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TrimTabs ETF Trust, et al. – ‘N-1A/A’ on 12/15/14

On:  Monday, 12/15/14, at 9:13pm ET   ·   As of:  12/16/14   ·   Private-to-Public:  Document/Exhibit  –  Release Delayed   ·   Accession #:  1144204-14-74102   ·   File #s:  811-22995, 333-198603

Previous ‘N-1A’:  ‘N-1A’ on 9/5/14   ·   Latest ‘N-1A’:  This Filing   ·   12 References:   

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  As Of                Filer                Filing    For·On·As Docs:Size              Issuer               Agent

12/16/14  TrimTabs ETF Trust                N-1A/A¶               17:2.3M                                   Toppan Vintage/FATrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow ETF FCFITrimTabs U.S. Free-Cash-Flow ETF FCFD

Pre-Effective Amendment to Registration Statement by an Open-End Management Investment Company   —   Form N-1A
Filing Table of Contents

Document/Exhibit                   Description                      Pages   Size 

 1: N-1A/A      Pre-Effective Amendment to Registration Statement   HTML    568K 
                by an Open-End Management Investment Company                     
17: COVER     ¶ Comment-Response or Cover Letter to the SEC         HTML      7K 
16: CORRESP   ¶ Comment-Response or Other Letter to the SEC         HTML     57K 
 2: EX-99.D     Investment Advisory Agreement                       HTML     37K 
 3: EX-99.E.I   Distribution Agreement                              HTML     66K 
 4: EX-99.E.II  Form of Authorized Participant Agreement            HTML     64K 
 5: EX-99.G     Custody Agreement                                   HTML    150K 
 6: EX-99.H.I   Transfer Agency and Service Agreement               HTML     68K 
 7: EX-99.H.II  Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement        HTML    112K 
 8: EX-99.I     Opinion and Consent of Counsel                      HTML     16K 
 9: EX-99.J     Consent of Independent Registered Public            HTML      8K 
                Accounting Firm                                                  
10: EX-99.L     Letter of Investment Intent                         HTML     12K 
11: EX-99.M     Plan Pursuant to Rule 12B-1                         HTML     20K 
15: EX-99.OTHER  Powers of Attorney                                 HTML     11K 
12: EX-99.P.I   Form of Code of Ethics                              HTML     66K 
13: EX-99.P.II  Code of Ethics                                      HTML     76K 
14: EX-99.P.III  Code of Ethics                                     HTML     79K 


‘N-1A/A’   —   Pre-Effective Amendment to Registration Statement by an Open-End Management Investment Company
Document Table of Contents

Page (sequential)   (alphabetic) Top
 
11st Page  –  Filing Submission
"Fund Summaries
"TrimTabs U.S. Free-Cash-Flow ETF
"TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow ETF
"Additional Information About the Funds
"Fund Management
"Other Service Providers
"Index Provider and Disclaimers
"Buying and Selling Fund Shares
"Active Investors and Market Timing
"Distribution and Service Plan
"Net Asset Value
"Fund Website and Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings
"Investments by Other Investment Companies
"Dividends, Other Distributions and Taxes
"Householding Policy
"Financial Highlights
"Glossary
"Trust and Funds Overview
"Exchange Listing and Trading
"Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings
"Intraday Indicative Value
"Investment Policies and Restrictions
"Investment Objective, Investment Strategies and Risks
"Portfolio Turnover
"Management of the Funds
"Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities
"Investment Management and Other Services
"Portfolio Manager
"Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage
"The Distributor
"Accounting and Legal Service Providers
"Additional Information Concerning Shares
"Transactions in Creation Units
"Purchasing Creation Units
"Transaction Fees
"Redeeming Creation Units
"Determination of Net Asset Value
"Taxation
"Financial Statements
"Appendix A: Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for the Trust
"Appendix B: Description Of Securities Ratings
"Appendix C: Foreign Holidays

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AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON DECEMBER 15, 2014.

No. 811-22995

No. 333-198603

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

 FORM N-1A

 

  REGISTRATION STATEMENT  
  UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 x
  Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 x
  Post-Effective Amendment No. o
    and/or
  REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 x
  Amendment No. 1 x
     
  (Check appropriate box or boxes)  

 

  

 

TRIMTABS ETF TRUST

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

3 Harbor Way

Suite 112

Sausalito, CA 94965

(Address of Principal Executive Office)

 

Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code:  415.887.9225

 

Name and Address of Agent for Service:   With a copy to:
Stellar Corporate Services LLC   Stacy L. Fuller
3500 South Dupont Highway   K&L Gates LLP
Dover, County of Kent, Delaware 19901   1601 K Street NW
    Washington, D.C. 20006

 

APPROXIMATE DATE OF PROPOSED PUBLIC OFFERING: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.

 

The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that the registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said section 8(a), may determine.

 

 C: 
 
 

 

CONTENTS OF REGISTRATION STATEMENT

 

This registration document is comprised of the following:

 

Cover Sheet

 

Contents of Registration Statement

 

Prospectus

 

Statement of Additional Information

 

Part C of Form N-1A

 

Signature Page

 

Exhibit Index

 

 C: 
 
 

 

 

The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state in which the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

Subject to completion, dated December 15, 2014

 

 

TrimTabs Asset Management

 

Prospectus

 

[ ], 2014

 

TrimTabs U.S. Free-Cash-Flow ETF (FCFD)

 

TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow ETF (FCFI)

 

This Prospectus provides important information about the TrimTabs U.S. Free-Cash-Flow ETF and TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow ETF (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”), each a series of TrimTabs ETF Trust (“Trust”), that you should know before investing in a Fund. Please read it carefully and keep it for future reference.

 

These securities have not been approved or disapproved by the Securities and Exchange Commission nor has the Securities and Exchange Commission passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

Shares of each Fund (“Shares”) [are] listed and traded on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (“Exchange”). Shares are not individually redeemable. The Trust is a registered investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

 C: 
 
 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

  Page
   
FUND SUMMARIES 1
TrimTabs U.S. Free-Cash-Flow ETF 1
TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow ETF 6
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS 12
FUND MANAGEMENT 23
OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS 24
INDEX PROVIDER AND DISCLAIMERS 25
BUYING AND SELLING FUND SHARES 26
ACTIVE INVESTORS AND MARKET TIMING 28
DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLAN 29
NET ASSET VALUE 29
FUND WEBSITE AND DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS 30
INVESTMENTS BY OTHER INVESTMENT COMPANIES 31
DIVIDENDS, OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES 31
HOUSEHOLDING POLICY 34
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 34

No person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this Prospectus and the Funds’ Statement of Additional Information dated [ ], 2014 (“SAI”) (which is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus and is legally a part of this Prospectus) and, if given or made, such information or representations may not be relied upon as having been authorized by us.

 

 C: 
-  C: ii -
 

 

FUND SUMMARY

 

TrimTabs U.S. Free-Cash-Flow ETF

 

Investment Objective

 

The Fund seeks to track the performance (before fees and expenses) of its underlying index, the TrimTabs U.S. Free-Cash-Flow Index (the “Underlying Index”).

 

Fees and Expenses

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold Shares of the Fund. You may also pay brokerage commissions on the purchase and sale of Shares.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

Management Fee: 0.69%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) fees: (1) 0.00%
Other Expenses:(2) 0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses:(2) 0.69%

 

(1) Pursuant to a 12b-1 Distribution and Service Plan, the Fund may bear a 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per annum 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 Plan.

(2) Based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

 

Example

 

The following 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 for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% a year and that operating expenses remain the same. The example does not reflect any brokerage commissions that you may pay on purchases and sales of Shares. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

One Year: Three Years:
$70 $221

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund may pay transaction costs, including 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 has not yet commenced operations, it does not have a portfolio turnover rate to provide.

 

 C: 
-  C: 1 -
 

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets in the components of the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is comprised of the top 10% of eligible issuers, including real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), in the Index Universe with the highest free cash flow yield, as determined by TrimTabs Index Services, LLC (the “Index Provider”). The Underlying Index defines free cash flow to mean the cash that a company is able to generate after spending the money required to maintain or expand its operations and free cash flow yield as the ratio of a company’s free cash flow to its market capitalization. In seeking to track an index focused on companies with high free cash flow yield, TrimTabs Asset Management, LLC (the “Adviser”) seeks to identify companies positioned for rapid growth.

 

The Fund employs a “passive management”--or indexing-- investment approach and seeks to track the performance of the Underlying Index. To track the performance of the Underlying Index, the Fund intends to employ a sampling strategy, which means that the Fund will typically invest in a portfolio of securities that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index.

 

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in instruments not included in the Underlying Index, but which the Adviser believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. For example, there may be instances in which the Adviser may choose to purchase or sell securities, including investment company securities, not in the Underlying Index that the Adviser believes are appropriate to substitute for one or more such securities.

 

The “Index Universe” is the Russell 3000 Index, which measures the performance of the largest 3,000 U.S. publicly traded issuers, including REITs. The Underlying Index applies screens to the Index Universe to seek to ensure the liquidity and investability of the Underlying Index. The Index Provider created, sponsors and maintains the Underlying Index based on publicly available data. The Underlying Index is calculated by Solactive, AG (formerly known as Structured Solutions, AG). The Underlying Index components are equal-weighted at each quarterly rebalance and reconstitution date. To the extent that the Underlying Index concentrates (i.e., holds 25% or more of its total assets) in the securities of a particular, sector, industry or group of industries, the Fund is expected to concentrate to approximately the same extent.

 

Principal Risks

 

An investment in the Fund involves risk, including those described below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. An investor may lose money by investing in the Fund.

 

Concentration Risk. To the extent that the Fund's investments are concentrated in a particular issuer or issuers, region, market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class, the Fund may be susceptible to loss due to adverse occurrences affecting that issuer or issuers, region, market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class.

 

 C: 
- 2 -
 

 

Banking Industry Risk. The Underlying Index, and thus the Fund, may be concentrated in the banking industry. Performance of companies in the banking industry 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 industry has experienced significant losses in the recent past.

 

Equity Investing Risk. An investment in the Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in any fund holding equity securities, such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. The values of equity securities could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, securities may decline in value due to factors affecting a specific issuer, market or securities markets generally.

 

Investment Company Risk. When the Fund invests in other investment companies, the Fund bears its proportionate share of the fees and expenses of the underlying entity and the risk of the securities held by such funds.

 

Investment Risk. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. When you sell your Shares, they could be worth less than what you paid for them.

 

Large Capitalization Company Risk. The Fund’s investments in large capitalization companies may underperform other segments of the market because they may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities and unable to attain high growth rates during periods of economic expansion.

 

Market Events Risk. Turbulence in the financial markets and reduced liquidity in the equity markets may negatively affect issuers, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government and/or Federal Reserve, such as increasing interest rates, could cause increased volatility in financial markets and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund.

 

Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of the Underlying Index. As a result, the Fund may hold constituent securities of the Underlying Index regardless of the current or projected performance of a specific security or a particular industry or market sector. Maintaining investments in securities regardless of market conditions or the performance of individual securities could cause the Fund’s return to be lower than if the Fund employed an active strategy.

 

Portfolio Turnover Risk: The Fund’s investment strategy may result in higher portfolio turnover rates. A high portfolio turnover rate (for example, over 100%) may result in higher transaction costs to the Fund, including brokerage commissions, and negatively impact the Fund’s performance. Such portfolio turnover also may generate net short-term capital gains.

 

 C: 
- 3 -
 

 

Premium-Discount Risk. The Shares may trade above or below their net asset value (or NAV). The market prices of Shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV as well as the relative supply of, and demand for, Shares on the Exchange.

 

Real Estate Risk. The real estate industry is particularly sensitive to economic downturns. Because REITs are pooled investment vehicles that have expenses of their own, the Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of those expenses, which may decrease Fund returns.

 

Secondary Market Trading Risk. Investors buying or selling Shares in the secondary market may pay brokerage commissions or other charges, which may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Shares. Although the Shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active or liquid trading market for them will develop or be maintained. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange may be halted.

 

Small and Medium Capitalization Company Risk. Investing in securities of small and medium capitalization companies involves greater risk than customarily is associated with investing in larger, more established companies. These companies’ securities may be more volatile and less liquid than those of more established companies. Often, small and medium capitalization companies and the industries in which they focus are still evolving and, as a result, they may be more sensitive to changing market conditions.

 

Tracking Error Risk. Although the Fund attempts to track the performance of the Underlying Index, the Fund may not be able to duplicate its return for a number of reasons. For example, as a new fund, there can be no assurance that it will grow to an economically viable size, in which case it may experience greater tracking error to the Underlying Index than it would at higher asset levels. The use of a representative sampling strategy to track the Underlying Index may produce greater tracking error than if the Fund employed a full replication strategy.

 

Performance

 

The Fund had not commenced operations as of the date of this Prospectus. Performance information will be available in the Prospectus after the Fund has been in operation for one full calendar year. When provided, the information will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns compare with a broad measure of market performance. Past performance does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information will be available at www.trimtabsetfs.com.

 

Investment Adviser

 

TrimTabs Asset Management, LLC serves as the investment adviser of the Fund.

 

Portfolio Manager

 

Minyi Chen, CFA is the Fund’s portfolio manager and has managed the Fund since its inception in 2014. Mr. Chen is also the Executive Vice President of the Adviser.

 

 C: 
- 4 -
 

 

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

The Fund issues and redeems Shares on a continuous basis only in large blocks of Shares, typically 50,000 Shares, called “Creation Units.” Creation Units are issued and redeemed in-kind for securities and/or for cash. Individual Shares may only be purchased and sold in secondary market transactions through brokers. Once created, individual Shares generally trade in the secondary market at market prices that change throughout the day. Market prices of Shares may be greater or less than their NAV.

 

Tax Information

 

Distributions you receive from the Fund are generally taxable to you as ordinary income for federal income tax purposes, except that distributions will be taxed to you as long-term capital gains to the extent reported by the Fund as “capital gain dividends,” and may also be subject to state or local taxes. Fund distributions may not be taxable to you if you are investing through a tax-advantaged retirement plan account or are a tax-exempt investor, although you may be taxed on withdrawals from your tax-advantaged account.

 

Purchases Through Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

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

 

 C: 
- 5 -
 

 

FUND SUMMARY

 

TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow ETF

 

Investment Objective

 

The Fund seeks to track the performance (before fees and expenses) of its underlying index, the TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow Index (the “Underlying Index”).

 

Fees and Expenses

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold Shares of the Fund. You may also pay brokerage commissions on the purchase and sale of Shares.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

Management Fee: 0.69%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) fees: (1) 0.00%
Other Expenses:(2) 0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses:(2) 0.69%

 

(1) Pursuant to a 12b-1 Distribution and Service Plan, the Fund may bear a 12b-1 fee not to exceed 0.25% per annum 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 Plan.

(2) Based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

 

Example

 

The following 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 for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that the Fund provides a return of 5% a year and that operating expenses remain the same. The example does not reflect any brokerage commissions that you may pay on purchases and sales of Shares. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

One Year: Three Years:
$70 $221

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund may pay transaction costs, including 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 has not yet commenced operations, it does not have a portfolio turnover rate to provide.

 

 C: 
- 6 -
 

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets in the components of the Underlying Index, including American depositary receipts representing such components. The Underlying Index is comprised of the top 20% of eligible issuers, including real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), in the Index Universe with the highest free cash flow yield, as determined by TrimTabs Index Services, LLC (the “Index Provider”). The Underlying Index defines free cash flow to mean the cash that a company is able to generate after spending the money required to maintain or expand its operations and free cash flow yield as the ratio of a company’s free cash flow to its market capitalization. In seeking to track an index focused on companies with high free cash flow yield, TrimTabs Asset Management, LLC (the “Adviser”) seeks to identify companies positioned for rapid growth.

 

The Fund employs a “passive management”--or indexing-- investment approach and seeks to track the performance of the Underlying Index. To track the performance of the Underlying Index, the Fund intends to employ a sampling strategy, which means that the Fund will typically invest in a portfolio of securities that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index.

 

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in instruments not included in the Underlying Index, but which the Adviser believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. For example, there may be instances in which the Adviser may choose to purchase or sell securities, including investment company securities, not in the Underlying Index that the Adviser believes are appropriate to substitute for one or more such securities.

 

The “Index Universe” is comprised of ten single-country broad-market stock indexes--one from each of the following countries:

 

Australia Canada China France Germany
         
Japan Korea Netherlands Switzerland United Kingdom

  

The Underlying Index applies screens to the Index Universe to seek to ensure the liquidity and investability of the Underlying Index. The Index Provider created, sponsors and maintains the Underlying Index based on publicly available data. The Underlying Index is calculated by Solactive, AG (formerly known as Structured Solutions, AG). The Underlying Index components are equal-weighted at each quarterly rebalance and reconstitution date. To the extent that the Underlying Index concentrates (i.e., holds 25% or more of its total assets) in the securities of a particular, sector, industry or group of industries, the Fund is expected to concentrate to approximately the same extent.

 

 C: 
- 7 -
 

 

Principal Risks

 

An investment in the Fund involves risk, including those described below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. An investor may lose money by investing in the Fund.

 

Asia Risk. Investments in securities of issuers in Asian countries involve risks that are specific to Asia. For example, some economies in this region are dependent on a range of commodities, and are strongly affected by international commodity prices. Other Asian economies have experienced rapid growth and industrialization, and there is no assurance that this growth rate will be maintained.

 

China Risk. China is a developing market and demonstrates significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. In addition, Chinese markets generally experience inefficiency and pricing anomalies resulting from governmental influence, a lack of publicly available information and/or political and social instability. Reductions in spending on Chinese products and services, tariffs 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.

 

Concentration Risk. To the extent that the Fund's investments are concentrated in a particular issuer or issuers, region, market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class, the Fund may be susceptible to loss due to adverse occurrences affecting that issuer or issuers, region, market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class.

 

Country Risk. Because the Fund’s investments will be focused on issuers of several countries, its performance may be disproportionately affected by developments within such countries as compared to a fund that is invested in a larger number of countries.

 

Depositary Receipts Risk. The risks of investments in depositary receipts are substantially similar to Foreign Investment Risks. In addition, depositary receipts may not track the price of the underlying foreign securities, and their value may change materially at times when the U.S. markets are not open for trading.

 

Emerging Markets Risk. Emerging market investments are subject to the same risks as foreign investments and to additional risks due to greater political and economic uncertainties as well as a relative lack of information about companies in such markets. Securities traded on emerging markets are potentially illiquid and may be subject to volatility and high transaction costs.

 

Equity Investing Risk. The values of equity securities could decline generally or could underperform other investments. In addition, securities may decline in value due to factors affecting a specific issuer, market or securities markets generally.

 

Europe Risk. Decreasing imports or exports, changes in governmental or E.U. regulations on trade, changes in the exchange rate of the euro, the default or threat of default by an E.U. member country on its sovereign debt, and/or an economic recession in an E.U. member country may have a significant adverse effect on the securities of E.U. issuers The European financial markets have recently experienced volatility and adversity due to concerns about economic downturns, or rising government debt levels, in several European countries. These events have adversely affected the exchange rate of the euro and may continue to significantly affect every country in Europe.

 

 C: 
- 8 -
 

 

Foreign Investment Risk. Returns on investments in foreign securities could be more volatile than, or trail the returns on, investments in U.S. securities. Exposures to foreign securities entail special risks, including due to: differences in information available about foreign issuers; differences in investor protection standards in other jurisdictions; capital controls risks, including the risk of a foreign jurisdiction imposing restrictions on the ability to repatriate or transfer currency or other assets; political, diplomatic and economic risks; regulatory risks; and foreign market and trading risks, including the costs of trading and risks of settlement in foreign jurisdictions. In addition, the Fund’s investments in securities denominated in other currencies could decline due to changes in local currency relative to the value of the U.S. dollar, which may affect the Fund’s returns.

 

Geographic Risk. A natural or other disaster could occur in a geographic region in which the Fund invests, which could affect the economy or particular business operations of companies in the specific geographic region, causing an adverse impact on the Fund’s investments.

 

Investment Company Risk. When the Fund invests in other investment companies, the Fund bears its proportionate share of the fees and expenses of the underlying entity and the risk of the securities held by such funds.

 

Investment Risk. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. When you sell your Shares, they could be worth less than what you paid for them.

 

Japan Risk. The Japanese economy may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. Since 2000, Japan’s economic growth rate has remained relatively low. In addition, Japan is subject to the risk of natural disasters, such as earthquakes and tsunamis.

 

Large Capitalization Company Risk. The Fund’s investments in large capitalization companies may underperform other segments of the market because they may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities and unable to attain high growth rates during periods of economic expansion.

 

Market Events Risk. Turbulence in the financial markets and reduced liquidity in the equity markets may negatively affect issuers, which could have an adverse effect on the Fund. In addition, there is a risk that policy changes by the U.S. Government and/or Federal Reserve, such as increasing interest rates, could cause increased volatility in financial markets and higher levels of Fund redemptions, which could have a negative impact on the Fund.

 

Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of the Underlying Index. As a result, the Fund may hold constituent securities of the Underlying Index regardless of the current or projected performance of a specific security or a particular industry or market sector. Maintaining investments in securities regardless of market conditions or the performance of individual securities could cause the Fund’s return to be lower than if the Fund employed an active strategy.

 

 C: 
- 9 -
 

 

Portfolio Turnover Risk: The Fund’s investment strategy may result in higher portfolio turnover rates. A high portfolio turnover rate (for example, over 100%) may result in higher transaction costs to the Fund, including brokerage commissions, and negatively impact the Fund’s performance. Such portfolio turnover also may generate net short-term capital gains.

 

Premium-Discount Risk. The Shares may trade above or below their net asset value (or “NAV”). The market prices of Shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV as well as the relative supply of, and demand for, Shares on the Exchange.

 

Real Estate Risk. The real estate industry is particularly sensitive to economic downturns. Because REITs are pooled investment vehicles that have expenses of their own, the Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of those expenses, which may decrease Fund returns.

 

Secondary Market Trading Risk. Investors buying or selling Shares in the secondary market may pay brokerage commissions, which may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Shares. Although the Shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active or liquid trading market for them will develop or be maintained. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange may be halted.

 

Small and Medium Capitalization Company Risk. Investing in securities of small and medium capitalization companies involves greater risk than customarily is associated with investing in larger, more established companies. These companies’ securities may be more volatile and less liquid than those of more established companies. Often, small and medium capitalization companies and the industries in which they focus are still evolving and, as a result, they may be more sensitive to changing market conditions.

 

Tracking Error Risk. Although the Fund attempts to track the performance of the Underlying Index, the Fund may not be able to duplicate its return for a number of reasons. For example, as a new fund, there can be no assurance that it will grow to an economically viable size, in which case it may experience greater tracking error to the Underlying Index than it would at higher asset levels. The use of a representative sampling strategy to track the Underlying Index may produce greater tracking error than if the Fund employed a full replication strategy.

 

Performance

 

The Fund had not commenced operations as of the date of this Prospectus. Performance information will be available in the Prospectus after the Fund has been in operation for one full calendar year. When provided, the information will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns compare with a broad measure of market performance. Past performance does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information will be available at www.trimtabsetfs.com.

 

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Investment Adviser

 

TrimTabs Asset Management, LLC serves as the investment adviser of the Fund.

 

Portfolio Manager

 

Minyi Chen, CFA is the Fund’s portfolio manager and has managed the Fund since its inception in 2014. Mr. Chen is also the Executive Vice President of the Adviser.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

The Fund issues and redeems Shares on a continuous basis only in large blocks of Shares, typically 50,000 Shares, called “Creation Units.” Creation Units are issued and redeemed in-kind for securities and/or for cash. Individual Shares may only be purchased and sold in secondary market transactions through brokers. Once created, individual Shares generally trade in the secondary market at market prices that change throughout the day. Market prices of Shares may be greater or less than their NAV.

 

Tax Information

 

Distributions you receive from the Fund are generally taxable to you as ordinary income for federal income tax purposes, except that distributions will be taxed to you as long-term capital gains to the extent reported by the Fund as “capital gain dividends,” and may also be subject to state or local taxes. Fund distributions may not be taxable to you if you are investing through a tax-advantaged retirement plan account or are a tax-exempt investor, although you may be taxed on withdrawals from your tax-advantaged account.

 

Purchases Through Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

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

 

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS

 

Additional Information About The Funds’ Investment Strategies and Risks

 

This Prospectus describes the principal investment strategies and risks of the Funds, but does not describe all of the Funds’ investment practices. For more information about other types of investments the Funds may make, and about the risks of investing in each Fund, please see the Funds’ SAI, which is available upon request. Each Fund’s investment objective is a non-fundamental investment policy and may be changed without a vote of shareholders upon at least 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders.

 

TrimTabs U.S. Free-Cash-Flow ETF.

 

The Fund employs a “passive management”--or indexing-- investment approach and seeks to track the performance of the Underlying Index. To track the performance of the Underlying Index, the Fund intends to employ a sampling strategy, which means that the Fund will typically invest in a portfolio of securities that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index. The Fund’s securities are expected to have, in the aggregate, investment characteristics (based on factors such as market capitalization and industry weightings), fundamental characteristics (such as return variability and yield) and liquidity measures similar to those of the Underlying Index.

 

Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets in the components of the Underlying Index. The Fund will provide shareholders with at least 60 days notice prior to any material change in this 80% investment policy. The Underlying Index is comprised of the top 10% of eligible issuers, including REITs, in the Index Universe with the highest free cash flow yield, as determined by TrimTabs Index Services, LLC (the “Index Provider”). The Underlying Index defines free cash flow to mean the cash that a company is able to generate after spending the money required to maintain or expand its operations and free cash flow yield as the ratio of a company’s free cash flow to its market capitalization (the aggregate value of a company based on its current share price and amount of outstanding stock). TrimTabs Asset Management, LLC (the “Adviser”) believes that companies with high free cash flow yield grow more quickly than other companies.

 

The “Index Universe” is the Russell 3000 Index, which measures the performance of the largest 3,000 U.S. publicly traded issuers, including REITs. The Russell 3000 Index represents a wide array of industries/sectors and market capitalizations. The Underlying Index methodology applies screens to the Index Universe to seek to ensure the liquidity and investability of the Underlying Index.

 

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The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in instruments not included in the Underlying Index, but which the Adviser believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. Those instruments may include the shares of other investment companies that the Fund believes will help it track the Underlying Index, such as when it would be less costly for the Fund to invest in the shares of an investment company rather than directly purchasing each of the investment company’s underlying securities. There may also be instances in which the Adviser may choose to purchase or sell securities not in the Underlying Index that the Adviser believes are appropriate to substitute for one or more such securities.

 

The Index Provider created, sponsors and maintains the Underlying Index based on publicly available data. The Underlying Index is calculated by Solactive, AG (formerly known as Structured Solutions, AG). The Underlying Index is based on publicly available data, and its components are equal-weighted at each quarterly rebalance and reconstitution date. To the extent that the Underlying Index concentrates (i.e., holds 25% or more of its total assets) in the securities of a particular, sector, industry or group of industries, the Fund is expected to concentrate to approximately the same extent.

 

TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow ETF.

 

The Fund employs a “passive management”--or indexing-- investment approach and seeks to track the performance of the Underlying Index. To track the performance of the Underlying Index, the Fund intends to employ a sampling strategy, which means that the Fund will typically invest in a portfolio of securities that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index. The Fund’s securities are expected to have, in the aggregate, investment characteristics (based on factors such as market capitalization and industry weightings), fundamental characteristics (such as return variability and yield) and liquidity measures similar to those of the Underlying Index.

 

Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets in the components of the Underlying Index, including American depositary receipts representing such components. The Fund will provide shareholders with at least 60 days notice prior to any material change in this 80% investment policy. The Underlying Index is comprised of the top 20% of eligible issuers, including REITs, in the Index Universe with the highest free cash flow yield, as determined by the Index Provider. The Underlying Index defines free cash flow to mean the cash that a company is able to generate after spending the money required to maintain or expand its operations and free cash flow yield as the ratio of a company’s free cash flow to its market capitalization (the aggregate value of a company based on its current share price and amount of outstanding stock). The Adviser believes that companies with high free cash flow yield grow more quickly than other companies. The “Index Universe” is currently comprised of the following single-country broad-market stock indexes (each, a “Country Sub-Index”):

 

Country Country Sub-Index
Australia S&P/ASX 100 Index
Canada S&P/TSX Composite Index
Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China Hong Kong Hang Seng Index
France MSCI France Index
Germany Deutsche Boerse AG German Stock Index
Japan Nikkei 225 Index
Korea Korea Stock Exchange KOSPI 200 Index
Netherlands AEX Index
Switzerland Swiss Market Index
United Kingdom FTSE 100 Index

 

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Historically, issuers in the ten countries represented by the Country Sub-Indexes have exhibited strong free cash flow yield. For that reason, the Index Provider determined to develop the Underlying Index based on issuers in such countries. Pursuant to the Underlying Index methodology, only issuers with market capitalizations of at least $500 million are included in the Index Universe. The Underlying Index may apply screens to each Country Sub-Index to seek to ensure the Underlying Index’s liquidity and investability.

 

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in instruments not included in the Underlying Index, but which the Adviser believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. Those instruments may include depositary receipts of stocks not in the Underlying Index and the shares of other investment companies that the Fund believes will help it track the Underlying Index, such as when it would be less costly for the Fund to invest in the shares of an investment company rather than directly purchasing each of the investment company’s underlying securities. There may also be instances in which the Adviser may choose to purchase or sell securities not in the Underlying Index that the Adviser believes are appropriate to substitute for one or more such securities.

