions related to the individual award to assess the award's alignment with long-term shareholder interests.

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Option Exchanges and Repricing

Glass Lewis is generally opposed to the repricing of employee and director options regardless of how it is accomplished. Employees should have some downside risk in their equity-based compensation program and repricing eliminates any such risk. As shareholders have substantial risk in owning stock, we believe that the equity compensation of employees and directors should be similarly situated to align their interests with those of shareholders. We believe this will facilitate appropriate risk- and opportunity-taking for the company by employees.

We are concerned that option grantees who believe they will be "rescued" from underwater options will be more inclined to take unjustifiable risks. Moreover, a predictable pattern of repricing or exchanges substantially alters a stock option's value because options that will practically never expire deeply out of the money are worth far more than options that carry a risk of expiration.

In short, repricings and option exchange programs change the bargain between shareholders and employees after the bargain has been struck.

There is one circumstance in which a repricing or option exchange program may be acceptable: if macroeconomic or industry trends, rather than specific company issues, cause a stock's value to decline dramatically and the repricing is necessary to motivate and retain employees. In viewing the company's stock decline as part of a larger trend, we would expect the impact to approximately reflect the market or industry price decline in terms of timing and magnitude. In this circumstance, we think it fair to conclude that option grantees may be suffering from a risk that was not foreseeable when the original "bargain" was struck. In such a scenario, we may opt to support a repricing or option exchange program only if sufficient conditions are met. We look for the following features in a repricing or exchange proposal:

● Officers and board members cannot participate in the program; and

● The exchange is value-neutral or value-creative to shareholders using very conservative assumptions.

In our evaluation of the appropriateness of the program design, we also consider the inclusion of the following features:

● The vesting requirements on exchanged or repriced options are extended beyond one year;

● Shares reserved for options that are reacquired in an option exchange will permanently retire (i.e., will not be available for future grants) so as to prevent additional shareholder dilution in the future; and

● Management and the board make a cogent case for needing to motivate and retain existing employees, such as being in a competitive employment market.

Option Backdating, Spring-Loading and Bullet-Dodging

Glass Lewis views option backdating, and the related practices of spring-loading and bullet-dodging, as egregious actions that warrant holding the appropriate management and board members responsible. These practices are similar to repricing options and eliminate much of the downside risk inherent in an option grant that is designed to induce recipients to maximize shareholder return.

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past studies, Glass Lewis identified over 270 companies that have disclosed internal or government investigations into their past stock-option grants.

Spring-loading is granting stock options while in possession of material, positive information that has not been disclosed publicly. Bullet-dodging is delaying the grants of stock options until after the release of material, negative information. This can allow option grants to be made at a lower price either before the release of positive news or following the release of negative news, assuming the stock's price will move up or down in response to the information. This raises a concern similar to that of insider trading, or the trading on material non-public information.

The exercise price for an option is determined on the day of grant, providing the recipient with the same market risk as an investor who bought shares on that date. However, where options were backdated, the executive or the board (or the compensation committee) changed the grant date retroactively. The new date may be at or near the lowest price for the year or period. This would be like allowing an investor to look back and select the lowest price of the year at which to buy shares.

A 2006 study of option grants made between 1996 and 2005 at 8,000 companies found that option backdating can be an indication of poor internal controls. The study found that option backdating was more likely to occur at companies without a majority independent board and with a long-serving CEO; both factors, the study concluded, were associated with greater CEO influence on the company's compensation and governance practices.<sup>43</sup>

Where a company granted backdated options to an executive who is also a director, Glass Lewis will recommend voting against that executive/director, regardless of who decided to make the award. In addition, Glass Lewis will recommend voting against those directors who either approved or allowed the backdating. Glass Lewis feels that executives and directors who either benefited from backdated options or authorized the practice have failed to act in the best interests of shareholders.

Given the severe tax and legal liabilities to the company from backdating, Glass Lewis will consider recommending voting against members of the audit committee who served when options were backdated, a restatement occurs, material weaknesses in internal controls exist and disclosures indicate there was a lack of documentation. These committee members failed in their responsibility to ensure the integrity of the company's financial reports.

When a company has engaged in spring-loading or bullet-dodging, Glass Lewis will consider recommending voting against the compensation committee members where there has been a pattern of granting options at or near historic lows. Glass Lewis will also recommend voting against executives serving on the board who benefited from the spring-loading or bullet-dodging.

<sup>43</sup> Lucian Bebchuk, Yaniv Grinstein and Urs Peyer. "LUCKY CEOs." November, 2006.

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Director Compensation Plans

Glass Lewis believes that non-employee directors should receive reasonable and appropriate compensation for the time and effort they spend serving on the board and its committees. However, a balance is required. Fees should be competitive in order to retain and attract qualified individuals, but excessive fees represent a financial cost to the company and potentially compromise the objectivity and independence of non-employee directors. We will consider recommending support for compensation plans that include option grants or other equity- based awards that help to align the interests of outside directors with those of shareholders. However, to ensure directors are not incentivized in the same manner as executives but rather serve as a check on imprudent risk-taking in executive compensation plan design, equity grants to directors should not be performance-based. Where an equity plan exclusively or primarily covers non-employee directors as participants, we do not believe that the plan should provide for performance-based awards in any capacity.

When non-employee director equity grants are covered by the same equity plan that applies to a company's broader employee base, we will use our proprietary model and analyst review of this model to guide our voting recommendations. If such a plan broadly allows for performance-based awards to directors or explicitly provides for such grants, we may recommend against the overall plan on this basis, particularly if the company has granted performance-based awards to directors in past.

Employee Stock Purchase Plans

Glass Lewis believes that employee stock purchase plans (ESPPs) can provide employees with a sense of ownership in their company and help strengthen the alignment between the interests of employees and shareholders. We evaluate ESPPs by assessing the expected discount, purchase period, expected purchase activity (if previous activity has been disclosed) and whether the plan has a "lookback" feature. Except for the most extreme cases, Glass Lewis will generally support these plans given the regulatory purchase limit of $25,000 per employee per year, which we believe is reasonable. We also look at the number of shares requested to see if a ESPP will significantly contribute to overall shareholder dilution or if shareholders will not have a chance to approve the program for an excessive period of time. As such, we will generally recommend against ESPPs that contain "evergreen" provisions that automatically increase the number of shares available under the ESPP each year.

Executive Compensation Tax Deductibility — Amendment to IRC 162(M)

The "Tax Cut and Jobs Act" had significant implications on Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, a provision that allowed companies to deduct compensation in excess of $1 million for the CEO and the next three most highly compensated executive officers, excluding the CFO, if the compensation is performance-based and is paid under shareholder-approved plans. Glass Lewis does not generally view amendments to equity plans and changes to compensation programs in response to the elimination of tax deductions under 162(m) as problematic. This specifically holds true if such modifications contribute to the maintenance of a sound performance-based compensation program.

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As grandfathered contracts may continue to be eligible for tax deductions under the transition rule for Section 162(m), companies may therefore submit incentive plans for shareholder approval to take of advantage of the tax deductibility afforded under 162(m) for certain types of compensation.

We believe the best practice for companies is to provide robust disclosure to shareholders so that they can make fully informed judgments about the reasonableness of the proposed compensation plan. To allow for meaningful shareholder review, we prefer that disclosure should include specific performance metrics, a maximum award pool, and a maximum award amount per employee. We also believe it is important to analyze the estimated grants to see if they are reasonable and in line with the company's peers.

We typically recommend voting against a 162(m) proposal where: (i) a company fails to provide at least a list of performance targets; (ii) a company fails to provide one of either a total maximum or an individual maximum; or (iii) the proposed plan or individual maximum award limit is excessive when compared with the plans of the company's peers.

The company's record of aligning pay with performance (as evaluated using our proprietary pay-for- performance model) also plays a role in our recommendation. Where a company has a record of setting reasonable pay relative to business performance, we generally recommend voting in favor of a plan even if the plan caps seem large relative to peers because we recognize the value in special pay arrangements for continued exceptional performance.

As with all other issues we review, our goal is to provide consistent but contextual advice given the specifics of the company and ongoing performance. Overall, we recognize that it is generally not in shareholders' best interests to vote against such a plan and forgo the potential tax benefit since shareholder rejection of such plans will not curtail the awards; it will only prevent the tax deduction associated with them.

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Governance Structure and the Shareholder Franchise

Anti-Takeover Measures

Poison Pills (Shareholder Rights Plans)

Glass Lewis believes that poison pill plans are not generally in shareholders' best interests. They can reduce management accountability by substantially limiting opportunities for corporate takeovers. Rights plans can thus prevent shareholders from receiving a buy-out premium for their stock. Typically we recommend that shareholders vote against these plans to protect their financial interests and ensure that they have an opportunity to consider any offer for their shares, especially those at a premium.

We believe boards should be given wide latitude in directing company activities and in charting the company's course. However, on an issue such as this, where the link between the shareholders' financial interests and their right to consider and accept buyout offers is substantial, we believe that shareholders should be allowed to vote on whether they support such a plan's implementation. This issue is different from other matters that are typically left to board discretion. Its potential impact on and relation to shareholders is direct and substantial. It is also an issue in which management interests may be different from those of shareholders; thus, ensuring that shareholders have a voice is the only way to safeguard their interests.

In certain circumstances, we will support a poison pill that is limited in scope to accomplish a particular objective, such as the closing of an important merger, or a pill that contains what we believe to be a reasonable qualifying offer clause. We will consider supporting a poison pill plan if the qualifying offer clause includes each of the following attributes:

● The form of offer is not required to be an all-cash transaction;

● The offer is not required to remain open for more than 90 business days;

● The offeror is permitted to amend the offer, reduce the offer, or otherwise change the terms;

● There is no fairness opinion requirement; and

● There is a low to no premium requirement.

Where these requirements are met, we typically feel comfortable that shareholders will have the opportunity to voice their opinion on any legitimate offer.

NOL Poison Pills

Similarly, Glass Lewis may consider supporting a limited poison pill in the event that a company seeks shareholder approval of a rights plan for the express purpose of preserving Net Operating Losses (NOLs). While companies with NOLs can generally carry these losses forward to offset future taxable income, Section 382

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of the Internal Revenue Code limits companies' ability to use NOLs in the event of a "change of ownership."<sup>44</sup> In this case, a company may adopt or amend a poison pill (NOL pill) in order to prevent an inadvertent change of ownership by multiple investors purchasing small chunks of stock at the same time, and thereby preserve the ability to carry the NOLs forward. Often such NOL pills have trigger thresholds much lower than the common 15% or 20% thresholds, with some NOL pill triggers as low as 5%.

In many cases, companies will propose the adoption of bylaw amendments specifically restricting certain share transfers, in addition to proposing the adoption of a NOL pill. In general, if we support the terms of a particular NOL pill, we will generally support the additional protective amendment in the absence of significant concerns with the specific terms of that proposal.

As with traditional poison pills, NOL pills may deter shareholders and potentially serve as entrenchment mechanisms. Certain features such as low thresholds combined with acting in concert provisions, among other concerning terms, may disempower shareholders and insulate the board and management. When acting in concert provisions are present within the terms of a NOL pill, we believe this may raise concerns as to the true objective of the pill.

Acting in concert provisions broaden the definition of beneficial ownership to prohibit parallel conduct, or multiple shareholders party to a formal or informal agreement collaborating to influence the board and management of a company, and aggregate the ownership of such shareholders towards the triggering threshold. In our view, acting in concert provisions broadly limit the voice of shareholders and may diminish their ability to engage in a productive dialogue with the company and with other shareholders. When a board adopts defensive measures without engaging with shareholders, we take a dim view of the board and the overall governance of the company.

As such, Glass Lewis evaluates NOL pills on a strictly case-by-case basis, taking into consideration, among other factors: (i) the value of the NOLs to the company; (ii) the likelihood of a change of ownership based on the size of the holdings and the nature of the larger shareholders; (iii) the trigger threshold; (iv) the duration of the plan (i.e., whether it contains a reasonable "sunset" provision, generally one year or less); (v) the inclusion of an acting in concert provision; (vi) whether the pill is implemented following the filing of a Schedule 13D by a shareholder or there is evidence of hostile activity or shareholder activism; and (vii) if the pill is subject to periodic board review and/or shareholder ratification.

We believe that shareholders should be offered the opportunity to vote on any adoption or renewal of a NOL pill regardless of any potential tax benefit that it offers a company. As such, we will consider recommending voting against those members of the board who served at the time when an NOL pill was adopted without shareholder approval within the prior twelve months and where the NOL pill is not subject to shareholder ratification.

<sup>44</sup> Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code refers to a "change of ownership" of more than 50 percentage points by one or more 5% shareholders within a three-year period. The statute is intended to deter the "trafficking" of net operating losses.

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Fair Price Provisions

Fair price provisions, which are rare, require that certain minimum price and procedural requirements be observed by any party that acquires more than a specified percentage of a corporation's common stock. The provision is intended to protect minority shareholder value when an acquirer seeks to accomplish a merger or other transaction which would eliminate or change the interests of the minority shareholders. The provision is generally applied against the acquirer unless the takeover is approved by a majority of "continuing directors" and holders of a majority, in some cases a supermajority as high as 80%, of the combined voting power of all stock entitled to vote to alter, amend, or repeal the above provisions.

The effect of a fair price provision is to require approval of any merger or business combination with an "interested shareholder" by 51% of the voting stock of the company, excluding the shares held by the interested shareholder. An interested shareholder is generally considered to be a holder of 10% or more of the company's outstanding stock, but the trigger can vary.

Generally, provisions are put in place for the ostensible purpose of preventing a back-end merger where the interested shareholder would be able to pay a lower price for the remaining shares of the company than he or she paid to gain control. The effect of a fair price provision on shareholders, however, is to limit their ability to gain a premium for their shares through a partial tender offer or open market acquisition which typically raise the share price, often significantly. A fair price provision discourages such transactions because of the potential costs of seeking shareholder approval and because of the restrictions on purchase price for completing a merger or other transaction at a later time.

Glass Lewis believes that fair price provisions, while sometimes protecting shareholders from abuse in a takeover situation, more often act as an impediment to takeovers, potentially limiting gains to shareholders from a variety of transactions that could significantly increase share price. In some cases, even the independent directors of the board cannot make exceptions when such exceptions may be in the best interests of shareholders. Given the existence of state law protections for minority shareholders such as Section 203 of the Delaware Corporations Code, we believe it is in the best interests of shareholders to remove fair price provisions.