 

The Index Provider created, sponsors and maintains the Underlying Index based on publicly available data. The Underlying Index is calculated by Solactive, AG (formerly known as Structured Solutions, AG). The Underlying Index is based on publicly available data, and its components are equal-weighted at each quarterly rebalance and reconstitution date. To the extent that the Underlying Index concentrates (i.e., holds 25% or more of its total assets) in the securities of a particular, sector, industry or group of industries, the Fund is expected to concentrate to approximately the same extent.

 

Additional Information About the Funds’ Risks

 

The table below provides additional information about the risks of investing in each Fund, including the principal risks identified under “Principal Risks” in each Fund Summary. Following the table, each risk is explained.

 

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Risks FCFD FCFI
Principal Risks    
Asia Risk   X
China Risk   X
Concentration Risk X X
     Banking Industry Risk X  
Country Risk   X
Emerging Market Risk   X
Equity Investing Risk X X
Europe Risk   X
Foreign Investment Risk   X
Geographic Risk   X
Investment Company Risk X X
Investment Risk X X
Japan Risk   X
Large Capitalization Company Risk X X
Passive Investment Risk X X
Portfolio Turnover Risk X X
Premium-Discount Risk X X
Real Estate Risk X X
Secondary Market Trading Risk X X
Small and Medium Capitalization Company Risk X X
Tracking Error Risk X X

 

Principal Risks

 

Asia Risk. Investments in securities of issuers in Asian countries involve risks that are specific to Asia, including certain legal, regulatory, political and economic risks. Certain Asian 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 neighboring countries. Many Asian economies have experienced rapid growth and industrialization, and there is no assurance that this growth rate will be maintained. Some Asian economies are highly dependent on trade and economic conditions in other countries can impact these economies.

 

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China Risk. China may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. China is a developing market and demonstrates significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to developed markets. Over the past 25 years, the Chinese government has undertaken reform of economic and market practices and expansion of the sphere for 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. 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. Export growth continues to be a major driver of China's rapid economic growth. Reductions in spending on Chinese products and services, institution of tariffs 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.

 

Concentration Risk. To the extent that the Fund’s investments are concentrated in a particular issuer or issuers, country, region, market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class, the Fund may be susceptible to loss due to adverse occurrences affecting that issuer or issuers, country, region, market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class.

 

Banking Industry Risk. The Underlying Index may be concentrated in the banking industry, which would make the Fund more sensitive to changes in, and its performance to depend on, the overall condition of the banking industry. Companies in the banking industry 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 banking industry may be adversely affected by increases in interest rates. The profitability of companies in the banking industry may be adversely affected by loan losses, which usually increase in economic downturns. In addition, the banking industry 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 Underlying Index. Furthermore, increased government involvement in the banking industry could result in a dilution of the Fund’s investments in banking institutions.

 

Country Risk. Because the Fund’s investments will be focused on issuers of several countries, its performance may be disproportionately affected by developments within such countries as compared to a fund that is invested in a larger number of countries. Developments such as political upheaval, financial troubles, or natural disasters will adversely affect the value of securities issued by companies in foreign countries.

 

Emerging Markets Risk. Emerging markets investments are subject to the same risks as foreign investments and to additional risks due to greater political and economic uncertainties as well as a relative lack of information about companies in such markets. Securities traded on emerging markets are potentially illiquid and may be subject to volatility and high transaction costs.

 

Equity Investing Risk. An investment in the Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in any fund holding equity securities, such as market fluctuations, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. The values of equity securities could decline generally or could underperform other investments. Different types of equity securities tend to go through cycles of outperformance and underperformance 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. Recent unprecedented turbulence in financial markets, reduced liquidity in credit and fixed income markets, or rising interest rates may negatively affect many issuers worldwide, which may have an adverse effect on the Fund.

 

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Europe Risk. The Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union (the “E.U.”) requires compliance with restrictions on inflation rates, deficits, interest rates, debt levels and fiscal and monetary controls, each of which may significantly affect every country in Europe. Decreasing imports or exports, changes in governmental or E.U. regulations on trade, changes in the exchange rate of the euro, the default or threat of default by an E.U. member country on its sovereign debt, and/or an economic recession in an E.U. member country may have a significant adverse effect on the economies of E.U. member countries and their trading partners. The European financial markets have recently experienced volatility and adverse trends due to concerns about economic downturns in, or rising government debt levels in several European countries, including Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain. These events have adversely affected the exchange rate of the euro and may continue to significantly affect every country in Europe, including countries that do not use the euro.

 

Foreign Investment Risk. The Fund may invest in foreign securities, including non-U.S. dollar-denominated securities traded outside of the United States and U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers traded in the United States. Returns on investments in foreign securities could be more volatile than, or trail the returns on, investments in U.S. securities. Investments in foreign securities, including investments in depositary receipts, are subject to special risks, including the following:

 

Foreign Securities Risk. 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. Changes to the financial condition or credit rating of foreign issuers may also adversely affect the value of the Fund’s securities. 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. Because legal systems differ, there is also the possibility that it will be difficult to obtain or enforce legal judgments in certain countries. Since foreign exchanges may be open 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 Shares. Conversely, Fund Shares may trade on days when foreign exchanges are closed. 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. Each of these factors can make investments in the Fund more volatile and potentially less liquid than other types of investments.

 

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Capital Controls Risk. 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” or expropriation or nationalization of assets. 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. Capital controls include the prohibition of, or restrictions on, the ability to transfer currency, securities or other assets within or out of a jurisdiction. 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, may adversely affect the trading market and price for Shares of the Fund, and may cause the Fund to decline in value.

 

Depositary Receipts Risk. The Fund’s investments in foreign companies may be in the form of depositary receipts or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers, including American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”). ADRs, EDRs, and GDRs are generally subject to the risks of investing directly in foreign securities and, in some cases, there may be less information available about the underlying issuers than would be the case with a direct investment in the foreign issuer. ADRs are U.S. dollar-denominated receipts representing shares of foreign-based corporations. GDRs are similar to ADRs but are shares of foreign-based corporations generally issued by international banks in one or more markets around the world. Investment in ADRs and GDRs may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market and GDRs, many of which are issued by companies in emerging markets, may be more volatile. Depositary receipts may be “sponsored” or “unsponsored” and may be unregistered and unlisted. 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. The Fund’s investments may also include ADRs and GDRs 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. The Adviser will determine the liquidity of these investments pursuant to guidelines established by the Board of Trustees. If a particular investment in such ADRs or GDRs is deemed 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 or GDRs 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.

 

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Currency Exchange Rate Risk. The Fund’s net asset value is determined on the basis of U.S. dollars; therefore, the Fund may lose value if the local currency of a foreign market depreciates against the U.S. dollar, even if the local currency value of the Fund’s holdings goes up. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time. Currency exchange rates also can be affected unpredictably by intervention; by 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. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates may affect the NAV of the Fund and the price of the Fund’s Shares. Devaluation of a currency by a country’s government or banking authority would have a significant impact on the value of any investments denominated in that currency.

 

Political and Economic Risk. The Fund is subject to foreign political and economic risk not associated with U.S. investments, meaning that political events (civil unrest, national elections, changes in political conditions and foreign relations, imposition of exchange controls and repatriation restrictions), social and economic events (labor strikes, rising inflation) and natural disasters occurring in a foreign country could cause the Fund’s investments to experience gains or losses. The Fund also could be unable to enforce its ownership rights or pursue legal remedies in countries where it invests.

 

Foreign Market and Trading Risk. The trading markets for many foreign securities are not as active as U.S. markets and may have less governmental regulation and oversight. Foreign markets also may have clearance and settlement procedures that make it difficult for the Fund to buy and sell securities. The procedures and rules governing foreign transactions and custody (holding of the Fund’s assets) also may involve delays in payment, delivery or recovery of money or investments. These factors 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 Fund assets to be uninvested for some period of time.

 

Geographic Risk. Some of the markets in which the Fund invests are located in parts of the world that have historically been prone to natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, droughts, floods, hurricanes or tsunamis, and are economically sensitive to environmental events. Any such event may adversely impact the economies of these geographic areas, causing an adverse impact on the value of the Fund.

 

Investment Company Risk. When the Fund invests in other investment companies, the Fund bears its proportionate share of the fees and expenses of the underlying entity and the risk of the securities held by such funds.

 

Investment Risk. As with all investments, an investment in the Fund is subject to investment risk. Investors in the Fund could lose money, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount of an investment, over short or long periods of time. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and it is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

 

Japan Risk. Japan may be subject to political, economic, nuclear, and labor risks, among others. Any of these risks, individually or in the aggregate, can impact an investment made in Japan.

 

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Economic Risk. The growth of Japan’s economy has historically lagged that of its Asian neighbors and other major developed economies. Since 2000, Japan’s economic growth rate has remained relatively low, and it may remain low in the future.

 

The Japanese economy is heavily dependent on international trade and has been adversely affected by trade tariffs, other protectionist measures, competition from emerging economies and the economic conditions of its trading partners. Japan is also heavily dependent on oil imports, and higher commodity prices could therefore have a negative impact on the Japanese economy.

 

Political Risk. Historically, Japan has had unpredictable national politics and may experience frequent political turnover. Future political developments may lead to changes in policy that might adversely affect the Fund’s investments. In addition, China has become an important trading partner with Japan. Japan’s political relationship with China, however, is strained. Should political tension increase, it could adversely affect the Japanese economy and destabilize the region as a whole.

 

Large Government Debt Risk. The Japanese economy faces several concerns, including a financial system with large levels of nonperforming loans, over-leveraged corporate balance sheets, extensive cross-ownership by major corporations, a changing corporate governance structure, and large government deficits. These issues may cause a slowdown of the Japanese economy.

 

Currency Risk. The Japanese yen has fluctuated widely at times and any increase in its value may cause a decline in exports that could weaken the Japanese economy. Japan has, in the past, intervened in the currency markets to attempt to maintain or reduce the value of the yen. Japanese intervention in the currency markets could cause the value of the yen to fluctuate sharply and unpredictably and could cause losses to investors.

 

Nuclear Energy Risk. The nuclear power plant catastrophe in Japan in March 2011 may have short-term and long-term effects on the Japanese economy and its nuclear energy industry.

 

Labor Risk. Japan has an aging workforce and has experienced a significant population decline in recent years. Japan’s labor market appears to be undergoing fundamental structural changes, as a labor market traditionally accustomed to lifetime employment adjusts to meet the need for increased labor mobility, which may adversely affect Japan’s economic competitiveness.

 

Geographic Risk. Natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, typhoons or tsunamis, could occur in Japan or surrounding areas and could negatively affect the Japanese economy, and, in turn, could negatively affect the Fund.

 

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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.

 

Market Events Risk. 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. Following the financial crisis that began in 2007, the Federal Reserve has attempted to stabilize the U.S. economy and support the U.S. economic recovery by keeping the federal funds rate at or near zero percent. As the Federal Reserve raises the federal funds rate, there is a risk that interest rates across the U.S. financial system will rise. Any policy changes 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 the Fund experiences high redemptions because of these policy changes, the Fund may experience increased portfolio turnover, which will increase the costs that the Fund incurs and may lower the Fund’s performance.

 

Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of its Underlying Index. This differs from an actively managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, the Fund may hold constituent securities of the Underlying Index regardless of the current or projected performance of a specific security or a particular industry or market sector. Maintaining investments in securities regardless of market conditions or the performance of individual securities could cause the Fund’s return to be lower than if the Fund employed an active strategy. The Underlying Index reflects a limited number of securities, may not deliver positive returns, and may not perform as well as other types of investments.

 

Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy may from time to time result in higher 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 short-term capital gains, distributions of which would generally be taxed to you as ordinary income and thus cause you to pay higher taxes.

 

Premium-Discount Risk. The Shares may trade above or below their NAV. The NAV of the Fund will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The market prices of Shares, however, will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV as well as the relative supply of, and demand for, Shares on the Exchange. The trading price of Shares may deviate significantly from NAV during periods of market volatility. The Adviser cannot predict whether Shares will trade below, at or above their NAV. Price differences may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for Shares will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the securities held by the Fund. However, given that Shares can be purchased and redeemed in large blocks of Shares, called Creation Units (unlike shares of closed-end funds, which frequently trade at appreciable discounts from, and sometimes at premiums to, their NAV), and the Fund’s portfolio holdings are fully disclosed on a daily basis, the Adviser believes that large discounts or premiums to the NAV of Shares should not be sustained, but that may not be the case.

 

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Real Estate Risk. The real estate industry is particularly sensitive to economic downturns. The value of securities of issuers in the real estate industry, including REITs, can be affected by changes in real estate values and rental income, property taxes, interest rates, tax and regulatory requirements, and the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. In addition, the value of a REIT or similar REIT-like entity can depend on the structure of and cash flow generated by the REIT, and REITs may not have diversified holdings. Because REITs are pooled investment vehicles that have expenses of their own, the Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of those expenses.

 

Secondary Market Trading Risk. Investors buying or selling Shares in the secondary market will generally pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price that an investor is willing to pay for Shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Shares (the “ask” price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the “spread” or “bid/ask spread.” The bid/ask spread varies over time for Shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally lower if the Fund’s Shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if the Fund’s Shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, increased market volatility may cause increased bid/ask spreads. Although the Shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active or liquid trading market for them will develop or be maintained. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable. Further, trading in Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the Exchange “circuit breaker” rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged.

 

Small and Medium Capitalization Company Risk. Investing in securities of small and medium capitalization companies involves greater risk than customarily is associated with investing in larger, more established companies. These companies’ securities may be more volatile and less liquid than those of more established companies. These securities may have returns that vary, sometimes significantly, from the overall securities market. Small and medium capitalization companies are sometimes more dependent on key personnel or limited product lines than larger, more diversified companies. Often, small and medium capitalization companies and the industries in which they focus are still evolving and, as a result, they may be more sensitive to changing market conditions.

 

Tracking Error Risk. Tracking error is the difference between the Fund’s performance from that of its Underlying Index. This may occur due to an imperfect correlation between the Fund’s holdings and those comprising the Underlying Index, pricing differences, the Fund’s holding of cash, differences in the timing of dividend accruals, changes to the Underlying Index, or the need to meet regulatory requirements. Further, as a new fund, there can be no assurance that it will grow to or maintain an economically viable size, in which case it may experience greater tracking error to its Underlying Index than it otherwise would at higher asset levels or it could ultimately liquidate. This risk is heightened during times of increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions. The use of a representative sampling strategy to track the Underlying Index may produce greater tracking error than if the Fund employed a full replication strategy.

 

 

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FUND MANAGEMENT

 

TrimTabs Asset Management, LLC acts as each Fund’s investment adviser. The Adviser is located at 3 Harbor Way, Suite 112, Sausalito, CA 94965. The Adviser is an investment adviser registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The Adviser was founded in 2005 and manages approximately $137 million as of September 31, 2014.

 

The Adviser is responsible for overseeing the management and business affairs of the Funds, and has discretion to purchase and sell securities in accordance with the Funds’ objectives, policies, and restrictions. The Adviser continuously reviews, supervises, and administers the Funds’ investment programs. The Adviser has entered into an investment advisory agreement (“Management Agreement”) with respect to the Funds. Pursuant to that Management Agreement, each Fund pays the Adviser an annual advisory fee based on its average daily net assets for the services and facilities it provides payable at the annual rates set forth in the table below:

 

Fund Advisory Fee
TrimTabs U.S. Free-Cash-Flow ETF 0.69%
TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow ETF 0.69%

 

The Adviser bears all of its own costs associated with providing these advisory services and all expenses of the Funds, except for the fee payment under the Management Agreement, payments under each Fund’s 12b-1 plan, brokerage expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses, taxes, interest (including borrowing costs and dividend expenses on securities sold short), litigation expenses and other extraordinary expenses.

 

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees’ approval of the Management Agreement with respect to each Fund will be available in the Trust’s first report to shareholders.

 

The Management Agreement for each Fund provides that it may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty by the Board of Trustees or, with respect to a Fund, by a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund on 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser, and by the Adviser upon 60 days’ written notice to the Fund. The Management Agreement automatically terminates if it is assigned.

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGER

 

Minyi Chen is the portfolio manager responsible for the day-to-day management of the Funds.

 

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Minyi Chen, CFA, Portfolio Manager and Executive Vice President

 

Mr. Chen joined the Adviser in 2008. He is a Portfolio Manager and Executive Vice President of the Adviser, the President of the Index Provider, and Chief Operating Officer of TrimTabs Investment Research. Mr. Chen is also a portfolio manager of the TrimTabs Float Shrink ETF, a series of AdvisorShares Trust. Prior to joining TrimTabs, Mr. Chen was an international finance manager at ZTE Corporation, a prominent provider of telecommunications solutions. Born in Shanghai, Mr. Chen holds a B.A. from Shanghai International Studies University in China and an M.B.A. from Northwestern Polytechnic University. He is a CFA charterholder. Mr. Chen speaks English and Chinese.

 

The Funds’ SAI provides additional information about the portfolio manager, including other accounts managed, ownership in the Funds, and compensation.

 

OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS

 

The Bank of New York Mellon serves as the custodian and transfer agent to the Funds.

 

Foreside Fund Services, LLC serves as the Funds’ distributor.

 

Deloitte & Touche LLP serves as the independent auditor to the Funds

 

K&L Gates LLP, 1601 K Street, NW, Washington, District of Columbia 20006, serves as legal counsel to the Funds.

 

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INDEX PROVIDER AND DISCLAIMERS

 

TrimTabs Index Services, LLC

 

TrimTabs Index Services, LLC (“Index Provider”) is the index provider for the Funds. The Index Provider was formed as a Delaware limited liability company on April 2, 2014, and is in the business of developing and maintaining financial indexes, including the Underlying Indexes. The Index Provider is affiliated with the Adviser because it is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser. The Index Provider has entered into an index licensing agreement (“Licensing Agreement”) with the Adviser to allow the Adviser’s use of the Underlying Indexes for the operation of the Funds. The Adviser pays licensing fees to the Index Provider from the Adviser’s management fees or other resources. The Adviser has, in turn, entered into a sub-licensing agreement (“Sub-Licensing Agreement”) with the Trust to allow the Funds to utilize the Underlying Indexes. The Fund does not pay fees to the Index Provider or to the Adviser under the Sub-Licensing Agreement. Additional information about the Underlying Indexes is available at http://www.solactive.com/?s=fcfi&index=DE000SLA0RK6.

 

The Funds are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by the Index Provider. The Index Provider makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the shareholders of the Fund or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Funds particularly or the ability of an Underlying Index to track general stock market performance or a segment of the same. The Index Provider’s publication of the Underlying Indexes in no way suggests or implies an opinion by the Index Provider as to the advisability of an investment in any or all of the securities upon which the Underlying Indexes are based. The Index Provider’s only relationship to the Funds is the licensing of certain intellectual property of the Index Provider and of the Underlying Indexes, which are determined and composed by the Index Provider and calculated by a third party without regard to the Funds. The Index Provider is not responsible for and has not reviewed the Funds nor any associated literature or publications and it makes no representation or warranty express or implied as to their accuracy or completeness, or otherwise. The Index Provider reserves the right, at any time and without notice, to alter, amend, terminate or in any way change the Underlying Indexes. The Index Provider has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Funds.

 

TRIMTABS INDEX SERVICES, LLC DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF ANY OF THE INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN AND TRIMTABS INDEX SERVICES, LLC SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN. TRIMTABS INDEX SERVICES, LLC MAKES NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY A FUND, INVESTORS OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE INDEXES OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. TRIMTABS INDEX SERVICES, LLC MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO ITS INDEXES OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL TRIMTABS INDEX SERVICES, LLC HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS), EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

 

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NYSE Arca, Inc.

 

Shares of the Funds are not sponsored, endorsed or promoted by NYSE Arca, Inc. NYSE Arca is not responsible for, nor has it participated, in the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of shares of a 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 Funds in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the shares of the Funds. 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.

 

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 a Fund to track the total return performance of its 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. 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 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 Underlying Indexes 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.

 

BUYING AND SELLING FUND SHARES

 

Shares will be issued or redeemed by each Fund at NAV per Share only in Creation Units of 50,000 Shares, which are likely to cost over a million dollars. Creation Units are issued and redeemed for cash and/or in-kind for securities.

 

Shares will trade on the secondary market, however, which is where most retail investors will buy and sell Shares. It is expected that only a limited number of institutional investors, called Authorized Participants or “APs,” will purchase and redeem Shares directly from the Funds. APs may acquire Shares directly from the Funds, and APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to the Funds, at NAV per Share only in large blocks, or “Creation Units.” Purchases and redemptions directly with the Funds must follow the Funds’ procedures, which are described in the SAI.

 

Except when aggregated in Creation Units, Shares are not redeemable with the Funds.

 

BUYING AND SELLING SHARES ON THE SECONDARY MARKET

 

Most investors will buy and sell Shares in secondary market transactions through brokers and, therefore, must have a brokerage account to buy and sell Shares. Shares can be bought or sold through your broker throughout the trading day like shares of any publicly traded issuer. When buying or selling Shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered prices in the secondary market for Shares. 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.

 

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Shares of each of the Funds will be listed on NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”) under the following symbols:

 

Fund Trading Symbol
TrimTabs U.S. Free-Cash-Flow ETF FCFD
TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow ETF FCFI

 

The Exchange is generally open Monday through Friday and is closed for weekends and the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

 

For information about buying and selling Shares on the Exchange or in the secondary markets, please contact your broker or dealer.

 

Book Entry. Shares are held in book entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), or its nominee, will be the registered owner of all outstanding Shares of the Funds and is recognized as the owner of all Shares. Participants in DTC include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of Shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely on the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any stocks that you hold in book entry or “street name” through your brokerage account. Your account information will be maintained by your broker, which will provide you with account statements, confirmations of your purchases and sales of Shares, and tax information. Your broker also will be responsible for distributing income dividends and capital gain distributions and for ensuring that you receive shareholder reports and other communications from the Funds.

 

Share Trading Prices. The trading prices of a Fund’s Shares may differ from the Fund’s daily net asset value, or “NAV,” and can be affected by market forces of supply and demand for the Fund’s Shares, the prices of the Fund’s portfolio securities, economic conditions and other factors.

 

The Exchange through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association or another market information provider intends to disseminate the approximate value of each Fund’s portfolio every fifteen seconds. This approximate value should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the NAV of a Fund because the approximate value may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is computed once a day. The quotations for certain investments may not be updated during U.S. trading hours if such holdings do not trade in the U.S., except such quotations may be updated to reflect currency fluctuations. The Funds are not involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the approximate values and make no warranty as to the accuracy of these values.

 

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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 the Funds on an ongoing basis, a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (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 requirements 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 Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company 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.

 

ACTIVE INVESTORS AND MARKET TIMING

 

The Board of Trustees has evaluated the risks of market timing activities by the Funds’ shareholders. The Board noted that the Funds’ Shares can only be purchased and redeemed directly from a Fund in Creation Units by APs and that the vast majority of trading in the Funds’ Shares occurs on the secondary market. Because the secondary market trades do not directly involve the Funds, it is unlikely those trades would cause the harmful effects of market timing, including dilution, disruption of portfolio management, increases in the Funds’ trading costs and the realization of capital gains. With regard to the purchase or redemption of Creation Units directly with a Fund, to the extent effected in-kind (i.e., for securities), the Board of Trustees noted that those trades do not cause the harmful effects (as previously noted) that may result from frequent cash trades. To the extent trades are effected in whole or in part in cash, the Board of Trustees noted that those trades could result in dilution to a Fund and increased transaction costs, which could negatively impact a Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. However, the Board of Trustees also noted that direct trading by APs is critical to ensuring that a Fund’s Shares trade at or close to NAV. The Funds may also employ fair valuation pricing, which may minimize potential dilution from market timing. In addition, the Funds impose transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Fund Shares to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by a Fund in effecting trades. Given this structure, the Board of Trustees determined that it is not necessary to adopt policies and procedures to detect and deter market timing of the Funds’ Shares.

 

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DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLAN

 

Each Fund has adopted a distribution and service plan (“Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act. Under the Plan, a Fund is authorized to pay distribution fees to the Distributor and other firms that provide distribution and shareholder services (“Service Providers”). If a Service Provider provides such services, a Fund may pay fees at an annual rate not to exceed 0.25% of average daily net assets, pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act.

 

No distribution or service fees are currently paid by any Fund, however, and there are no current plans to impose these fees. In the event Rule 12b-1 fees are charged, over time they would increase the cost of an investment in a Fund because they would be paid on an ongoing basis.

 

NET ASSET VALUE

 

The net asset value, or “NAV,” of Shares is calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time.

 

Each Fund calculates its NAV per Share by:

 

• Taking the current market value of its total assets,

• Subtracting any liabilities, and

• Dividing that amount by the total number of Shares owned by shareholders.

 

If you buy or sell Shares on the secondary market, you will pay or receive the market price, which may be higher or lower than NAV. Your transaction will be priced at NAV only if you purchase or redeem your Shares in Creation Units.

 

Because securities listed on foreign exchanges may trade on weekends or other days when a Fund does not price its Shares, the NAV of the Fund, to the extent the Fund holds foreign securities, may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell Shares.

 

When calculating the NAV of a Fund’s Shares, expenses are accrued and applied daily and stocks held by the Fund are valued at their market value when reliable market quotations are readily available. Equity securities are valued primarily on the basis of market quotations reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world. If an equity security is listed on a national securities exchange, the security is valued at the closing price or, if the closing price is not readily available, the mean of the closing bid and asked prices. U.S. fixed-income investments maturing in 60 days or less are valued primarily using the amortized cost method and those maturing in excess of 60 days are valued at the readily available market price, if available. Investments in non-exchange traded investment companies are valued at their NAVs. Both market quotations and indicative bids are obtained from outside pricing services approved and monitored pursuant to a policy approved by the Funds’ Board of Trustees.

 

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If a market quotation is not readily available or is deemed not to reflect market value, a Fund will determine the price of the security held by the Fund based on a determination of the security’s fair value pursuant to policies and procedures approved by the Board. In addition, a Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s NAV is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund Share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on some days when a Fund is open. Significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: corporate actions, earnings announcements, litigation or other events impacting a single issuer; governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. If a Fund holds foreign securities, it may use various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether the market quotation for a foreign security is readily available and reflective of market value and, if not, the fair value of the security.

 

Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund Shares. However, when a Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another fund would have priced the security. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Shares’ NAV performance to diverge from the Shares’ market price and from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare a Fund’s performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Fair value pricing could also result in a difference between the prices used to calculate a Fund’s NAV and the prices used by its Underlying Index, which may adversely affect the Fund’s ability to track its Underlying Index. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate.

 

FUND WEBSITE AND DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

 

The Trust maintains a website for the Funds at www.trimtabsetfs.com. Among other things, this website includes this Prospectus and the SAI, and will include the Funds’ holdings, the Funds’ last annual and semi-annual reports (when available), pricing information about Shares trading on the Exchange, daily NAV calculations and a historical comparison of the trading prices to NAV.

 

Each day a Fund is open for business, the Trust publicly disseminates the Fund’s full portfolio holdings as of the close of the previous day through its website at www.trimtabsetfs.com. A description of the Trust’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Funds’ portfolio holdings is available in the Funds’ SAI.

 

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INVESTMENTS BY OTHER INVESTMENT COMPANIES

 

The Trust and the Funds are part of the TrimTabs family of funds and related for purposes of investor and investment services, as defined in Section 12(d)(1)(G) of the Investment Company Act.

 

For purposes of the Investment Company Act, Shares are issued by a registered investment company and purchases of such Shares by registered investment companies and companies relying on Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Act are subject to the restrictions set forth in Section 12(d)(1) of the Act, except as permitted by an exemptive order of the SEC. The SEC has granted the Trust such an order to permit registered investment companies to invest in Shares of each Fund beyond the limits in Section 12(d)(1)(A), subject to certain terms and conditions, including that the registered investment company first enter into a written agreement with the Trust regarding the terms of the investment. Accordingly, registered investment companies that wish to rely on the order must first enter into such a written agreement with the Trust and should contact the Trust to do so.

 

DIVIDENDS, OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES

 

Fund Distributions

 

Each Fund generally pays out dividends from its net investment income, if any, to shareholders quarterly, and distributes its net capital gains, if any, to shareholders annually. Each Fund typically earns dividends from stocks in which it invests. These amounts, net of expenses, are passed along to Fund shareholders as “income dividends.” Each Fund realizes capital gains or losses whenever it sells securities. Net long-term capital gains are distributed to shareholders as “capital gain dividends.”

 

Brokers may make available to their customers who own Shares the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service. To determine whether the dividend reinvestment service is available and whether there is a commission or other charge for using this service, consult your broker. Brokers may require Fund shareholders to adhere to specific procedures and timetables. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and net realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole Shares of the distributing Fund purchased in the secondary market. Without this service, investors would receive their distributions in cash.

 

Taxes

 

As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in Shares of a Fund will be taxed. The tax information in this Prospectus is provided only as general information. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares.

 

Fund distributions to you and sale of your Shares in a Fund will have tax consequences to you. Such consequences may not apply if you hold your Shares through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account, such as an individual retirement account or 401(k) plan.

 

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Taxes on Distributions

 

Distributions by the Funds generally are taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains. Distributions of a Fund’s “investment company taxable income” (which is, generally, ordinary income, net short-term capital gain in excess of net long-term capital loss, and net gains or losses from certain foreign currency transactions) will be taxable as ordinary income to the extent of a Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits, whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional Shares.

 

Distributions of a Fund’s net capital gain (which is net long-term capital gain in excess of net short-term capital loss) that are properly designated by the Fund as “capital gain dividends” will be taxable to you as long-term capital gains at a maximum rate of 15% in the case of individuals, trusts or estates (20% for taxpayers with taxable income exceeding certain thresholds), regardless of your holding period in a Fund’s Shares and regardless of whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional Shares. Distributions in excess of a Fund’s earnings and profits first will reduce your adjusted tax basis in its Shares and, after the adjusted basis is reduced to zero, will constitute capital gain. Such capital gain will be long-term capital gain and thus, will be taxed at a maximum rate of 15% (or 20% in some cases, as noted above), if the distributions are attributable to Shares held by you for more than one year. Distributions by the Funds that qualify as “qualified dividend income” are taxable to you at the long-term capital gain rate. In order for a distribution by a Fund to be treated as qualified dividend income, it must be attributable to dividends the Fund receives on stock of most domestic corporations and certain foreign corporations with respect to which the Fund satisfies certain holding period and other requirements and you must meet similar requirements with respect to the Fund’s Shares.

 

Distributions of a Fund’s investment company taxable income and net capital gains will also be subject to a 3.8% U.S. federal Medicare contribution tax on “net investment income” for individuals with incomes exceeding $200,000 (or $250,000 if married and filing jointly) and for certain trusts and estates.

 

Corporate shareholders are generally eligible for the 70% dividends-received deduction with respect to a Fund’s ordinary income dividends, but not its capital gain dividends, to the extent the Fund designates such dividends as qualifying for this deduction, except that the aggregate amount so designated in any year cannot exceed the dividends received by the Fund from domestic corporations.

 

Under a dividend reinvestment service, you may have the option to have all cash distributions automatically reinvested in additional Fund Shares. Any distributions reinvested under such a service will nevertheless be taxable to you. You will have an adjusted basis in the additional Shares purchased through such a reinvestment service equal to the amount of the reinvested distribution plus the amount of any fees charged for the transaction. The additional Shares will have a holding period commencing on the day following the day on which they are credited to your account.

 

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A distribution will reduce a Fund’s NAV per Share and may be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gain even though, from an investment standpoint, the distribution may constitute a return of capital. In general, distributions are subject to federal income tax for the year when they are paid. However, certain distributions paid in January may be treated as paid on December 31 of the prior year.

 

You may be subject to federal back-up withholding tax, if you have not provided a Fund with a taxpayer identification number (for an individual, a social security number) and made other required certifications. You may also be subject to state and local taxes on distributions, sales and redemptions.

 

Taxes When Shares are Sold

 

Generally, you will recognize taxable gain or loss if you sell or otherwise dispose of your Shares. Any gain arising from such a disposition generally will be treated as long-term capital gain if you held the Shares for more than one year; otherwise, it will be classified as short-term capital gain. However, any capital loss arising from the disposition of Shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of the amount of capital gain dividends received with respect to such Shares. In addition, all or a portion of any loss recognized upon a disposition of Shares may be disallowed under “wash sale” rules if other Shares of the same Fund are purchased (whether through reinvestment of distributions or otherwise) within 30 days before or after the disposition. If disallowed, the loss will be reflected in an adjustment to the basis of the Shares acquired.

 

Taxes on Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units

 

An Authorized Participant that exchanges equity securities for one or more Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss on the exchange. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Unit(s) at the time and the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus (or minus) the Cash Component paid (or received). A person who redeems one or more Creation Units for equity securities will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Unit(s) and the aggregate market value of the securities received plus (or minus) the Cash Component received (or paid). The Internal Revenue Service, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Unit(s) 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 exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.

 

Any capital gain or loss realized upon a redemption of one or more Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Creation Unit(s) have been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if they have been held for one year or less.

 

If you purchase or redeem Creation Units, you will be sent a confirmation statement showing how many Shares you purchased or sold and at what price.

 

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The foregoing is only a summary of certain federal income tax considerations under current law, which is subject to change in the future. Shareholders such as non-resident aliens, foreign trusts or estates, or foreign corporations or partnerships may be subject to different U.S. federal income tax treatment.

 

You should consult your tax adviser for further information regarding federal, state, local and/or foreign tax consequences relevant to your specific situation. More information about taxes is in the Funds’ SAI.

 

HOUSEHOLDING POLICY

 

It is the policy of the Funds to mail only one copy of the prospectus, annual report, semi-annual report and proxy statements to all shareholders who share the same mailing address and share the same last name and have invested in the Fund(s) covered by the same document. You are deemed to consent to this policy unless you specifically revoke this policy and request that separate copies of such documents be mailed to you. In such case, you will begin to receive your own copies within 30 days after our receipt of the revocation. You may request that separate copies of these disclosure documents be mailed to you by writing to us at: TrimTabs ETF Trust, c/o Foreside Fund Services, LLC, 3 Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101 or calling us at: 855-799-1509.

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

The Funds are newly organized and therefore have not yet had any operations as of the date of this Prospectus and do not have financial highlights to present at this time.

 

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If you would like more information about the Funds and the Trust, the following documents are available free, upon request:

 

Annual/Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders

 

Additional information about the Funds will be in their annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders, when available. The annual report will explain the market conditions and investment strategies affecting each Fund’s performance during the last fiscal year.

 

Statement of Additional Information

 

An SAI dated [ ], 2014, which contains more details about the Funds, is incorporated by reference in its entirety into this Prospectus, which means that it is legally part of this Prospectus.

 

To receive a free copy of the latest annual or semi-annual report, when available, or the SAI, or to request additional information about the Funds, please contact us as follows:

 

Call: 855-799-1509
Write: TrimTabs ETF Trust

c/o Foreside Fund Services, LLC

3 Canal Plaza, Suite 100

Portland, Maine 04101

Visit: www.trimtabsetfs.com

 

Information Provided by the Securities and Exchange Commission

 

Information about the Funds, including their reports and the SAI, has been filed with the SEC. It can be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC or on the EDGAR database on the SEC’s internet site (http://www.sec.gov). Information on the operation of the SEC’s Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 202.551.8090. You can also request copies of these materials, upon payment of a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the SEC’s e-mail address (publicinfo@sec.gov) or by writing the Public Reference section of the SEC, 100 F Street NE, Room 1580, Washington, DC 20549.

 

Investment Company Act File No. 811-22995.

 

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The information in this statement of additional information is not complete and may be changed.  We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective.  This statement of additional information is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state in which the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

TRIMTABS ETF TRUST

 

TrimTabs U.S. Free-Cash-Flow ETF (FCFD)

 

TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow ETF (FCFI)

 

Subject to completion, dated December 15, 2014

 

3 Harbor Way, Suite 112, Sausalito, CA 94965

 

PHONE: 855-799-1509

 

[    ], 2014

 

Shares of each of the Funds will be listed and traded on the NYSE Arca, Inc.

 

This SAI describes the series of the TrimTabs ETF Trust. The Trust is an open-end registered management investment company under the Investment Company Act, and is currently comprised of two series: TrimTabs U.S. Free-Cash-Flow ETF and TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow ETF (collectively, the “Funds”). Additional series may be added or launched in the future.

 

The Funds are passively-managed, meaning that they are designed to track the performance of an underlying index. TrimTabs Asset Management, LLC (“Adviser”), serves as the investment adviser to each Fund.  Foreside Fund Services, LLC serves as the Distributor for each Fund.

 

Shares of the Funds are neither guaranteed nor insured by the U.S. Government.

 

This SAI, dated [   ], 2014 is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the Funds’ Prospectus, dated [ ], 2014, which incorporates this SAI by reference. Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. A copy of the Prospectus may be obtained without charge by writing to the Distributor, calling 855-799-1509 or visiting www.trimtabsetfs.com. An annual report for the Funds will be available in the same manner once the Funds have completed their first annual period.

 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

    Page
GLOSSARY   3
     
TRUST AND FUNDS OVERVIEW   4
     
EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING   5
     
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS   5
     
INTRADAY INDICATIVE VALUE   6
     
INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RESTRICTIONS   6
     
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS   7
     
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER   21
     
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS   22
     
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES   26
     
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AND OTHER SERVICES   27
     
PORTFOLIO MANAGER   29
     
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE   30
     
THE DISTRIBUTOR   31
     
ACCOUNTING AND LEGAL SERVICE PROVIDERS   33
     
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING SHARES   33
     
TRANSACTIONS IN CREATION UNITS   35
     
Purchasing Creation Units   35
Transaction Fees   40
Redeeming Creation Units   40
     
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE   44
     
TAXATION   44
     
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS   48
     
Appendix A: Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for the Trust   A-1
     
Appendix B: Description Of Securities Ratings   B-1
     
Appendix C: Foreign Holidays   C-1

 

No person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this SAI and the Prospectus and, if given or made, such information or representations may not be relied upon as having been authorized by the Trust. This SAI does not constitute an offer to sell securities.

 

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GLOSSARY

 

The following terms are used throughout this SAI, and have the meanings used below:

 

1933 Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

1934 Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

Adviser” means TrimTabs Asset Management, LLC.

 

Authorized Participant” means a broker-dealer or other participant in the Continuous Net Settlement System of the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) or a participant in DTC with access to the DTC system, who has executed an agreement with the Distributor that governs transactions in the Funds’ Creation Units.

 

Balancing Amount means an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of a Creation Unit and the market value of the In-Kind Creation (or Redemption) Basket, used to ensure that the NAV of a Fund Deposit (or Redemption) (other than the Transaction Fee), is identical to the NAV of the Creation Unit being purchased.

 

Board” means the Board of Trustees of the Trust.

 

Business Day” means any day on which the Trust is open for business.

 

Cash Component means an amount of cash consisting of a Balancing Amount and a Transaction Fee calculated in connection with creations.

 

Cash Redemption Amount means an amount of cash consisting of a Balancing Amount and a Transaction Fee calculated in connection with redemptions.

 

CEA” means the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended.

 

CFTC” means the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

 

Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

Creation Unit” means an aggregation of 50,000 Shares that each Fund issues and redeems on a continuous basis at NAV. Shares will not be issued or redeemed except in Creation Units.

 

Distributor” means Foreside Fund Services, LLC.

 

Dodd-Frank Act” means the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

 

DTC” means the Depository Trust Company.

  

Exchange” means the NYSE Arca, Inc.

 

FINRA” means the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

 

Funds” means the series of the Trust discussed in this SAI: the TrimTabs U.S. Free-Cash-Flow ETF and TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow ETF.

 

Fund Deposit” means the In-Kind Creation Basket and Cash Component necessary to purchase a Creation Unit from a Fund.

 

Fund Redemption” means the In-Kind Redemption Basket and Cash Redemption Amount received in connection with the redemption of a Creation Unit.

 

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IIV” means an approximate per Share value of a Fund’s portfolio, disseminated every fifteen seconds throughout the trading day by the Exchange through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association or other information providers, known as the Intraday Indicative Value.

 

In-Kind Creation Basket” means the basket of securities to be deposited to purchase Creation Units of a Fund.

 

In-Kind Redemption Basket” means the basket of securities a shareholder will receive upon redemption of a Creation Unit.

 

Index Provider” means TrimTabs Index Services, LLC.

 

Investment Company Act” means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

IRS means the Internal Revenue Service.

 

NAV” means the net asset value of a Fund Share.

 

NSCC” means the National Securities Clearing Corporation.

 

NYSE means the New York Stock Exchange, Inc.

 

Prospectus” means the Funds’ Prospectus, dated [ ], 2014, as amended and supplemented from time to time.

 

SAI” means this Statement of Additional Information, dated [ ], 2014, as amended and supplemented from time to time.

 

SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Shares” means the shares of a Fund.

 

Transaction Fees are fees imposed to compensate the Trust for costs incurred in connection with transactions for Creation Units. The Transaction Fee is comprised of a flat (or standard) fee and may include a variable fee. For the Transaction Fees applicable to each Fund, see “Transaction Fees” in this SAI.

 

Trust” means the TrimTabs ETF Trust, a Delaware statutory trust.

 

Underlying Index” means the TrimTabs U.S. Free-Cash-Flow Index with respect to the TrimTabs U.S. Free-Cash-Flow ETF and the TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow Index with respect to the TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow ETF.

 

TRUST AND FUNDS OVERVIEW

 

The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust formed on April 2, 2014 and an open-end registered management investment company comprised of two series, which are discussed in this SAI. Each Fund is a diversified, index-based exchange-traded fund that seeks to track the performance (before fees and expenses) of its Underlying Index. The offering of the Shares is registered under the 1933 Act.

 

Each Fund offers and issues Shares at NAV only in aggregations of a specified number of Shares, generally in exchange for a basket of securities constituting the portfolio holdings of the Fund, together with the deposit of a specified cash payment, or, in certain circumstances, for an all cash payment. Shares of each Fund will be listed and traded on the Exchange. Shares will trade on the Exchange at market prices that may be below, at, or above NAV.

 

Unlike mutual funds, Shares are not individually redeemable securities. Rather, each Fund issues and redeems Shares on a continuous basis at NAV, only in Creation Units of 50,000 Shares. In the event of the liquidation of a Fund, the Trust may lower the number of Shares in a Creation Unit.

 

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In the instance of creations and redemptions, Transaction Fees may be imposed. Such fees are limited in accordance with requirements of the SEC applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. Some of the information contained in this SAI and the Prospectus — such as information about purchasing and redeeming Shares from a Fund and Transaction Fees — is not relevant to most retail investors because it applies only to transactions for Creation Units and most retail investors do not transact for Creation Units.

 

Once created, Shares generally trade in the secondary market, at market prices that change throughout the day, in amounts less than a Creation Unit. Investors purchasing Shares in the secondary market through a brokerage account or with the assistance of a broker may be subject to brokerage commissions and charges.

  

EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING

 

Shares of each Fund will be listed and traded on the Exchange. Shares trade on the Exchange or in secondary markets at prices that may differ from their NAV or IIV, including because such prices may be affected by market forces (such as supply and demand for Shares). As is the case of other securities traded on an exchange, when you buy or sell Shares on the Exchange or in the secondary markets your broker will normally charge you a commission or other transaction charges. Further, the Trust reserves the right to adjust the price of Shares in the future to maintain convenient trading ranges for investors (namely, to maintain a price per Share that is attractive to investors) by share splits or reverse share splits, which would have no effect on the NAV.

 

There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange for maintaining the listing of Shares of each Fund will continue to be met. The Exchange may, but is not required to, remove the Shares of a Fund from listing if: (i) following the initial 12-month period beginning at the commencement of trading of a Fund, there are fewer than 50 beneficial owners of the Shares of the Fund for 30 or more consecutive trading days, or (ii) 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 a Fund from listing and trading upon termination of a Fund.

 

The Funds are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by the Exchange. The Exchange makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of Shares of the Funds or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Funds particularly or the ability of the Funds to achieve their objectives. The Exchange has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Funds.

 

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

 

The Board has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Funds’ portfolio securities. Under the policy, portfolio holdings of the Funds, which will form the basis for the calculation of NAV on a Business Day, are publicly disseminated prior to the opening of trading on the Exchange that Business Day through financial reporting or news services, including the website, www.trimtabsetfs.com. In addition, each Business Day a portfolio composition file, which displays the In-Kind Creation Basket and Cash Component, is publicly disseminated prior to the opening of the Exchange via the NSCC.

 

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INTRADAY INDICATIVE VALUE

 

The IIV is an approximate per Share value of a Fund’s portfolio holdings, which is disseminated every fifteen seconds throughout the trading day by the Exchange through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association or by other information providers. The IIV is based on the current market value of a Fund’s Fund Deposit. The IIV does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of the current portfolio of securities held by a Fund at a particular point in time. The IIV should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the NAV of a Fund because the approximate value may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV. The quotations for certain investments may not be updated during U.S. trading hours if such holdings do not trade in the U.S., except such quotations may be updated to reflect currency fluctuations. The Funds are not involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the IIV and make no warranty as to the accuracy of the IIV.

 

INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RESTRICTIONS

 

The investment policies enumerated in this section may be changed with respect to a Fund only by a vote of the holders of a majority of the Funds’ outstanding voting securities, except as noted below:

 

1.  The Funds may not borrow money, except to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.

 

2.  The Funds may not issue senior securities, except to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.

 

3.  The Funds may not engage in the business of underwriting securities except to the extent that the Funds may be considered an underwriter within the meaning of the 1933 Act in the acquisition, disposition or resale of its portfolio securities or in connection with investments in other investment companies, or to the extent otherwise permitted under the Investment Company Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.

 

4.  The Funds may not purchase or sell real estate, except to the extent permitted under the Investment Company Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.

 

5.  The Funds may not purchase or sell commodities, contracts relating to commodities or options on contracts relating to commodities, except to the extent permitted under the Investment Company Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.

 

6.  The Funds may not make loans, except to the extent permitted under the Investment Company Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.

 

7. The Funds will not concentrate (i.e., hold more than 25% of their assets in the securities of a single industry or group of industries) their investments in issuers of one or more particular industries, except that each Fund may concentrate to approximately the same extent that its Underlying Index concentrates in the securities of such particular industry or industries.

 

With respect to the fundamental policy relating to borrowing money set forth in (1) above, the Investment Company Act permits a Fund to borrow money in amounts of up to one-third of the Fund's total assets, at the time of borrowing, from banks for any purpose (the Fund’s total assets include the amounts being borrowed). To limit the risks attendant to borrowing, the Investment Company Act requires each Fund to maintain at all times an “asset coverage” of at least 300% of the amount of its borrowings (not including borrowings for temporary purposes in an amount not exceeding 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets). Asset coverage means the ratio that the value of a Fund’s total assets (including amounts borrowed), minus liabilities other than borrowings, bears to the aggregate amount of all borrowings.

 

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With respect to the fundamental policy relating to issuing senior securities set forth in (2) above, “senior securities” are defined as fund obligations that have a priority over a Fund’s shares with respect to the payment of dividends or the distribution of Fund assets. The Investment Company Act prohibits each Fund from issuing any class of senior securities or selling any senior securities of which it is the issuer, except that a Fund is permitted to borrow from a bank so long as, immediately after such borrowings, there is an asset coverage of at least 300% for all borrowings of the Fund (not including borrowings for temporary purposes in an amount not exceeding 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets). In the event that such asset coverage falls below this percentage, the Fund is required to reduce the amount of its borrowings within three days (not including Sundays and holidays) so that the asset coverage is restored to at least 300%.

 

With respect to the fundamental policy relating to investing in commodities set forth in (5) above, this policy shall not prevent the Funds from purchasing or selling foreign currency or purchasing, selling or entering into futures contracts, options, forward contracts, swaps, caps, floors, collars and other financial instruments. This policy also does not prevent the Funds from purchasing securities of issuers who are engaged in the commodities business.

 

With respect to the fundamental policy relating to making loans set forth in (6) above, the Investment Company Act does not prohibit a Fund from making loans; however, SEC staff interpretations currently prohibit funds from lending more than one-third of their total assets, except through the purchase of debt obligations. (A repurchase agreement is an agreement to purchase a security, coupled with an agreement to sell that security back to the original seller on an agreed-upon date at a price that reflects current interest rates. The SEC staff treats repurchase agreements as loans).

 

Except with respect to borrowing, if a percentage limitation is satisfied at the time of investment, a later increase or decrease in such percentage resulting from a change in the value of a Fund’s investments will not constitute a violation of such limitation.  Thus, a Fund may continue to hold a security even though it causes the Fund to exceed a percentage limitation because of fluctuation in the value of the Fund’s assets, except that any borrowing by a Fund that exceeds the fundamental investment limitations stated above must be reduced to meet such limitations within the period required by the Investment Company Act or the relevant rules, regulations or interpretations thereunder. 

 

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

 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS

 

The following chart, which supplements and should be read together with the information in the Prospectus, indicates the specific investments and investment techniques applicable to each Fund. Unless otherwise indicated in the Prospectus or this SAI, the investment objective and policies of a Fund may be changed without shareholder approval.

 

 

TrimTabs U.S. Free-Cash-Flow

ETF

TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow

ETF

Cash Items X X
Credit Quality Standards X X
Debt-Related Investments    
Asset-Backed Securities X X
Corporate Debt Securities X X
Debt and Other Fixed Income Securities X X
High Yield Securities X X
Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Securities X X
Municipal Securities X X
U.S. Government Securities X X
Zero Coupon Securities X X
Equity-Related Investments    
Common Stocks X X
Convertible Securities X X
Master Limited Partnerships X X
Other Investment Companies or Other Pooled Investments X X
Preferred Stocks X X
Real Estate Investment Trusts X X
Warrants X X
Foreign-Related Investments    
Depositary Receipts X X
Emerging Markets   X
Foreign Currency Transactions   X
Foreign Government Securities   X
Foreign Investments   X
Dollar Rolls, Delayed Delivery Transactions and When Issued or Forward Commitment Securities X X
Futures Contracts and Related Options X X
Illiquid Securities X X
Repurchase Agreements X X
Short Sales X X
Securities Lending X X
Tracking an Index X X

 

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Cash Items

 

The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in cash or cash items pending other investments or to maintain liquid assets required in connection with some of the Fund’s investments. These cash items and other high quality debt securities may include money market instruments, such as securities issued by the U.S. Government and its agencies, bankers’ acceptances, commercial paper, bank certificates of deposit and investment companies that invest primarily in such instruments.

 

Credit Quality Standards

 

When investing in fixed income securities and, if applicable, preferred or convertible stocks, the Fund maintains the following credit quality standards, which apply at the time of investment:

 

For securities that carry a rating assigned by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”), Standard & Poor’s Financial Services, LLC (“S&P), or Fitch, Inc. (“Fitch”) (a “Rating Organization”), the Adviser will use the highest rating assigned by the Rating Organization to determine a security’s credit rating. Commercial paper must be rated at least “A-1” or equivalent by a Rating Organization. Corporate debt obligations, mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities and municipal securities must be rated at least “B-”or equivalent by a Rating Organization. For securities that are not rated by a Rating Organization, the Adviser’s internal credit rating will apply and be subject to the equivalent rating minimums described here.

 

Debt-Related Investments

 

Asset-Backed Securities

 

Asset-backed securities (“ABS”) are bonds backed by pools of loans or other receivables. ABS are created from many types of assets, including auto loans, credit card receivables, home equity loans, and student loans. ABS are issued through special purpose vehicles that are bankruptcy remote from the issuer of the collateral. The credit quality of an ABS transaction depends on the performance of the underlying assets. To protect ABS investors from the possibility that some borrowers could miss payments or even default on their loans, ABS include various forms of credit enhancement.

 

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Some ABS, particularly home equity loan transactions, are subject to interest-rate risk and prepayment risk. A change in interest rates can affect the pace of payments on the underlying loans, which in turn affects total return on the securities. ABS also carry credit or default risk. If many borrowers on the underlying loans default, losses could exceed the credit enhancement level and result in losses to investors in an ABS transaction. Finally, ABS have structure risk due to a unique characteristic known as early amortization, or early payout, risk. Built into the structure of most ABS are triggers for early payout, designed to protect investors from losses. These triggers are unique to each transaction and can include: a big rise in defaults on the underlying loans, a sharp drop in the credit enhancement level, or even the bankruptcy of the originator. Once early amortization begins, all incoming loan payments are used to pay investors as quickly as possible.

 

Consistent with the Fund’s investment objectives and policies, the Adviser also may invest in other types of ABS.

 

Corporate Debt Securities

 

The rate of interest on a corporate debt security may be fixed, floating or variable, and may vary inversely with respect to a reference rate. Debt securities may be acquired with warrants attached. The Fund may invest in commercial interests, including commercial paper, master notes and other short-term corporate instruments that are denominated in U.S. dollars. Commercial paper consists of short-term promissory notes issued by corporations. Commercial paper may be traded in the secondary market after its issuance. Master notes are demand notes that permit the investment of fluctuating amounts of money at varying rates of interest pursuant to arrangements with issuers who meet the quality criteria of the Fund. The interest rate on a master note may fluctuate based upon changes in specified interest rates, be reset periodically according to a prescribed formula or be a set rate. Although there is no secondary market in master demand notes, if such notes have a demand future, the payee may demand payment of the principal amount of the note upon relatively short notice. Master notes are generally illiquid and therefore subject to the Fund’s percentage limitations for investments in illiquid securities.

 

Debt and Other Fixed Income Securities Generally

 

Debt securities include securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies, instrumentalities, and political subdivisions, foreign governments, their authorities, agencies, instrumentalities, and political subdivisions, supra-national agencies, corporate debt securities, master-demand notes, Yankee dollar and Eurodollar bank certificates of deposit, time deposits, bankers’ acceptances, commercial paper and other notes, inflation-indexed securities, and other debt securities. Debt securities may be investment grade securities or high yield securities, which are described below. Investment grade securities include securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities, as well as securities rated in one of the four highest rating categories by at least two Rating Organizations rating that security, rated in one of the four highest rating categories by one Rating Organization if it is the only Rating Organization rating that security, or unrated, if deemed to be of comparable quality by the Adviser and traded publicly on the world market. The Fund, at the discretion of the Adviser, may retain a debt security that has been downgraded below the initial investment criteria.

 

Debt and other fixed income securities include fixed and floating rate securities of any maturity. Fixed rate securities pay a specified rate of interest or dividends. Floating rate securities pay a rate that is adjusted periodically by reference to a specified index or market rate. Fixed and floating rate securities include securities issued by federal, state, local, and foreign governments and related agencies, and by a wide range of private issuers, and generally are referred to in this SAI as “fixed income securities.” Indexed bonds are a type of fixed income security whose principal value and/or interest rate is adjusted periodically according to a specified instrument, index, or other statistic (e.g., another security, inflation index, currency, or commodity).

 

Holders of fixed income securities are exposed to both market and credit risk. Market risk (or “interest rate risk”) relates to changes in a security’s value as a result of changes in interest rates. In general, the values of fixed income securities increase when interest rates fall and decrease when interest rates rise. Given the historically low interest rate environment, risks associated with rising rates are heightened. Credit risk relates to the ability of an issuer to make payments of principal and interest. Obligations of issuers are subject to bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws that affect the rights and remedies of creditors.

 

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Because interest rates vary, the future income of the Fund that invests in fixed income securities cannot be predicted with certainty. The future income of the Fund also will be affected by changes in those securities’ indices over time (e.g., changes in inflation rates, currency rates, or commodity prices).

 

High Yield Securities

 

Securities rated lower than Baa by Moody’s, or equivalently rated by S&P or Fitch, are sometimes referred to as “high yield securities” or “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 potential price volatility and may be less liquid than higher-rated securities. The 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 the Fund’s ability to dispose of particular issues and may also make it more difficult for the Fund to obtain accurate market quotations in valuing these assets. High yield securities are 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 than higher-rated securities. Issuers of securities in default may fail to resume principal or interest payments, in which case the 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.

 

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.

 

Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Securities

 

Mortgage-related securities include mortgage pass-through securities, collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”), commercial mortgage-backed securities, mortgage dollar rolls, CMO residuals, stripped mortgage-backed securities (“SMBSs”) and other securities that directly or indirectly represent a participation in, or are secured by and payable from, mortgage loans on real property. The value of some mortgage- or asset-backed securities may be particularly sensitive to changes in prevailing interest rates. Early repayment of principal on some mortgage-related securities may expose the Fund to a lower rate of return upon reinvestment of principal. When interest rates rise, the value of a mortgage-related security generally will decline; however, when interest rates are declining, the value of mortgage-related securities with prepayment features may not increase as much as other fixed income securities. The rate of prepayments on underlying mortgages will affect the price and volatility of a mortgage-related security, and may shorten or extend the effective maturity of the security beyond what was anticipated at the time of purchase. If unanticipated rates of prepayment on underlying mortgages increase the effective maturity of a mortgage-related security, the volatility of the security can be expected to increase. The value of these securities may fluctuate in response to the market’s perception of the creditworthiness of the issuers. Additionally, although mortgages and mortgage-related securities are generally supported by some form of government or private guarantee and/or insurance, there is no assurance that private guarantors or insurers will meet their obligations.

 

One type of SMBS has one class receiving all of the interest from the mortgage assets (the interest-only, or “IO” class), while the other class will receive all of the principal (the principal only, or “PO” class). The yield to maturity on an IO class is extremely sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the underlying mortgage assets, and a rapid rate of principal payments may have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s yield to maturity from these securities. The Fund may invest in other asset-backed securities that have been offered to investors.

 

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Other mortgage-related securities include securities other than those described above that directly or indirectly represent a participation in, or are secured by and payable from, mortgage loans on real property, including mortgage dollar rolls, CMO residuals or SMBSs. Other mortgage-related securities may be equity or debt securities issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government or by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, homebuilders, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks, partnerships, trusts and special purpose entities of the foregoing.

 

Municipal Securities

 

Municipal securities include debt obligations issued by governmental entities to obtain funds for various public purposes, such as the construction of a wide range of public facilities, the refunding of outstanding obligations, the payment of general operating expenses, and the extension of loans to other public institutions and facilities. Other types of municipal securities include short-term General Obligation Notes, Tax Anticipation Notes, Bond Anticipation Notes, Revenue Anticipation Notes, Project Notes, Tax-Exempt Commercial Paper, Construction Loan Notes and other forms of short-term tax-exempt loans. Such instruments are issued with a short-term maturity in anticipation of the receipt of tax funds, the proceeds of bond placements or other revenues. An issuer’s obligations under its municipal securities are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency, and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors, such as the federal bankruptcy code, and laws, if any, which may be enacted by Congress or state legislatures extending the time for payment of principal or interest, or both, or imposing other constraints upon the enforcement of such obligations or upon the ability of municipalities to levy taxes. The power or ability of an issuer to meet its obligations for the payment of interest on and principal of its municipal securities may be materially adversely affected by litigation or other conditions.

 

Municipal securities can be significantly affected by political changes as well as uncertainties in the municipal market related to taxation, legislative changes, or the rights of municipal security holders. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance similar projects, especially those relating to education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. In addition, changes in the financial condition of an individual municipal insurer can affect the overall municipal market.