Control Share Statutes

Certain states, including Delaware, have adopted control share acquisition statutes as an anti-takeover defense for certain closed-end investment companies and business development companies. Control share statutes may prevent changes in control by limiting voting rights of a person that acquires the ownership of "control shares." Control shares are shares of stock equal to or exceeding specified percentages of company voting power, and a control share statute prevents shares in excess of the specified percentage from being voted, unless: (i) the board approves them to be voted; or (ii) the holder of the "control shares"receives approval from a supermajority of "non-interested" shareholders.

Depending on the state of incorporation, companies may automatically rely on control share statutes unless the fund's board of trustees eliminates the application of the control share statute to any or all fund share acquisitions, through adoption of a provision in the fund's governing instrument or by fund board action alone. In certain other states, companies must adopt control share statutes.

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In our view, control share statues disenfranchise shareholders by reducing their voting power to a level less than their economic interest and effectively function as an anti-takeover device. We believe all shareholders should have an opportunity to vote all of their shares. Moreover, anti-takeover measures may prevent shareholders from receiving a buy-out premium for their stock.

As such, we will generally recommend voting for proposals to opt out of control share acquisition statutes, unless doing so would allow the completion of a takeover that is not in the best interests of shareholders; and against proposals to amend the charter to include control share acquisition provisions.

Further, in cases where a closed-end fund or business development company has received a public buyout offer and has relied on a control share statute as a defense mechanism in the prior year, we will generally recommend shareholders vote against the chair of the nominating and governance committee, absent a compelling rationale as to why a rejected acquisition was not in the best interests of shareholders.

Quorum Requirements

Glass Lewis believes that a company's quorum requirement should be set at a level high enough to ensure that a broad range of shareholders are represented in person or by proxy, but low enough that the company can transact necessary business. Companies in the U.S. are generally subject to quorum requirements under the laws of their specific state of incorporation. Additionally, those companies listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market are required to specify a quorum in their bylaws, provided however that such quorum may not be less than one- third of outstanding shares. Prior to 2013, the New York Stock Exchange required a quorum of 50% for listed companies, although this requirement was dropped in recognition of individual state requirements and potential confusion for issuers. Delaware, for example, required companies to provide for a quorum of no less than one-third of outstanding shares; otherwise such quorum shall default to a majority.

We generally believe a majority of outstanding shares entitled to vote is an appropriate quorum for the transaction of business at shareholder meetings. However, should a company seek shareholder approval of a lower quorum requirement we will generally support a reduced quorum of at least one-third of shares entitled to vote, either in person or by proxy. When evaluating such proposals, we also consider the specific facts and circumstances of the company, such as size and shareholder base.

Director and Officer Indemnification

While Glass Lewis strongly believes that directors and officers should be held to the highest standard when carrying out their duties to shareholders, some protection from liability is reasonable to protect them against certain suits so that these officers feel comfortable taking measured risks that may benefit shareholders. As such, we find it appropriate for a company to provide indemnification and/or enroll in liability insurance to cover its directors and officers so long as the terms of such agreements are reasonable.

Officer Exculpation

In August 2022, the Delaware General Assembly amended Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law ("DGCL") to authorize corporations to adopt a provision in their certificate of incorporation to

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eliminate or limit monetary liability of certain corporate officers for breach of fiduciary duty of care. Previously, the DGCL allowed only exculpation of corporate directors from breach of fiduciary duty of care claims if the corporation's certificate of incorporation includes an exculpation provision.

The amendment authorizes corporations to provide for exculpation of the following officers: (i) the corporation's president, chief executive officer, chief operating officer, chief financial officer, chief legal officer, controller, treasurer or chief accounting officer, (ii) "named executive officers" identified in the corporation's SEC filings, and (iii) individuals who have agreed to be identified as officers of the corporation.

Corporate exculpation provisions under the DGCL only apply to claims for breach of the duty of care, and not to breaches of the duty of loyalty. Exculpation provisions also do not apply to acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct, knowing violations of the law, or transactions involving the receipt of any improper personal benefits. Furthermore, officers may not be exculpated from claims brought against them by, or in the right of, the corporation (i.e., derivative actions).

Under Section 102(b)(7), a corporation must affirmatively elect to include an exculpation provision in its certificate of incorporation. We will closely evaluate proposals to adopt officer exculpation provisions on a case- by-case basis. We will generally recommend voting against such proposals eliminating monetary liability for breaches of the duty of care for certain corporate officers, unless compelling rationale for the adoption is provided by the board, and the provisions are reasonable.

Reincorporation

In general, Glass Lewis believes that the board is in the best position to determine the appropriate jurisdiction of incorporation for the company. We review all proposals to reincorporate to a different state or country on a case-by-case basis. Our review includes the changes in corporate governance provisions, especially those relating to shareholder rights, material differences in corporate statutes and legal precedents,and relevant financial benefits, among other factors, resulting from the change in domicile.

Glass Lewis closely examines the impact on shareholder rights arising from a change in domicile and governing law, including the following:

● Will shareholders gain/retain certain rights (i.e. the right to call special meetings, the right to act by written consent, the ability to remove directors)?

● Does the proposed new jurisdiction allow for director and officer exculpation and/or exclusive forum provisions?

● What are the fiduciary duties (if any) of directors, officers, and majority shareholders under the new jurisdiction's statutes?

● What are the material differences in corporate statutes, case law, and judicial systems?

● Is the company proposing to reincorporate to a jurisdiction considered to be a "tax haven"?

In addition, when examining a proposal to reincorporate, we will also consider the overall governance of the company, including, but not limited to, the following:

● Does the company have anti-takeover protections such as a poison pill or classified board in place?

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● Does the company have a significant shareholder or is the company otherwise considered controlled?<sup>45</sup>

● Has the board been previously unresponsive to shareholders (such as failing to implement a shareholder proposal that received majority shareholder support)?

● Does the company have an independent chair and is the board sufficiently independent?

● Are there other material governance issues of concern at the company? Has the company's performance matched or exceeded its peers in the past one and three years?

● How has the company ranked in Glass Lewis' pay-for-performance analysis during the last three years?

Where there is a decline in shareholder rights, the financial benefits are de minimis, and the proposed jurisdiction has significantly worse shareholder protections, we will generally recommend voting against the transaction.

In addition, costly, shareholder-initiated reincorporations are typically not the best route to achieve the furtherance of shareholder rights. We believe shareholders are generally better served by proposing specific shareholder resolutions addressing pertinent issues which may be implemented at a lower cost, and perhaps even with board approval. However, when shareholders propose a shift into a jurisdiction with enhanced shareholder rights, Glass Lewis examines the significant ways the company would benefit from shifting jurisdictions including an evaluation of the criteria listed above. We note, however, that we will only support shareholder proposals to change a company's place of incorporation in exceptional circumstances.

Exclusive Forum and Fee-Shifting Bylaw Provisions

Glass Lewis recognizes that companies may be subject to frivolous and opportunistic lawsuits, particularly in conjunction with a merger or acquisition, that are expensive and distracting. In response, companies have sought ways to prevent or limit the risk of such suits by adopting bylaws regarding where the suits must be brought or shifting the burden of the legal expenses to the plaintiff, if unsuccessful at trial.

Glass Lewis believes that charter or bylaw provisions limiting a shareholder's choice of legal venue are not in the best interests of shareholders. Such clauses may effectively discourage the use of shareholder claims by increasing their associated costs and making them more difficult to pursue. As such, shareholders should be wary about approving any limitation on their legal recourse including limiting themselves to a single jurisdiction (e.g., Delaware or federal courts for matters arising under the Securities Act of 1933) without compelling evidence that it will benefit shareholders.

For this reason, we recommend that shareholders vote against any bylaw or charter amendment seeking to adopt an exclusive forum provision unless the company: (i) provides a compelling argument on why the provision would directly benefit shareholders; (ii) provides evidence of abuse of legal process in other, non- favored jurisdictions; (iii) narrowly tailors such provision to the risks involved; and (iv) maintains a strong record of good corporate governance practices.

<sup>45</sup> In cases where a controlled company is seeking to change its domicile, we will closely evaluate how the independent members of the board came to its recommendation, if the controlling shareholder had any ability to influence the board, and if the proposal is also put to a vote of disinterested shareholders.

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Moreover, in the event a board seeks shareholder approval of a forum selection clause pursuant to a bundled bylaw amendment rather than as a separate proposal, we will weigh the importance of the other bundled provisions when determining the vote recommendation on the proposal. We will nonetheless recommend voting against the chair of the governance committee for bundling disparate proposals into a single proposal (refer to our discussion of nominating and governance committee performance in Section I of the guidelines).

Similarly, some companies have adopted bylaws requiring plaintiffs who sue the company and fail to receive a judgment in their favor pay the legal expenses of the company. These bylaws, also known as "fee-shifting" or "loser pays" bylaws, will likely have a chilling effect on even meritorious shareholder lawsuits as shareholders would face an strong financial disincentive not to sue a company. Glass Lewis therefore strongly opposes the adoption of such fee-shifting bylaws and, if adopted without shareholder approval, will recommend voting against the governance committee. While we note that in June of 2015 the State of Delaware banned the adoption of fee-shifting bylaws, such provisions could still be adopted by companies incorporated in other states.

Authorized Shares

Glass Lewis believes that adequate capital stock is important to a company's operation. When analyzing a request for additional shares, we typically review four common reasons why a company might need additional capital stock:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. **Stock Split** — We typically consider three metrics when evaluating whether we think a stock split is likely or necessary: The historical stock pre-split price, if any; the current price relative to the company's most common trading price over the past 52 weeks; and some absolute limits on stock price that, in our view, either always make a stock split appropriate if desired by management or would almost never be a reasonable price at which to split a stock.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. **Shareholder Defenses** — Additional authorized shares could be used to bolster takeover defenses such as a poison pill. Proxy filings often discuss the usefulness of additional shares in defending against or discouraging a hostile takeover as a reason for a requested increase. Glass Lewis is typically against such defenses and will oppose actions intended to bolster such defenses.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. **Financing for Acquisitions** — We look at whether the company has a history of using stock for acquisitions and attempt to determine what levels of stock have typically been required to accomplish such transactions. Likewise, we look to see whether this is discussed as a reason for additional shares in the proxy.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4. **Financing for Operations** — We review the company's cash position and its ability to secure financing through borrowing or other means. We look at the company's history of capitalization and whether the company has had to use stock in the recent past as a means of raising capital.

Issuing additional shares generally dilutes existing holders in most circumstances. Further, the availability of additional shares, where the board has discretion to implement a poison pill, can often serve as a deterrent to interested suitors. Accordingly, where we find that the company has not detailed a plan for use of the proposed shares, or where the number of shares far exceeds those needed to accomplish a detailed plan, we typically recommend against the authorization of additional shares. Similar concerns may also lead us to recommend

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against a proposal to conduct a reverse stock split if the board does not state that it will reduce the number of authorized common shares in a ratio proportionate to the split.

With regard to authorizations and/or increases in preferred shares, Glass Lewis is generally against such authorizations, which allow the board to determine the preferences, limitations and rights of the preferred shares (known as "blank-check preferred stock"). We believe that granting such broad discretion should be of concern to common shareholders, since blank-check preferred stock could be used as an anti-takeover device or in some other fashion that adversely affects the voting power or financial interests of common shareholders. Therefore, we will generally recommend voting against such requests, unless the company discloses a commitment to not use such shares as an anti-takeover defense or in a shareholder rights plan, or discloses a commitment to submit any shareholder rights plan to a shareholder vote prior to its adoption.

While we think that having adequate shares to allow management to make quick decisions and effectively operate the business is critical, we prefer that, for significant transactions, management come to shareholders to justify their use of additional shares rather than providing a blank check in the form of a large pool of unallocated shares available for any purpose.

Advance Notice Requirements

We typically recommend that shareholders vote against proposals that would require advance notice of shareholder proposals or of director nominees.

These proposals typically attempt to require a certain amount of notice before shareholders are allowed to place proposals on the ballot. Notice requirements typically range between three to six months prior to the annual meeting. Advance notice requirements typically make it impossible for a shareholder who misses the deadline to present a shareholder proposal or a director nominee that might be in the best interests of the company and its shareholders.

We believe shareholders should be able to review and vote on all proposals and director nominees. Shareholders can always vote against proposals that appear with little prior notice. Shareholders, as owners of a business, are capable of identifying issues on which they have sufficient information and ignoring issues on which they have insufficient information. Setting arbitrary notice restrictions limits the opportunity for shareholders to raise issues that may come up after the window closes.

Virtual Shareholder Meetings

A growing contingent of companies have elected to hold shareholder meetings by virtual means only. Glass Lewis believes that virtual meeting technology can be a useful complement to a traditional, in-person shareholder meeting by expanding participation of shareholders who are unable to attend a shareholder meeting in person (i.e., a "hybrid meeting"). However, we also believe that virtual-only meetings have the potential to curb the ability of a company's shareholders to meaningfully communicate with the company's management.

Prominent shareholder rights advocates, including the Council of Institutional Investors, have expressed concerns that such virtual-only meetings do not approximate an in-person experience and may serve to reduce

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the board's accountability to shareholders. When analyzing the governance profile of companies that choose to hold virtual-only meetings, we look for robust disclosure in a company's proxy statement which assures shareholders that they will be afforded the same rights and opportunities to participate as they would at an in- person meeting.

Examples of effective disclosure include: (i) addressing the ability of shareholders to ask questions during the meeting, including time guidelines for shareholder questions, rules around what types of questions are allowed, and rules for how questions and comments will be recognized and disclosed to meeting participants; (ii) procedures, if any, for posting appropriate questions received during the meeting and the company's answers, on the investor page of their website as soon as is practical after the meeting; (iii) addressing technical and logistical issues related to accessing the virtual meeting platform; and (iv) procedures for accessing technical support to assist in the event of any difficulties accessing the virtual meeting.

We will generally recommend voting against members of the governance committee where the board is planning to hold a virtual-only shareholder meeting and the company does not provide such disclosure.

Voting Structure

Multi-Class Share Structures

Glass Lewis believes multi-class voting structures are typically not in the best interests of common shareholders. Allowing one vote per share generally operates as a safeguard for common shareholders by ensuring that those who hold a significant minority of shares are able to weigh in on issues set forth by the board.

Furthermore, we believe that the economic stake of each shareholder should match their voting power and that no small group of shareholders, family or otherwise, should have voting rights different from those of other shareholders. On matters of governance and shareholder rights, we believe shareholders should have the power to speak and the opportunity to effect change. That power should not be concentrated in the hands of a few for reasons other than economic stake.