 

Municipal bonds, which generally have maturities of more than one year when issued, are designed to meet longer-term capital needs. Some longer-term municipal bonds allow an investor to “put” or sell the security at a specified time and price to the issuer or other “put provider.” If a put provider fails to honor its commitment to purchase the security, the Fund may have to treat the security’s final maturity as its effective maturity, potentially increasing the volatility of the Fund.

 

The Fund may invest in municipal lease obligations. Municipal leases frequently carry risks distinct from those associated with general obligation or revenue bonds. State constitutions and statutes set requirements that states and municipalities must meet to incur debt. These may include voter referenda, interest rate limits or public sale requirements. Many leases and contracts include no appropriation clauses, which provide that the governmental issuer has no obligation to make future payments under the lease or contract unless money is appropriated for such purposes by the appropriate legislative body on a yearly or other periodic basis. Municipal lease obligations also may be subject to abatement risk. For example, construction delays or destruction of a facility as a result of an uninsurable disaster that prevents occupancy could result in all or a portion of a lease payment not being made.

 

Investing in the municipal bond market is subject to certain risks. The amount of public information available about the municipal bonds held by the Fund is generally less than that for corporate equities or bonds, and the investment performance of the Fund may therefore be more dependent on the analytical abilities of the Adviser. The secondary market for municipal bonds, particularly the lower-rated bonds, also tends to be less well developed or liquid than many other securities markets, which may adversely affect the Fund’s ability to sell its bonds at attractive prices. The ability of municipal issuers to make timely payments of interest and principal may be diminished during general economic downturns and as governmental cost burdens are reallocated among federal, state and local governments. In addition, laws enacted in the future by Congress or state legislatures or referenda could extend the time for payment of principal and/or interest, or impose other constraints on enforcement of such obligations, or on the ability of municipal issuers to levy taxes. Issuers of municipal securities might seek protection under the bankruptcy laws. In the event of bankruptcy of such an issuer, the Fund investing in the issuer’s securities could experience delays in collecting principal and interest and the Fund may not, in all circumstances, be able to collect all principal and interest to which it is entitled.

 

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U.S. Government Securities

 

U.S. government securities include securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its authorities, agencies, or instrumentalities. Different kinds of U.S. government securities have different kinds of government support. For example, some U.S. government securities (e.g., U.S. Treasury bonds) are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Other U.S. government securities are issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or government-chartered or -sponsored enterprises but are neither guaranteed nor insured by the U.S. government (e.g., debt securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”), Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA” or “Fannie Mae”), and Federal Home Loan Banks (“FHLBs”).

 

It is possible that the availability and the marketability (that is, liquidity) of the securities discussed in this section could be adversely affected by actions of the U.S. government to tighten the availability of credit.  

 

As with other fixed income securities, U.S. government securities expose their holders to market risk because their values typically change as interest rates fluctuate. For example, the value of U.S. government securities may fall during times of rising interest rates. Yields on U.S. government securities tend to be lower than those of corporate securities of comparable maturities.

 

In addition to investing directly in U.S. government securities, the Fund may purchase certificates of accrual or similar instruments evidencing undivided ownership interests in interest payments and/or principal payments of U.S. government securities. Certificates of accrual and similar instruments may be more volatile than other government securities.

 

Zero Coupon Securities

 

Zero coupon securities may be issued by a wide variety of corporate and governmental issuers. Zero coupon securities tend to be subject to greater market risk than interest-paying securities of similar maturities. When an investor purchases a traditional coupon-bearing bond, it is paid periodic interest at a predetermined rate. Zero coupon securities tend to be subject to greater price fluctuations in response to changes in interest rates than are ordinary interest-paying debt securities with similar maturities. The value of zero coupon securities appreciates more during periods of declining interest rates and depreciates more during periods of rising interest rates than ordinary interest-paying debt securities with similar maturities.

 

Equity-Related Investments

 

Common Stocks

 

Common stock represents an ownership interest in a company and usually possesses voting rights and earns dividends. Dividends on common stock are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the issuer. Common stock generally represents the riskiest investment in a company. In addition, common stock generally has the greatest appreciation and depreciation potential because increases and decreases in earnings are usually reflected in a company's common stock price.

 

The fundamental risk of investing in common stock is the risk that the value of the stock might decrease. Stock values fluctuate in response to the activities of an individual company or in response to general market and/or economic conditions. Historically, common stocks have provided greater long-term returns and have entailed greater short-term risks than preferred stocks, fixed-income securities and money market investments. This may not be true currently or in the future. The market value of all securities, including common stocks, is based upon the market's perception of value and not necessarily the book value of an issuer or other objective measure of a company's worth. If you invest in the Fund, you should be willing to accept the risks of the stock market and should consider an investment in the Fund only as a part of your overall investment portfolio.

 

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Convertible Securities

 

Convertible securities include fixed-income securities, preferred stock or other securities that may be converted into or exchanged for a given amount of common stock of the same or a different issuer during a specified period and at a specified price in the future. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest on debt or the dividend on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged.

 

Convertible securities have unique investment characteristics in that they generally: (1) have higher yields than the underlying common stock, but lower yields than comparable non-convertible securities; (2) are less subject to fluctuation in value than the underlying common stock since they have fixed-income characteristics; and (3) provide the potential for capital appreciation if the market price of the underlying common stock increases.

 

A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible security's governing instrument. If a convertible security is called for redemption, the Fund will be required to permit the issuer to redeem the security, convert it into the underlying common stock or sell it to a third party.

 

Convertible securities are typically issued by smaller capitalization companies whose stock price may be volatile. Therefore, the price of a convertible security may reflect variations in the price of the underlying common stock in a way that non-convertible debt does not. The extent to which such risk is reduced, however, depends in large measure upon the degree to which the convertible security sells above its value as a fixed-income security.

 

Master Limited Partnerships

 

The Fund may invest in master limited partnerships (“MLPs”) which are publicly traded partnerships primarily engaged in the transportation, storage, processing, refining, marketing, exploration, production, and mining of minerals and natural resources. Their interests, or units, trade on public securities exchanges exactly like the shares of a corporation, without entity level taxation. MLPs generally have two classes of owners, one or more general partners and the limited partners (i.e., investors). The general partner typically controls the operations and management of the MLP through an equity interest in the MLP plus, in many cases, ownership of common units and subordinated units. Limited partners typically own the remainder of the partnership, through ownership of common units, and have a limited role in the partnership’s operations and management. In certain instances, creditors of an MLP would have the right to seek a return of capital that had been distributed to a limited partner. The right of an MLP’s creditors would continue even after the Fund had sold its investment in the partnership. MLPs typically invest in real estate, oil and gas equipment leasing assets, but they also finance entertainment, research and development, and other projects.

 

MLP common units, like other equity securities, can be affected by macroeconomic and other factors affecting the stock market in general, expectations of interest rates, investor sentiment towards an issuer or certain market sector, changes in a particular issuer’s financial condition, or unfavorable or unanticipated poor performance of a particular issuer (in the case of MLPs, generally measured in terms of distributable cash flow). Prices of common units of individual MLPs, like the prices of other equity securities, also can be affected by fundamentals unique to the partnership or company, including earnings power and coverage ratios.

 

Investments in Other Investment Companies or Other Pooled Investments

 

The Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies to the extent permitted by law. Subject to applicable regulatory requirements, the Fund may invest in shares of both open- and closed-end investment companies (including money market funds and ETFs). The market price for ETF and closed-end fund shares may be higher or lower than, respectively, the ETF’s and closed-end fund’s NAV. Investing in another investment company exposes the Fund to all the risks of that investment company and, in general, subjects it to a pro rata portion of the other investment company’s fees and expenses. As a result, an investment by the Fund in an ETF or investment company could cause the Fund’s operating expenses to be higher and, in turn, performance to be lower than if the Fund were to invest directly in the securities underlying the ETF or investment company. The Fund also may invest in private investment funds, vehicles, or structures.

 

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Preferred Stocks

 

The Fund may invest in preferred stocks. Preferred stocks include convertible and non-convertible preferred and preference stocks that are senior to common stock. Preferred stocks are equity securities that are senior to common stock with respect to the right to receive dividends and a fixed share of the proceeds resulting from the issuer’s liquidation. Some preferred stocks also entitle their holders to receive additional liquidation proceeds on the same basis as holders of the issuer’s common stock, and thus represent an ownership interest in the issuer. Depending on the features of the particular security, holders of preferred stock may bear the risks disclosed in the Prospectus or this SAI regarding equity or fixed income securities.

 

Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”)

 

A REIT is a company that pools investor funds to invest primarily in income producing real estate or real estate related loans or interests. REITs are not taxed on income distributed to their shareholders if, among other things, they distribute substantially all of their taxable income (other than net capital gains) for each taxable year.

 

Because REITs have ongoing fees and expenses, which may include management, operating and administration expenses, REIT shareholders, including the Fund, will indirectly bear a proportionate share of those expenses in addition to the expenses of the Fund. However, such expenses are not considered to be Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses and, therefore, are not reflected as such in the Fund's fee table.

 

The Fund also may be subject to certain risks associated with the direct investments of the REITs. REITs may be affected by changes in their underlying properties and by defaults by borrowers or tenants. Mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of the credit extended. Furthermore, REITs are dependent on specialized management skills. Some REITs may have limited diversification and may be subject to risks inherent in financing a limited number of properties. REITs depend generally on their ability to generate cash flow to make distributions to shareholders or unitholders, and may be subject to defaults by borrowers and to self-liquidations. In addition, the performance of a REIT may be affected by its failure to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Code, including regulations thereunder and IRS interpretations or similar authority upon which the Fund may rely or its failure to maintain exemption from registration under the 1940 Act.

 

Warrants

 

Warrants are securities, typically issued with preferred stock or bonds that give the holder the right to purchase a given number of shares of common stock at a specified price and time. The price usually represents a premium over the applicable market value of the common stock at the time of the warrant's issuance. Warrants have no voting rights with respect to the common stock, receive no dividends and have no rights with respect to the assets of the issuer.

 

Investments in warrants involve certain risks, including the possible lack of a liquid market for the resale of the warrants, potential price fluctuations due to adverse market conditions or other factors and failure of the price of the common stock to rise. If the warrant is not exercised within the specified time period, it becomes worthless.

 

Foreign-Related Investments

 

Depositary Receipts

 

The Fund may invest in foreign securities by purchasing sponsored and unsponsored depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) or other securities convertible into securities of issuers based in foreign countries. These securities may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the securities which they represent. Generally, ADRs, in registered form, are denominated in U.S. dollars and are designed for use in the U.S. securities markets, GDRs, in bearer form, are issued and designed for use outside the United States and EDRs (also referred to as Continental Depositary Receipts (“CDRs”)), in bearer form, may be denominated in other currencies and are designed for use in European securities markets. ADRs are receipts typically issued by a U.S. bank or trust company evidencing ownership of the underlying securities. EDRs are European receipts evidencing a similar arrangement. GDRs are receipts typically issued by non-United States banks and trust companies that evidence ownership of either foreign or domestic securities. For purposes of the Fund’s investment policies, ADRs, GDRs and EDRs are deemed to have the same classification as the underlying securities they represent. Thus, an ADR, GDR or EDR representing ownership of common stock will be treated as common stock.

 

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In an unsponsored arrangement, the foreign issuer assumes no obligations and the depositary's transaction fees are paid by the depositary holder. Unsponsored depositary receipts may be created without the participation of the foreign issuer. Holders of these receipts generally bear all the costs of the depositary receipt facility, whereas foreign issuers typically bear certain costs in a sponsored depositary receipt. The bank or trust company depositary of an unsponsored depositary receipt may be under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the foreign issuer or to pass through voting rights. Accordingly, available information concerning the issuer may not be current, and the prices of unsponsored depositary receipts may be more volatile than the prices of sponsored depositary receipts. In addition, the issuers of securities underlying unsponsored depositary receipts may be subject to less stringent government supervision.

 

Emerging Markets

 

Investing in companies domiciled in emerging market countries may be subject to greater risks than investments in developed countries. These risks include: (i) less social, political, and economic stability; (ii) greater illiquidity and price volatility due to smaller or limited local capital markets for such securities, or low or non-existent trading volumes; (iii) foreign exchanges and broker-dealers may be subject to less scrutiny and regulation by local authorities; (iv) local governments may decide to seize or confiscate securities held by foreign investors and/or local governments may decide to suspend or limit an issuer’s ability to make dividend or interest payments; (v) local governments may limit or entirely restrict repatriation of invested capital, profits, and dividends; (vi) capital gains may be subject to local taxation, including on a retroactive basis; (vii) issuers facing restrictions on dollar or euro payments imposed by local governments may attempt to make dividend or interest payments to foreign investors in the local currency; (viii) investors may experience difficulty in enforcing legal claims related to the securities and/or local judges may favor the interests of the issuer over those of foreign investors; (ix) bankruptcy judgments may only be permitted to be paid in the local currency; (x) limited public information regarding the issuer may result in greater difficulty in determining market valuations of the securities, and (xi) lax financial reporting on a regular basis, substandard disclosure, and differences in accounting standards may make it difficult to ascertain the financial health of an issuer. Many emerging market countries have experienced currency devaluations and substantial (and, in some cases, extremely high) rates of inflation. Other emerging market countries have experienced economic recessions. These circumstances have had a negative effect on the economies and securities markets of such emerging market countries.

 

Foreign Currencies Transactions

 

The Fund may hold funds in bank deposits in U.S. or foreign currency, including during the completion of investment programs. These transactions will expose the Fund to foreign currency fluctuations. Should exchange rates move in an unexpected manner, the Fund may not achieve the anticipated benefits of an investment, and it may realize losses.

 

Conversion. Although the Fund values its assets daily in U.S. dollars, it does not convert its holdings of foreign currencies into U.S. dollars on a daily basis. The Fund will convert its holdings from time to time, however, and incur the costs of currency conversion. Foreign exchange dealers do not charge a fee for conversion, but they do realize a profit based on the difference between the prices at which they buy and sell various currencies. Thus, a dealer may offer to sell a foreign currency to the Fund at one rate, and offer to buy the currency at a lower rate if the Fund tries to resell the currency to the dealer.

 

Settlement of transactions involving foreign currencies might be required to take place within the country issuing the underlying currency. Thus, the Fund might be required to accept or make delivery of the underlying foreign currency in accordance with any U.S. or foreign regulations regarding the maintenance of foreign banking arrangements by U.S. residents and might be required to pay any fees, taxes and charges associated with such delivery assessed in the issuing country.

 

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The value of the Fund’s investments is calculated in U.S. dollars each day that the NYSE is open for business. As a result, to the extent that the Fund’s assets are invested in instruments denominated in foreign currencies and the currencies depreciate relative to the U.S. dollar, the Fund’s NAV per share as expressed in U.S. dollars (and, therefore, the value of your investment) should decrease. If the U.S. dollar appreciates relative to the other currencies, the opposite should occur.

 

The currency-related gains and losses experienced by the Fund will be based on changes in the value of portfolio securities attributable to currency fluctuations only in relation to the original purchase price of such securities as stated in U.S. dollars. Gains or losses on shares of the Fund will be based on changes attributable to fluctuations in the NAV of such shares, expressed in U.S. dollars, in relation to the original U.S. dollar purchase price of the shares.

 

Foreign currency transactions occurring in the interbank market might involve substantially larger amounts than those involved in the use of such forward currency contracts. Therefore, the Fund could be disadvantaged by having to deal in the odd lot market (generally consisting of transactions of less than $1 million) for the underlying foreign currencies at prices that are less favorable than for round lots. There is no systematic reporting of last sale information for foreign currencies or any regulatory requirement that quotations available through dealers or other market sources be firm or revised on a timely basis. Quotation information generally is representative of very large transactions in the interbank market and thus might not reflect odd-lot transactions where rates might be less favorable. The interbank market in foreign currencies is a global, round-the-clock market.

 

Foreign Government Securities

 

Foreign government securities include securities issued or guaranteed by foreign governments (including political subdivisions) or their authorities, agencies, or instrumentalities or by supra-national agencies. Different kinds of foreign government securities have different kinds of government support. For example, some foreign government securities are supported by the full faith and credit of a foreign national government or political subdivision and some are not. Foreign government securities of some countries may involve varying degrees of credit risk as a result of financial or political instability in those countries or the possible inability of the Fund to enforce its rights against the foreign government. As with issuers of other fixed income securities, sovereign issuers may be unable or unwilling to make timely principal or interest payments.

 

It is possible that the availability and the marketability (that is, liquidity) of the securities discussed in this section could be adversely affected by actions of foreign governments to tighten the availability of credit.  

 

Supra-national agencies are agencies whose member nations make capital contributions to support the agencies’ activities. Examples include the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the World Bank), the Asian Development Bank, the European Union, and the Inter-American Development Bank.

 

As with other fixed income securities, foreign government securities expose their holders to market risk because their values typically change as interest rates fluctuate. For example, the value of foreign government securities may fall during times of rising interest rates. Yields on foreign government securities tend to be lower than those of corporate securities of comparable maturities.

 

In addition to investing directly in foreign government securities, the Fund may purchase certificates of accrual or similar instruments evidencing undivided ownership interests in interest payments and/or principal payments of foreign government securities. Certificates of accrual and similar instruments may be more volatile than other government securities.

 

Foreign Investments

 

Foreign Market Risk. Foreign security investment or exposure involves special risks not present in U.S. investments that can increase the chances that the Fund will lose money. These risks are higher for emerging markets investments, which can be subject to greater social, economic, regulatory and political uncertainties, and may have significantly less liquidity, than developed markets. In particular, the Fund is subject to the risk that because there are generally fewer investors on foreign exchanges and a smaller number of shares traded each day, it may be difficult for the Fund to buy and sell securities, or increase or decrease exposures, on those exchanges. In addition, prices of foreign securities may fluctuate more than prices of securities traded in the U.S.

 

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Foreign Economy Risk. The economies of certain foreign markets often do not compare favorably with that of the U.S. with respect to such issues as growth of gross domestic product, reinvestment of capital, resources, and balance of payments positions. Certain foreign economies may rely heavily on particular industries or foreign capital and are more vulnerable to diplomatic developments, the imposition of economic sanctions against a particular country or countries, changes in international trading patterns, trade barriers, and other protectionist or retaliatory measures. Investments in foreign markets may also be adversely affected by governmental actions such as the imposition of capital controls, nationalization of companies or industries, expropriation of assets, or the imposition of punitive taxes. In addition, the governments of certain countries may prohibit or impose substantial restrictions on foreign investing in their capital markets or in certain industries. Any of these actions could severely affect security prices, impair the Fund’s ability to purchase or sell foreign securities, or obtain exposure to them, or transfer the Fund’s assets back into the U.S., or otherwise adversely affect the Fund’s operations. Other foreign market risks include foreign exchange controls, difficulties in pricing securities, defaults on foreign government securities, difficulties in enforcing favorable legal judgments in foreign courts, and political and social instability. Legal remedies available to investors in certain foreign countries may be less extensive than those available to investors in the U.S. or other foreign countries. Foreign corporate governance may not be as robust as in the U.S. As a result, protections for minority investors may not be strong, which could affect security prices.

 

Currency Risk and Exchange Risk. Securities in which the Fund invests, or to which they obtain exposure, may be denominated or quoted in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of these securities. Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value against a foreign currency, an investment in a security denominated in that currency loses value because the currency is worth fewer U.S. dollars. Similarly when the U.S. dollar decreases in value against a foreign currency, an investment in, or exposure to, a security denominated in that currency gains value because the currency is worth more U.S. dollars. This risk is generally known as “currency risk,” which is the possibility that a stronger U.S. dollar will reduce returns for U.S. investors investing overseas. Foreign currencies also involve the risk that they will be devalued or replaced, adversely affecting the Fund’s investments.

 

Governmental Supervision and Regulation/Accounting Standards. Many foreign governments supervise and regulate stock exchanges, brokers and the sale of securities to a lesser extent than the U.S. government. Some countries may not have laws to protect investors the way that the U.S. securities laws do. Accounting standards in other countries are not necessarily the same as in the U.S. If the accounting standards in another country do not require as much disclosure or detail as U.S. accounting standards, it may be harder to completely and accurately determine a company’s financial condition.

 

Certain Risks of Holding Fund Assets Outside the U.S. Foreign securities in which the Fund invests, or to which it obtains exposure, are generally held outside the U.S. in foreign banks and securities depositories. The Fund’s custodian is the Fund’s “foreign custody manager” as provided in Rule 17f-5 under the Investment Company Act. The “foreign custody manager” is responsible for determining that the Fund’s directly-held foreign assets will be subject to reasonable care, based on standards applicable to custodians in relevant foreign markets. However, certain foreign banks and securities depositories may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. They may also have operations subject to limited or no regulatory oversight. Also, the laws of certain countries may put limits on the Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a foreign bank or depository or issuer of a security or an agent of any of the foregoing goes bankrupt. In addition, it likely will be more expensive for the Fund to buy, sell and hold securities, or increase or decrease exposures thereto, in certain foreign markets than it is in the U.S. market due to higher brokerage, transaction, custody and/or other costs. The increased expense of investing in foreign markets reduces the amount the Fund can earn on its investments.

 

Settlement and clearance procedures in certain foreign markets differ significantly from those in the U.S. Foreign settlement and clearance procedures and trade regulations also may involve certain risks (such as delays in payment for or delivery of securities) not typically involved with the settlement of U.S. investments. Communications between the U.S. and emerging market countries may be unreliable, increasing the risk of delayed settlements or losses of security certificates. Settlements in certain foreign countries at times have not kept pace with the number of securities transactions. The problems may make it difficult for the Fund to carry out transactions. If the Fund cannot settle or is delayed in settling a purchase of securities, the Fund may miss attractive investment opportunities and certain of its assets may be uninvested with no return earned thereon for some period. If the Fund cannot settle or is delayed in settling a sale of securities, directly or indirectly, it may lose money if the value of the security then declines or, if it has contracted to sell the security to another party, the Fund could be liable to that party for any losses incurred.

 

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Dividends and interest on, and proceeds from the sale of, foreign securities the Fund holds, or has exposure to, may be subject to foreign withholding or other taxes, and special federal tax considerations may apply.

 

Dollar Rolls, Delayed Delivery Transactions and When Issued or Forward Commitment Securities

 

The purchase or sale of when-issued securities enables an investor to hedge against anticipated changes in interest rates and prices by locking in an attractive price or yield. The price of delayed delivery transactions, including when-issued securities, is fixed at the time the commitment to purchase or sell is made, but delivery and payment for the securities takes place at a later date, normally one to two months after the date of purchase. During the period between purchase and settlement, no payment is made by the purchaser to the issuer and no interest accrues to the purchaser. Such transactions therefore involve a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased declines prior to the settlement date or if the value of the security to be sold increases prior to the settlement date. A sale of a when-issued security also involves the risk that the other party will be unable to settle the transaction. Dollar rolls are a type of forward commitment transaction. Purchases and sales of securities on a forward commitment basis involve a commitment to purchase or sell securities with payment and delivery to take place at some future date, normally one to two months after the date of the transaction. As with when-issued securities, these transactions involve certain risks, but they also enable an investor to hedge against anticipated changes in interest rates and prices. Forward commitment transactions are executed for existing obligations, whereas in a when-issued transaction, the obligations have not yet been issued. When purchasing securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis, a segregated account of liquid assets at least equal to the value of purchase commitments for such securities will be maintained until the settlement date.

 

Futures Contracts and Related Options

 

The Fund may purchase or sell stock index futures contracts and options thereon, including as a substitute for a comparable market position in the underlying securities. A futures contract generally obligates the seller to deliver (and the purchaser to take delivery of) the specified commodity on the expiration date of the contract. A stock index futures contract obligates the seller to deliver (and the purchaser to take) an amount of cash equal to a specific dollar amount (the contract multiplier) multiplied by the difference between the final settlement price of a specific stock index futures contract and the price at which the agreement is made. No physical delivery of the underlying stocks in the index is made.

 

The Fund generally chooses to engage in closing or offsetting transactions before final settlement wherein a second identical futures contract is sold to offset a long position (or bought to offset a short position). In such cases the obligation is to deliver (or take delivery of) cash equal to a specific dollar amount (the contract multiplier) multiplied by the difference between the price of the offsetting transaction and the price at which the original contract was entered into. If the original position entered into is a long position (futures contract purchased) there will be a gain (loss) if the offsetting sell transaction is done at a higher (lower) price, inclusive of commissions. If the original position entered into is a short position (futures contract sold) there will be a gain (loss) if the offsetting buy transaction is done at a lower (higher) price, inclusive of commissions.

 

Whether the Fund realizes a gain or loss from futures activities depends generally upon movements in the underlying asset. The extent of the Fund’s loss from an unhedged short position in futures contracts is potentially unlimited. The Fund may engage in related closing transactions with respect to options on futures contracts. The Fund intends to engage in transactions in futures contracts that are traded on a U.S. exchange or board of trade or that have been approved for sale in the United States by the CFTC.

 

Upon entering into a futures contract, the Fund will be required to deposit with the broker an amount of cash or cash equivalents known as “initial margin,” which is in the nature of a performance bond or good faith deposit on the contract, and that is returned to the Fund upon termination of the futures contract, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Subsequent payments, known as “variation margin,” to and from the broker will be made daily as the price of the index underlying the futures contract fluctuates, making the long and short positions in the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as “marking-to-market.” At any time prior to expiration of a futures contract, the Fund may elect to close its position by taking an opposite position, which will operate to terminate the Fund’s existing position in the contract.

 

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The Fund may cover its long position in a futures contract by taking a short position in the instruments underlying the futures contract, or by taking positions in instruments the prices of which are expected to move relatively consistently inversely with the futures contract. The Fund may cover its short position in a futures contract by taking a long position in the instruments underlying the futures contract, or by taking positions in instruments, the prices of which are expected to move relatively consistently to the futures contract. The Fund may “cover” its short position in a futures contract by purchasing a call option on the same futures contract with a strike price (i.e., an exercise price) as low or lower than the price of the futures contract, or, if the strike price of the call is greater than the price of the futures contract, the Fund will earmark or segregate cash or liquid instruments equal in value to the difference between the strike price of the call and the price of the future. The Fund may cover its long or short positions in futures by earmarking or segregating with its custodian bank or on the books and records of the Fund (and mark-to-market on a daily basis) cash or liquid instruments that, when added to any amounts deposited with a futures commission merchant as margin, are equal to the market value of the futures contract or otherwise “cover” its position.

 

Although the Fund intends to sell futures contracts only if there is an active market for such contracts, no assurance can be given that a liquid market will exist for any particular contract at any particular time. Many futures exchanges and boards of trade limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular contract, no trades may be made that day at a price beyond that limit or trading may be suspended for specified periods during the day. Futures contract prices could move to the limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of futures positions and potentially subjecting the Fund to substantial losses. If trading is not possible, or if the Fund determines not to close a futures position in anticipation of adverse price movements, the Fund will be required to make daily cash payments of variation margin. The risk that the Fund will be unable to close out a futures position will be minimized by entering into such transactions on a national securities exchange with an active and liquid secondary market.

 

Historically, an adviser of a fund trading commodity interests (such as futures contracts, options on futures contracts, nondeliverable forwards, swaps and cash-settled foreign currency contracts) has been excluded from regulation as a commodity pool operator (“CPO”) pursuant to CFTC Regulation 4.5. In 2012, the CFTC amended Regulation 4.5 to dramatically narrow this exclusion.

 

Under the amended Regulation 4.5 exclusion, a fund’s commodity interests - other than those used for bona fide hedging purposes (as defined by the CFTC) - must be limited such that the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish the positions (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions and excluding the amount by which options are "in-the-money" at the time of purchase) does not exceed 5% of the fund’s NAV, or alternatively, the aggregate net notional value of the positions, determined at the time the most recent position was established, does not exceed 100% of the fund’s NAV (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). Further, to qualify for the exclusion in amended Regulation 4.5, a fund must satisfy a marketing test, which requires, among other things, that the fund not hold itself out as a vehicle for trading commodity interests.

 

The Adviser intends to comply with one of the two alternative limitations described above with respect to the Fund and claim an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” under the CEA with respect to the Funds. The Funds therefore will not be subject to registration or regulation as a CPO under the CEA. Complying with the limitations may restrict the Adviser’s ability to use derivatives as part of the Fund’s investment strategies. Although the Adviser expects to be able to execute the Fund’s strategies within the limitations, performance could be adversely affected.

 

Illiquid Securities

 

The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. For this purpose, “illiquid securities” are securities that the Fund may not sell or dispose of within seven days in the ordinary course of business at approximately the amount at which the Fund has valued the securities. A repurchase agreement maturing in more than seven days is considered illiquid, unless it can be terminated after a notice period of seven days or less.

 

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The Adviser also may deem certain securities to be illiquid as a result of the Adviser’s receipt from time to time of material, non-public information about an issuer, which may limit the Adviser’s ability to trade such securities for the account of any of its clients, including the Fund. In some instances, these trading restrictions could continue in effect for a substantial period of time.

 

At times, the inability to sell illiquid securities can make it more difficult to determine their fair value for purposes of computing the Fund’s net asset value. The judgment of the Adviser normally plays a greater role in valuing these securities than in valuing publicly traded securities.

 

Repurchase Agreements

 

The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with banks and broker-dealers. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which securities are acquired by the Fund from a securities dealer or bank subject to resale at an agreed upon price on a later date. The Fund bears a risk of loss in the event that the other party to a repurchase agreement defaults on its obligations and the Fund is delayed or prevented from exercising its rights to dispose of the collateral securities. Such a default may subject the Fund to expenses, delays, and risks of loss including: (i) possible declines in the value of the underlying security while the Fund seeks to enforce its rights, (ii) possible reduced levels of income and lack of access to income during this period, and (iii) the inability to enforce its rights and the expenses involved in attempted enforcement.

 

Repurchase agreements are treated as loans by the SEC staff. The Fund will not enter into repurchase agreements if, as a result, the aggregate amount of the Fund’s loans exceed 33 1/3% of its total assets.

 

Securities Lending

 

The Fund may make secured loans of their portfolio securities; however, securities loans will not be made if, as a result, the aggregate amount of all outstanding securities loans by the Fund exceeds 33 1/3% of its total assets (including the market value of collateral received).  For purposes of complying with the Fund’s investment policies and restrictions, collateral received in connection with securities loans is deemed an asset of the Fund to the extent required by law. The Fund continues to receive dividends or interest, as applicable, on the securities loaned and simultaneously earns either interest on the investment of the cash collateral or fee income if the loan is otherwise collateralized.

 

To the extent the Fund engages in securities lending, securities loans will be made to broker-dealers that the Adviser believes to be of relatively high credit standing pursuant to agreements requiring that the loans continuously be collateralized by cash, liquid securities, or shares of other investment companies with a value at least equal to the market value of the loaned securities. As with other extensions of credit, the Fund bears the risk of delay in the recovery of the securities and of loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. The Fund also bears the entire risk of loss on any reinvested collateral received in connection with securities lending.

 

Voting rights or rights to consent with respect to the loaned securities pass to the borrower. The Fund has the right to call loans at any time on reasonable notice. However, the Fund bears the risk of delay in the return of the security, impairing the Fund’s ability to vote on such matters. The Adviser will retain lending agents on behalf of the Fund based on a percentage of the Fund’s return on its securities lending. The Fund may also pay various fees in connection with securities loans, including shipping fees and custodian fees. The costs of lending securities are not reflected in the Fund’s Annual Fund Operating Expenses.

 

Short Sales

 

A short sale is a transaction in which the Fund sells a security it does not own. To complete such a transaction, the Fund must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. The Fund is then obligated to replace the security borrowed by borrowing the same security from another lender, purchasing it at the market price at the time of replacement or paying the lender an amount equal to the cost of purchasing the security. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the security was sold by the Fund. Until the security is replaced, the Fund is required to repay the lender any dividends it receives, or interest which accrues, during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, the Fund also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The net proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet margin requirements, until the short position is closed out. The Fund also will incur transaction costs in effecting short sales.

 

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Whenever the Fund engages in short sales, it earmarks or segregates liquid securities or cash in an amount that, when combined with the amount of collateral deposited with the broker in connection with the short sale (other than the proceeds of the short sale), equals the current market value of the security sold short. The earmarked or segregated assets are marked-to-market daily.

 

The Fund will incur a loss as a result of a short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the Fund replaces the borrowed security. The Fund will realize a gain if the price of the security declines in price between those dates. The amount of any gain will be decreased, and the amount of any loss increased, by the amount of the premium, dividends or interest the Fund may be required to pay, if any, in connection with a short sale. Short sales may be subject to unlimited losses as the price of a security can rise infinitely.

 

Tracking an Index

 

The Fund is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of its Underlying Index. This differs from an actively managed fund, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. As a result, the Fund may hold constituent securities of its Underlying Index regardless of the current or projected performance of a specific security or a particular industry or market sector. Maintaining investments in securities regardless of market conditions or the performance of individual securities could cause the Fund’s return to be lower than if the Fund employed an active strategy.

 

Tracking error is the difference between the Fund’s performance from that of the Underlying Index. This may occur due to an imperfect correlation between the Fund’s holdings and those comprising the Underlying Index, pricing differences, the Fund’s holding of cash, differences in the timing of dividend accruals, changes to the Underlying Index, or the need to meet regulatory requirements. This risk is heightened during times of increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions. Further, as a new fund, there can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size, in which case it may experience greater tracking error to its Underlying Index than it otherwise would at higher asset levels or it could ultimately liquidate.

 

An investment in the Fund should also be made with an understanding that the Fund will not be able to replicate exactly the performance of its Underlying Index because the total return generated by its portfolio securities will be reduced by transaction costs incurred in adjusting the actual balance of such securities and other Fund expenses, whereas such transaction costs and expenses are not included in the calculation of an Underlying Index. It is also possible that for short periods of time, the Fund may not fully replicate the performance of the Underlying Index due to the temporary unavailability of certain Underlying Index securities in the secondary markets or due to other extraordinary circumstances. Such events are unlikely to continue for an extended period of time because the Fund is required to correct such imbalances by means of adjusting the composition of its portfolio securities. It is also possible that the composition of the Fund may not exactly replicate the composition of its Underlying Index if the Fund has to adjust its portfolio securities in order to qualify as a “regulated investment company” under the Code. The use of a representative sampling strategy to track the Underlying Index may produce greater tracking error than if the Fund employed a full replication strategy.

 

 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

 

The Funds are newly established. Accordingly, information on the Funds’ portfolio turnover rates is not available as of the date of this SAI.

 

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MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS

 

Trustees and Officers

 

The business and affairs of the Trust are managed by its officers under the oversight of its Board. The Board sets broad policies for the Trust and may appoint Trust officers. The Board oversees the performance of the Adviser and the Trust’s other service providers. Each Trustee serves until his or her successor is duly elected or appointed and qualified.

 

The Board is comprised of three Trustees. One Trustee and certain of the officers of the Trust are directors, officers or employees of the Adviser. The other Trustees are not “interested persons” (as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act) of the Trust (the “Independent Trustees”). The fund complex includes all Funds advised by the Adviser (“Fund Complex”).

 

The Trustees, their age (by date of birth), term of office and length of time served, their principal business occupations during the past five years, the number of portfolios in the Fund Complex overseen and other directorships, if any, held by each Trustee, are shown below. The officers, their age (by year of birth), term of office and length of time served and their principal business occupations during the past five years, are shown below. Unless noted otherwise, the address of each Trustee and each Officer is: c/o 3 Harbor Way, Suite 112, Sausalito, CA 94965.

 

Name, Address,

Age

Position(s)

Held with

Trust

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served

Principal

Occupation

During Past 5

Years

Number of

Funds in Fund

Complex

Overseen by

Trustee

Other

Directorships

Held by

Trustee During

Past 5 Years

Independent Trustees

Stephen J. Posner

YOB: 1944

Trustee Since 2014 Financial Advisor, Wunderlich Securities, Inc. (2005-2014). 2 None

Theodore M. Theodore

YOB: 1940

Trustee Since 2014 Senior Managing Director, Quantitative Analysis Services (2014-present); Managing Partner, HorizonsAdvisory (2012-2014); Co-Chief Investment Officer, Momentum Investment Partners (1989-2012). 2 None
Interested Trustee*

Charles Biderman

YOB: 1946

Trustee and President of the Trust

 

 

Trustee and President since 2014.

 

Managing Member, Chairman, Chief Compliance Officer, and Portfolio Manager, TrimTabs Asset Management, LLC (1990-present); Founder and Chief Executive Officer, TrimTabs Investment Research (1990-present). 2 None

 

* Mr. Biderman is an “interested person,” as defined by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, because of his employment with and ownership interest in TrimTabs.

 

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Officers

 

Name, Address, Age

Position(s) Held with

Trust

Term of Office and

Length of Time Served

Principal Occupation

During Past 5 Years

Minyi Chen

YOB: 1983

Vice President Since 2014

Portfolio Manager and Chief Executive Officer, TrimTabs Asset Management, LLC (2008-present); Chief Operating Officer, TrimTabs Investment Research (2008-present); President, TrimTabs Index Services, LLC (2014-present).

 

Aman Ahluwalia

YOB: 1979

Chief Compliance Officer and Anti-Money Laundering Officer Since 2014 Director of Compliance and Business Affairs, Alaric Compliance Service LLC (2014-present); Deputy Chief Compliance Officer & Director of Operations, Saffron Capital Management LLC (2011-2014); Managing Director, Core Alpha Compliance Consultants LLC (2005-2011).

Jeanette Kirazian

YOB: 1961

Principal Financial Officer Since 2014 Founder, Libertas Accounting Services LLC (2012-present); Chief Financial Officer, Permanens Capital LP (2011-2012); Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer, Caravel Management LLC (2009-2011).

 

Additional Information About the Trustees

 

The following provides information additional to that set forth in the table above regarding other relevant qualifications, experience, attributes or skills applicable to each Trustee.

 

Stephen J. Posner: Mr. Posner has extensive experience in the securities industry, having served as a general securities representative, registered options principal, and general securities sales supervisor of a broker-dealer.

 

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Theodore M. Theodore: Mr. Theodore has extensive experience in the investment management industry, including as a senior managing director of a broker-dealer and managing partner of a consulting firm focusing on early stage asset managers.

 

Charles Biderman: Mr. Biderman has extensive experience in the investment management industry, including as a chairman, chief executive officer and portfolio manager of an investment adviser and the founder and chief executive officer of a securities research firm.

 

The Board has determined that each Trustee on an individual basis and in combination with the other Trustees is qualified to serve, and should serve, on the Board. To make this determination the Board considered a variety of criteria, none of which in isolation was controlling. Among other things, the Board considered each Trustee’s experience, qualifications, attributes and skills.

 

In June 2014, Mr. Posner finalized a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent (“AWC”) with FINRA. The AWC included findings by the FINRA staff that, over a 13 month period ending January 31, 2010, Mr. Posner, on behalf of certain customers, had executed sales of unregistered securities without verifying the availability of an exemption from registration for them, in violation of certain federal securities laws and a FINRA rule. Mr. Posner neither admitted nor denied these findings, and in connection with the settlement of the matter agreed to a fine, disgorgement, and a 10-day suspension from association with any FINRA member. The Board considered the AWC and determined that the subject matter of the AWC and Mr. Posner’s settlement with FINRA would not negatively impact his ability to serve as a Trustee.

 

Board Structure

 

Mr. Biderman is considered to be an Interested Trustee and serves as Chairman of the Board. The Chairman’s responsibilities include: setting an agenda for each meeting of the Board; presiding at all meetings of the Board and, if present, meetings of the Independent Trustees; and, serving as a liaison between the other Trustees, Trust officers, management personnel and counsel.

 

The Board believes that having an interested Chairman, who is familiar with TrimTabs and its operations, while also having two-thirds of the Board composed of Independent Trustees, strikes an appropriate balance that allows the Board to benefit from the insights and perspective of a representative of management while empowering the Independent Trustees with the ultimate decision-making authority. The Board has not appointed a lead Independent Trustee at this time. The Board does not believe that an independent Chairman or lead Independent Trustee would enhance the Board’s effectiveness, as the relatively small size of the Board allows for diverse viewpoints to be shared and for effective communications between and among Independent Trustees and management so that meetings proceed efficiently. Independent Trustees have effective control over the Board’s agenda because they form a majority of the Board and can request presentations and agenda topics at Board meetings.

 

The Board normally holds four regularly scheduled meetings each year, at least one of which is in person. The Board may hold special meetings, as needed, either in person or by telephone, to address matters arising between regular meetings. The Independent Trustees meet separately at each regularly scheduled in-person meeting of the Board; during a portion of each such separate meeting management is not present. The Independent Trustees may also hold special meetings, as needed, either in person or by telephone.

 

The Board will conduct a self-assessment on an annual basis, as part of which it considers whether the structure of the Board and its Committees is appropriate under the circumstances. Based on such self-assessment, among other things, the Board will consider whether its current structure is appropriate. As part of this self-assessment, the Board will consider several factors, including the number of Funds overseen by the Board, their investment objectives, and the responsibilities entrusted to TrimTabs and other service providers with respect to the oversight of the day-to-day operations of the Trust and the Funds.

 

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The Board sets broad policies for the Trust and may appoint Trust officers. The Board oversees the performance of TrimTabs and the Trust’s other service providers. As part of its oversight function, the Board monitors the Adviser’s risk management, including, as applicable, its management of investment, compliance and operational risks, through the receipt of periodic reports and presentations. The Board has not established a standing risk committee. Rather, the Board relies on Trust officers, advisory personnel and service providers to manage applicable risks and report exceptions to the Board in order to enable it to exercise its oversight responsibility. To this end, the Board receives reports from such parties at least quarterly, including, but not limited to, investment and/or performance reports, distribution reports, Rule 12b-1 reports, valuation and internal controls reports. Similarly, the Board receives quarterly reports from the Trust’s chief compliance officer (“CCO”), including, but not limited to, a report on the Trust’s compliance program, and the Independent Trustees have an opportunity to meet separately each quarter with the CCO. The CCO typically provides the Board with updates regarding the Trust’s compliance policies and procedures, including any enhancements to them. The Board expects all parties, including, but not limited to, the Adviser, other service providers and the CCO, to inform the Board on an intra-quarter basis if a material issue arises that requires the Board’s oversight.

 

The Board generally exercises its oversight as a whole, but has delegated certain oversight functions to an Audit Committee. The function of the Audit Committee is discussed in detail below.

 

Committees

 

The Board currently has two standing committees: an Audit Committee and a Nominating Committee. Each Independent Trustee serves on each of these committees.

 

The purposes of the Audit Committee are to: (1) oversee generally each Fund’s accounting and financial reporting policies and practices, their internal controls and, as appropriate, the internal controls of certain service providers; (2) oversee the quality, integrity, and objectivity of each Fund’s financial statements and the independent audit thereof; (3) assist the full Board with its oversight of the Trust’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements that relate to each Fund’s accounting and financial reporting, internal controls and independent audits; (4) approve, prior to appointment, the engagement of the Trust’s independent auditors and, in connection therewith, to review and evaluate the qualifications, independence and performance of the Trust’s independent auditors; and (5) act as a liaison between the Trust’s independent auditors and the full Board.

 

The purposes of the Nominating Committee are, among other things, to: (1) identify and recommend for nomination candidates to serve as Trustees and/or on Board committees who are not “interested persons” as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act (“Interested Person”) of the Trust and who meet any independence requirements of Exchange Rule 5.3(k)(1) or the applicable rule of any other exchange on which shares of the Trust are listed; (2) evaluate and make recommendations to the full Board regarding potential trustee candidates who are Interested Persons of the Trust; and (3) review periodically the workload and capabilities of the Trustees and, as the Committee deems appropriate, to make recommendations to the Board if such a review suggests that changes to the size or composition of the Board and/or its committees are warranted. The Committee will generally not consider potential candidates for nomination identified by shareholders.

 

Compensation of Trustees

 

The Independent Trustees were elected to the Board of the Trust effective October 22, 2014 and prior to that date had not received any compensation from the Funds. The Trust’s officers and any interested Trustees receive no compensation directly from the Trust.

 

The Independent Trustees determine the amount of compensation that they receive. In determining compensation for the Independent Trustees, the Independent Trustees take into account a variety of factors including, among other things, their collective significant work experience (e.g., in business and finance, government or academia). The Independent Trustees also recognize that these individuals’ advice and counsel are in demand by other organizations, that these individuals may reject other opportunities because of the time demands of their duties as Independent Trustees, and that they undertake significant legal responsibilities. The Independent Trustees also consider the compensation paid to independent board members of other registered investment company complexes of comparable size.

 

Independent Trustees are paid $4,000 per quarter for attendance at meetings of the Board. All Trustees are reimbursed for their travel expenses and other reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attending Board meetings. The Trust does not accrue pension or retirement benefits as part of the Funds’ expenses, and Trustees are not entitled to benefits upon retirement from the Board.

 

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The Trust commenced operations in 2014 and has not had operations for a full year. The table shows the estimated compensation that is contemplated to be paid to Trustees for a full year by the Fund Complex:*

 

Independent Trustees Compensation Compensation Deferred

Total Compensation from the Fund

Complex Paid to Trustee

Stephen J. Posner $16,000 $0 $16,000
Theodore M. Theodore $16,000 $0 $16,000
Interested Trustee      
Charles Biderman** $0 $0 $0

* Trustee compensation is allocated across the series of the Fund Complex on the basis of assets under management.

** Mr. Biderman is an “interested person,” as defined by the Investment Company Act, because of his employment with and ownership interest in the Adviser.

 

Equity Ownership of Trustees. As of December 31, 2013, the Trustees did not own any of the outstanding Shares of the Funds as the Funds were not operational prior to that date.

 

As of December 31, 2013, none of the Independent Trustees or their immediate family members beneficially owned any securities in any investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Trust, or in any person (other than a registered investment company) directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Trust.

 

Codes of Ethics

 

The Board, on behalf of the Trust, has adopted a Code of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act. In addition, the Adviser and Foreside Financial Group, LLC, on behalf of the Distributor, each has adopted a Code of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1. These Codes of Ethics (each a “Code of Ethics” and together 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 each Code of Ethics, access persons are permitted to engage in personal securities transactions, but are required to report their personal securities transactions for monitoring purposes. In addition, certain access persons are required to obtain approval before investing in private placements and are prohibited from investing in IPOs. Copies of the Codes of Ethics are on file with the SEC, and are available to the public.

 

Proxy Voting

 

The Board has delegated to the Adviser the responsibility to vote proxies related to the securities held in the Funds’ portfolios. Under this authority, the Adviser is required by the Board to vote proxies related to portfolio securities in the best interests of each Fund and its shareholders. The Adviser will vote such proxies in accordance with its proxy policies and procedures, which are included in Appendix A to this SAI. The Board will periodically review each Fund’s proxy voting record.

 

The Trust will annually disclose its complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX. The Trust’s most recent Form N-PX will be available without charge, upon request, by calling 855-ETF-INFO (383-4636). The Trust’s Form N-PX will also be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES

 

Prior to the commencement of investment operations and the public launch of the Funds, the Adviser owned all of the initial Shares issued by the Funds. No other person owns of record or is known by the Funds to own beneficially 5% or more of the Funds’ outstanding equity securities.

 

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INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AND OTHER SERVICES

 

Investment Advisory Agreement

 

TrimTabs Asset Management, LLC is the Adviser to the Funds. Under an investment advisory agreement between the Adviser and the Trust, on behalf of each Fund (“Management Agreement”), each Fund pays the Adviser a fee at an annualized rate, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, based on its average daily net assets, set forth in the table below:

 

Fund Advisory Fee
TrimTabs U.S. Free-Cash-Flow ETF (FCFD) 0.69%
TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow ETF (FCFI) 0.69%

 

The Adviser manages the investment and the reinvestment of the assets of each of the Funds, in accordance with the investment objectives, policies, and limitations of the Funds, subject to the general supervision and control of the Board. The Adviser is a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and is a limited liability corporation organized under the laws of Delaware. The address of the Adviser is 3 Harbor Way, Suite 112, Sausalito, California 94965. Charles Biderman holds a controlling interest in the Adviser. The Adviser was founded in 2005 and provides investment advisory services to registered investment companies. As of September 30, 2014, the Adviser managed approximately $137 million.

 

The Adviser bears all of its own costs associated with providing these advisory services and all expenses of the Funds, except for the fee payment under the Management Agreement, payments under each Fund’s 12b-1 plan, brokerage expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses, taxes, interest (including borrowing costs and dividend expenses on securities sold short), litigation expense and other extraordinary expenses.

 

The Management Agreement provides that the Adviser will not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Trust in connection with the matters to which the Management Agreement relates, but will be liable to the Trust and its shareholders only for willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard of its obligations or duties thereunder.

 

The Management Agreement also provides that the Adviser may engage in other businesses, devote time and attention to any other business whether of a similar or dissimilar nature, and render investment advisory services to others.

 

The Management Agreement with respect to a Fund will remain in effect for two (2) years from its effective date and thereafter continue in effect for as long as its continuance is specifically approved at least annually, by (1) the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of a majority of the shareholders of a Fund, and (2) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Management Agreement or Interested Persons of any person thereto, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Management Agreement for a Fund provides that it may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by the Board of Trustees or, with respect to a Fund, by a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund, on 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser, and by the Adviser upon 60 days’ written notice and that it shall be automatically terminated if it is assigned.

 

Custodian, Transfer Agent and Fund Accounting Agent

 

The Bank of New York Mellon (“BNY”), located at 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286, serves as the Custodian for each Fund pursuant to a custodian agreement (the “Custodian Agreement”). As Custodian, BNY holds each Fund’s assets, calculates the NAV of the Shares and calculates net income and realized capital gains or losses. BNY also serves as transfer agent for each Fund pursuant to a transfer agency agreement (the “Transfer Agency Agreement”). Further, BNY serves as Fund accounting agent pursuant to a fund administration and accounting agreement (the “Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement”). As compensation for these services, BNY receives certain out-of-pocket costs, transaction fees and asset-based fees which are accrued daily and paid monthly by the Adviser from its fees.

 

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Administrator

 

BNY serves as the Administrator for each Fund pursuant to the Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement with the Trust. Its principal address is 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286. Under the Agreement, BNY is obligated, on a continuous basis, to provide such administrative services as the Board reasonably deems necessary for the proper administration of the Trust and the Fund. BNY generally will assist in many aspects of the Trust's and each Fund's operations, including accounting, bookkeeping and record keeping services (including, without limitation, the maintenance of such books and records as are required under the Investment Company Act and the rules thereunder, except as maintained by other agents), assisting in preparing reports to shareholders or investors, assisting in the preparation and filing of tax returns, supplying financial information and supporting data for reports to and filings with the SEC, and supplying supporting documentation for meetings of the Board. Pursuant to the Agreement, the Trust has agreed to indemnify the Administrator for certain liabilities, including certain liabilities arising under the federal securities laws, unless such loss or liability results from gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties. As compensation for these services, the Administrator receives certain out-of-pocket costs, transaction fees and asset-based fees which are accrued daily and paid monthly by the Adviser from its fees.

 

Index Provider

 

TrimTabs Index Services, LLC (“Index Provider”) is the index provider for the Funds. The Index Provider was formed as a Delaware limited liability company on April 2, 2014, and is in the business of developing and maintaining financial indexes, including each Underlying Index. The Index Provider is affiliated with the Adviser because it is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser. The Index Provider has entered into an index licensing agreement (“Licensing Agreement”) with the Adviser to allow the Adviser’s use of the Underlying Indexes for the operation of the Funds. The Adviser may pay licensing fees to the Index Provider from the Adviser’s management fees or other resources. The Adviser has, in turn, entered into a sub-licensing agreement (“Sub-Licensing Agreement”) with the Trust to allow the Funds to utilize each Underlying Index. The Funds do not pay fees to the Index Provider or to the Adviser under the Sub-Licensing Agreement.

 

The Index Provider uses a proprietary rules-based methodology to construct and maintain the Underlying Index for each Fund. The Underlying Index for the TrimTabs U.S. Free-Cash-Flow ETF is comprised of the top 10% of eligible companies in the Index Universe with the highest free cash flow yield, as determined by the Index Provider, and the Underlying Index for the TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow ETF is comprised of the top 20% of eligible companies in the Index Universe with the highest free cash flow yield, as determined by the Index Provider. Each Underlying Index defines free cash flow to mean the cash that a company is able to generate after spending the money required to maintain or expand its operations and free cash flow yield as the ratio of a company’s free cash flow to its market capitalization.  The Index Universe of the TrimTabs U.S. Free-Cash-Flow ETF is the Russell 3000 Index, which measures the performance of the largest 3,000 U.S. companies and REITs. The Index Universe of the TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow ETF is comprised of the following ten single-country broad-market indexes:

 

Country Country Sub-Index
Australia S&P/ASX 100 Index
Canada S&P/TSX Composite Index
Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China Hong Kong Hang Seng Index
France MSCI France Index
Germany Deutsche Boerse AG German Stock Index
Japan Nikkei 225 Index
Korea Korea Stock Exchange KOSPI 200 Index
Netherlands AEX Index
Switzerland Swiss Market Index
United Kingdom FTSE 100 Index

 

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Pursuant to the Underlying Index methodology, only issuers with market capitalizations of at least $500 million are included in the Index Universe. Closed-end funds, mutual funds, bonds, and private companies are not eligible for inclusion in either Underlying Index.  Each Underlying Index will be weighted based only on publicly available data and will include screens to seek to ensure its liquidity and investability.  Screens exclude as components any foreign issuers whose securities are highly restricted or illegal for U.S. persons to own, including due to the imposition of sanctions by the U.S. Government. Each Underlying Index is rebalanced and reconstituted quarterly.  New securities are added to an Underlying Index only during reconstitutions and rebalancings.  In response to market conditions, security weightings may fluctuate between Underlying Index reconstitutions and rebalancings.

 

The Index Provider has retained, Solactive, AG (formerly known as Structured Solutions, AG), an unaffiliated third party to calculate each Underlying Index (the “Calculation Agent”). The Calculation Agent, using the applicable Underlying Index’s rules-based methodology, will calculate, maintain and disseminate each Underlying Index on a daily basis. Changes to the constituents of an Underlying Index made by the Index Provider or the Calculation Agent will be disclosed by the Index Provider on the Funds’ website at www.trimtabsetfs.com.

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGER

 

The following table provides information about the portfolio manager who has day-to-day responsibility for management of the Funds. The reporting information is provided as of September 30, 2014:

 

Portfolio

Manager

Registered Investment

Companies

Other Pooled

Investment Vehicles

Other Accounts

Performance Fee

Accounts

Number of

Accounts

Total

Assets

(in

millions)

Number

of

Accounts

Total

Assets

(in

millions)

Number

of

Accounts

Total

Assets

(in

millions)

Number

of

Accounts

Total

Assets

(in

millions)

Minyi Chen 1 $137 0 $0 0 $0 0 $0

 

Potential Conflicts of Interest

 

The portfolio manager’s management of “other accounts” may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with his management of the Funds’ 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 Funds.  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.  Another potential conflict could include the portfolio manager’s knowledge about the size, timing and possible market impact of Fund trades, whereby the portfolio manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts and to the disadvantage of the Funds. 

 

The potential conflicts arising with respect to the portfolio manager’s management of the Funds and of “other accounts” is limited because the Funds seek to track the performance (before fees and expenses) of their Underlying Indexes.  As such, the Funds are not actively managed and the potential for the portfolio manager to favor one account over another in instances of limited investment opportunities is minimized.

 

Further, the Adviser has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities among all accounts it manages are fairly and equitably allocated.  There can be no assurance that these policies and procedures will be effective, however.

 

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Compensation

 

The portfolio manager owns an equity interest in the Adviser and his compensation is determined by the advisory fee revenue generated by the firm’s assets under management.  Thus, portfolio manager compensation is aligned with the interests of the Adviser’s clients, including the Funds and their investors.  The portfolio manager may also earn a bonus each year based on the profitability of the Adviser.

 

PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE

 

Brokerage Transactions

 

Portfolio changes will generally be implemented through in-kind transactions for Creation Units; however, the Adviser may execute brokerage transactions for a Fund and a Fund may incur brokerage commissions, particularly during the early stages of the Funds’ development or in the case of transactions involving realized losses. Also, a Fund may accept cash as part or all of an In-Kind Creation or Redemption Basket, in which case the Adviser may need to execute brokerage transactions for a Fund. Generally, equity securities, including securities of underlying ETFs, are bought and sold through brokerage transactions for which commissions are payable. Purchases from underwriters will include the underwriting commission or concession, and purchases from dealers serving as market makers will include a dealer’s mark-up or reflect a dealer’s mark-down. Money market securities and other debt securities are usually bought and sold directly from the issuer or an underwriter or market maker for the securities. Generally, the Funds will not pay brokerage commissions for such purchases. When a debt security is bought from an underwriter, the purchase price will usually include an underwriting commission or concession. The purchase price for securities bought from dealers serving as market makers will similarly include the dealer’s mark-up or reflect a dealer’s mark-down. When a Fund executes transactions in the over-the-counter market, it will generally deal with primary market makers unless prices that are more favorable are otherwise obtainable.

 

In addition, the Adviser may place a combined order, often referred to as “bunching,” for two or more accounts it manages, including the Funds, engaged in the purchase or sale of the same security or other instrument if, in its judgment, joint execution is in the best interest of each participant and will result in best price and execution. Transactions involving commingled orders are allocated in a manner deemed equitable to each account or Fund. Although it is recognized that, in some cases, the joint execution of orders could adversely affect the price or volume of the security that a particular account or a Fund may obtain, it is the opinion of the Adviser and the Board that the advantages of combined orders outweigh the possible disadvantages of separate transactions. In addition, in some instances a Fund effecting the larger portion of a combined order may not benefit to the same extent as participants effecting smaller portions of the combined order. Nonetheless, the Adviser believes that the ability of a Fund to participate in higher volume transactions will generally be beneficial to the Fund.

 

Because the Funds are newly organized, they have not incurred brokerage commissions as of the date of this SAI.

 

Brokerage Selection

 

The Trust does not expect to use one particular broker-dealer to effect the Trust’s portfolio transactions. When one or more broker-dealers is believed capable of providing the best combination of price and execution, the Adviser may not select a broker-dealer based on the lowest commission rate available for a particular transaction. In such cases, the Adviser may pay a higher commission than otherwise obtainable from other brokers in return for brokerage or research services provided to the Adviser consistent with Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act, which provides that the 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-dealer would have charged as long as the 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 the Adviser obtains brokerage and research services that it otherwise would acquire at its own expense, the Adviser may have an incentive to place a greater volume of transactions or pay higher commissions than would otherwise be the case.

 

The Adviser will only obtain brokerage and research services from broker-dealers in arrangements that are consistent with Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act. The types of products and services that the Adviser may obtain from broker-dealers through such arrangements will include research reports and other information on the economy, industries, sectors, groups of securities, individual companies, statistical information, political developments, technical market action, pricing and appraisal services, credit analysis, risk measurement analysis, performance and other analysis. The Adviser may use 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 the Adviser are not reduced as a result of the receipt of brokerage and research services.