We generally consider a multi-class share structure to reflect negatively on a company's overall corporate governance. Because we believe that companies should have share capital structures that protect the interests of non-controlling shareholders as well as any controlling entity, we typically recommend that shareholders vote in favor of recapitalization proposals to eliminate dual-class share structures. Similarly, we will generally recommend against proposals to adopt a new class of common stock. We will generally recommend voting against the chair of the governance committee at companies with a multi-class share structure and unequal voting rights when the company does not provide for a reasonable sunset of the multi-class share structure (generally seven years or less).

In the case of a board that adopts a multi-class share structure in connection with an IPO, spin-off, or direct listing within the past year, we will generally recommend voting against all members of the board who served at the time of the IPO if the board: (i) did not also commit to submitting the multi-class structure to a shareholder vote at the company's first shareholder meeting following the IPO; or (ii) did not provide for a reasonable sunset of the multi-class structure (generally seven years or less). If the multi-class share structure is put to a

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shareholder vote, we will examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders when determining the vote outcome.

At companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will carefully examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders when determining whether board responsiveness is warranted. In the case of companies that have multi-class share structures with unequal voting rights, we will generally examine the level of approval or disapproval attributed to unaffiliated shareholders on a "one share, one vote" basis. At controlled and multi-class companies, when at least 20% or more of unaffiliated shareholders vote contrary to management, we believe that boards should engage with shareholders and demonstrate some initial level of responsiveness, and when a majority or more of unaffiliated shareholders vote contrary to management we believe that boards should engage with shareholders and provide a more robust response to fully address shareholder concerns.

Cumulative Voting

Cumulative voting increases the ability of minority shareholders to elect a director by allowing shareholders to cast as many shares of the stock they own multiplied by the number of directors to be elected. As companies generally have multiple nominees up for election, cumulative voting allows shareholders to cast all of their votes for a single nominee, or a smaller number of nominees than up for election, thereby raising the likelihood of electing one or more of their preferred nominees to the board. It can be important when a board is controlled by insiders or affiliates and where the company's ownership structure includes one or more shareholders who control a majority-voting block of company stock.

Glass Lewis believes that cumulative voting generally acts as a safeguard for shareholders by ensuring that those who hold a significant minority of shares can elect a candidate of their choosing to the board. This allows the creation of boards that are responsive to the interests of all shareholders rather than just a small group of large holders.

We review cumulative voting proposals on a case-by-case basis, factoring in the independence of the board and the status of the company's governance structure. But we typically find these proposals on ballots at companies where independence is lacking and where the appropriate checks and balances favoring shareholders are not in place. In those instances we typically recommend in favor of cumulative voting.

Where a company has adopted a true majority vote standard (i.e., where a director must receive a majority of votes cast to be elected, as opposed to a modified policy indicated by a resignation policy only), Glass Lewis will recommend voting against cumulative voting proposals due to the incompatibility of the two election methods. For companies that have not adopted a true majority voting standard but have adopted some form of majority voting, Glass Lewis will also generally recommend voting against cumulative voting proposals if the company has not adopted anti-takeover protections and has been responsive to shareholders.

Where a company has not adopted a majority voting standard and is facing both a shareholder proposal to adopt majority voting and a shareholder proposal to adopt cumulative voting, Glass Lewis will support only the majority voting proposal. When a company has both majority voting and cumulative voting in place, there is a higher likelihood of one or more directors not being elected as a result of not receiving a majority vote. This is because shareholders exercising the right to cumulate their votes could unintentionally cause the failed election of one or more directors for whom shareholders do not cumulate votes.

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Supermajority Vote Requirements

Glass Lewis believes that supermajority vote requirements impede shareholder action on ballot items critical to shareholder interests. An example is in the takeover context, where supermajority vote requirements can strongly limit the voice of shareholders in making decisions on such crucial matters as selling the business. This in turn degrades share value and can limit the possibility of buyout premiums to shareholders. Moreover, we believe that a supermajority vote requirement can enable a small group of shareholders to overrule the will of the majority shareholders. We believe that a simple majority is appropriate to approve all matters presented to shareholders.

Transaction of Other Business

We typically recommend that shareholders not give their proxy to management to vote on any other business items that may properly come before an annual or special meeting. In our opinion, granting unfettered discretion is unwise.

Anti-Greenmail Proposals

Glass Lewis will support proposals to adopt a provision preventing the payment of greenmail, which would serve to prevent companies from buying back company stock at significant premiums from a certain shareholder. Since a large or majority shareholder could attempt to compel a board into purchasing its shares at a large premium, the anti-greenmail provision would generally require that a majority of shareholders other than the majority shareholder approve the buyback.

Mutual Funds: Investment Policies and Advisory Agreements

Glass Lewis believes that decisions about a fund's structure and/or a fund's relationship with its investment advisor or sub-advisors are generally best left to management and the members of the board, absent a showing of egregious or illegal conduct that might threaten shareholder value. As such, we focus our analyses of such proposals on the following main areas:

● The terms of any amended advisory or sub-advisory agreement;

● Any changes in the fee structure paid to the investment advisor; and

● Any material changes to the fund's investment objective or strategy.

We generally support amendments to a fund's investment advisory agreement absent a material change that is not in the best interests of shareholders. A significant increase in the fees paid to an investment advisor would be reason for us to consider recommending voting against a proposed amendment to an investment advisory agreement or fund reorganization. However, in certain cases, we are more inclined to support an increase in advisory fees if such increases result from being performance-based rather than asset-based. Furthermore, we

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generally support sub-advisory agreements between a fund's advisor and sub-advisor, primarily because the fees received by the sub-advisor are paid by the advisor, and not by the fund.

In matters pertaining to a fund's investment objective or strategy, we believe shareholders are best served when a fund's objective or strategy closely resembles the investment discipline shareholders understood and selected when they initially bought into the fund. As such, we generally recommend voting against amendments to a fund's investment objective or strategy when the proposed changes would leave shareholders with stakes in a fund that is noticeably different than when originally purchased, and which could therefore potentially negatively impact some investors' diversification strategies.

Real Estate Investment Trusts

The complex organizational, operational, tax and compliance requirements of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) provide for a unique shareholder evaluation. In simple terms, a REIT must have a minimum of 100 shareholders (the 100 Shareholder Test) and no more than 50% of the value of its shares can be held by five or fewer individuals (the "5/50 Test"). At least 75% of a REITs' assets must be in real estate, it must derive 75% of its gross income from rents or mortgage interest, and it must pay out 90% of its taxable earnings as dividends. In addition, as a publicly traded security listed on a stock exchange, a REIT must comply with the same general listing requirements as a publicly traded equity.

In order to comply with such requirements, REITs typically include percentage ownership limitations in their organizational documents, usually in the range of 5% to 10% of the REITs outstanding shares. Given the complexities of REITs as an asset class, Glass Lewis applies a highly nuanced approach in our evaluation of REIT proposals, especially regarding changes in authorized share capital, including preferred stock.

Preferred Stock Issuances at REITs

Glass Lewis is generally against the authorization of "blank-check preferred stock." However, given the requirement that a REIT must distribute 90% of its net income annually, it is inhibited from retaining capital to make investments in its business. As such, we recognize that equity financing likely plays a key role in a REIT's growth and creation of shareholder value. Moreover, shareholder concern regarding the use of preferred stock as an anti-takeover mechanism may be allayed by the fact that most REITs maintain ownership limitations in their certificates of incorporation. For these reasons, along with the fact that REITs typically do not engage in private placements of preferred stock (which result in the rights of common shareholders being adversely impacted), we may support requests to authorize shares of blank-check preferred stock at REITs.

Business Development Companies

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similar to those of REITs—the most evident of which is that BDCs must distribute at least 90% of their taxable earnings as dividends.

Authorization to Sell Shares at a Price Below Net Asset Value

Considering that BDCs are required to distribute nearly all their earnings to shareholders, they sometimes need to offer additional shares of common stock in the public markets to finance operations and acquisitions. However, shareholder approval is required in order for a BDC to sell shares of common stock at a price below Net Asset Value (NAV). Glass Lewis evaluates these proposals using a case-by-case approach, but will recommend supporting such requests if the following conditions are met:

● The authorization to allow share issuances below NAV has an expiration date of one year or less from the date that shareholders approve the underlying proposal (i.e., the meeting date);

● The proposed discount below NAV is minimal (ideally no greater than 20%);

● The board specifies that the issuance will have a minimal or modest dilutive effect (ideally no greater than 25% of the company's then-outstanding common stock prior to the issuance); and

● A majority of the company's independent directors who do not have a financial interest in the issuance approve the sale.

In short, we believe BDCs should demonstrate a responsible approach to issuing shares below NAV, by proactively addressing shareholder concerns regarding the potential dilution of the requested share issuance, and explaining if and how the company's past below-NAV share issuances have benefitted the company.

Auditor Ratification and Below-NAV Issuances

When a BDC submits a below-NAV issuance for shareholder approval, we will refrain from recommending against the audit committee chair for not including auditor ratification on the same ballot. Because of the unique way these proposals interact, votes may be tabulated in a manner that is not in shareholders' interests. In cases where these proposals appear on the same ballot, auditor ratification is generally the only "routine proposal," the presence of which triggers a scenario where broker non-votes may be counted toward shareholder quorum, with unintended consequences.

Under the 1940 Act, below-NAV issuance proposals require relatively high shareholder approval. Specifically, these proposals must be approved by the lesser of: (i) 67% of votes cast if a majority of shares are represented at the meeting; or (ii) a majority of outstanding shares. Meanwhile, any broker non-votes counted toward quorum will automatically be registered as "against" votes for purposes of this proposal. The unintended result can be a case where the issuance proposal is not approved, despite sufficient voting shares being cast in favor. Because broker non-votes result from a lack of voting instruction by the shareholder, we do not believe shareholders' ability to weigh in on the selection of auditor outweighs the consequences of failing to approve an issuance proposal due to such technicality.

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Special Purpose Acquisition Companies

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs), also known as "blank check companies," are publicly traded entities with no commercial operations and are formed specifically to pool funds in order to complete a merger or acquisition within a set time frame. In general, the acquisition target of a SPAC is either not yet identified or otherwise not explicitly disclosed to the public even when the founders of the SPAC may have at least one target in mind. Consequently, IPO investors often do not know what company they will ultimately be investing in.

SPACs are therefore very different from typical operating companies. Shareholders do not have the same expectations associated with an ordinary publicly traded company and executive officers of a SPAC typically do not continue in employment roles with an acquired company.

Extension of Business Combination Deadline

Governing documents of SPACs typically provide for the return of IPO proceeds to common shareholders if no qualifying business combination is consummated before a certain date. Because the time frames for the consummation of such transactions are relatively short, SPACs will sometimes hold special shareholder meetings at which shareholders are asked to extend the business combination deadline. In such cases, an acquisition target will typically have been identified, but additional time is required to allow management of the SPAC to finalize the terms of the deal.

Glass Lewis believes management and the board are generally in the best position to determine when the extension of a business combination deadline is needed. We therefore generally defer to the recommendation of management and support reasonable extension requests.

SPAC Board Independence

The board of directors of a SPAC's acquisition target is in many cases already established prior to the business combination. In some cases, however, the board's composition may change in connection with the business combination, including the potential addition of individuals who served in management roles with the SPAC. The role of a SPAC executive is unlike that of a typical operating company executive. Because the SPAC's only business is identifying and executing an acquisition deal, the interests of a former SPAC executive are also different. Glass Lewis does not automatically consider a former SPAC executive to be affiliated with the acquired operating entity when their only position on the board of the combined entity is that of an otherwise independent director. Absent any evidence of an employment relationship or continuing material financial interest in the combined entity, we will therefore consider such directors to be independent.

Director Commitments of SPAC Executives

We believe the primary role of executive officers at SPACs is identifying acquisition targets for the SPAC and consummating a business combination. Given the nature of these executive roles and the limited business operations of SPACs, when a directors' only executive role is at a SPAC, we will generally apply our higher limit for company directorships. As a result, we generally recommend that shareholders vote against a director who serves in an executive role only at a SPAC while serving on more than five public company boards.

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Shareholder Proposals

Glass Lewis believes that shareholders should seek to promote governance structures that protect shareholders, support effective ESG oversight and reporting, and encourage director accountability. Accordingly, Glass Lewis places a significant emphasis on promoting transparency, robust governance structures and companies' responsiveness to and engagement with shareholders. We also believe that companies should be transparent on how they are mitigating material ESG risks, including those related to climate change, human capital management, and stakeholder relations.

To that end, we evaluate all shareholder proposals on a case-by-case basis with a view to protecting long-term shareholder value. While we are generally supportive of those that promote board accountability, shareholder rights, and transparency, we consider all proposals in the context of a company's unique operations and risk profile.

For a detailed review of our policies concerning compensation, environmental, social, and governance shareholder proposals, please refer to our comprehensive *Proxy Paper Guidelines for Shareholder Proposals & ESG-Related Issues*, available at www.glasslewis.com/voting-policies-current/.

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Overall Approach to Environmental, Social & Governance Issues

Glass Lewis evaluates all environmental and social issues through the lens of long-term shareholder value. We believe that companies should be considering material environmental and social factors in all aspects of their operations and that companies should provide shareholders with disclosures that allow them to understand how these factors are being considered and how attendant risks are being mitigated. We also are of the view that governance is a critical factor in how companies manage environmental and social risks and opportunities and that a well-governed company will be generally managing these issues better than one without a governance structure that promotes board independence and accountability.

We believe part of the board's role is to ensure that management conducts a complete risk analysis of company operations, including those that have material environmental and social implications. We believe that directors should monitor management's performance in both capitalizing on environmental and social opportunities and mitigating environmental and social risks related to operations in order to best serve the interests of shareholders. Companies face significant financial, legal and reputational risks resulting from poor environmental and social practices, or negligent oversight thereof. Therefore, in cases where the board or management has neglected to take action on a pressing issue that could negatively impact shareholder value, we believe that shareholders should take necessary action in order to effect changes that will safeguard their financial interests.

Given the importance of the role of the board in executing a sustainable business strategy that allows for the realization of environmental and social opportunities and the mitigation of related risks, relating to environmental risks and opportunities, we believe shareholders should seek to promote governance structures that protect shareholders and promote director accountability. When management and the board have displayed disregard for environmental or social risks, have engaged in egregious or illegal conduct, or have failed to adequately respond to current or imminent environmental and social risks that threaten shareholder value, we believe shareholders should consider holding directors accountable. In such instances, we will generally recommend against responsible members of the board that are specifically charged with oversight of the issue in question.