 

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In some cases the Adviser may receive a product or service from a broker that has both a “research” and a “non-research” use. When this occurs, the 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 the Adviser will use its own funds to pay for the percentage of the service that is used for non-research purposes. In making this good faith allocation, the Adviser faces a potential conflict of interest, but the Adviser believes that its allocation procedures are reasonably designed to appropriately allocate the anticipated use of such products and services to research and non-research uses.

 

Because the Funds are newly organized, they have not directed any transactions to brokers-dealers pursuant to an agreement or understanding, whereby the broker-dealer provides research or other brokerage services to the Adviser, as of the date of this SAI.

 

Brokerage with Fund Affiliates

 

Although not expected, the Funds may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of the Funds, the Adviser, or the Distributor for a commission in conformity with the Investment Company Act, the 1934 Act and rules promulgated by the SEC. Under the Investment Company Act and the 1934 Act, affiliated broker-dealers are permitted to receive and retain compensation for effecting portfolio transactions for a Fund on an exchange if a written contract is in effect between the affiliate and the Fund expressly permitting the affiliate to receive and retain such compensation. These rules further require that commissions paid to the affiliate by a Fund for exchange transactions not exceed usual and customary” brokerage commissions. The rules define “usual and customary” commissions to include amounts that are “reasonable and fair compared to the commission, fee or other remuneration received or to be received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period of time.” The Board, including those who are not “interested persons” of the Funds, has adopted procedures for evaluating the reasonableness of commissions paid to affiliates and reviews these procedures periodically.

 

Securities of “Regular Broker-Dealers”

 

The Funds are required to identify any securities of their “regular brokers and dealers” (as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act) that the Funds may hold at the close of their most recent fiscal year. “Regular brokers and dealers” of the Trust are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year: (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from the Trust’s portfolio transactions; (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio transactions of the Trust; or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of the Trust’s shares. Because the Funds are newly organized, they have not completed a fiscal year and therefore have not held any securities of their “regular brokers and dealers.”

 

THE DISTRIBUTOR

 

Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”), a Delaware limited liability company, serves as the distributor of Creation Units for the Fund on an agency basis. The Trust has entered into a Distribution Agreement, (“Distribution Agreement”), under which the Distributor, as agent, receives orders from Authorized Participants to create and redeem shares in Creation Unit aggregations and transmits such orders to the Trust’s Custodian and Transfer Agent. The Distributor’s principal address is 3 Canal Plaza, Portland, Maine 04101. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the 1934 Act, and a member of FINRA. Shares will be continuously offered for sale on a best efforts basis by the Trust through the Distributor only in whole Creation Units, as described in the section of this SAI entitled “Transactions in Creation Units.” The Distributor also acts as an agent for the Trust for those activities described within the Distribution Agreement. The Distributor will deliver a prospectus to Authorized Participants purchasing Shares in Creation Units and will maintain records of both orders placed with it and confirmations of acceptance furnished by it to Authorized Participants. The Distributor and its officers have no role in determining the investment policies of the Fund or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Fund. No compensation is payable by the Trust to the Distributor for such distribution services. However, the Adviser has entered into an agreement with the Distributor under which it makes payments to the Distributor in consideration for its services under the Distribution Agreement. The payments made by the Adviser to the Distributor do not represent an additional expense to the Trust or its shareholders.

 

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Distribution Plan

 

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

 

The Plan provides that Shares of the Fund pay the Distributor an annual fee of up to a maximum of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Shares. Under the Plan, the Distributor may make payments pursuant to written agreements to financial institutions and intermediaries such as banks, savings and loan associations and insurance companies including, without limit, investment counselors, broker-dealers and the Distributor’s affiliates and subsidiaries (collectively, “Agents”) as compensation for services and reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance. The Plan is characterized as a compensation plan since the distribution fee will be paid to the Distributor without regard to the distribution expenses incurred by the Distributor or the amount of payments made to other financial institutions and intermediaries. The Distributor does not retain 12b-1 fees for profit, but instead keeps any excess (if applicable) in retention for future distribution related expenses. The Adviser pays the Distributor a fee for certain distribution related services. The Trust intends to operate the Plan in accordance with its terms and with FINRA rules concerning sales charges.

 

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

 

Payments to Financial Intermediaries

 

The Funds and their affiliates (at their own expense) may pay compensation to financial intermediaries for shareholder-related services and, if applicable, distribution-related services, including administrative, recordkeeping and shareholder communication services. For example, compensation may be paid to make Fund shares available to sales representatives and/or customers of a fund supermarket platform or a similar program sponsor or for services provided in connection with such fund supermarket platforms and programs.

 

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The amount of compensation paid to different financial intermediaries may vary. The compensation paid to a financial intermediary may be based on a variety of factors, including average assets under management in accounts distributed and/or serviced by the financial intermediary, gross sales by the financial intermediary and/or the number of accounts serviced by the financial intermediary that invest in the Funds. To the extent that a Fund pays all or a portion of such compensation, the payment is designed to compensate the financial intermediary for providing services that would otherwise be provided by the Fund’s transfer agent and/or administrator.

 

The Adviser or another affiliate of the Funds, out of its own resources, may provide additional compensation to financial intermediaries. Such compensation is sometimes referred to as “revenue sharing.” Compensation received by a financial intermediary from the Adviser or another affiliate of the Funds may include payments for shareholder servicing, marketing and/or training expenses incurred by the financial intermediary, including expenses incurred by the financial intermediary in educating its salespersons with respect to Fund shares. For example, such compensation may include reimbursements for expenses incurred in attending educational seminars regarding the Funds, including travel and lodging expenses. It may also cover costs incurred by financial intermediaries in connection with their efforts to sell Fund shares, including costs incurred in compensating registered sales representatives and preparing, printing and distributing sales literature.

 

Any compensation received by a financial intermediary, whether from the Funds or their affiliates, and the prospect of receiving such compensation, may provide the financial intermediary with an incentive to recommend the shares of the Funds over other potential investments. Similarly, the compensation may cause financial intermediaries to elevate the prominence of the Funds within its organization by, for example, placing it on a list of preferred funds.

 

ACCOUNTING AND LEGAL SERVICE PROVIDERS

 

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

Deloitte & Touche LLP, located at Suite 1200, 695 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, serves as the independent auditor to the Funds.

 

Legal Counsel

 

K&L Gates LLP, located at 1601 K Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006, serves as legal counsel to the Funds.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING SHARES

 

Organization and Description of Shares of Beneficial Interest

 

The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust and registered open-end investment company. The Trust was organized on April 2, 2014 and has authorized capital of unlimited Shares of beneficial interest of no par value that may be issued in more than one class or series. Currently, the Trust consists of two series that are passively managed and seek investment results that track the performance (before fees and expenses) of their respective Underlying Indexes, the TrimTabs U.S. Free-Cash-Flow ETF and the TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow ETF.

 

Under Delaware law, the Trust is not required to hold an annual shareholders meeting if the Investment Company Act does not require such a meeting. Generally, there will not be annual meetings of Trust shareholders, but if requested in writing by shareholders of at least 25% of the outstanding Shares of a Fund, the Trust will call a meeting of shareholders of the relevant Fund. Shareholders holding two-thirds of Shares outstanding of the relevant Fund may remove Trustees from office by votes cast at a meeting of Trust shareholders or by written consent.

 

All Shares are freely transferable. Shares will not have preemptive rights or cumulative voting rights, and none of the Shares will have any preference to conversion, exchange, dividends, retirements, liquidation, redemption, or any other feature. Shares have equal voting rights. The Trust Instrument confers upon the Board the power, by resolution, to alter the number of Shares constituting a Creation Unit or to specify that Shares of a Fund may be individually redeemable. The Trust reserves the right to adjust the stock prices of Shares to maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any such adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits that would have no effect on the value of an investor’s investment in the Fund.

 

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The Trust Instrument of the Trust disclaims liability of the shareholders or the officers of the Trust for acts or obligations of the Trust that are binding only on the assets and property of the Trust. The Trust Instrument provides for indemnification out of a Fund’s property for all loss and expense of the Fund’s shareholders being held personally liable solely by reason of his or her being or having been a shareholder and not because of his or her acts or omissions or for some other reason. The risk of a Trust shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which a Fund itself would not be able to meet the Trust’s obligations and this risk should be considered remote.

 

If a Fund does not grow to a size to permit it to be economically viable, the Fund may cease operations. In such an event, shareholders may be required to liquidate or transfer their Shares at an inopportune time and shareholders may lose money on their investment.

 

Book Entry Only System

 

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Book Entry.”

 

DTC acts as Securities Depository for Shares. Shares of the Funds are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC.

 

DTC, a limited purpose trust company, was created to hold securities of its participants (the “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 DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by NYSE 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 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 and sale of 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 DTC, 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.

 

Fund distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all Shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall immediately credit DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in Shares of a Fund as shown on the records of 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, and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.

 

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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 DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.

 

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 DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost.

 

TRANSACTIONS IN CREATION UNITS

 

Each Fund sells and redeems Shares in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load, at the NAV next determined after receipt of an order in proper form on any Business Day. 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, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. No Fund will issue fractional Creation Units. Shares of the Funds will only be issued against full payment, as further described in the Prospectus and this SAI.

 

A Creation Unit is an aggregation of 50,000 Shares.  The Board may declare a split or a consolidation in the number of Shares outstanding of a Fund or Trust, and make a corresponding change in the number of Shares in a Creation Unit.

 

To purchase or redeem any Creation Units from a Fund, you must be, or transact through, an Authorized Participant. In order to be an Authorized Participant, you must be either a broker-dealer or other participant (“Participating Party”) in the Continuous Net Settlement System (“Clearing Process”) of the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) or a participant in DTC with access to the DTC system (“DTC Participant”), and you must execute an agreement (“Participant Agreement”) with the Distributor that governs transactions in the Fund’s Creation Units.

 

Transactions by an Authorized Participant that is a Participating Party using the NSCC system are referred to as transactions “through the Clearing Process.” Transactions by an Authorized Participant that is a DTC Participant using the DTC system are referred to as transactions “outside the Clearing Process.”

 

Investors who are not Authorized Participants but want to transact in Creation Units may contact the Distributor for the names of Authorized Participants. An Authorized Participant may require investors to enter into a separate agreement to transact through it for Creation Units and may require orders for purchases of shares placed with it to be in a particular form. Investors should be aware that their broker may not be an Authorized Participant and, therefore, may need to place any order to purchase or redeem Creation Units through another broker or person that is an Authorized Participant, which may result in additional charges. There are expected to be a limited number of Authorized Participants at any one time.

 

Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement. Market disruptions and telephone or other communication failures may impede the transmission of orders.

 

Purchasing Creation Units

 

Fund Deposit.  The consideration for a Creation Unit of a Fund is the Fund Deposit. The Fund Deposit will consist of the In-Kind Creation Basket and Cash Component, or an all cash payment (“Cash Value”), as determined by the Adviser to be in the best interest of the Fund. Because any short positions in the Fund’s portfolio cannot be transferred in-kind, they will be represented by cash in the Cash Component and not in the In-Kind Creation Basket.

 

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The Cash Component will typically include a “Balancing Amount” reflecting the difference, if any, between the NAV of a Creation Unit and the market value of the securities in the In-Kind Creation Basket. If the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the market value of the securities in the In-Kind Creation Basket, the purchaser pays the Balancing Amount to a Fund. By contrast, if the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the market value of the securities in the In-Kind Creation Basket, a Fund pays the Balancing Amount to the purchaser. The Balancing Amount ensures that the consideration paid by an investor for a Creation Unit is exactly equal to the value of the Creation Unit.

 

The Transfer Agent, in a portfolio composition file sent via the NSCC, generally makes available on each Business Day, immediately prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), a list of the names and the required number of shares of each security in the In-Kind Creation Basket to be included in the current Fund Deposit for each Fund (based on information about the Fund’s portfolio at the end of the previous Business Day) (subject to amendment or correction). If applicable, the Transfer Agent, through the NSCC, also makes available on each Business Day, the estimated Cash Component or Cash Value, effective through and including the previous Business Day, per Creation Unit.

 

The announced Fund Deposit is applicable, subject to any adjustments as described below, for purchases of Creation Units of the Funds until such time as the next-announced Fund Deposit is made available. From day to day, the composition of the In-Kind Creation Basket may change as, among other things, corporate actions and investment decisions by the Adviser are implemented for a Fund’s portfolio. All questions as to the composition of the In-Kind Creation Basket and the validity, form, eligibility, and acceptance for deposit of any securities shall be determined by a Fund, and the Fund’s determination shall be final and binding. Each Fund reserves the right to accept a nonconforming (i.e., custom) Fund Deposit.

 

Payment of any stamp duty or the like shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant purchasing a Creation Unit. The Authorized Participant must ensure that all Deposit Securities properly denote change in beneficial ownership.

 

Cash in lieu. A Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash (“cash in lieu”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any security in the In-Kind Creation Basket. A Fund may permit or require cash in lieu:

 

(a) 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;

 

(b) for minor differences when rounding is necessary to eliminate fractional shares or lots that are not tradeable round lots;

 

(c) TBA Transactions, short position and other positions that cannot be transferred in kind will be excluded from the Fund Deposit instruments;

 

(d) to the extent the Fund determines, on a given Business Day, to use a representative sampling of the Fund's portfolio; or

 

(e) for temporary periods, to effect changes in the Fund's portfolio as a result of the rebalancing of its Underlying Index.

 

In addition, purchases of Creation Units may be made in whole or in part on a cash basis, rather than in kind, under the following circumstances:

 

(a) to the extent there is a Balancing Amount;

 

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(b) if, on a given Business Day, the Fund announces before the open of trading that all purchases or all purchases and redemptions on that day will be made entirely in cash;

 

(c) if, upon receiving a purchase order from an Authorized Participant, the Fund determines to require the purchase to be made entirely in cash;

 

(d) if, on a given Business Day, the Fund requires all Authorized Participants purchasing Shares on that day to deposit cash in lieu of some or all of the Fund Deposit instruments solely because:

 

(i) such instruments are not eligible for transfer either through the NSCC or DTC; or

 

(ii) in the case of the TrimTabs Intl Foreign-Cash-Flow ETF’s foreign holdings, such instruments are not eligible for trading due to local trading restrictions, local restrictions on securities transfers or other similar circumstances;

 

(e) if the Fund permits an Authorized Participant to deposit cash in lieu of some or all of the Fund Deposit instruments because such instruments are not available in sufficient quantity; or

 

(f) if the Fund permits a “custom” order, which is an order in which an Authorized Participant is permitted to deposit cash in lieu of some or all of the Fund Deposit instruments because such instruments are not eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant or the investor on whose behalf the Authorized Participant is acting.

 

Each Fund will comply with the federal securities laws in accepting securities in the In-Kind Creation Basket, including the securities in the In-Kind Creation Basket that are sold in transactions that would be exempt from registration under the 1933 Act. All orders involving cash in lieu are considered to be “custom orders.”

 

Order Cut-Off Time.  For an order involving a Creation Unit to be effectuated at a Fund’s NAV on a particular day, it must be received by the Distributor by or before the deadline for such order (“Order Cut-Off Time”). The Order Cut-Off Time for creation and redemption orders for the Funds is generally expected to be 4:00 p.m. Eastern time for In-Kind Creation and Redemption Baskets, and 3:00 p.m. Eastern time for Cash Value transactions. Accordingly, In-Kind Creation and Redemption Baskets are expected to be accepted until the close of regular trading on the Exchange on each Business Day, which is usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. On days when the Exchange or bond markets close earlier than normal (such as the day before a holiday), the Order Cut-Off Time is expected to track the Exchange closing and be similarly earlier than normal.

 

Custom orders typically clear outside the Clearing Process and, therefore, like other orders outside the Clearing Process, may need to be transmitted early on the relevant Business Day to be effectuated at that day’s NAV. A custom order may be placed when, for example, an Authorized Participant cannot transact in a security in the In-Kind Creation or Redemption Basket and additional cash is included in a Fund Deposit or Fund Redemption in lieu of such security. Custom orders may be required to be received by the Distributor by 3:00 p.m. Eastern time to be effectuated based on a Fund’s NAV on that Business Day.

 

In all cases, cash and securities should be transferred to a Fund by the “Settlement Date,” which is generally the Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date for cash and the third Business Day following the Transmittal Date for securities. Persons placing custom orders or orders involving Cash Value should be aware of time deadlines imposed by intermediaries, such as DTC and/or the Federal Reserve Bank wire system, which may delay the delivery of cash and securities by the Settlement Date.

 

Placement of Creation Orders. All purchase orders must be placed by or through an Authorized Participant. To order a Creation Unit, an Authorized Participant must submit an irrevocable purchase order to the Distributor through the Transfer Agent. In-kind (portions of) purchase orders will be processed through the Clearing Process when it is available. The Clearing Process is an enhanced clearing process that is available only for certain securities and only to DTC Participants that are also participants in the Clearing Process of the NSCC. In-kind (portions of) purchase orders not subject to the Clearing Process will go through a manual clearing process run by DTC. Fund Deposits that include government securities must be delivered through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system (“Federal Reserve System”). Fund Deposits that include cash may be delivered through the Clearing Process or the Federal Reserve System. Certain orders for the Funds may be made outside the Clearing Process. In-kind deposits of securities for such orders must be delivered through the Federal Reserve System (for government securities) or through DTC (for corporate securities).

 

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Orders Using Clearing Process. In connection with creation orders made through the Clearing Process, the Transfer Agent transmits, on behalf of the Authorized Participant, such trade instructions as are necessary to effect the creation order. Pursuant to such trade instructions, the Authorized Participant agrees to deliver the requisite Fund Deposit to the Trust, together with such additional information as may be required by the Distributor. An order to create Creation Units through the Clearing Process is deemed received by the Distributor on the Business Day the order is placed (“Transmittal Date”) if (i) such order is received by the Distributor by the Closing Time on such Transmittal Date and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. Cash Components will be delivered using either the Clearing Process or the Federal Reserve System, as described below.

 

Orders Outside Clearing Process. Fund Deposits made outside the Clearing Process must state that the DTC Participant is not using the Clearing Process and that the creation of Creation Units will instead be effected through a transfer of securities and cash directly through DTC. With respect to such orders, the Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the DTC Participant on the Transmittal Date in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of securities in the In-Kind Creation Basket (whether standard or custom) through DTC to the relevant Trust account by 11:00 a.m., Eastern time, (the “DTC Cut-Off Time”) on the Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date. The amount of cash equal to the Cash Component, along with any cash in lieu and Transaction Fee, must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than 12:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date. The delivery of corporate securities through DTC must occur by 3:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date. The delivery of government securities through the Federal Reserve System must occur by 3:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date. 

 

An order to create Creation Units outside the Clearing Process is deemed received by the Distributor on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is received by the Distributor by the Closing Time on such Transmittal Date and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. If the Custodian does not receive both the required In-Kind Creation Basket by the DTC Cut-Off Time and the Cash Component by the appointed time, such order may be canceled. Upon written notice to the Distributor through the Transfer Agent, a canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using a Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then-current In-Kind Creation Basket and Cash Component. Except as provided in Appendix C, the delivery of Creation Units so created will occur no later than the third Business Day following the day on which the order is deemed received by the Distributor. Authorized Participants that submit a canceled order will be liable to a Fund for any losses resulting therefrom.

 

Orders involving foreign securities are expected to be settled outside the Clearing Process. Thus, upon receipt of an irrevocable purchase order, the Transfer Agent will notify the Distributor, Adviser, and the Custodian of such order. The Custodian, who will have caused the appropriate local sub-custodian(s) of a Fund to maintain an account into which an Authorized Participant may deliver the Fund Deposit (or cash in lieu), with adjustments determined by a Fund, will then provide information of the order to such local sub-custodian(s). The Authorized Participant must also make available on or before the Settlement, by means satisfactory to a Fund, immediately available or same day funds in U.S. dollars estimated by the Fund to be sufficient to pay the Cash Component and Transaction Fee.

 

While, as stated above, Creation Units are generally delivered no later than the third Business Day following the day on which the order is deemed received by the Distributor, as discussed in Appendix C, the TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow ETF may settle Creation Unit transactions on a basis other than the one described above in order to accommodate foreign market holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates (that is the last day the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security), and in certain other circumstances.

 

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Acceptance of Orders for Creation Units.  The Trust reserves the absolute right to reject a creation order transmitted to it by the Transfer Agent in respect of a Fund, including if: (i) the order is not in proper form; (ii) the investor(s), upon obtaining the Shares, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares of a Fund; (iii) the securities delivered do not conform to the In-Kind Creation Basket for the relevant date; (iv) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would have adverse tax consequences to a Fund; (v) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (vi) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust, a Fund or the Adviser, have an adverse effect on the Trust, a Fund or the rights of beneficial owners; or (vii) in the event that circumstances that are outside the control of the Trust, Custodian, Distributor and Adviser make it practically impossible to process creation orders. Examples of such circumstances include acts of God; public service or utility problems resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; fires, floods or extreme weather conditions; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Adviser, the Distributor, DTC, NSCC, the Custodian or sub-custodian or any other participant in the creation process; and similar extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify an Authorized Participant of its rejection of the order. A Fund, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits, and they shall not incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification.

 

Issuance of a Creation Unit. Once a Fund has accepted a creation order, upon next determination of a Fund’s NAV, a Fund will confirm the issuance of a Creation Unit, against receipt of payment, at such NAV. The Transfer Agent will transmit a confirmation of acceptance to the Authorized Participant that placed the order.

 

Except as provided below, a Creation Unit will not be issued until a Fund obtains good title to the In-Kind Creation Basket securities and the Cash Component, along with any cash in lieu and Transaction Fee. Except as provided in Appendix C, the delivery of Creation Units will generally occur no later than the third Business Day following the Transmittal Date for securities.

 

In certain cases, Authorized Participants will create and redeem Creation Units on the same trade date. In these instances, the Trust reserves the right to settle these transactions on a net basis.

 

With respect to orders involving foreign securities, when the applicable local sub-custodian(s) has confirmed to the Custodian that the In-Kind Creation Basket (or cash in lieu) has been delivered to a Fund’s account at the applicable sub-custodian(s), the Distributor and the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery, and the Fund will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Unit.

 

Creation Units may be created in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable In-Kind Creation Basket, provided the purchaser tenders an initial deposit consisting of any available securities in the In-Kind Creation Basket and cash equal to the sum of the Cash Component and at least 115% of the market value, as adjusted from time to time by the Adviser, of the In-Kind Creation Basket securities not delivered (“Additional Cash Deposit”). Such initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of the Creation Unit on the date the order is placed. The order shall be deemed to be received on the Transmittal Date provided that it is placed in proper form prior to 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, on such date, and federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited with the Custodian by the DTC Cut-Off Time the following Business Day. If the order is not placed in proper form by 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received by the DTC Cut-Off Time the next Business Day, then the order will be canceled or deemed unreceived and the Authorized Participant effectuating such transaction will be liable to a Fund for any losses resulting therefrom.

 

To the extent securities in the In-Kind Creation Basket remain undelivered, pending delivery of such securities additional cash will be required to be deposited with the Trust as necessary to maintain an Additional Cash Deposit equal to at least  115% (as adjusted by the Adviser) of the daily marked-to-market value of the missing securities. To the extent that either such securities are still not received by 1:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the third Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor or a marked-to-market payment is not made within one Business Day following notification to the purchaser and/or Authorized Participant that such a payment is required, the Trust may use the cash on deposit to purchase the missing securities, and the Authorized Participant effectuating such transaction will be liable to a Fund for any costs incurred therein or losses resulting therefrom, including any Transaction Fee, any amount by which the actual purchase price of the missing securities exceeds the Additional Cash Deposit or the market value of such securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Distributor, as well as brokerage and related transaction costs. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing securities have been received by the Trust. The delivery of Creation Units so created will occur no later than the third Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor.

 

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Transaction Fees

 

To compensate the Trust for costs incurred in connection with creation and redemption transactions, investors will be required to pay to the Trust a Transaction Fee as follows:

 

Fund   Standard Transaction Fee   Variable Charge    
TrimTabs U.S. Free-Cash-Flow ETF   $1,000 * None    
TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow ETF   $4,000 * None    
                   

 

*  The Transaction Fee may be higher for transactions outside the Clearing Process.

 

The Standard Transaction Fee applies to in-kind purchases of the Fund effected through the Clearing Process on any Business Day, regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased or redeemed that day (assuming, in the case of multiple orders on the same day, that the orders are received at or near the same time). A Transaction Fee of up to four times the standard fee may apply to creation and redemption transactions that occur outside the Clearing Process. As shown in the table above, certain Fund Deposits consisting of a Cash Value will be subject to a variable charge of up to 2% including the standard Transaction Fee. With cash received from the variable charge, the Adviser will purchase the necessary securities for the Fund’s portfolio and return any unused portion thereof to the investor. The Transaction Fee for redemptions of Creation Units will not exceed 2% of the value of the Creation Unit(s) redeemed.

 

The Adviser, subject to the approval of the Board, may adjust the Transaction Fee from time to time. The Standard Creation/Redemption Transaction Fee is based, in part, on the number of holdings in a Fund’s portfolio and may be adjusted on a quarterly basis if the number of holdings increase. Investors will also be responsible for the costs associated with transferring the securities in the In-Kind Creation (and Redemption) Baskets to (and from) the account of the Trust. Further, investors who, directly or indirectly, use the services of a broker or other intermediary to compose a Creation Unit in addition to an Authorized Participant to effect a transaction in Creation Units may be charged an additional fee for such services.

 

Cash Purchase Method. When cash purchases of Creation Units are available or specified for a Fund, they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind purchases. In the case of a cash purchase, the investor must pay the cash equivalent of the Fund Deposit. In addition, cash purchases may be subject to Transaction Fees.

 

Redeeming Creation Units

 

Fund Redemptions.  Fund Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by a Fund and the Distributor through the Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. The redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of the In-Kind Redemption Basket and a Cash Redemption Amount, or an all cash payment (“Cash Value”), in all instances equal to the value of a Creation Unit. Because short positions cannot be transferred in kind, however, any short positions in a Fund’s portfolio will be represented by cash in the Cash Redemption Amount and not in the In-Kind Redemption Basket.

 

There can be no assurance that there will be sufficient liquidity in Shares in the secondary market to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. In addition, investors may incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a Creation Unit.

 

The Cash Redemption Amount will typically include a Balancing Amount, reflecting the difference, if any, between the NAV of a Creation Unit and the market value of the securities in the In-Kind Redemption Basket. If the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the market value of the securities in the In-Kind Redemption Basket, a Fund pays the Balancing Amount to the redeeming investor. By contrast, if the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the market value of the securities in the In-Kind Redemption Basket, the redeeming investor pays the Balancing Amount to a Fund.

 

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The composition of the In-Kind Creation Basket will normally be the same as the composition of the In-Kind Redemption Basket. Otherwise, the In-Kind Redemption Basket will be made available by the Adviser or Transfer Agent. Each Fund reserves the right to accept a nonconforming (i.e., custom) Fund Redemption.

 

In lieu of an In-Kind Redemption Basket and Cash Redemption Amount, Creation Units may be redeemed consisting solely of cash in an amount equal to the NAV of a Creation Unit, which amount is referred to as the Cash Value. Such redemptions for the Funds may be subject to a variable charge, as explained above. If applicable, information about the Cash Value will be made available by the Adviser or Transfer Agent.

 

From day to day, the composition of the In-Kind Redemption Basket may change as, among other things, corporate actions are implemented for a Fund’s portfolio. All questions as to the composition of the In-Kind Redemption Basket and the validity, form, eligibility, and acceptance for deposit of any securities shall be determined by a Fund, and the Fund’s determination shall be final and binding.

 

The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed: (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 or determination of a Fund’s NAV is not reasonably practicable; or (iv) in such other circumstances as permitted by the SEC, including as described below.

 

Cash in lieu. A Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash to be added to the Cash Redemption Amount to replace any security in the In-Kind Redemption Basket. A Fund may permit or require cash in lieu:

 

(a) 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;

 

(b) for minor differences when rounding is necessary to eliminate fractional shares or lots that are not tradeable round lots;

 

(c) TBA Transactions, short position and other positions that cannot be transferred in kind will be excluded from the Fund Redemption instruments;

 

(d) to the extent the Fund determines, on a given Business Day, to use a representative sampling of the Fund's portfolio; or

 

(e) for temporary periods, to effect changes in the Fund's portfolio as a result of the rebalancing of its Underlying Index.

 

In addition, redemptions of Creation Units may be made in whole or in part on a cash basis, rather than in kind, under the following circumstances:

 

(a) to the extent there is a Balancing Amount;

 

(b) if, on a given Business Day, the Fund announces before the open of trading that all redemptions or all purchases and redemptions on that day will be made entirely in cash;

 

(c) if, upon receiving a redemption order from an Authorized Participant, the Fund determines to require the redemption to be made entirely in cash;

 

(d) if, on a given Business Day, the Fund requires all Authorized Participants redeeming Shares on that day to receive cash in lieu of some or all of the Fund Redemption instruments solely because:

 

(i) such instruments are not eligible for transfer either through the NSCC or DTC; or

 

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(ii) in the case of the TrimTabs Intl Foreign-Cash-Flow ETF’s foreign holdings, such instruments are not eligible for trading due to local trading restrictions, local restrictions on securities transfers or other similar circumstances; or

 

(f) if the Fund permits a “custom” order, which is an order in which an Authorized Participant is permitted to receive cash in lieu of some or all of the Fund Redemption instruments because:

 

(i) such instruments are not eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant or the investor on whose behalf the Authorized Participant is acting; or

 

(ii) a holder of Shares of a the TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow ETF’s foreign holdings would be subject to unfavorable income tax treatment if the holder receives redemption proceeds in kind.