When evaluating environmental and social factors that may be relevant to a given company, Glass Lewis does so in the context of the financial materiality of the issue to the company's operations. We believe that all companies face risks associated with environmental and social issues. However, we recognize that these risks manifest themselves differently at each company as a result of a company's operations, workforce, structure, and geography, among other factors. Accordingly, we place a significant emphasis on the financial implications of a company's actions with regard to impacts on its stakeholders and the environment.

When evaluating environmental and social issues, Glass Lewis examines companies':

**Direct environmental and social risk** — Companies should evaluate financial exposure to direct environmental risks associated with their operations. Examples of direct environmental risks include those associated with oil or gas spills, contamination, hazardous leakages, explosions, or reduced water or air quality, among others. Social risks may include non-inclusive employment policies, inadequate human rights policies, or issues that

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adversely affect the company's stakeholders. Further, we believe that firms should consider their exposure to risks emanating from a broad range of issues, over which they may have no or only limited control, such as insurance companies being affected by increased storm severity and frequency resulting from climate change

**Risk due to legislation and regulation** — Companies should evaluate their exposure to changes or potential changes in regulation that affect current and planned operations. Regulation should be carefully monitored in all jurisdictions in which the company operates. We look closely at relevant and proposed legislation and evaluate whether the company has responded proactively.

**Legal and reputational risk** — Failure to take action on important environmental or social issues may carry the risk of inciting negative publicity and potentially costly litigation. While the effect of high-profile campaigns on shareholder value may not be directly measurable, we believe it is prudent for companies to carefully evaluate the potential impacts of the public perception of their impacts on stakeholders and the environment. When considering investigations and lawsuits, Glass Lewis is mindful that such matters may involve unadjudicated allegations or other charges that have not been resolved. Glass Lewis does not assume the truth of such allegations or charges or that the law has been violated. Instead, Glass Lewis focuses more broadly on whether, under the particular facts and circumstances presented, the nature and number of such concerns, lawsuits or investigations reflects on the risk profile of the company or suggests that appropriate risk mitigation measures may be warranted.

**Governance risk** — Inadequate oversight of environmental and social issues carries significant risks to companies. When leadership is ineffective or fails to thoroughly consider potential risks, such risks are likely unmitigated and could thus present substantial risks to the company, ultimately leading to loss of shareholder value.

Glass Lewis believes that one of the most crucial factors in analyzing the risks presented to companies in the form of environmental and social issues is the level and quality of oversight over such issues. When management and the board have displayed disregard for environmental risks, have engaged in egregious or illegal conduct, or have failed to adequately respond to current or imminent environmental risks that threaten shareholder value, we believe shareholders should consider holding directors accountable. When companies have not provided for explicit, board-level oversight of environmental and social matters and/or when a substantial environmental or social risk has been ignored or inadequately addressed, we may recommend voting against members of the board. In addition, or alternatively, depending on the proposals presented, we may also consider recommending voting in favor of relevant shareholder proposals or against other relevant management-proposed items, such as the ratification of auditor, a company's accounts and reports, or ratification of management and board acts.

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Connect with Glass Lewis

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| Corporate Website | \| | www.glasslewis.com | www.glasslewis.com |
| Email | \| | info@glasslewis.com | info@glasslewis.com |
| Social | \| | ![](proxy_002.jpg)@glasslewis | ![](proxy_003.jpg) <u>Glass, Lewis & Co</u>. |

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Global Locations

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| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**North** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**United States** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**Europe** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**Ireland** |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**America** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; *Headquarters*<br> 100 Pine Street, |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 15 Henry Street Limerick V94 V9T4 |
|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Suite 1925 |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;+353 61 534 343 |
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|  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;New York, NY |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;80 Coleman Street |
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|  |  |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;*Proxinvest* |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**Asia<br> Pacific** | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; **Australia**<br> *CGI Glass Lewis*<br> Suite 5.03, Level 5<br> 255 George Street |  | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;6 Rue d'Uzès<br> 75002 Paris<br> +33 ()1 45 51 50 43 |
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DISCLAIMER© 2024 Glass, Lewis & Co., and/or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.

This document is intended to provide an overview of Glass Lewis' proxy voting guidelines. It is not intended to be exhaustive and does not address all potential voting issues. Glass Lewis' proxy voting guidelines, as they apply to certain issues or types of proposals, are further explained in supplemental guidelines and reports that are made available on Glass Lewis' website – http://www.glasslewis.com. These guidelines have not been set or approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or any other regulatory body. Additionally, none of the information contained herein is or should be relied upon as investment advice. The content of this document has been developed based on Glass Lewis' experience with proxy voting and corporate governance issues, engagement with clients and issuers, and review of relevant studies and surveys, and has not been tailored to any specific person or entity.

Glass Lewis' proxy voting guidelines are grounded in corporate governance best practices, which often exceed minimum legal requirements. Accordingly, unless specifically noted otherwise, a failure to meet these guidelines should not be understood to mean that the company or individual involved has failed to meet applicable legal requirements.

No representations or warranties express or implied, are made as to the accuracy or completeness of any information included herein. In addition, Glass Lewis shall not be liable for any losses or damages arising from or in connection with the information contained herein or the use, reliance on, or inability to use any such information. Glass Lewis expects its subscribers possess sufficient experience and knowledge to make their own decisions entirely independent of any information contained in this document and subscribers are ultimately and solely responsible for making their own decisions, including, but not limited to, ensuring that such decisions comply with all agreements, codes, duties, laws, ordinances, regulations, and other obligations applicable to such subscriber.

All information contained in this report is protected by law, including, but not limited to, copyright law, and none of such information may be copied or otherwise reproduced, repackaged, further transmitted, transferred, disseminated, redistributed or resold, or stored for subsequent use for any such purpose, in whole or in part, in any form or manner, or by any means whatsoever, by any person without Glass Lewis' prior written consent.

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**APPENDIX B – DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS**

**Corporate and Municipal Long-Term Bond Ratings**

China Lianhe Credit Ratings

**AAA**: Strong ability to repay debt. Not adversely affected by the economic environment. The risk of default is very low.

**AA**: Strong ability to repay debt. Less adversely affected by the economic environment. The risk of default is very low.

**A**: Strong ability to repay debt. More susceptible adversely affected by the economic environment. The risk of default is very low.

**BBB**: Adequate ability to repay debt. Business is affected by unfavorable economic environment. Greater default risk in general.

**BB**: Weak ability to repay debt. Business is affected by unfavorable economic environment. Greater default risk in general.

**B**: Business's ability to repay debt is largely dependent on favorable economic environment. There is a high risk of default.

**CCC**: Business's ability to repay debt is extremely dependent on favorable economic environment. There is a high risk of default.

**CC**: Business's ability to repay debt is extremely dependent on favorable economic environment. Business is at risk of bankruptcy or reorganization. Default is likely.

**C**: Business cannot repay the debt.

In addition to AAA and CCC grade level (inclusive) level, every one credit rating available, "+", "-" symbol to fine tune, which means that a slightly higher or slightly below this level.

China Chengxin (Asia Pacific) Credit Ratings Company, Limited ("CCXAP") long-term credit ratings:

**AAAg**: Capacity to meet commitments on short-term and long-term debts is extremely strong. Business is operated in a virtuous circle. The foreseeable uncertainty on business operations is minimal.

**AAg+, AAg, AAg-**: Capacity to meet short-term and long-term financial commitments is very strong. Business is operated in a virtuous circle. Foreseeable uncertainty in business operations is relatively low.

**Ag+, Ag, Ag-**: Capacity to meet short-term and long-term commitments is strong. Business is operated in a virtuous circle. Business operation and development may be affected by internal uncertain factors, which may create fluctuations in profitability and solvency of the issuer.

**BBBg+, BBBg, BBBg-**: Capacity to meet financial commitment is considered adequate and capacity to meet short-term and long-term commitments is satisfactory. Business is operated in a virtuous circle. Business is affected by internal and external uncertainties. Profitability and solvency may experience significant fluctuation. Principal and interest may not be sufficiently protected by the terms of agreement.

**BBg+, BBg, BBg-**: Capacity to meet short-term and long-term financial commitment is relatively weak. Financial commitment towards short-term and long-term debts is below average. Status of business operation and development is not good. Solvency is unstable and subject to sustainable risk.

**Bg+, Bg, Bg-**: Financial commitment towards short-term and long-term debts is bad. Business is affected by internal and external uncertain factors. There are difficulties in business operations. Solvency is uncertain and subject to high credit risk.

**CCCg**: Financial commitment towards short-term and long-term debts is very bad. Business is affected by internal and external uncertain factors. There are difficulties in business operations. Poor solvency with very high credit risk.

**CCg**: Financial commitment towards short-term and long-term debts is extremely bad. Business operations are poor. There are very limited positive internal and external factors to support business operation and development. Extremely high credit risk is found.

**Cg**: Financial commitment towards short-term and long-term debts is insolvent. Business falls into a vicious circle. Very limited positive internal and external factors are found to support business operations and development in positive cycle. Extremely high credit risk is seen and is near default.

**Dg**: Unable to meet financial commitments. Default is confirmed.

Dagong Global Credit Rating Co. ("Dagong") Corporate and Financial Institution Issuer, Borrowing Companies, and Long-term Debt Facility Credit Ratings:

**AAA -** Highest Credit Quality: "AAA" ratings denote the lowest expectation of default risk. It indicates that the issuer has exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. Although the debt protection factors may change, this capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by any foreseeable event. "AAA" is the highest issuer credit rating assigned by Dagong.

**AA -** Very High Credit Quality: "AA" ratings denote expectations of very low default risk. It indicates that the issuer has very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. Although due to its relatively higher long-term risk, this capacity is not significantly vulnerable to any foreseeable event.

**A** - High Credit Quality: "A" ratings denote expectations of relatively low default risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered sufficient. However, this capacity may be more vulnerable than those of the higher ratings to adverse business or economic conditions due to any foreseeable event.

**BBB** - Medium Credit Quality: "BBB" ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are currently low and it has medium default risk. In normal conditions, the capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, whereas under adverse business or economic conditions risks of default are more likely to exist under this scale.

**BB** - Low Medium Credit Quality: "BB" ratings indicate that the issuer faces major ongoing uncertainties and exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.

**B** - Relatively Low Credit Quality: "B" ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are relatively high but a limited margin of safety remains. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor's capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitments. This is a lower scale than that of the "BB" rating and an obligor rated "B" is more vulnerable to adverse developments than the obligors rated "BB".

**CCC -** Low Credit Quality: "CCC" ratings indicate very high default risk. The issuer is currently vulnerable, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions to meet its financial commitments. Some practical risks exist and this will impair the obligor's ability to meet its financial commitments.

**CC** - Very Low Credit Quality: "CC" ratings indicate that the issuer is currently highly vulnerable and entities with this rating have a seriously high risk of default.

**C** - Lowest Credit Quality: "C" ratings indicate the highest default risk and the issuer is currently unable to meet its financial commitments or may even be in the process of compulsory debt reconstruction, or a takeover by regulatory organizations or in bankruptcy liquidation.

China Bond Rating Co.

**AAAR**: Strong ability to repay debt. Basically unaffected by adverse economic conditions, and the risk of default is extremely low.

**AAR**: Strong ability to repay debt. Not affected by the economic environment. The risk of default is very low.

**AR**: Strong ability to repay debt. More susceptible adversely affected by the economic environment. The risk of default is very low.

**BBBR**: Adequate ability to repay debt. Business is affected by unfavorable economic environment. Greater default risk in general.

**BBR**: Weak ability to repay debt. Business is affected by unfavorable economic environment. Greater default risk in general.

**BR**: Business's ability to repay debt is largely dependent on favorable economic environment. There is a high risk of default.

**CCCR**: Business's ability to repay debt is extremely dependent on favorable economic environment. There is a high risk of default.

**CCR**: Business's ability to repay debt is extremely dependent on favorable economic environment. Business is at risk of bankruptcy or reorganization. Default is likely.

**CR**: Business cannot repay the debt.

**DR**: Default is confirmed.

In addition to AAA and CCC grade level (inclusive) level, every one credit rating available, "+", "-" symbol to fine tune, which means that a slightly higher or slightly below this level.

CSCI Pengyuan Credit Rating Co.

**AAA**: The ability to repay debt is extremely strong. Not adversely affected by the economic environment. The risk of default is very low.

**AA**: The ability to repay debt is strong. Less adversely affected by the economic environment. The risk of default is very low.

**A**: Strong ability to repay debt. More susceptible adversely affected by the economic environment. The risk of default is very low.

**BBB**: Adequate ability to repay debt. Business is affected by unfavorable economic environment. Greater default risk in general.

**BB**: Weak ability to repay debt. Business is affected by unfavorable economic environment. Greater default risk in general.

**B**: Business's ability to repay debt is largely dependent on favorable economic environment. There is an extremely high risk of default.

**CCC**: Business's ability to repay debt is extremely dependent on favorable economic environment. There is a high risk of default.

**CC**: In the case of bankruptcy or restructuring, there is less protection and there is basically no guarantee of repayment of debts.

**C**: Business cannot repay the debt.

In addition to AAA and CCC grade level (inclusive) level, every one credit rating available, "+", "-" symbol to fine tune, which means that a slightly higher or slightly below this level.

Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC ("S&P") Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings:

*The following descriptions of S&P's long-term issue credit ratings have been published by Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC.*

**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.

Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") Global Long-Term Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Moody's long-term corporate bond ratings have been published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. and Moody's Analytics Inc.*

**Aaa** - Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, with minimal 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 considered upper medium-grade and are subject to low credit risk.

**Baa** - Obligations rated Baa are subject to moderate credit risk. They are considered medium-grade and as such may possess speculative characteristics.

**Ba** - Obligations rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements 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 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 in principal and interest.

**C** - Obligations rated C are the lowest-rated class of bonds and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal and interest.

Modifiers: 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.

Additionally, a "(hyb)" indicator is appended to all ratings of hybrid securities issued by banks, insurers, finance companies, and securities firms. By their terms, hybrid securities allow for the omission of scheduled dividends, interest, or principal payments, which can potentially result in impairment if such an omission occurs. Hybrid securities may also be subject to contractually allowable write-downs of principal that could result in impairment. Together with the hybrid indicator, the long-term obligation rating assigned to a hybrid security is an expression of the relative credit risk associated with that security.

Fitch Ratings Ltd. ("Fitch") Corporate Finance Obligations Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Fitch's long-term corporate bond ratings have been published by Fitch Ratings, Inc. and Fitch Ratings Ltd.*

**AAA** - 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** - 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** - 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** - 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** - Speculative. '**BB**' ratings indicate 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** - Highly speculative. '**B**' ratings indicate that material credit risk is present.

**CCC** - Substantial credit risk. '**CCC**' ratings indicate that substantial credit risk is present.

**CC** - Very high levels of credit risk. '**CC**' ratings indicate very high levels of credit risk.

**C** - Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. '**C**' indicates exceptionally high levels of credit risk.

Corporate Finance 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. This approach better aligns obligations that have comparable overall expected loss but varying vulnerability to default and loss.

**Plus (+)** or **Minus (-)** - The modifiers "+" or "–" may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to 'AAA' ratings and ratings below the 'CCC' category.

Fitch's credit rating scale for issuers and issues is expressed using the categories 'AAA' to 'BBB' (investment grade) and 'BB' to 'D' (speculative grade) with an additional +/– for 'AA' through 'CCC' levels, indicating relative differences of probability of default or recovery for issues. The terms "investment grade" and "speculative grade" are market conventions and do not imply any recommendation or endorsement of a specific security for investment purposes. Investment-grade categories indicate relatively low to moderate credit risk, while ratings in the speculative categories signal either a higher level of credit risk or that a default already occurred.

Fitch's Municipal Bond Long-Term Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Fitch's long-term municipal bond ratings have been published by Fitch Ratings, Inc. and Fitch Ratings Ltd.*

**AAA** - Highest credit quality. '**AAA**' ratings denote the lowest expectation of default 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** - Very high credit quality. '**AA**' ratings denote expectations of very low default risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

**A** - High credit quality. '**A**' ratings denote expectations of low default 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** - Good credit quality. '**BBB**' ratings indicate that expectations of default 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** - Speculative. '**BB**' ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to default risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time.

**B -** Highly speculative. '**B**' ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the business and economic environment.

**CCC** - Substantial credit risk. '**CCC**' ratings indicate very low margin for safety. Default is a real possibility.

**CC** - Very high levels of credit risk. '**CC**' ratings indicate default of some kind appears probable.

**C** - Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. '**C**' ratings indicate default appears imminent or inevitable.

**D** - Default. '**D**' ratings indicates a default. Default generally is defined as one of the following:

● failure to make payment of principal and/or interest under the contractual terms of the rated obligation;

● bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other winding-up or cessation of the business of an issuer/obligor where payment default on an obligation is a virtual certainty; or

● distressed exchange of an obligation, where creditors were offered securities with diminished structural or economic terms compared with the existing obligation to avoid a probable payment default.

**Structured Finance Defaults** – Imminent default, categorized under 'C', typically refers to the occasion where a payment default has been intimated by the issuer and is all but inevitable. This may, for example, be where an issuer has missed a scheduled payment but (as is typical) has a grace period during which it may cure the payment default. Another alternative would be where an issuer has formally announced a distressed debt exchange, but the date of the exchange still lies several days or weeks in the immediate future.

Additionally, in structured finance transactions, where analysis indicates that an instrument is irrevocably impaired such that it is not expected to pay interest and/or principal in full in accordance with the terms of the obligation's documentation during the life of the transaction, but where no payment default in accordance with the terms of the documentation is imminent, the obligation will typically be rated in the 'C' category.

**Structured Finance Write-Downs** - Where an instrument has experienced an involuntary and, in the agency's opinion, irreversible write-down of principal (i.e. other than through amortization, and resulting in a loss to the investor), a credit rating of 'D' will be assigned to the instrument. Where the agency believes the write-down may prove to be temporary (and the loss may be written up again in future if and when performance improves), then a credit rating of 'C' will typically be assigned. Should the write-down then later be reversed, the credit rating will be raised to an appropriate level for that instrument. Should the write-down later be deemed as irreversible, the credit rating will be lowered to 'D'.

Notes: In the case of structured finance, while the ratings do not address the loss severity given default of the rated liability, loss severity assumptions on the underlying assets are nonetheless typically included as part of the analysis. Loss severity assumptions are used to derive pool cash flows available to service the rated liability. The suffix 'sf' denotes an issue that is a structured finance transaction.

**Plus (+) or Minus (-) -** The modifiers "+" or "-" 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 ratings below the 'CCC' category.

**Municipal Short-Term Bond Ratings**

CCXAP short-term credit ratings:

**Ag-1**: Capacity to meet short-term financial commitments is extremely strong with a high level of safety.

**Ag-2**: Capacity to meet short-term financial commitments is strong with a high level of safety.

**Ag-3**: Capacity to meet short-term financial commitments is average but the safety may be easily affected by adverse business, financial, or economic conditions.

**Bg**: Capacity to meet short-term financial commitments is weak with a high probability of default.

**Cg**: Capacity to meet short-term financial commitments is very weak and the probability of default is very high.

**Dg**: Unable to meet financial commitments. Default is confirmed.

S&P's Municipal Short-Term Note Ratings:

*The following descriptions of S&P's short-term municipal ratings have been published by Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC.*

**SP-1** - 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** - Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.

**SP-3** - Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.

**D** - 'D' 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 Global Short-Term Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Moody's short-term municipal ratings have been published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. and Moody's Analytics Inc.*

**P-1** - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

**P-2** - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

**P-3** - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have 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.

Note: Canadian issuers rated P-1 or P-2 have their short-term ratings enhanced by the senior-most long-term rating of the issuer, its guarantor or support-provider.

Fitch's Short-Term Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Fitch's short-term ratings have been published by Fitch Ratings, Inc. and Fitch Ratings Ltd.*

**F1 -** Highest short-term credit quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added '+' to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

**F2 -** Good short-term credit quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

**F3 -** Fair short-term credit quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

**B -** Speculative short-term credit quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

**C -** 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.

The modifiers "+" or "-" may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. For the short-term rating category of 'F1', a '+' may be appended.

**Commercial Paper Ratings**

S&P's Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings:

*The following descriptions of S&P's commercial paper ratings have been published by Standard & Poor's Financial Service LLC.*

**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 commitments 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.

**Dual Ratings** – S&P may assign dual ratings to debt issues that have a put option or demand feature. The first component of the rating addresses the likelihood of repayment of principal and interest as due, and the second component of the rating addresses only the demand feature. The first component of the rating can relate to either a short-term or long-term transaction and accordingly use either short-term or long-term rating symbols. The second component of the rating relates to the put option and is assigned a short-term rating symbol (for example, 'AAA/A-1+' or 'A-1+/A-1'). With U.S. municipal short-term demand debt, the U.S. municipal short-term note rating symbols are used for the first component of the rating (for example, 'SP-1+/A-1+').

Moody's U.S. Municipal Short-Term Debt Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Moody's commercial paper ratings have been published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. and Moody's Analytics Inc.*

**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.

Fitch's Commercial Paper Ratings:

*The following descriptions of Fitch's commercial paper ratings have been published by Fitch Ratings, Inc. and Fitch Ratings Ltd.*

**F1 -** Highest short-term credit quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added '+' to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

**F2 -** Good short-term credit quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

**F3 -** Fair short-term credit quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

**B -** Speculative short-term credit quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

**C -** 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.

The modifiers "+" or "-" may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the 'AAA' Long-term rating category, to categories below 'CCC', or to Short-term ratings other than 'F1'.

**PART C: OTHER INFORMATION**

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| **<u>Item 28</u>.** | **<u>Exhibits</u>** |
| (a)(1) | [Certificate of Trust, as filed with the state of Delaware on February 3, 2012, for KraneShares Trust (the "Registrant" or the "Trust") is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(1) to the Registrant's initial Registration Statement on Form N-1A as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") via EDGAR Accession No. 0001193125-12-173444 on April 20, 2012.](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000119312512173444/d336429dex99a1.htm) |
| (a)(2) | [Registrant's Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, dated June 7, 2017, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 145 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001144204-17-033078 on June 19, 2017.](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000114420417033078/v469064_ex99-a2.htm) |
| (b) | [Registrant's Amended and Restated By-Laws, dated May 23, 2024, are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (b) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 383 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001829126-24-004932 on July 24, 2024.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000182912624004932/kraneshares_ex99b.htm) |
| (c) | Not applicable. |
| (d)(1) | [Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Krane Funds Advisors, LLC, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 149 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001144204-17-038833 on July 28, 2017.](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000114420417038833/v471651_ex-d3.htm) |

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(d)(2) [Schedule A to the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Krane Funds Advisors, LLC, filed herewith.](kraneshares_exd2.htm)

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| (d)(3) | [Schedule B to the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Krane Funds Advisors, LLC, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 180 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001615774-19-004417 on March 22, 2019.](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000161577419004417/s116879_ex99d3.htm) |

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| (d)(4) | [Investment Advisory Agreement between Krane Funds Advisors, LLC, on behalf of the KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF (formerly known as KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A Share ETF) and KraneShares SSE Star Market 50 Index ETF, and Bosera Asset Management (International) Co., Ltd., is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 285 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001829126-21-007132 on July 29, 2021.](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000182912621007132/kraneshares_ex99d4.htm) |
| (d)(5) | [Amended and Restated Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Krane Funds Advisors, LLC, on behalf of the Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF and Quadratic Deflation ETF, and Quadratic Capital Management LLC, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(5) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 292 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001829126-21-010114 on September 17, 2021.](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000182912621010114/kraneshares_ex99d5.htm) |

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| (d)(6) | [Form of Sub-Advisory Agreement between Krane Funds Advisors, LLC and Climate Finance Partners LLC, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(9) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 236 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001615774-20-005257 on April 30, 2020.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000161577420005257/s124835_ex99-d9.htm) |

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| (d)(7) | [Schedules A and B to the Sub-Advisory Agreement between Krane Funds Advisors, LLC, on behalf of the KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, and KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF and Climate Finance Partners LLC, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(7) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 303 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001829126-22-008688 on April 25, 2022.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000182912622008688/kraneshares_ex99d7.htm) |

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| (d)(8) | [Amended and Restated Investment Advisory Agreement between KFA Global Carbon Subsidiary, Ltd., and Krane Fund Advisors LLC, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(9) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 294 to the Registrant's Registration on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001829126-21-010841 on September 29, 2021.](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000182912621010841/kraneshares_ex99d9.htm) |

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| (d)(9) | [Sub-Advisory Agreement between Krane Funds Advisors, LLC, on behalf of the KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF (formerly known as KFA Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF) and Mount Lucas Index Advisers LLC, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(13) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 258 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001829126-20-000214 on November 30, 2020.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000182912620000214/kraneshares-kmlm_ex99d13.htm) |

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| (d)(10) | [Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between KFA MLM Index, and Krane Fund Advisors LLC, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(14) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 258 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001829126-20-000214 on November 30, 2020.](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000182912620000214/kraneshares-kmlm_ex99d14.htm) |

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| (d)(11) | [Form of Sub-Advisory Agreement between KFA MLM Index, and Krane Fund Advisors LLC, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(15) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 258 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001829126-20-000214 on November 30, 2020.](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000182912620000214/kraneshares-kmlm_ex99d15.htm) |

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| (d)(12) | [Form of Sub-Advisory Agreement between Krane Funds Advisors, LLC, on behalf of the KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF (formerly known as KraneShares Asia Pacific High Yield Bond ETF) and Nikko Asset Management Americas Inc., is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(16) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 285 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001829126-21-007132 on July 29, 2021.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000182912621007132/kraneshares_ex99d16.htm) |
| (d)(13) | [Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between KraneShares European Carbon Subsidiary, Ltd., and Krane Fund Advisors LLC, is incorporated herein by reference Exhibit (d)(19) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 293 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001829126-21-010631 on September 27, 2021.](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000182912621010631/kraneshares_ex99d19.htm) |

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| (d)(14) | [Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between KraneShares California Carbon Subsidiary, Ltd., and Krane Fund Advisors LLC, is substantially identical to the Investment Advisory Agreement in Exhibit (d)(13) except the names of the entity entering into the agreement with Krane Fund Advisors LLC.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000182912621010631/kraneshares_ex99d19.htm) |

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| (d)(15) | [Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Subsidiary, Ltd., and Krane Fund Advisors LLC, is substantially identical to the Investment Advisory Agreement in Exhibit (d)(13) except the names of the entity entering into the agreement with Krane Fund Advisors LLC.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000182912621010631/kraneshares_ex99d19.htm) |

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| (d)(16) | [Form of Sub-Advisory Agreement between Krane Funds Advisors, LLC, on behalf of the KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF and Etna Capital Management Company Ltd., is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(18) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 379 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001829126-24-004847 on July 17, 2024.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000182912624004847/kraneshares_ex99d18.htm) |

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| (d)(17) | [Form of Sub-Advisory Agreement between Krane Funds Advisors, LLC, on behalf of the KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF and Numeric Investors LLC, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(19) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 396 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001829126-24-006656 on October 4, 2024.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000182912624006656/kraneshares_ex99d19.htm) |
| (e)(1) | [Amended and Restated Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co., is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(1) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 63 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001144204-14-046850 on August 4, 2014.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000114420414046850/v385528_ex99-e1.htm) |
| (e)(2) | [Schedule A to the Amended and Restated Distribution Agreement between Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co., filed herewith.](kraneshares_exe2.htm) |
| (e)(3) | [Amendment No. 1 to Amended and Restated Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 243 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001615774-20-007826 on June 30, 2020.](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000161577420007826/s126015_ex99-e3.htm) |
| (e)(4) | [Form of Authorized Participant Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(2) of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001144204-13-003143 on January 18, 2013.](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000114420413003143/v795494_ex99-e2.htm) |
| (f) | Not applicable. |

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| (g)(1) | [Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreement between the Registrant and Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g) of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001144204-13-003143 on January 18, 2013.](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000114420413003143/v795494_ex99-g.htm) |

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| (g)(2) | [Form of Agency Agreement between the Registrant and DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc., is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 269 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001829126-21-000882 on February 24, 2021.](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000182912621000882/kraneshares_ex99g2.htm) |

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| (h)(1) | [Amended and Restated Administration Agreement between the Registrant and SEI Global Fund Services is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(1) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 63 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001144204-14-046850 on August 4, 2014.](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000114420414046850/v385528_ex99-h1.htm) |

---

(h)(2) [Schedule I to the Amended and Restated Administration Agreement between the Registrant and SEI Global Fund Services, filed herewith.](kraneshares_exh2.htm)

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| (h)(3) | [Compliance Services Agreement between the Registrant and Quain Compliance Consulting, LLC, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(5) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 99 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001144204-15-044651 on July 28, 2015.](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000114420415044651/v416263_ex99-h5.htm) |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| (h)(4) | [Sublicense Agreement between the Registrant and Krane Funds Advisors, LLC, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(11) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 149 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001144204-17-038833 on July 28, 2017.](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000114420417038833/v471651_ex-h11.htm) |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| (h)(5) | [Schedule I to the Form of Sublicense Agreement between the Registrant and Krane Funds Advisors, LLC, filed herewith.](kraneshares_exh5.htm) |
| (h)(6) | [Securities Lending Agency Agreement between the Registrant and Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., dated February 1, 2018, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(8) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 162 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001615774-18-007036 on July 30, 2018.](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000161577418007036/s111567_ex99-h8.htm) |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| (h)(7) | [Fee Waiver Agreement between the Registrant and Krane Funds Advisors, LLC, relating to the KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF (formerly known as KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A Share ETF), KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF (formerly known as KraneShares Asia Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Index ETF), KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF, KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF, KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF, KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF, KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF and KraneShares 2X Long BABA Daily ETF, filed herewith.](kraneshares_exh7.htm) |

---

(i) [Opinion and consent of counsel, filed herewith.](kraneshares_exi.htm)

(j) [Consent of independent registered public accountant, filed herewith.](kraneshares_exj.htm)

(k) Not
 applicable.