 

Each Fund will comply with the federal securities laws in satisfying redemptions with the applicable In-Kind Redemption Basket, including the securities in the In-Kind Redemption Basket that are sold in transactions that would be exempt from registration under the 1933 Act. All redemption orders involving cash in lieu are considered to be “custom redemptions.”

 

Placement of Redemption Orders. Redemptions must be placed to the Distributor through the Transfer Agent. In addition, redemption orders must be processed either through the DTC process or the Clearing Process. To redeem a Creation Unit, an Authorized Participant must submit an irrevocable redemption order to the Distributor through the Transfer Agent.

 

An Authorized Participant submitting a redemption order is deemed to represent to a Fund that it or, if applicable, the investor on whose behalf it is acting, (i) owns outright or has full legal authority and legal beneficial right to tender for redemption the Creation Unit to be redeemed and can receive the entire proceeds of the redemption, and (ii) all of the Shares in the Creation Unit to be redeemed have not been borrowed, loaned or pledged to another party nor are they the subject of a repurchase agreement, securities lending agreement or such other arrangement which would preclude the delivery of such Shares to the Fund. A Fund reserves the absolute right, in its sole discretion, to verify these representations, but will typically require verification in connection with higher levels of redemption activity and/or short interest in the Fund. If the Authorized Participant, upon receipt of a verification report, does not provide sufficient verification of the requested representations, the redemption order will not be considered to be in proper form and may be rejected by a Fund.

 

In certain cases, Authorized Participants will create and redeem Creation Units on the same trade date. In these instances, the Trust reserves the right to settle these transactions on a net basis.

 

Placement of Redemption Orders Using Clearing Process. Orders to redeem Creation Units through the Clearing Process are deemed received by the Trust on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is received by the Distributor not later than the Order Cut-Off Time on such Transmittal Date, and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. Orders deemed received will be effectuated based on the NAV of a Fund as next determined. An order to redeem Creation Units using the Clearing Process made in proper form but received by the Trust after the Order Cut-Off Time will be deemed received on the next Business Day and will be effected at the NAV next determined on such next Business Day. In connection with such orders, the Transfer Agent transmits on behalf of the Authorized Participant such trade instructions as are necessary to effect the redemption. Pursuant to such trade instructions, the Authorized Participant agrees to deliver the requisite Creation Unit(s) to a Fund, together with such additional information as may be required by the Distributor. Cash Redemption Amounts will be delivered using either the Clearing Process or the Federal Reserve System. The applicable In-Kind Redemption Basket and the Cash Redemption Amount will be transferred to the investor by the third NSCC business day following the date on which such request for redemption is deemed received.

 

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Placement of Redemption Orders Outside Clearing Process. Orders to redeem Creation Units outside the Clearing Process must state that the DTC Participant is not using the Clearing Process and that redemption of Creation Units will instead be effected through transfer of Shares directly through DTC. Such orders are deemed received by the Trust on the Transmittal Date if: (i) such order is received by the Distributor not later than the Order Cut-Off Time on the Transmittal Date; (ii) such order is accompanied or followed by the delivery of both (a) the Creation Unit(s), which delivery must be made through DTC to the Custodian no later than the DTC Cut-Off Time on the Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date and (b) the Cash Redemption Amount by 12:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date; and (iii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. After the Trust has deemed such an order received, the Trust will initiate procedures to transfer, and expect to deliver, the requisite In-Kind Redemption Basket and/or any Cash Redemption Amount owed to the redeeming party by the third Business Day following the Transmittal Date on which such redemption order is deemed received by the Trust.

 

Orders involving foreign securities are expected to be settled outside the Clearing Process. Thus, upon receipt of an irrevocable redemption order, the Transfer Agent will notify the Distributor, Adviser and the Custodian. The Custodian will then provide information of the redemption to the Fund’s local sub-custodian(s). The redeeming Authorized Participant, or the investor on whose behalf it is acting, will have established appropriate arrangements with a broker-dealer, bank or other custody provider in each jurisdiction in which the securities are customarily traded and to which such securities (and any cash in lieu) can be delivered from a Fund’s accounts at the applicable local sub-custodian(s).

 

The calculation of the value of the In-Kind Redemption Basket and the Cash Redemption Amount to be delivered/received upon redemption will be made by the Custodian computed on the Business Day on which a redemption order is deemed received by the Trust. Therefore, if a redemption order in proper form is submitted to the Distributor through the Transfer Agent by a DTC Participant or an Authorized Participant with the ability to transact through the Federal Reserve System, as applicable, not later than Closing Time on the Transmittal Date, and the requisite number of Shares of the relevant Fund are delivered to the Custodian prior to the DTC Cut-Off-Time, then the value of the In-Kind Redemption Basket and the Cash Redemption Amount to be delivered/received will be determined by the Custodian on such Transmittal Date. If, however, either: (i) the requisite number of Shares of the relevant Fund are not delivered by the DTC Cut-Off-Time, as described above, or (ii) the redemption order is not submitted in proper form, then the redemption order will not be deemed received as of the Transmittal Date. In such case, the value of the In-Kind Redemption Basket and the Cash Redemption Amount to be delivered/received will be computed on the Business Day following the Transmittal Date provided that the Fund Shares of the relevant Fund are delivered through DTC to the Custodian by 11:00 a.m., Eastern time, the following Business Day pursuant to a properly submitted redemption order.

 

The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming beneficial owner of the Shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment, beneficial ownership of shares or delivery instructions.

 

Delivery of Redemption Basket. Once a Fund has accepted a redemption order, upon next determination of the Fund’s NAV, the Fund will confirm the issuance of an In-Kind Redemption Basket, against receipt of the Creation Unit(s) at such NAV, any cash in lieu and Transaction Fee. A Creation Unit tendered for redemption and the payment of the Cash Redemption Amount, any cash in lieu and Transaction Fee will be effected through DTC. The Authorized Participant, or the investor on whose behalf it is acting, will be recorded on the book-entry system of DTC.

 

In certain cases, Authorized Participants will create and redeem Creation Units on the same trade date. In these instances, the Trust reserves the right to settle these transactions on a net basis.

 

Cash Redemption Method. When cash redemptions of Creation Units are available or specified for a Fund, they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind redemptions. In the case of a cash redemption, the investor will receive the cash equivalent of the In-Kind Redemption Basket minus any Transaction Fees.

 

Settlement of Foreign Securities and Regular Foreign Holidays

 

The Funds generally intend to effect deliveries of Creation Units and portfolio securities on a basis of the Transmittal Date (“T”) plus three Business Days (i.e., days on which the national securities exchange is open) (“T+3”). The Funds may effect deliveries of Creation Units and portfolio securities on a basis other than T+3 in order to accommodate local holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates or under certain other circumstances. Given that foreign securities settle in accordance with the normal rules of settlement of such securities in the applicable foreign market, coupled with foreign market holiday schedules, the Settlement Date may be up to 14 calendar days after the Transmittal Date in certain circumstances.

 

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The ability of the Trust to effect in-kind creations and redemptions within three Business Days of receipt of an order in good form is subject, among other things, to the condition that, within the time period from the date of the order to the date of delivery of the securities, there are no days that are holidays in the applicable foreign market. In such cases, the local market settlement procedures will not commence until the end of the local holiday periods. For every occurrence of one or more intervening holidays in the applicable foreign 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 foreign market due to emergencies may also prevent the Trust from delivering securities within normal settlement periods. The proclamation of new holidays, the treatment by market participants of certain days as “informal holidays” (e.g., days on which no or limited securities transactions occur, as a result of substantially shortened trading hours), the elimination of existing holidays or changes in local securities delivery practices could affect the information set forth herein at some time in the future.

 

Because the Funds’ portfolio securities may trade on days that the Funds’ Exchange is closed or on days that are not Business Days for the Funds, Authorized Participants may not be able to redeem their Shares, or to purchase and sell Shares on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Funds could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

 

A schedule of regular foreign holidays applicable to the Funds is included in Appendix C.

 

DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

 

The net asset value, or NAV, of Shares is calculated each business day as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE, generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. A Fund’s NAV per Share is computed by dividing the net assets by the number of Shares outstanding. For further information, see the “Net Asset Value” section of the Prospectus, which is incorporated by reference here.

 

TAXATION

 

The following supplements the tax information contained in the Prospectus.

 

For federal income tax purposes, each Fund is treated as a separate corporate entity and has elected and intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code.  Such qualification generally relieves each Fund of liability for federal income taxes to the extent its earnings are distributed in accordance with applicable requirements.  If, for any reason, a Fund does not qualify for a taxable year for the special federal tax treatment afforded regulated investment companies, the Fund would be subject to federal tax on all of its taxable income at regular corporate rates, without any deduction for dividends to shareholders.  In such event, dividend distributions would be taxable as ordinary income to shareholders to the extent of such Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits and would be eligible for taxation at reduced rates for non-corporate shareholders and for the dividends received deduction available in some circumstances to corporate shareholders.  Moreover, if a Fund were to fail to make sufficient distributions in a year, the Fund would be subject to corporate income taxes and/or excise taxes in respect of the shortfall or, if the shortfall is large enough and cannot be remedied, the Fund could be disqualified as a regulated investment company.

 

A 4% non-deductible excise tax is imposed on regulated investment companies that fail to distribute currently an amount equal to at least 98% of their ordinary taxable income and 98.2% of their capital gain net income (excess of capital gains over capital losses), if any.  Each Fund intends to make sufficient distributions or deemed distributions of its ordinary taxable income and any capital gain net income prior to the end of each calendar year to avoid liability for this excise tax.

 

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Any market discount recognized by the Funds 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, gain 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.

 

Dividends declared in October, November or December of any year payable to shareholders of record on a specified date in such months will be deemed to have been received by shareholders and paid by a Fund on December 31 of such year if such dividends are actually paid during January of the following year.

 

The tax principles applicable to transactions in financial instruments that may be engaged in by a Fund and investments in passive foreign investment companies (“PFICs”) are complex and, in some cases, uncertain.  Such transactions and investments may cause a Fund to recognize taxable income prior to the receipt of cash, thereby requiring the Fund to liquidate other positions or to borrow money so as to make sufficient distributions to shareholders to avoid corporate-level tax.  Moreover, some or all of the taxable income recognized may be ordinary income or short-term capital gain, so that the distributions may be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income.  In addition, in the case of any shares of a PFIC in which a Fund invests, the Fund may be liable for corporate-level tax on any ultimate gain or distributions on the shares if the Fund fails to make an election to recognize income annually during the period of its ownership of the PFIC shares.

 

Special rules govern the federal income tax treatment of certain transactions denominated in a currency other than the U.S. dollar or determined by reference to the value of one or more currencies other than the U.S. dollar.  The types of transactions covered by the special rules include the following: (1) the acquisition of, or becoming the obligor under, a bond or other debt instrument (including, to the extent provided in Treasury regulations, preferred stock); (2) the accruing of certain trade receivables and payables; and (3) the entering into or acquisition of any forward contract or similar financial instrument if such instrument is not marked to market.  The disposition of a currency other than the U.S. dollar by a taxpayer whose functional currency is the U.S. dollar is also treated as a transaction subject to the special currency rules.  With respect to transactions covered by the special rules, foreign currency gain or loss is calculated separately from any gain or loss on the underlying transaction and is normally taxable as ordinary income or loss.  These gains or losses increase or decrease the amount of a Fund’s investment company taxable income available to be distributed to its shareholders as ordinary income, rather than increasing or decreasing the amount of that Fund’s net capital gain. A taxpayer may elect to treat as capital gain or loss foreign currency gain or loss arising from certain identified forward contracts that are capital assets in the hands of the taxpayer and that are not part of a straddle.  The Treasury Department issued regulations under which certain transactions subject to the special currency rules that are part of a “Section 988 hedging transaction” will be integrated and treated as a single transaction or otherwise treated consistently for purposes of the Code.  Any gain or loss attributable to the foreign currency component of a transaction engaged in by a Fund that is not subject to the special currency rules (such as foreign equity investments other than certain preferred stocks) will be treated as capital gain or loss and will not be segregated from the gain or loss on the underlying transaction.

 

Certain foreign currency contracts are considered “Section 1256 contracts” for federal income tax purposes. Section 1256 contracts held by a Fund at the end of each tax year are “marked to market” and treated for federal income tax purposes as though sold for fair market value on the last business day of the tax year. Gains or losses realized by a Fund on Section 1256 contracts generally are considered 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gains or losses. A Fund can elect to exempt its Section 1256 contracts that are part of a “mixed straddle” (as described below) from the application of Section 1256 of the Code.

 

Any forward contract or other position entered into or held by a Fund in conjunction with any other position held by that Fund may constitute a “straddle” for federal income tax purposes. A straddle of which at least one, but not all, the positions are Section 1256 contracts may constitute a “mixed straddle.” In general, straddles are subject to certain rules that may affect the amount, character and timing of a Fund’s gains and losses with respect to straddle positions by requiring, among other things, that: (1) any loss realized on disposition of one position of a straddle may not be recognized to the extent that the Fund has unrealized gains with respect to the other position in such straddle; (2) the Fund’s holding period in straddle positions be suspended while the straddle exists (possibly resulting in a gain being treated as short-term capital gain rather than long-term capital gain); (3) the losses recognized with respect to certain straddle positions that are part of a mixed straddle and that are non-Section 1256 contracts be treated as 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital loss; (4) losses recognized with respect to certain straddle positions that would otherwise constitute short-term capital losses be treated as long-term capital losses; and (5) the deduction of interest and carrying charges attributable to certain straddle positions may be deferred. Various elections are available to a Fund, which may mitigate the effects of the straddle rules, particularly with respect to mixed straddles. In general, the straddle rules described above do not apply to any straddles held by a Fund if all of the offsetting positions consist of Section 1256 contracts.

 

 C: 
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Distributions from a Fund’s net investment income, including any net short-term capital gains, if any, and distributions of income from securities lending, are taxable as ordinary income. Certain income distributions paid by a Fund to individual taxpayers are taxed at rates applicable to net long-term capital gains. This tax treatment applies only if certain holding period requirements and other requirements are satisfied by the shareholder and the dividends are attributable to qualified dividend income received by a Fund itself. For this purpose, “qualified dividend income” means dividends received by a Fund from United States corporations and “qualified foreign corporations,” provided that the Fund satisfies certain holding period and other requirements in respect of the stock of such corporations. Distributions reinvested in additional Shares of the Funds through the means of a dividend reinvestment service will be taxable dividends to shareholders acquiring such additional Shares to the same extent as if such dividends had been received in cash.  Distributions of net long-term capital gains, if any, in excess of net short-term capital losses are taxable as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long shareholders have held the Shares.

 

If, for any calendar year, the total distributions made exceed a Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, the excess will, for federal income tax purposes, be treated as a tax-free return of capital to each shareholder up to the amount of the shareholder’s basis in his or her Shares, and thereafter as gain from the sale of Shares.  The amount treated as a tax-free return of capital will reduce the shareholder’s adjusted basis in his or her Shares, thereby increasing his or her potential gain or reducing his or her potential loss on the subsequent sale of his or her Shares.

  

The sale, exchange or redemption of Shares 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 one year. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of Shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. A loss realized on a sale or exchange of Shares of a Fund may be disallowed if other substantially identical Shares are acquired (whether through the automatic reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within a sixty-one (61) day period beginning thirty (30) days before and ending thirty (30) days after the date that the Shares are disposed of. In such a case, the basis of the Shares acquired must be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. Any loss upon the sale or exchange of Shares held for six (6) months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any capital gain dividends received by the shareholders. Distribution of ordinary income and capital gains may also be subject to state and local taxes.

 

Long-term capital gains of non-corporate taxpayers generally are taxed at a maximum rate of 15% (20% for taxpayers with taxable income exceeding certain thresholds). Each Fund will report to shareholders annually the amounts of dividends received from ordinary income, the amount of distributions received from capital gains and the portion of dividends, if any, which may qualify for the dividends received deduction or as qualified dividend income.

 

An investor also should be aware that the benefits of the reduced tax rate applicable to long-term capital gains may be impacted by the application of the alternative minimum tax to individual shareholders.

 

Certain net investment income received by an individual having adjusted gross income in excess of $200,000 (or $250,000 for married individuals filing jointly) will be subject to a U.S. federal Medicare contribution tax of 3.8 percent. Undistributed net investment income of trusts and estates in excess of a specified amount also will be subject to this tax. Any taxable dividends paid by a Fund, and gain realized on redemption of Fund shares, will constitute investment income of the type subject to this tax.

 

Special tax rules apply to investments through defined contribution plans and other tax-qualified plans. Shareholders should consult their tax advisor to determine the suitability of shares of a Fund as an investment through such plans.

 

 C: 
-46-
 

 

Investment income received by the Funds from sources within foreign countries and gains they realize on the disposition of foreign securities may be subject to foreign income taxes withheld at the source. The U.S. has entered into tax treaties with many foreign countries that may entitle the Funds to a reduced rate of such taxes or exemption from taxes on such income. It is impossible to know the effective rate of foreign tax in advance since the amount of the Funds’ assets to be invested within various countries cannot be determined. If more than 50% of the value of a Fund’s total assets at the close of its taxable year consists of securities of foreign issuers, that Fund will be eligible and intends to file an election with the IRS to pass through to its shareholders the amount of foreign taxes paid by that Fund. However, there can be no assurance that a Fund will be able to do so. Pursuant to this election, you will be required to (1) include in gross income (in addition to taxable dividends actually received) your pro rata share of foreign taxes paid by that Fund, (2) treat your pro rata share of such foreign taxes as having been paid by you and (3) either deduct such pro rata share of foreign taxes in computing your taxable income or treat such foreign taxes as a credit against federal income taxes. You may be subject to rules that limit or reduce your ability to fully deduct or claim a credit for your pro rata share of the foreign taxes paid by the Fund in which you invest.

 

The Funds will be required in certain cases to impose “backup withholding” on taxable dividends or gross proceeds realized upon sale paid to shareholders who have failed to provide a correct tax identification number in the manner required, who are subject to withholding by the IRS for failure properly to include on their return payments of taxable interest or dividends, or who have failed to certify to the Funds when required to do so either that they are not subject to backup withholding or that they are “exempt recipients.”  Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amounts withheld may be credited against a shareholder’s ultimate federal income tax liability if proper documentation is provided.

 

As a result of tax requirements, the Trust on behalf of each Fund has the right to reject an order to purchase Shares if the purchaser (or group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the Shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares of a Fund and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, the Fund would have a basis in the transferred 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.

 

Except as described below, dividends paid by a Fund to non-U.S. Shareholders are generally subject to withholding tax at a 30% rate or a reduced rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty to the extent derived from investment income and net short-term capital gains.  In order to obtain a reduced rate of withholding, a non-U.S. Shareholder will be required to provide an IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E certifying its entitlement to benefits under a treaty.  The withholding tax does not apply to regular dividends paid to a non-U.S. Shareholder who provides a Form W-8ECI, certifying that the dividends are effectively connected with the non-U.S. Shareholder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States.  Instead, the effectively connected dividends will be subject to regular U.S. income tax as if the non-U.S. Shareholder were a U.S. Shareholder.  A non-U.S. corporation receiving effectively connected dividends may also be subject to additional “branch profits tax” imposed at a rate of 30% (or lower treaty rate).  A non-U.S. Shareholder who fails to provide an IRS Form W-8BEN or other applicable form may be subject to backup withholding at the appropriate rate.

 

In general, withholding tax will not apply to any distributions to a non-U.S. Shareholder of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital loss or upon such a shareholder’s sale or other disposition of Shares. For taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2013, withholding tax also did not apply to “interest-related dividends” and “short-term capital gain” dividends. It is possible that legislation will be enacted extending this exemption to later periods.

 

Under legislation known as “FATCA” (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), a U.S. withholding tax of 30% will apply to payments to certain foreign entities of U.S.-source dividends, and the gross proceeds paid after December 31, 2016, from dispositions of shares that produce U.S.-source dividends, unless various U.S. information reporting and due diligence requirements that are different from, and in addition to, the beneficial owner certification requirements described above have been satisfied. Non-U.S. shareholders should consult their tax advisers regarding the effect, if any, of this legislation on their ownership and sale or disposition of a Fund’s common shares.

 

 C: 
-47-
 

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash Flow ETF

 

STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

 

As of November 26, 2014

 

Assets        
Cash   $ 100,000  
Total Assets   $ 100,000  
         
Liabilities        
Total Liabilities   $ 0  
         
Net Assets   $ 100,000  
         
At November 26, 2014, the components of net assets were as follows:        
Paid-in Capital   $ 100,000  
         
Shares issued and outstanding (a)     4,000  
Net asset value per Share outstanding   $ 25.00  

 

(a) Unlimited number of shares authorized (no par value)

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the financial statements.

 

 C: 
-48-
 

 

TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow ETF

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

November 26, 2014

 

 

Note 1: Organization

 

TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow ETF (the “Fund”) is a newly organized, diversified, open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The Trust is organized as a Delaware statutory trust by a Trust Instrument dated April 02, 2014. The investment objective of the TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow ETF is to seek investment results that correspond (before fees and expenses) to the price and yield performance of its underlying index, the TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow Index (the “Underlying Index”).

 

The Fund has had no operations as of November 26, 2014 other than matters relating to its organization and registration as an open-end management investment company under the 1940 Act, and the sale and issuance to TrimTabs Asset Management, LLC (the “Adviser”), of 4,000 Shares at an aggregate purchase price of $100,000.

 

The Bank of New York Mellon serves as Administrator of the Fund, custodian of the Fund’s assets, and transfer agent and fund accounting agent of the Fund.

 

Foreside Fund Services, LLC serves as the Distributor of the Fund.

 

Note 2: Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

 

Basis of Accounting and Presentation

 

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The following is a summary of significant accounting policies used in preparing the financial statements.

 

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of income and expenses during the period. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

 

Cash

 

Cash includes cash held or deposited in bank accounts. The Fund deposits cash with high quality financial institutions. These deposits are guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Company up to an insurance limit.

 

Offering and Organizational Costs

 

The Adviser has agreed to pay all organizational and offering costs of the Fund. Such expenses paid by the Adviser are not subject to reimbursement.

 

Federal Income Taxes

 

It is the policy of the Fund to qualify as a regulated investment company, by complying with the requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies, and by distributing substantially all of its taxable earnings to its shareholders. Accordingly, no provision for federal income or excise tax is necessary.

 

 C: 
-49-
 

 

Note 3: Investment Management Agreement

 

The Adviser earns 0.69% of the Fund’s average daily net asset value (the “Management Fee”) annually. The Fund pays the Adviser on a monthly basis. The Management Fee is an expense paid out of the Fund’s net assets and is computed based on the daily value of the net assets of the Fund as of the close of business.

 

The Adviser bears all of its own costs associated with providing these advisory services and all expenses of the Funds, except for the fee payment under the Management Agreement, payments under each Funds’ 12b-1 plan (commencement subject to Board of Trustees approval), brokerage expense, acquired Fund Fees and expenses, taxes, interest (including borrowing costs and dividend expenses on securities sold short), litigation expense and other extraordinary expenses.

 

The Adviser has agreed to pay all organizational and offering costs of the Fund.  Such expenses paid by the Adviser are not subject to reimbursement. 

 

Note 4: Indemnifications

 

The Fund indemnifies its officers and trustees for certain liabilities that may arise from the performance of their duties to the Fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Fund enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations and warranties which provide general indemnities. The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Fund that have not yet occurred. However, based on industry experience, the Fund expects this risk of loss due to these warranties and indemnities to be remote.

 

Note 5: Subsequent Events

 

The Fund has evaluated subsequent events through the date the financial statements were issued and has determined there have not been any events that have occurred that would require adjustments or disclosures in the financial statements or the accompanying notes.

 

 C: 
-50-
 

 

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

To the Board of Trustees and Shareholder of TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow ETF:

 

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow ETF (the "Fund") as of November 26, 2014. The statement of assets and liabilities is the responsibility of the Fund's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the statement of assets and liabilities based on our audit.

 

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the statement of assets and liabilities, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

In our opinion, the statement of assets and liabilities referred to above presents fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of TrimTabs Intl Free-Cash-Flow ETF as of November 26, 2014, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America

 

Costa Mesa, California

December 15, 2014

 

 C: 
-51-
 

 

Appendix A

 

Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for the Trust

 

PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

OF

TRIM TABS ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC

 

A. General Proxy Voting Policies

 

  (1) Firm understands and appreciates the importance of proxy voting.  To the extent that Firm has discretion to vote the proxies of its advisory clients, Firm will vote any such proxies in the best interests of advisory clients and investors (as applicable) and in accordance with the policies of ISS and the procedures outlined below.

 

B. Proxy Voting Procedures

 

  (1) All proxies sent to advisory clients that are actually received by Firm or recorded by ISS (to vote on behalf of the advisory clients) will be provided to the Chief Compliance Officer or his delegate.

 

  (2) The Chief Compliance Officer will instruct ISS to generally adhere to the following procedures (subject to limited exception):

 

  (a) A written record of each proxy received by Firm or recorded by ISS (on behalf of its advisory clients) will be kept in Firm’s files;

 

  (b) ISS and the Chief Compliance Officer will determine which of Firm’s advisory clients hold the security to which the proxy relates;

 

  (c) Firm and ISS (collectively, referred to as “Proxy Voting Committee”) will review the proxy and determine how to vote the proxy in question in accordance with the guidelines set forth below. 

 

  (d) Prior to voting any proxies, the Proxy Voting Committee will attempt to determine if there are any conflicts of interest related to the proxy in question.  If a conflict is identified, the Chief Compliance Officer will make a determination as to whether the conflict is material or not.

 

  (i) If no material conflict is identified pursuant to these procedures, the Proxy Voting Committee will make a decision on how to vote the proxy in question.

 

  (e) Although not presently intended to be used on a regular basis, Firm is empowered to retain an independent third party to vote proxies in certain situations (including situations where a material conflict of interest is identified).

 

C. Handling of Conflicts of Interest

 

  (1) As stated above, in evaluating how to vote a proxy, the Proxy Voting Committee will first determine whether there is a conflict of interest related to the proxy in question between Firm and its advisory clients.  This examination will include (but will not be limited to) an evaluation of whether the Firm (or any affiliate of Firm has any relationship with the company or an affiliate of the company) to which the proxy relates outside an investment in such company by an advisory client of Firm.

 

 C: 
A-1
 

 

  (2) If a conflict is identified and deemed “material” by the Proxy Voting Committee, Firm will determine whether voting in accordance with these proxy voting guidelines is in the best interests of affected advisory clients (which may include utilizing an independent third-party to vote such proxies).

 

  (3) With respect to material conflicts, Firm will determine whether it is appropriate to disclose the conflict to affected advisory clients and investors and give advisory clients and investors the opportunity to vote the proxies in question themselves, if applicable.  If an advisory client is subject to the requirements of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), and the investment management agreement between Firm and the ERISA advisory client reserves the right to vote proxies when Firm has determined that a material conflict exists that does affect its best judgment as a fiduciary to the ERISA advisory client, Firm will:

 

  (a) Give the ERISA advisory client the opportunity to vote the proxies in question themselves; or

 

  (b) Follow designated special proxy voting procedures related to voting proxies pursuant to the terms of the investment management agreement with such ERISA Advisory Clients (if any).

 

D. Voting Guidelines

 

In the absence of specific voting guidelines mandated by a particular advisory client, Firm will endeavor to vote proxies in the best interests of each advisory client via the ISS policy.

 

In some foreign markets where proxy voting demands fee payment for agent services, Firm will balance the cost and benefit of proxy voting and may give up the proxy voting if the cost associated is greater than the benefits from voting.

 

  (1) Although voting certain proxies may be subject to the discretion of Firm, Firm is of the view that voting proxies in accordance with the following general guidelines is in the best interests of its advisory clients:

 

  (a) Firm will generally vote in favor of routine corporate housekeeping proposals including, but not limited to, the following:

 

  (i) election of directors (where there are no related corporate governance issues);

 

  (ii) selection or reappointment of auditors; or

 

  (iii) increasing or reclassification of common stock.

 

  (b) Firm will generally vote against proposals that:

 

  (i) make it more difficult to replace members of the issuer’s board of directors or board of managers; and

 

  (ii) introduce unequal voting rights (although there may be regulatory reasons that would make such a proposal favorable to certain advisory clients of Firm.

 

  (c) Firm will generally vote against proposals that make it more difficult for an issuer to be taken over by outsiders, and in favor of proposals to do the opposite.

 

 C: 
A-2
 

 

  (d) Firm will generally vote in favor of proposals by management or shareholders concerning various compensation and stock option plans that will act to make management and employee compensation more dependent on long-term stock price performance.

 

  (e) Firm will generally vote against proposals to move the company to another state less favorable to shareholders’ interests, or to restructure classes of stock in such a way as to benefit one class of shareholders at the expense of another, such as dual classes (A and B shares) of stock.

 

E. Disclosure of Procedures

 

A brief summary of these proxy voting procedures will be included in Firm’s Form ADV Part II and will be updated whenever these policies and procedures are updated.