(l) [Subscription Agreement between the Registrant and Krane Funds Advisors, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (l) of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001144204-13-003143 on January 18, 2013.](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000114420413003143/v795494_ex99-l.htm)

(m) [Distribution Plan, is incorporated by herein by reference to Exhibit (m) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 299 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001829126-22-005727 on March 9, 2022.](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000182912622005727/kraneshares_ex99m.htm)

(n) [Rule 18f-3 Multiple Class Plan, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (n) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 269 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001829126-21-000882 on February 24, 2021.](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000182912621000882/kraneshares_ex99n.htm)

(o) Not applicable.

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| (p)(1) | [Code of Ethics of the Registrant, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(1) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 384 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N- 1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001829126-24-005055 on July 29, 2024.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000182912624005055/kraneshares_ex99p1.htm) |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| (p)(2) | [Code of Ethics of Krane Funds Advisors, LLC, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 384 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001829126-24-005055 on July 29, 2024.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000182912624005055/kraneshares_ex99p2.htm) |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| (p)(3) | [Code of Ethics of Bosera Asset Management (International) Co., Ltd., sub-adviser to the KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF (formerly known as KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A Share ETF) and KraneShares SSE Star Market 50 Index ETF, filed herewith.](kraneshares_exp3.htm) |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| (p)(4) | [Code of Ethics of Quadratic Capital Management LLC, sub-adviser to the Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF and Quadratic Deflation ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 384 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001829126-24-005055 on July 29, 2024.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000182912624005055/kraneshares_ex99p4.htm) |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| (p)(5) | [Code of Ethics of Climate Finance Partners LLC, sub-adviser to the KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares Eastern US Carbon ETF, and KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(5) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 384 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001829126-24-005055 on July 29, 2024.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000182912624005055/kraneshares_ex99p5.htm) |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| (p)(6) | [Code of Ethics of Mount Lucas Index Advisers LLC, sub-adviser to KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF (formerly known as KFA Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF), is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(7) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 329 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001829126-23-004982 on July 28, 2023.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000182912623004982/kraneshares_ex99p7.htm) |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| (p)(7) | [Code of Ethics of Nikko Asset Management Americas Inc., sub-adviser to KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(8) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 329 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001829126-23-004982 on July 28, 2023.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000182912623004982/kraneshares_ex99p8.htm) |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| (p)(8) | [Code of Ethics of Etna Capital Management Company Ltd., sub-adviser to KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(9) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 379 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001829126-24-004847 on July 17, 2024.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000182912624004847/kraneshares_ex99p9.htm) |
| (p)(9) | [Code of Ethics of Numeric Investors LLC, sub-adviser to KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(10) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 396 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001829126-24-006656 on October 4, 2024.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000182912624006656/kraneshares_ex99p10.htm) |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| (q)(1) | [Powers of Attorney dated September 29, 2015 for Matthew Stroyman and John Ferguson is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (q) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 108 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001144204-16-080317 on February 10, 2016.](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000114420416080317/v431156_ex99-q.htm) |
| (q)(2) | [Power of Attorney dated September 26, 2024 for Luis Berruga, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (q)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 394 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698), as filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001829126-24-006531 on September 27, 2024.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1547576/000182912624006531/kraneshares_ex99q3.htm) |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **<u>Item 29</u>.** | **<u>Persons Controlled by or under Common Control with the Fund</u>** |

---

Not applicable.

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **<u>Item 30</u>.** | **<u>Indemnification</u>** |

---

A Trustee, when acting in such capacity, shall not be personally liable to any Person, other than the Trust, to the extent provided in Article VII of the Registrant's Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, for any act, omission, or obligation of the Trust, of such Trustee, or of any other Trustee. A Trustee shall be liable to the Trust solely for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrong-doing of any officer, agent, employee, Investment Adviser, or Principal Underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee. The Trust shall indemnify each Person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust, any Person who is serving or has served at the Trust's request as a Trustee, officer, trustee, employee or agent of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise to the fullest extent permitted by law against liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which he becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his being or having been such a Trustee, director, officer, employee or agent and against amounts paid or incurred by him in settlement thereof.

Subject to applicable federal law, expenses of preparation and presentation of a defense to any claim, action, suit or proceeding subject to a claim for indemnification under Section 2 of the Registrant's Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust shall be advanced by the Trust prior to final disposition thereof upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the recipient to repay such amount if it is ultimately determined that he is not entitled to indemnification under Section 2.

All persons extending credit to, contracting with or having any claim against the Trust or the Trustees, officers, employees or agents of the Trust shall look only to the assets of the appropriate Series, or, if the Trustees have yet to establish Series, of the Trust for payment under such credit, contract or claim; and neither the Trustees nor the Shareholders, nor any of the Trust's officers, employees or agents, whether past, present or future, shall be personally liable therefor.

Every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking and every other act or thing whatsoever issued, executed or done by or on behalf of the Trust or Trustees or by any of them in connection with the Trust shall conclusively be deemed to have been executed or done only in or with respect to his or their capacity as Trustee or Trustees, and such Trustee or Trustees shall not be personally liable thereon. At the Trustees' discretion, any note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking made or issued by the Trustees or by any officer or officers may give notice that the Certificate of Trust is on file in the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware and that a limitation on the liability of each Series exists and such note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking may, if the Trustees so determine, recite that the same was executed or made on behalf of the Trust or by a Trustee or Trustees in such capacity and not individually or by an officer or officers in such capacity and not individually and that the obligations of such instrument are not binding upon any of them or the Shareholders individually but are binding only on the assets and property of the Trust or a Series thereof, and may contain such further recital as such Person or Persons may deem appropriate. The omission of any such notice or recital shall in no way operate to bind any Trustees, officers or Shareholders individually.

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

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **<u>Item 31</u>.** | **<u>Business and other Connections of the Investment Adviser</u>** |

---

**<u>Krane Funds Advisors, LLC</u>**

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC ("Krane") serves as the investment adviser for each series of the Trust, except the CICC Global Wealth Preservation Fund and CICC US Government Money Market Fund. The principal address of Krane is 280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10017. Krane is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

Information as to any business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by the officers, directors and partners of Krane during the past two years is incorporated by reference to its Form ADV filed with the SEC (SEC File No. 801-77589).

**<u>Bosera Asset Management (International) Co., Ltd.</u>**

Bosera Asset Management (International) Co., Ltd. ("Bosera") serves as the investment sub-adviser for the Trust's KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF and KraneShares SSE Star Market 50 Index ETF. The principal address of Bosera is Suite 4109, Jardine House, One Connaught Place, Central, Hong Kong. Bosera is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

Information as to any business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by the officers, directors and partners of Bosera during the past two years is incorporated by reference to its Form ADV filed with the SEC (SEC File No. 801-78507).

**<u>Quadratic Capital Management LLC</u>**

Quadratic Capital Management LLC ("Quadratic") serves as the investment sub-adviser for the Trust's Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF and Quadratic Deflation ETF. The principal address of Quadratic is 39 Lewis Street, 4th Floor, Greenwich, Connecticut 06830. Quadratic is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

Information as to any business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by the officers, directors and partners of Quadratic during the past two years is incorporated by reference to its Form ADV filed with the SEC (SEC File No. 801-106485).

**<u>Climate Finance Partners LLC</u>**

Climate Finance Partners LLC ("Climate Finance") serves as the investment sub-adviser for the Trust's KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares Eastern US Carbon ETF, and KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF. The principal address of Climate Finance is 156 5th Avenue, Suite 804, New York, New York 10010. Climate Finance is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

Information as to any business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by the officers, directors and partners of Climate Finance during the past two years is incorporated by reference to its Form ADV filed with the SEC (SEC File No. 801-117593).

**<u>Mount Lucas Index Advisers, LLC</u>**

Mount Lucas Index Advisers, LLC ("MLIA") serves as the investment sub-adviser for the Trust's KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF. The principal address of MLIA is 405 State Street, Newtown, Pennsylvania, 18940. MLIA is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

Information as to any business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by the officers, directors and partners of MLIA during the past two years is incorporated by reference to its Form ADV filed with the SEC (SEC File No. 801-119730).

**<u>Nikko Asset Management Americas Inc.</u>**

Nikko Asset Management Americas Inc. ("Nikko") serves as the investment sub-adviser for the Trust's KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF. The principal address of Nikko is 605 Third Avenue, 38th Floor, New York, NY, 10158. Nikko is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

Information as to any business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by the officers, directors and partners of Nikko during the past two years is incorporated by reference to its Form ADV filed with the SEC (SEC File No. 801-60881).

**<u>Etna Capital Management Company Ltd.</u>**

Etna Capital Management Company Ltd. ("Etna") serves as the investment sub-adviser for the Trust's KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF. The principal address of Etna is 1532 Nexxus Building, Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong.

Information as to any business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by the officers, directors and partners of Etna during the past two years is incorporated by reference to its Form ADV filed with the SEC (SEC File No. 801-130428).

**<u>Numeric Investors LLC</u>**

Numeric Investors LLC ("Numeric") serves as the investment sub-adviser for the Trust's KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF. The principal address of Numeric is 200 Pier 4 Boulevard, 5th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. Numeric is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

Information as to any business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by the officers, directors and partners of Numeric during the past two years is incorporated by reference to its Form ADV filed with the SEC (SEC File No. 801-63276).

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **<u>Item 32</u>.** | **<u>Principal Underwriters</u>** |

---

(a) Registrant's
 distributor, SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the "Distributor"), acts as distributor for:

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| SEI Daily Income Trust | July 15, 1982 |
| SEI Tax Exempt Trust | December 3, 1982 |
| SEI Institutional Managed Trust | January 22, 1987 |
| SEI Institutional International Trust | August 30, 1988 |
| The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund | November 14, 1991 |
| The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II | January 28, 1993 |
| Bishop Street Funds | January 27, 1995 |
| SEI Asset Allocation Trust | April 1, 1996 |
| SEI Institutional Investments Trust | June 14, 1996 |
| City National Rochdale Funds (f/k/a CNI Charter Funds) | April 1, 1999 |
| Causeway Capital Management Trust | September 20, 2001 |
| SEI Offshore Opportunity Fund II, Ltd. | September 1, 2005 |
| ProShares Trust | November 14, 2005 |
| Community Capital Trust (f/k/a Community Reinvestment Act Qualified Investment Fund) | January 8, 2007 |
| SEI Offshore Advanced Strategy Series SPC | July 31, 2007 |
| SEI Structured Credit Fund, LP | July 31, 2007 |
| Global X Funds | October 24, 2008 |
| ProShares Trust II | November 17, 2008 |
| SEI Special Situations Fund, Ltd. | July 1, 2009 |
| Exchange Traded Concepts Trust (f/k/a FaithShares Trust) | August 7, 2009 |
| Schwab Strategic Trust | October 12, 2009 |
| RiverPark Funds Trust | September 8, 2010 |
| Adviser Managed Trust | December 10, 2010 |
| SEI Core Property Fund, LP | January 1, 2011 |
| New Covenant Funds | March 23, 2012 |
| KraneShares Trust | December 18, 2012 |
| The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III | February 12, 2014 |
| SEI Catholic Values Trust | March 24, 2015 |
| SEI Hedge Fund SPC | June 26, 2015 |
| SEI Energy Debt Fund, LP | June 30, 2015 |
| Gallery Trust | January 8, 2016 |
| City National Rochdale Select Strategies Fund | March 1, 2017 |
| City National Rochdale Strategic Credit Fund | May 16, 2018 |
| Symmetry Panoramic Trust | July 23, 2018 |
| Frost Family of Funds | May 31, 2019 |
| SEI Vista Fund, Ltd. | January 20, 2021 |
| Wilshire Private Assets Fund | March 22, 2021 |
| Catholic Responsible Investments Funds | November 17, 2021 |
| SEI Exchange Traded Funds | May 18, 2022 |
| SEI Global Private Assets VI, L.P. | July 29, 2022 |
| Quaker Investment Trust | June 8, 2023 |
| SEI Alternative Income Fund | September 1, 2023 |
| Global X Venture Fund | March 12, 2025 |

---

The Distributor provides numerous financial services to investment managers, pension plan sponsors, and bank trust departments. These services include portfolio evaluation, performance measurement and consulting services ("Funds Evaluation") and automated execution, clearing and settlement of securities transactions ("MarketLink").

(b) Furnish
 the Information required by the following table with respect to each director, officer or partner of each principal underwriter named
 in the answer to Item 20 of Part B. Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each director or officer is Oaks, PA 19456.

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name** | **Position and Office with Underwriter** | **Positions and Offices with Registrant** |
| Paul F. Klauder | President, Chief Executive Officer & Director |  |
| John C. Munch | General Counsel & Secretary |  |
| William M. Doran | Director |  |
| John Alshefski | Director |  |
| Kevin Crowe | Director |  |
| Jason McGhin | Vice President & Chief Operations Officer |  |
| John P. Coary | Vice President, Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer |  |
| Jennifer H. Campisi | Chief Compliance Officer, Assistant Secretary & Anti-Money Laundering Officer |  |
| William M. Martin | Vice President |  |
| Christopher Rowan | Vice President |  |
| Judith A. Rager | Vice President |  |
| Gary Michael Reese | Vice President |  |
| Robert M. Silvestri | Vice President |  |

---

(c) There were no commissions or other compensation received, directly
 or indirectly, from the Fund for the last fiscal year by each principal underwriter who is not an affiliated person of the Fund or any
 affiliated person of an affiliated person.

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **<u>Item 33</u>.** | **<u>Location of Accounts and Records</u>** |

---

Books or other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, and the rules promulgated thereunder, are maintained as follows:

Registrant:

c/o Krane Funds Advisors, LLC

280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor

New York, New York 10017

Adviser:

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC

280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor

New York, New York 10017

Sub-Advisers:

Bosera Asset Management (International) Co., Ltd.

Suite 4109

Jardine House

One Connaught Place

Central, Hong Kong

Quadratic Capital Management LLC

39 Lewis Street, 4th Floor

Greenwich, Connecticut 06830

Climate Finance Partners LLC

156 5th Ave, Suite 804

New York, New York 10010

Mount Lucas Index Advisers LLC

405 South State Street

Newtown, Pennsylvania, 18940

Nikko Asset Management Americas Inc.

605 Third Avenue, 38th Floor

New York, New York, 10158

Etna Capital Management Company Ltd.

1532 Nexxus Building, Connaught Road

Central, Hong Kong

Numeric Investors LLC

200 Pier 4 Boulevard, 5th Floor

Boston, Massachusetts 02210

Administrator:

SEI Investments Global Funds Services

1 Freedom Valley Drive

Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456

Distributor:

SEI Investments Distribution Co.

1 Freedom Valley Drive

Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **<u>Item 34</u>.** | **<u>Management Services</u>** |

---

Not Applicable.

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **<u>Item 35</u>.** | **<u>Undertakings</u>** |

---

Not Applicable.

**SIGNATURES**

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act") and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this Registration Statement under Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act and has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 444 to its Registration Statement (File Nos. 333-180870 and 811-22698) to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized, in the City of New York, State of New York on this 29<sup>th</sup> day of July 2025.

---

| |
|:---|
| **KraneShares Trust** |
| /s/ Jonathan Krane |
| Jonathan Krane |
| Trustee, Principal Executive Officer and |
| Principal Financial Officer |

---

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacity and on the date indicated.

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Signature** | **Title** | **Date** |
| /s/ Jonathan Krane | Trustee, Principal Executive Officer and | July 29, 2025 |
| Jonathan Krane | Principal Financial Officer |  |
| /s/ Luis Berruga\* | Trustee | July 29, 2025 |
| Luis Berruga |  |  |
| /s/ John Ferguson\* | Trustee | July 29, 2025 |
| John Ferguson |  |  |
| /s/ Matthew Stroyman\* | Trustee | July 29, 2025 |
| Matthew Stroyman |  |  |
| \*Stacy L. Fuller |  |  |
| Stacy L. Fuller |  |  |

---

\* Attorney-in-Fact pursuant to powers of attorney dated September 29, 2015 and September 26, 2024.

## Ex-99.(D)(2)

**Exhibit (d)(2)**

**Schedule A**

**Dated October 5, 2017, as last revised August 1, 2025**

**to the**

**Investment Advisory Agreement dated October 5, 2017**

**by and between KraneShares Trust and Krane Funds Advisors, LLC**

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Fund Name** | **Advisory Fee** |
| KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | 0.68% |
| KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF | 0.78% |
| KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF | 0.78% |
| KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF | 0.78% |
| KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF | 0.78% |
| KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF | 0.68% |
| KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF | 0.78% |
| KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF | 0.68% |
| KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF | 0.78% |
| KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF | 0.58% |
| Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF | 0.99% |
| KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF | 0.78% |
| KraneShares SSE Star Market 50 Index ETF | 0.88% |
| KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF | 0.55% |
| KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF | 0.89% |
| KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF | 0.68% |
| Quadratic Deflation ETF | 0.99% |
| KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | 0.78% |
| KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF | 0.78% |
| KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF | 0.78% |
| KraneShares Bloomberg Transitional Commodities Strategy ETF | 0.78% |
| KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF | 0.25% |
| KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF | 0.68% |
| KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF | 0.68% |
| KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | 0.25% |
| KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF | 0.25% |
| KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF | 0.78% |
| KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF | 0.99% |
| KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF | 0.29% |
| KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF | 0.78% |
| KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF | 0.88% |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF | 1.25% |
| KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF | 1.25% |
| KraneShares 2x Long JD Daily ETF | 1.25% |
| KraneShares 2x Long BIDU Daily ETF | 1.25% |
| KraneShares 2x Long TSM Daily ETF | 1.25% |
| KraneShares 2x Long GRAB Daily ETF | 1.25% |
| KraneShares 2x Long SE Daily ETF | 1.25% |
| KraneShares 2x Long MELI Daily ETF | 1.25% |
| KraneShares 2x Long ASML Daily ETF | 1.25% |
| KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF | 0.78% |

---

## Ex-99.(E)(2)

**Exhibit (e)(2)**

**Schedule A**

**Dated July 9, 2014, as revised August 1, 2025**

**to the**

**Amended and Restated Distribution Agreement dated July 9, 2014**

**by and between KraneShares Trust and SEI Investments Distribution Co**.

**SCHEDULE A**

---

| |
|:---|
| **Funds** |
| KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF |
| KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF |
| KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF |
| KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF |
| KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF |
| KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF |
| KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF |
| KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF |
| KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF |
| Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF |
| KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF |
| KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF |
| KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF |
| KraneShares SSE Star Market 50 Index ETF |
| KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF |
| Quadratic Deflation ETF |
| KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF |
| KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF |
| KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF |
| KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF |
| KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF |
| KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF |
| KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF |
| KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF |
| KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF |
| KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF |
| KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF |
| KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF |
| KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF |
| KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF |

---

---

| |
|:---|
| KraneShares 2x Long MELI Daily ETF |
| KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF |
| KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF |
| KraneShares Bloomberg Transitional Commodities Strategy ETF |
| KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF |
| KraneShares 2x Long JD Daily ETF |
| KraneShares 2x Long BIDU Daily ETF |
| KraneShares 2x Long TSM Daily ETF |
| KraneShares 2x Long GRAB Daily ETF |
| KraneShares 2x Long SE Daily ETF |
| KraneShares 2x Long ASML Daily ETF |

---

## Ex-99.(H)(2)

**Exhibit (h)(2)**

**ATTACHMENT 1**

**SCHEDULE I**

***<u>Funds</u>***

**<u>ETFs</u>**

KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF

KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF

KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF

KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF

KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF

KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF

KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF

KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF

KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF

Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF

KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF

KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF

KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF

KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF

KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF

Quadratic Deflation ETF

KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF

KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF

KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF

KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF

KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF

KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF

KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF

KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF

KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF

KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF

KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF

KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF

KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF

KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index

KraneShares 2x Long MELI Daily ETF

KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF

KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF

KraneShares Bloomberg Transitional Commodities Strategy ETF

KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF

KraneShares 2x Long JD Daily ETF

KraneShares 2x Long BIDU Daily ETF

KraneShares 2x Long TSM Daily ETF

KraneShares 2x Long GRAB Daily ETF

KraneShares 2x Long SE Daily ETF

KraneShares 2x Long ASML Daily ETF

## Ex-99.(H)(5)

**Exhibit (h)(5)**

**<u>Schedule I</u>**

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Index Provider** | **Index** | **Fund** |
| Bloomberg | Bloomberg Electric Vehicles Index | KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF |
| CSI Index Co., LTD | CSI Overseas China Internet Index | KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF |
| CSI Index Co., LTD | SSE Science and Technology Innovation Board 50 Index | KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF |
| EULAV Asset Management | Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index | KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF |
| Hang Seng Indexes Company Limited | Hang Seng TECH Index | KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF |
| Hedgeye Asset Management, LLC | Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index | KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF |
| J.P. Morgan | JP Morgan Asia Credit Index (JACI) Non-Investment Grade Corporate Index | KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF |
| MerQube Inc. | MerQube Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index | KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF |
| Morningstar, Inc. | Morningstar<sup>®</sup> Developed Markets China and Emerging Markets Revenue Exposure Index | KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF |
| Mount Lucas Index Advisers LLC | KFA MLM Index | KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF |
| MSCI, Inc. | MSCI China A 50 Connect Index | KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF |
| MSCI, Inc. | MSCI China A 100% Hedged to USD Index | KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF |
| MSCI, Inc. | MSCI China IMI Environment 10/40 Index | KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF |
| MSCI, Inc. | MSCI Global China Infrastructure Exposure Index | KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF |
| MSCI, Inc. | MSCI China All Shares Health Care 10/40 Index | KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF |
| MSCI, Inc. | MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index | KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF |
| Numeric Investors, LLC | Man Buyout Beta Index | KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF |
| Quant Insight Limited | Qi China Alpha Index | KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF |
| Solactive AG | Solactive Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index | KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF |
| Solactive AG | Solactive Global Luxury Select Index | KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF |
| Solactive AG | Solactive Etna Artificial General Intelligence Index | KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF |
| Solactive AG | Solactive ISS Sustainable Select 0-1 Year USD Corporate IG Index | KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF |
| S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC | S&P Global Carbon Credit Index | KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF |
| S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC | S&P Carbon Credit EUA Index | KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF |
| S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC | S&P Carbon Credit CCA Index | KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF |
| S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC | S&P RGGI Index | KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF |

---

## Ex-99.(H)(7)

**Exhibit (h)(7)**

**KRANESHARES TRUST**

**FEE WAIVER AGREEMENT**

THIS FEE WAIVER AGREEMENT (the "Agreement") is effective as of August 1, 2025, by and between KRANESHARES TRUST, a Delaware statutory trust (the "Trust"), on behalf of its series listed in Appendix A, as amended from time to time (each a "Fund"), and the investment adviser of the Funds, KRANE FUNDS ADVISORS, LLC (the "Adviser'') and replaces and terminates the current Fee Waiver Agreement with respect to each Fund.

WITNESSETH:

WHEREAS, the Adviser serves as investment adviser to each Fund pursuant to the terms and provisions of an Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and the Adviser dated October 5, 2017, as amended from time to time (the "Investment Advisory Agreement");

WHEREAS, the Adviser is entitled to compensation under the Investment Advisory Agreement in exchange for providing advisory and other services, and paying all of the Trust's expenses except those specifically excluded therein; and

WHEREAS, the Adviser desires to waive a portion the Advisory Fee specified in Schedule A of the Investment Advisory Agreement ("Advisory Fee") of each Fund listed in Appendix A hereto for the period described herein pursuant to the terms and provisions of this Agreement, and the Trust (on behalf of each Fund) desires to allow the Adviser to implement such waivers;

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the covenants and the mutual promises hereinafter set forth, the parties, intended to be legally bound hereby, mutually agree as follows:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. <u>Advisory Fee Waiver</u>. The Adviser hereby agrees to waive a portion of its current Advisory Fee for each Fund by an annual rate, expressed as a percentage of average annual net assets, listed in Appendix A hereto (the "Annual Waiver").

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. <u>Term</u>. This Agreement shall become effective with respect to a Fund on the date set forth in Appendix A hereto and shall remain in effect with respect to such Fund until the date set forth in Appendix A hereto.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. <u>Termination</u>. This Agreement may be terminated at any time with respect to any Fund, and without payment of any penalty, by the Board of Trustees of the Trust, on behalf of the Fund. This Agreement will automatically terminate with respect to any Fund listed in Appendix A if the Investment Advisory Agreement for that Fund is terminated, with such termination effective upon the effective date of the Investment Advisory Agreement's termination for that Fund.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4. <u>Assignment</u>. This Agreement and all rights and obligations hereunder may not be assigned without the written consent of the other party.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;5. <u>Severability</u>. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute or rule, or shall be otherwise rendered invalid, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;6. <u>Governing Law</u>. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware without giving effect to the conflict of laws principles thereof; provided that nothing herein shall be construed to preempt, or to be inconsistent with, any federal law, regulation or rule, including the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, and any rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed and attested by their duly authorized officers, all on the day and year first above written.

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **KRANESHARES TRUST** | **KRANESHARES TRUST** | **KRANE FUNDS ADVISORS, LLC** | **KRANE FUNDS ADVISORS, LLC** |
| By: | /s/ Jonathan Krane | By: | /s/ Jonathan Krane |
| Name: | Jonathan Krane | Name: | Jonathan Krane |
| Title: | Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer | Title: | President |

---

**<u>Appendix A</u>**

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Fund** | **Effective Period** | **Annual Waiver** |
| KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF | August 1, 2025 through August 1, 2026 | 0.23% |
| KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF | August 1, 2025 through August 1, 2026 | 0.10% |
| KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF | August 1, 2025 through August 1, 2026 | 0.35% |
| KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF | August 1, 2025 through August 1, 2026 | 0.14% |
| KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF | August 1, 2025 through August 1, 2026 | 0.30% |
| KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF | August 1, 2025 through August 1, 2026 | 0.04% |
| KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF | August 1, 2025 through August 1, 2026 | 0.10% |
| KraneShares 2X Long BABA Daily ETF | August 1, 2025 through August 1, 2026 | 0.27% |

---

## Ex-99.(I)

**Exhibit (i)**

![](exi_001.jpg)

July 29, 2025

KraneShares Trust<br>280 Park Avenue, 32nd Floor

New York, New York 10017

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel to KraneShares Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the "<u>Trust</u>"), in connection with Post-Effective Amendment No. 444 (the "<u>Post-Effective Amendment</u>") to the Trust's registration statement on Form N-1A (File Nos. 333-180870; 811-22698) (the "<u>Registration Statement</u>"), to be filed with the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "<u>Commission</u>") on or about July 29, 2025, registering an indefinite number of shares of beneficial interest in the funds listed in Exhibit A of this letter (the "<u>Funds</u>"), each a series of the Trust (the "<u>Shares</u>"), under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "<u>Securities Act</u>").

This opinion letter is being delivered at your request in accordance with the requirements of paragraph 29 of Schedule A of the Securities Act and Item 28(i) of Form N-1A under the Securities Act and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "<u>Investment Company Act</u>").

For purposes of this opinion letter, we have examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(i) the relevant portions of the prospectuses and statements of additional information (collectively, the " <u>Prospectus</u> ") filed as part of the Post-Effective Amendment;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(ii) the Trust's certificate of trust, governing instrument, and bylaws in effect on the date of this opinion letter; and

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(iii) the resolutions adopted by the trustees of the Trust relating to the Post-Effective Amendment, the establishment and designation of the Funds and the Shares, and the authorization for issuance and sale of the Shares.

We also have examined and relied upon certificates of public officials and, as to certain matters of fact that are material to our opinions, we have relied on a certificate of an officer of the Trust. We have not independently established any of the facts on which we have so relied.

For purposes of this opinion letter, we have assumed the accuracy and completeness of each document submitted to us, the genuineness of all signatures on original documents, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as facsimile, electronic, certified, conformed, or photostatic copies thereof, and the due execution and delivery of all documents where due execution and delivery are prerequisites to the effectiveness thereof. We have further assumed the legal capacity of natural persons, that persons identified to us as officers of the Trust are actually serving in such capacity, and that the representations of officers of the Trust are correct as to matters of fact. We have not independently verified any of these assumptions.

K&L GATES LLP

1601 K STREET NW WASHINGTON DC 20006

T +1 202 778 9000 F +1 202 778 9100 klgates.com

July 29, 2025

The opinions expressed in this opinion letter are based on the facts in existence and the laws in effect on the date hereof and are limited to the Delaware Statutory Trust Act and the provisions of the Investment Company Act that are applicable to equity securities issued by registered open-end investment companies. We are not opining on, and we assume no responsibility for, the applicability to or effect on any of the matters covered herein of any other laws.

Based upon and subject to the foregoing, it is our opinion that (1) the Shares to be issued pursuant to the Post-Effective Amendment, when issued and paid for by the purchasers upon the terms described in the Post-Effective Amendment and the Prospectus, will be validly issued, and (2) such purchasers will have no obligation to make any further payments for the purchase of the Shares or contributions to the Trust solely by reason of their ownership of the Shares.

This opinion is rendered solely in connection with the filing of the Post-Effective Amendment and supersedes any previous opinions of this firm in connection with the issuance of Shares. We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Commission in connection with the Post-Effective Amendment and to the reference to this firm's name under the heading "Counsel" in the Prospectus. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are experts with respect to any part of the Registration Statement or Prospectus within the meaning of the term "expert" as used in Section 11 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder by the Commission, nor do we admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

---

| |
|:---|
| Very truly yours, |
| /s/ K&L Gates LLP |

---

July 29, 2025

**<u>Exhibit A</u>**

KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF

KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF

KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF

KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF

KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF

KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF

KraneShares Eastern US Carbon Strategy ETF

KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF

KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF

KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF

KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF

KraneShares Global EM Revenue Leaders Index ETF

KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF

KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF

KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF

KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF

KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF

KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF

KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF

KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF

KraneShares MSCI China A Hedged Index ETF

KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF

KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF

KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF

KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF

KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF

KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF

KraneShares 2x Long BABA Daily ETF

KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF

KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF

KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF

Quadratic Deflation ETF

Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF

## Ex-99.(J)

**Exhibit (j)**

KPMG LLP Suite 4000 1735 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19103-7501

**Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm**

We consent to the use of our reports dated May 27, 2025, with respect to the financial statements and financial highlights of KraneShares Trust, comprised of KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF, KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF, KraneShares Asia Pacific High Income USD Bond ETF, KraneShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility Index ETF, KraneShares Emerging Markets Consumer Technology Index ETF, KraneShares MSCI All China Health Care Index ETF, KraneShares MSCI China Clean Technology Index ETF, KraneShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETF, KraneShares MSCI One Belt One Road Index ETF, KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 Index ETF, KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF, KraneShares KWEB Covered Call Strategy ETF, KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF, KraneShares Value Line<sup>®</sup> Dynamic Dividend Equity Index ETF, KraneShares Mount Lucas Managed Futures Index Strategy ETF, KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF, KraneShares European Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares California Carbon Allowance Strategy ETF, KraneShares Hedgeye Hedged Equity Index ETF, KraneShares Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF, KraneShares Sustainable Ultra Short Duration Index ETF, KraneShares China Alpha Index ETF, KraneShares Man Buyout Beta Index ETF, KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF, KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2027 ETF, KraneShares 2X Long BABA Daily ETF, KraneShares 2X Long PDD Daily ETF, Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF, and Quadratic Deflation ETF incorporated herein by reference and to the references to our firm under the headings "Financial Highlights" in the prospectuses and "Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm" and "Financial Statements" in the statements of additional information.

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
|  | /s/ KPMG LLP |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |  |
| July 29, 2025 |  |

---

KPMG LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership and a member firm of<br> the KPMG global organization of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Limited, a private English company limited by guarantee.

## Ex-99.(P)(3)

**Exhibit (p)(3)**

![](exp3_001.jpg)

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| ![](exp3_001.jpg) | <br> **博时国际员工交易制度（英文）** |

---

（2024 年 4 月版）

本制度/**办法**/手**册仅供博时国际内部使用，未经书面**授**权**或**许可不得 对**外提供。

![](exp3_001.jpg)

Bosera Asset Management (International) Co., Limited

**STAFF DEALING POLICES**

2024.04 **1.** **Scope** 

The Company's Staff Dealing Policies govern the trading activities of securities, VAs and other financial instruments of the personal accounts of the Company's employees and all directors (the "Employee"), their spouse, their minor children, or any other person to who the employee provides the significant financial support and accounts in which they directly or indirectly hold beneficial interests. These standards will be communicated in writing to all employees. Additionally, the following standards, staff dealing rules and staff dealing conditions are manifested in the Company's Staff Dealing Policies, which is distributed to all employees (including the senior management). The Staff Dealing Policies are considered as a part of the Compliance Manual (the "Manual") maintained at Bosera International and should read with the Manual from time to time. The types of financial instruments (including VAs) to be covered, approved for trading and reported for disclosures are listed out in the Appendix 1 – Security Type.

**2.** **Disclosure Requirements and Staff Dealing Obligations** 

All Employees (including those directors) are required to disclose details of his/her initial holdings, current outside brokerage accounts, VA trading accounts, all closely Connected Persons' accounts,via BSHK or in the form stated under Appendix 2 no later than 14 days after he/she becomes an access person and the information provided must be current within 45 days prior to the date the report was submitted.

All employees will then have to disclose his/her trading activities once in every quarter within 15 days at the end of each quarter covering the details of holdings and trading activities which may or may not be subject to the pre-trade clearance. Even if the employees do not have any holding, they are required to fill out the disclosure forms indicating that they have no holding by stating "NIL" in the name of investment column in both own and related accounts.

On an annual basis, the Employee is also required to confirm its annual holdings at least once each 12-month period within 45 days at the end of each calendar year, unless the disclosure has already been reported during the quarterly reporting period and there has not been a change in your investment holdings. All these disclosure must be accompanied with the relevant brokerage statements.

To ensure that there are no instances where a conflict of interest occurs and to prevent occurrences where the Employee may benefit from privileged information at the expense of the clients, the employees wishing to conduct a trade for their personal accounts will have to seek prior approval before doing so. Please refer to Section 5 below for the procedures on pre-trade clearance. For avoidance of doubt, the Employee, is not required to obtain any prior approval in the manner as below when buying and selling any other mutual funds for their personal accounts. However, disclosure of holding in any other mutual funds or unit trust is still required to be done on a monthly basis via the submission of the relevant statements on BSHK or by email.

![](exp3_001.jpg)

Where the employees are permitted to deal or trade for their own accounts, they have to ensure the following:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;a) Familiarise themselves with the Company's Staff Dealing Policy in order to understand the staff dealing conditions and staff dealing rules

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;b) They identify all related accounts and report them to the Risk Management Team

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;c) They deal through the Company, where and if applicable

When dealing through other brokers, duplicate trade confirmations and statements of account are provided to the Risk Management Team, where and if applicable.

Moreover, all transactions of employees' accounts and related accounts are recorded and clearly identified in the records and transactions of employees' accounts and related accounts are reported to and actively monitored by the Risk Management Team.

![](exp3_001.jpg)

**3.** **General Principles for personal trading** 

Employees are expected to devote their workdays to serving the interests of Bosera International and its clients. Accordingly each employee's personal securities, VAs and other financial transactions must be oriented towards a philosophy of investment as distinguished from short-term or speculative trading.

In addition to complying with the Manual and all relevant policies and procedures (including those applicable to the Employee's specific line of business), you should observe the following general investment principles in carrying out personal transactions in securities, VAs and other financial instruments. (All references to securities should be understood to include all financial instruments, such as equity securities, bonds and other debt securities, convertible securities, derivatives, options, VAs and any stock index.)

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;a) While in possession of inside information about the issuer of any securities or the securities themselves, never buy, sell, or recommend the purchase or sale of such securities for your account or the accounts of others, regardless of whether the inside information is gained through the scope of your employment or elsewhere. If in doubt, don't trade.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;b) Do not buy or sell securities with knowledge of proposed client trades, trades by Bosera International or forthcoming research reports.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;c) the trading and investment activities must be within the Employee's financial means.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;d) Do not ask for or accept any preferential terms or conditions in connection with any personal trading or investments, unless the terms are available to all persons having comparable portfolios and creditworthiness or to all employees under a plan negotiated by Bosera International.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;e) Limit the risks in your personal account trading. Do not engage in excessive trading activities that represent a high degree of financial risk.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;f) Trading and investment activities should be for investment purposes and not for short term trading profits.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;g) Do not engage in speculative trading, such as trading based on rumors.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;h) In general, Employees should not invest in a competitor (other than investments in securities of publicly traded companies). Competitors include unrelated financial services companies of any kind, and others engaged in any business the firm is involved in, such as banks, asset managers, depository institutions, credit unions, lenders, investment banks, insurers, insurance agencies, and securities brokers, dealers, and underwriters.

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**4.** **Approval to Open External Broking Account** 

The Employee must seek prior approval prior to opening new external broking account or VA trading account. He/she is required by submitting the "Application for Approval to Open External Broking Account" form on BSHK to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) / Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Deputy CEO) for approval. Approved forms handled by the Risk Management Team. Upon approval, Bosera International will issue consent letter to employees to open outside broking accounts. Outside brokers must be sent written letters to authorise them to send copies of duplicate statements and (where applicable) contract notes to the Risk Management Team. If this may not be possible, you must provide copies of these documents to the Risk Management Team as they are received from the broker. If you place personal share dealing orders through a non-disclosed or non-approved outside broker account you may face disciplinary action.

**5.** **Approval of Trades** 

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**5.1** **Submission of Trade Request** 

To trade for their personal accounts, Employee are required to fill out the "Personal Transaction Application" form via BSHK and submit it to the Risk Management Team for processing. Please see Appendix 3 for details. The Company will maintain a restricted list of securities in which it is actively participating. Employees must be aware that if a security is entered onto this list that they may be prohibited from executing any transactions in relation to that security while it remains on the list. In entering into a securities transaction following the procedures above, employees recognise that they may inadvertently be prohibited from further trades for a period of time. In all cases, approval can only be granted after the Risk Management Team is satisfied that relevant transactions have already been completed for Bosera International's funds/clients and not on the restricted list before passing on to the CEO / Deputy CEO for approval. The personal trade application for the CEO / Deputy CEO will be approved by a responsible officer or the Head of Risk Management Team of Bosera International. The Risk Management Team will inform the employees and executive directors whether their application is approved or not via BSHK. Employee can trade for their personal accounts only after approval from Bosera International is granted.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**5.2** **Approval Process Flow** 

Investment Team 🡪 RO 🡪 Risk Management <br> Non-Investment Team 🌜 RO 🡪 Risk Management

Taken consideration of both staff dealing control and responsiveness of the trade request:

● Two approved persons are placed in the middle of the approval flow to offer a backup if the primary approval person is away from business.

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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**5.3** **Approval Criteria** 

The approval is valid for a day only (including the day of obtaining such approval), and is subject to the following constraints:

● the Employee may not buy or sell an investment on a day in which the Company has a pending "buy" or "sell" order in the same investment until that order is executed or withdrawn;

● the Employee may not buy or sell an investment for their personal accounts within 1 trading day before (if the employee is aware of a forthcoming client transaction) or after trading in that investment on behalf of a client. However, the aforesaid restriction does not apply where client orders have been fully executed and any conflicts of interest have been removed;

● the Employee may not buy or sell an investment for their personal accounts within 1 trading day before (if the employee is aware of a forthcoming recommendation) or after a recommendation on that investment is made or proposed by the Company. However, this restriction does not apply where client orders have been fully executed and any conflicts of interest have been removed;

● that cross trades between the Employee and clients be prohibited;

● that short-selling of any securities recommended by the Company for purchase be prohibited;

● the Employee should be prohibited from participating directly or indirectly acquiring beneficial ownership in a security in Initial Public Offers ("IPO") or limited public offerings or private placement available to clients of the Company or its connected persons, and should not use their positions to gain access to IPO's for themselves or any other person.

● When the Company starts managing SFC authorized funds, any director or officer of the Company individually cannot own more than 0.5% of the total nominal amount of all the issued securities of that class listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange being held by the concerned SFC authorized funds, or, collectively the directors and officers of the company cannot own more than 5% of those securities.

● The Employee may not enter into any arrangements to delay settlement beyond the normal time frame permitted for the relevant instrument and market.

**6.** **Holding Period** 

Employee personal securities transactions should be for investment purposes, and not for the purpose of generating short-term trading profits. The Employee is required to hold all personal investments for at least <u>30 days</u>, unless prior written approval of the CEO / Deputy CEO or Head of Risk, Legal and Compliance is given for an earlier disposal if you are seeking to reduce loss.

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**7.** **Submission Requirements** 

For approved trades, the Employees are required to complete the execution details and attach trade confirmations on BSHK within 5 business days of approval and they must do so even if the trades were not executed.

The Employees are also required to submit the monthly statements of their personal accounts on BSHK within 15 business days after the end of the relevant month.

**8.** **Requirements for Personal Account in Virtual Assets** 

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;a) the Risk Management team maintains a restricted list ("Restricted List") which contains the VAs actively traded by the Company and/or the VA Funds managed by the Company.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;b) Any transaction of employees and directors' personal account in VAs contained in the Restricted List are required to be properly approved by the Risk Management team and / or Head of Risk, Legal and Compliance before such transaction can be conducted.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;c) Any transaction of employees and directors' personal account in VAs not contained in the Restricted List are permitted without obtaining prior approval from the Risk Management team and / or Head of Risk, Legal and Compliance.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;d) Employees and directors are required to obtain approval by the Head of Risk, Legal and Compliance for opening and owning any VA trading accounts outside the Company in personal capacity. They shall also ensure that copies of records and statements of personal transactions entered into by them are submitted to the Risk, Legal & Compliance team within a defined timeframe.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;e) All VA related transactions of employees and directors' person accounts shall be properly approved (where necessary), recorded and identified in the records of the Company to ensure that there is adequate audit trail of such approvals and transactions.

**9.** **Ancillary Rules** 

The policy has been approved by 办公会, and is effective since the date of promulgation. 《博时国际制 度 (2023.06) 》has been repealed. Risk, Legal and Compliance Department is responsible for the interpretation and revision of the policy.