 

F. Record-keeping Requirements

 

The Chief Compliance Officer via ISS will be responsible for maintaining files relating to Firm’s proxy voting procedures.  Records will be maintained and preserved for five (5) years from the end of the fiscal year during which the last entry was made on a record, with records for the first two years kept in the offices of Firm.  Records of the following will be included in the files:

 

  (1) Copies of these proxy voting policies and procedures, and any amendments thereto;

 

  (2) A copy of each proxy statement that Firm or ISS actually receives; provided, however, that Firm may rely on obtaining a copy of proxy statements from the SEC’s EDGAR system for those proxy statements that are so available;

 

  (3) A record of each vote that Firm via ISS casts;

 

  (4) A copy of any document that Firm created that was material to making a decision how to vote the proxies, or memorializes that decision (if any); and

 

  (5) A copy of each written request for information on how Firm voted such advisory client’s proxies and a copy of any written response to any request for information on how Firm voted proxies on behalf of advisory clients.

 

Testing and Reporting

 

The CCO will review the records on a quarterly basis and report compliance on the quarterly checklist.

 

 C: 
A-3
 

 

Appendix B

 

Description of Securities Ratings

 

Corporate and Municipal Long-Term Bond Ratings

 

Standard & Poor's ("S&P") Corporate and Municipal Long-Term Bond Ratings:

 

The following descriptions of S&P's long-term corporate and municipal bond ratings have been published by Standard & Poor's Financial Service LLC.

 

AAA - An obligation rated 'AAA' has the highest rating assigned by S&P. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment 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 commitment 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 commitment 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 lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment 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 exposures 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 which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment 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 commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor's capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment 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 commitment 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 commitment 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 Standard & Poor's 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 to 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 Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 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. An obligation's rating is lowered to 'D' if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

 

 C: 
B-1
 

 

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

 

NR - This indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that Standard & Poor's does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.

 

Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") Long-Term Corporate Bond 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 credit risk.

 

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

 

A - Obligations rated A are 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 certain 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 of 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 or 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.

 

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.

 

 C: 
B-2
 

 

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 Bond Ratings:

The following descriptions of Fitch's long-term corporate bond ratings have been published by Fitch, 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. For performing obligations, default risk is commensurate with the issuer being rated with an Issuer Default Risk ("IDR") in the ranges 'BB' to 'C'. For issuers with an IDR below 'B', the overall credit risk of this obligation is moderated by the expected level of recoveries should a default occur. For issuers with an IDR above 'B', the overall credit risk of this obligation is exacerbated by the expected low level of recoveries should a default occur. For non-performing obligations, the obligation or issuer is in default, or has deferred payment, but the rated obligation is expected to have extremely high recovery rates consistent with a Recovery Rating of 'RR1' (outstanding recovery prospects given default).

 

CCC - Substantial credit risk. 'CCC' ratings indicate that substantial credit risk is present. For performing obligations, default risk is commensurate with an IDR in the ranges 'B' to 'C'. For issuers with an IDR below 'CCC', the overall credit risk of this obligation is moderated by the expected level of recoveries should a default occur. For issuers with an IDR above 'CCC', the overall credit risk of this obligation is exacerbated by the expected low level of recoveries should a default occur. For non-performing obligations, the obligation or issuer is in default, or has deferred payment, but the rated obligation is expected to have a superior recovery rate consistent with a Recovery Rating of 'RR2' (superior recovery prospects given default).

 

 C: 
B-3
 

 

CC - Very high levels of credit risk. 'CC' ratings indicate very high levels of credit risk. For performing obligations, default risk is commensurate with an IDR in the ranges 'B' to 'C'. For issuers with an IDR below 'CC', the overall credit risk of this obligation is moderated by the expected level of recoveries should a default occur. For issuers with an IDR above 'CC', the overall credit risk of this obligation is exacerbated by the expected low level of recoveries should a default occur. For non-performing obligations, the obligation or issuer is in default, or has deferred payment, but the rated obligation is expected to have a good recovery rate consistent with a Recovery Rating of 'RR3' (good recovery prospects given default).

 

C - Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. 'C' indicates exceptionally high levels of credit risk. For performing obligations, default risk is commensurate with an IDR in the ranges 'B' to 'C'. The overall credit risk of this obligation is exacerbated by the expected low level of recoveries should a default occur. For non-performing obligations, the obligation or issuer is in default, or has deferred payment, and the rated obligation is expected to have an average, below-average or poor recovery rate consistent with a Recovery Rating of 'RR4' (average recovery prospects given default), 'RR5' (below average recovery prospects given default) or 'RR6' (poor recovery prospects given default).

 

Defaulted obligations typically are not assigned 'D' ratings, but are instead rated in the 'B' to 'C' rating categories, depending upon 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 the 'AAA' obligation rating category, or to corporate finance obligation ratings in the categories below 'B'.

 

The terms "investment grade" and "speculative grade" have established themselves over time as shorthand to describe the categories 'AAA' to 'BBB' (investment grade) and 'BB' to 'D' (speculative grade). 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 either signal a higher level of credit risk or that a default has 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, 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 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 default risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time.

 

 C: 
B-4
 

 

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 that 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 indicate 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;

  

·the bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other winding-up or cessation of the business of an issuer/obligor; or

 

·the distressed exchange of an obligation, where creditors were offered securities with diminished structural or economic terms compared with the existing obligation.

 

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 Writedowns - Where an instrument has experienced an involuntary and, in the agency's opinion, irreversible "writedown" 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 "writedown" 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 "writedown" then later be reversed, the credit rating will be raised to an appropriate level for that instrument. Should the "writedown" later be deemed as irreversible, the credit rating will be lowered to 'D'.

 

Notes: In the case of structured and project 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.

 

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' Long-Term Rating category, or to Long-Term Rating categories below 'B'.

 

Municipal Short-Term Bond Ratings

 

S&P's Municipal Short-Term Bond Ratings:

 

The following descriptions of S&P's short-term municipal ratings have been published by Standard & Poor's Financial Service LLC.

 

 C: 
B-5
 

 

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.

 

Moody's 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.

 

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 Short-Term Credit Ratings:

 

The following descriptions of Fitch's short-term credit ratings have been published by Fitch, 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. Applicable to entity ratings only.

 

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

 

Short-Term Credit Ratings

 

S&P's Short-Term Credit Ratings:

 

The following descriptions of S&P's short-term credit 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 Standard & Poor's. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.

 

 C: 
B-6
 

 

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 commitment 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 lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment 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 which 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 commitment 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 Standard & Poor's 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. An obligation's rating is lowered to 'D' if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

 

Dual Ratings - S&P assigns "dual" ratings to all 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 Short-Term Ratings:

 

The following descriptions of Moody's short-term credit 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 credit ratings have been published by Fitch, Inc. and Fitch Ratings Ltd.

 

 C: 
B-7
 

 

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. Applicable to entity ratings only.

 

D - Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a specific 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'. (The +/- modifiers are only used to denote issues within the CCC category, whereas issuers are only rated CCC without the use of modifiers.)

 

 C: 
B-8
 

 

Appendix C

 

Foreign Holidays

 

The Funds generally intend to effect deliveries of Creation Units and portfolio securities no later than the third Business Day following the day on which the order is deemed received by the Distributor. The Funds may effect deliveries of Creation Units and portfolio securities on a basis other than the one just described in order to accommodate local holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates, or under certain other circumstances. The ability of the Trust to effect in-kind creations and redemptions within three business days of receipt of an order in good form is subject, among other things, to the condition that, within the time period from the date of the order to the date of delivery of the securities, there are no days that are holidays in the applicable foreign market. For every occurrence of one or more intervening holidays in the applicable foreign 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 foreign market due to emergencies may also prevent the Trust from delivering securities within the normal settlement period.

 

The securities delivery cycles currently practicable for transferring portfolio securities to redeeming investors, coupled with foreign market holiday schedules, will require a delivery process longer than seven calendar days in certain circumstances.

 

The holidays applicable to the Funds investing in foreign securities during such periods are listed below, as are instances where more than seven days will be needed to deliver redemption proceeds. Although certain holidays may occur on different dates in subsequent years, the number of days required to deliver redemption proceeds in any given year is not expected to exceed the maximum number of days listed below for the applicable Funds. The proclamation of new holidays, the treatment by market participants of certain days as “informal holidays” (e.g., days on which no or limited securities transactions occur, as a result of substantially shortened trading hours), the elimination of existing holidays, or changes in local securities delivery practices, could affect the information set forth herein at some time in the future.

 

The dates of the Regular Holidays in calendar year 2015 are:

 

  Australia
January 1 April 21 June 9 November 4
January 27 April 25 August 4 December 25
March 3 May 5 August 13 December 26
March 10 May 19 September 29  
April 18 June 2 October 6  

 

   Canada
January 1 April 3 June 24 September 7
January 2 April 6 July 1 October 12
February 9 April 20 July 9 November 11
February 16 May 18 August 3 December 25
February 27 June 21 August 17 December 26
March 16 June 22 August 21  

    

 C: 
C-1
 

 

China
January 1 February 23 September 27 October 7
January 2 February 24 October 1 December 25
February 18 April 6 October 2  
February 19 May 1 October 5  
February 20 June 20 October 6  

      

France
January 1 May 8 November 11  
April 3 May 14 December 25  
April 6 May 25    
May 1 July 14    

       

Germany
January 1 April 6 May 25  
January 6 May 1 June 4  
April 3 May 14 December 25  

 

Japan
January 1 May 4 September 22 December 23
January 2 May 5 September 23 December 31
January 12 May 6 October 12  
February 11 July 20 November 3  
April 29 September 21 November 23  

 

The Netherlands
January 1 April 27 May 14  
April 3 April 30 May 25  
April 6 May 5 December 25  

       

 C: 
C-2
 

 

South Korea
Jan 1 May 1 September 28 December 25
February 18 May 5 October 1 December 31
February 19 May 25 October 9  
February 20 July 17 December 24  

 

Switzerland
January 1 April 21 August 1 December 25
January 2 May 1 August 15 December 26
January 6 May 29 September 11 December 31
March 19 June 9 December 8  
April 18 June 19 December 24  

 

The United Kingdom
January 1 April 3 May 25 December 25
January 2 April 6 August 3 December 28
January 6 May 4 August 31  

 

Redemption: The longest redemption cycle for the Funds is a function of the longest redemption cycle among the countries whose stocks are held by a Fund.

 

 C: 
C-3
 

 

In calendar year 2015, the dates of regular holidays affecting the following securities markets present the worst-case redemption cycle for the Funds as follows:

 

2015
Country   Trade
Date
  Settlement
Date
  Number of
Days to
Settle
China   02/13/15   02/25/15   12
    02/16/15   02/26/15   10
    02/17/15   02/27/15   10
    09/28/15   10/08/15   10
    09/29/15   10/09/15   10
    09/30/15   10/12/15   12
Japan   12/26/14   01/05/15   10
    12/29/14   01/06/15   8
    12/30/14   01/07/15   8
    04/28/15   05/07/15   9
    04/30/15   05/08/15   8
    05/01/15   05/11/15   10
    09/16/15   09/24/15   8
    09/17/15   09/25/15   8
    09/18/15   09/28/15   11
Switzerland   12/23/14   01/05/15   13
    12/29/14   01/07/15   9
    12/30/14   01/08/15   9
    12/30/15   01/07/16   8

 

 C: 
C-4
 

 

TRIMTABS ETF TRUST

 

PART C

 

Item 28. Exhibits.

 

(a) (i) Amended and Restated Certificate of Trust. (Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s registration statement filed on September 5, 2014)
     
  (ii) Trust Instrument. (Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s registration statement filed on September 5, 2014)
     
(b)   By-laws. (Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s registration statement filed on September 5, 2014)
     
(c)   Trust Instrument, Articles IV, V, and VI, and By-Laws, Articles V, VI, VII and VIII
     
(d)   Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and TrimTabs Asset Management, LLC. (Filed herewith)
     
(e) (i) Distribution Agreement between Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC. (Filed herewith)
     
  (ii) Form of Authorized Participant Agreement. (Filed herewith)
     
(f)   Bonus, profit sharing or pension plans. (Not applicable)
     
(g)   Custody Agreement between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon. (Filed herewith)
     
(h) (i) Transfer Agency and Service Agreement between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon. (Filed herewith)
     
  (ii) Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon. (Filed herewith)
     
(i)   Opinion and Consent of Counsel. (Filed herewith)
     
(j)   Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. (Filed herewith)
     
(k)   Financial Statements Omitted from Prospectus. (None)
     
(l)   Letter of Investment Intent. (Filed herewith)
     
(m)   Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 with respect to shares of the Registrant. (Filed herewith)
     
(n)   Plan Pursuant to Rule 18f-3 under the 1940 Act. (Not applicable)
     
(o)   Reserved.
     
(p) (i) Form of Code of Ethics of Registrant. (Filed herewith)
     
  (ii) Code of Ethics of TrimTabs Asset Management, LLC. (Filed herewith)
     
  (iii) Code of Ethics of Foreside Financial Group, LLC, on behalf of Foreside Fund Services, LLC. (Filed herewith)
     
Other Exhibits  
Powers of Attorney for Messrs. Posner and Theodore. (Filed herewith)

 

Item 29. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with the Fund.

 

None.

 

Item 30. Indemnification.

 

The Registrant is organized as a Delaware statutory trust and is operated pursuant to an Trust Instrument dated as of April 2, 2014 (the “Trust Instrument”), that permits the Registrant to indemnify its trustees and officers under certain circumstances. Such indemnification, however, is subject to the limitations imposed by the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“1933 Act”), and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The Registrant’s Trust Instrument provides that officers and trustees of the Trust shall be indemnified by the Trust against liabilities and expenses of defense in proceedings against them by reason of the fact that they each serve as an officer or trustee of the Trust or as an officer or trustee of another entity at the request of the entity.

 

 C: 
 
 

 

In particular, Article IX, Sections 1 and 2 of the Registrant’s Trust Instrument provide as follows:

 

Section 1.             INDEMNIFICATION.

 

(a)          Subject to the exceptions and limitations contained in subsection (b) below:

 

(i)          every person who is, or has been, a Trustee or an officer, employee or agent of the Trust, including persons who act at the request of the Trust as directors, trustees, officers, employees or agents of another organization in which the Trust has an interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise (“Covered Person”) shall be indemnified by the Trust or the appropriate Series to the fullest extent permitted by law against liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him or her in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which he or she becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his or her being or having been a Covered Person and against amounts paid or incurred by him or her in the settlement thereof.

 

(ii)         as used herein, the words “claim,” “action,” “suit” or “proceeding” shall apply to all claims, actions, suits or proceedings (whether civil, criminal or administrative proceedings, regulatory investigations, or other proceedings, including appeals), actual or threatened, and the words “liability” and “expenses” shall include, without limitation, counsel fees, costs, judgments, amounts paid in settlement, fines, penalties and other liabilities.

 

(b)          No indemnification shall be provided hereunder to a Covered Person:

 

(i)          who shall have been adjudicated by a court or body before which the proceeding was brought (A) to be liable to the Trust, a Series or the Shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office or (B) not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that his or her action was in the best interest of the Trust or the applicable Series; or

 

(ii)         in the event of a settlement, if there has been a determination that such Covered Person engaged in willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office: (A) by the court or other body approving the settlement; (B) by at least a majority of those Trustees who are neither Interested Persons of the Trust or the applicable Series nor are parties to the matter based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry); or (C) by written opinion of independent legal counsel based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry).

 

(c)          The rights of indemnification herein provided may be insured against by policies maintained by the Trust or the applicable Series, as the case may be, shall be severable, shall not be exclusive of or affect any other rights to which any Covered Person may now or hereafter be entitled and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of a Covered Person. Nothing contained herein shall affect any rights to indemnification to which Trust or Series personnel other than Covered Persons may be entitled by contract or otherwise under law.

 

(d)          To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, expenses in connection with the preparation and presentation of a defense to any claim, action, suit or proceeding of the character described in subsection (a) of this Section shall be paid by the Trust or applicable Series from time to time prior to final disposition thereof upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such Covered Person that such amount will be paid over by him or her to the Trust or applicable Series if it is ultimately determined that he or she is not entitled to indemnification under this Section; provided, however, that any such advancement will be made in accordance with any conditions required by the Commission.

 

(e)          Any repeal or modification of this Article IX by the Shareholders, or adoption or modification of any other provision of this Trust Instrument or the By-laws inconsistent with this Article, shall be prospective only, to the extent that such, repeal or modification would, if applied retrospectively, adversely affect any limitation on the liability of any Covered Person or indemnification available to any Covered Person with respect to any act or omission which occurred prior to such repeal, modification or adoption.

 

Section 2.             INDEMNIFICATION OF SHAREHOLDERS. If any Shareholder or former Shareholder of any Series is held personally liable solely by reason of his or her being or having been a Shareholder and not because of his or her acts or omissions or for some other reason, the Shareholder or former Shareholder (or his or her heirs, executors, administrators or other legal representatives or, in the case of any entity, its general successor) shall be entitled out of the Assets belonging to the applicable Series to be held harmless from and indemnified against all loss and expense arising from such liability. The Trust, on behalf of the affected Series, shall, upon request by such Shareholder or former Shareholder, assume the defense of any claim made against him or her for any act or obligation of the Series and satisfy any judgment thereon or expenses related thereto from the Assets belonging to the Series.

 

 C: 
 
 

 

Section 9 of the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and TrimTabs Asset Management, LLC provides:

 

(a)          Adviser will give the Trust the benefit of the Adviser’s best judgment and efforts in rendering its services to the Trust. Adviser will not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by any Fund, the Trust or any of its shareholders, in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relates, except to the extent that such a loss results from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by it of its obligations and duties under this Agreement. Any person, even though also an officer, director, employee, or agent of Adviser, who may be or become an officer, Trustee, employee or agent of the Trust shall be deemed, when rendering services to any Fund or the Trust or acting with respect to any business of such Fund or the Trust, to be rendering such service to or acting solely for the Fund or the Trust and not as an officer, director, employee, or agent or one under the control or direction of Adviser even though paid by it.

 

(b)          Adviser is expressly put on notice of, and hereby acknowledges and agrees to, the limitation of shareholder liability as set forth in the Trust Instrument of the Trust and agrees that the obligations assumed by the Trust under this contract shall be limited in all cases to the Trust and its assets. Adviser shall not seek satisfaction of any such obligation from the shareholders or any shareholder of the Trust, nor shall Adviser seek satisfaction of any such obligation from the Trustees or any individual Trustee of the Trust. Adviser understands that the rights and obligations of each series of shares of the Trust under the Trust Instrument are separate and distinct from those of any and all other series.

 

(c)          Neither party shall be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in performance of its obligations under this Agreement arising out of or caused, directly or indirectly, by circumstances beyond its reasonable control including, without limitation, acts of civil or military authority, national emergencies, labor difficulties (other than those related to the Adviser’s employees), fire, mechanical breakdowns, flood or catastrophe, acts of God, insurrection, war, riots or failure of the mails, transportation, communication or power supply.

 

(d)          Neither party to this Agreement shall be liable to the other party for consequential damages under any provision of this Agreement.

 

Section 6 of the Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC provides:

 

(a)          The Trust agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Distributor, its affiliates and each of their respective directors, officers and employees and agents and any person who controls the Distributor within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (collectively, “Distributor Indemnitees”) against any loss, liability, claim, damages or expense (including the reasonable cost of investigating or defending any alleged loss, liability, claim, damages or expense and reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) arising out of or based upon (i) Distributor serving as Distributor for the Trust pursuant to this Agreement; (ii) any claim that the Registration Statement, Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information, shareholder reports, sales literature and advertisements specifically approved by the Trust, or other information filed by the Trust with the Commission (as from time to time amended) included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein (and in the case of the Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading under the 1933 Act; (iii) the breach by the Trust of any obligation, representation or warranty contained in this Agreement; or (iv) the Trust’s failure to comply in any material respect with applicable securities laws.

 

The Trust does not agree to indemnify any Distributor Indemnitee or hold it harmless to the extent that the statement or omission was made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information furnished to the Trust by or on behalf of the Distributor or a Distributor Indemnitee. The Trust will also not indemnify any Distributor Indemnitee with respect to any untrue statement or omission made in the Registration Statement, Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information that is subsequently corrected in such document (or an amendment thereof or supplement thereto) if a copy of the Prospectus (or such amendment or supplement) was not sent or given to the person asserting any such loss, liability, claim, damage or expense at or before the written confirmation to such person in any case where such delivery is required by the 1933 Act and the Trust had notified the Distributor of the amendment or supplement prior to the sending of the confirmation. In no case is the indemnity of the Trust in favor of any Distributor Indemnitee to be deemed to protect a Distributor Indemnitee against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which a Distributor Indemnitee would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.

 

 C: 
 
 

 

The Distributor agrees to notify the Trust promptly of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against it or any other Distributor Indemnitee in connection with the issuance or sale of Shares. Failure to notify the Trust of any claim shall not relieve the Trust from any liability that it may have to any Distributor Indemnitee against whom such action is brought except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure. The Trust shall be entitled to participate at its own expense in the defense, or, if it so elects, to assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce any claims, but if the Trust elects to assume the defense, the defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by it and reasonably satisfactory to Distributor Indemnitee(s). In the event the Trust elects to assume the defense of any suit and retain counsel, Distributor Indemnitee, defendant or defendants in the suit, shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by them. If the Trust does not elect to assume the defense of any suit, it will reimburse the Distributor Indemnitee, defendant or defendants in the suit, for the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel retained by them and acceptable to the Trust.

 

(b)          The Distributor agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Trust, its affiliates and each of their respective directors, trustees, officers and employees and agents and any person who controls the Trust within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (collectively, the “Trust Affiliates”) against any loss, liability, claim, damages or expense (including the reasonable cost of investigating or defending any alleged loss, liability, claim, damages or expense and reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) arising out of or based upon (i) the allegation of any wrongful act of the Distributor or any Distributor Indemnitee in connection with the activities of the Distributor pursuant to this Agreement; (ii) the breach of any obligation, representation or warranty contained in this Agreement by the Distributor; (iii) the Distributor’s failure to comply in any material respect with applicable securities laws, including applicable FINRA regulations; (iv) any material non-compliance by the Distributor with any and all exemptive orders issued to the Trust in connection with the offering of Shares under this Agreement, the 1940 Act, the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act with respect to which the Distributor receives adequate advance notice; or (v) any allegation that the Registration Statement, Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information, shareholder reports, any information or materials relating to the Funds (as described in section 3(g)) or other information filed or made public by the Trust (as from time to time amended) included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements not misleading, insofar as such statement or omission was made in reliance upon, and in conformity with information furnished to the Trust by or on behalf of the Distributor or a Distributor Indemnitee.

 

In no case is the indemnity of the Distributor in favor of any Trust Affiliate to be deemed to protect any Trust Affiliate against any liability to the Trust or its security holders to which such Trust Affiliate would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement.

 

The Trust agrees to notify the Distributor promptly of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against it or any Trust Affiliate in connection with the issuance or sale of any of the Creation Units or the Shares. Failure to notify the Distributor of any claim shall not relieve the Distributor from any liability that it may have to the Trust Affiliate against whom such action is brought except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure. The Distributor shall be entitled to participate at its own expense in the defense or, if it so elects, to assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce the claim, but if the Distributor elects to assume the defense, the defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by it and reasonably satisfactory to the Trust, its officers and Board and to any controlling person or persons, defendant or defendants in the suit. In the event that Distributor elects to assume the defense of any suit and retain counsel, the Trust or controlling person or persons, defendant or defendants in the suit, shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by them. If the Distributor does not elect to assume the defense of any suit, it will reimburse the Trust, its officers and Trustees or controlling person or persons, defendant or defendants in the suit, for the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel retained by them.

 

(c)          No indemnified party shall settle any claim against it for which it intends to seek indemnification from the indemnifying party, under the terms of section 6(a) or 6(b) above, without prior written notice to and consent from the indemnifying party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. No indemnified or indemnifying party shall settle any claim unless the settlement contains a full release of liability with respect to the other party in respect of such action.

 

Item 31.  Business and Other Connections of the Investment Advisor.

 

Reference is made to the caption “Fund Management” in the Prospectus constituting Part A that is included in this Registration Statement and “Management of the Funds” in the Statement of Additional Information constituting Part B that is included in this Registration Statement.

 

The information as to the directors and executive officers of TrimTabs Asset Management, LLC is set forth in TrimTabs Asset Management, LLC Form ADV filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC File No. 801-72450), and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

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Item 32.  Principal Underwriters.

 

(a)          The sole principal underwriter for each Fund is Foreside Fund Services, LLC, which acts as distributor for the Registrant and the following other funds:

 

  1. AdvisorShares Trust
  2. American Beacon Funds
  3. American Beacon Select Funds
  4. Avenue Mutual Funds Trust
  5. BP Capital TwinLine Energy Fund, Series of Professionally Managed Portfolios
  6. BP Capital TwinLine MLP Fund, Series of Professionally Managed Portfolios
  7. Bridgeway Funds, Inc.
  8. Broadmark Funds
  9. Capital Innovations Global Agri, Timber, Infrastructure Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
  10. Center Coast MLP Focus Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
  11. Chilton Realty Income & Growth Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
  12. Context Capital Funds
  13. Direxion Shares ETF Trust
  14. Exchange Traded Concepts Trust II
  15. FlexShares Trust
  16. Forum Funds
  17. Forum Funds II
  18. FQF Trust
  19. FSI Low Beta Absolute Return Fund
  20. Gottex Multi-Alternatives Fund - I
  21. Gottex Multi-Alternatives Fund - II
  22. Gottex Multi-Asset Endowment Fund - I
  23. Gottex Multi-Asset Endowment Fund – II
  24. Gottex Trust
  25. Henderson Global Funds
  26. Horizon Spin-off and Corporate Restructuring Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust (f/k/a Liberty Street Horizon Fund)
  27. Horizons ETF Trust
  28. Infinity Core Alternative Fund
  29. Ironwood Institutional Multi-Strategy Fund LLC
  30. Ironwood Multi-Strategy Fund LLC
  31. Manor Investment Funds
  32. Nomura Partners Funds, Inc.
  33. Outlook Funds Trust
  34. Performance Trust Mutual Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
  35. Pine Grove Alternative Fund
  36. Pine Grove Alternative Institutional Fund
  37. Plan Investment Fund, Inc.
  38. PMC Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
  39. Precidian ETFs Trust
  40. Quaker Investment Trust
  41. Renaissance Capital Greenwich Funds
  42. RevenueShares ETF Trust
  43. Salient MF Trust
  44. SharesPost 100 Fund LLC
  45. Sound Shore Fund, Inc.
  46. Steben Alternative Investment Funds
  47. Steben Select Multi-Strategy Fund
  48. The Pennant 504 Fund
  49. The Roxbury Funds
  50. Toroso Newfound Tactical Allocation Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
  51. Turner Funds
  52. Wintergreen Fund, Inc.

 

(b)          The following directors and officers of the Distributor, Foreside Fund Services, LLC, hold the following positions with the Registrant. The principal business address for all directors and executive officers is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101.

 

 C: 
 
 

 

Name   Positions & Offices
with Underwriter
  Position
with Registrant
         
Mark A. Fairbanks   President and Manager   None
         
Richard J. Berthy   Vice President, Treasurer and Manager   None
         
Jennifer E. Hoopes   Secretary   None
         
Nanette K. Chern   Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer   None
         
Lisa S. Clifford   Vice President and Director of Compliance   None
         
Nishant Bhatnagar   Assistant Secretary   None

 

(c)          Not applicable.

 

Item 33.  Location of Accounts and Records.

 

All accounts, books, and other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder are maintained at the addresses below.

 

TrimTabs Asset Management, LLC

3 Harbor Way, Suite 112

Sausalito, CA 94965

Foreside Fund Services, LLC

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100

Portland, ME 04101

The Bank of New York Mellon

101 Barclay Street

New York, NY 10286

 

Item 34.  Management Services.

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 35.  Undertakings.

 

None.

 

 C: 
 
 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“1933 Act”) and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this registration statement on Form N-1A to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Sausalito and State of California, on the 15th day of December 2014.

 

  TRIMTABS ETF TRUST
     
  By: /s/ Charles Biderman
    Charles Biderman
    President

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the 1933 Act, this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

SIGNATURE   TITLE   DATE
         
/s/ Charles Biderman   President and Trustee   December 15, 2014
Charles Biderman        
         
/s/ Jeanette Kirazian   Principal Financial Officer   December 15, 2014
Jeanette Kirazian        
         
/s/ Stephen J. Posner*   Trustee   December 15, 2014
Stephen J. Posner        
         
/s/ Theodore M. Theodore*   Trustee   December 15, 2014
Theodore M. Theodore        

 

/s/ Stacy L. Fuller  

* Signatures affixed by Stacy L. Fuller on December 15, 2014 pursuant to a power of attorney filed herewith.

 

 C: 
 
 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

EX.99.d   Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and TrimTabs Asset Management, LLC
     
EX.99.e.i   Distribution Agreement between Registrant and Foreside Fund Services, LLC
     
EX.99.e.ii   Form of Authorized Participant Agreement
     
EX.99.g   Custody Agreement between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon
     
EX.99.h.i   Transfer Agency and Service Agreement between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon
     
EX.99.h.ii   Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon
     
EX.99.i   Opinion and Consent of Counsel
     
EX.99.j   Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
     
EX.99.l   Letter of Investment Intent
     
EX.99.m   Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 with respect to shares of the Registrant
     
EX.99.p.i   Form of Code of Ethics of Registrant
     
EX.99.p.ii   Code of Ethics of TrimTabs Asset Management, LLC
     
EX.99.p.iii   Code of Ethics of Foreside Financial Group, LLC, on behalf of Foreside Fund Services, LLC
     
EX.99.OTHER   Powers of Attorney for Messrs. Posner and Theodore

 

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Dates Referenced Herein   and   Documents Incorporated by Reference

This ‘N-1A/A’ Filing    Date    Other Filings
12/31/16
Filed as of:12/16/14
Filed on:12/15/14
11/26/14
10/22/14
9/30/14
9/5/14N-1A,  N-8A
4/2/14
12/31/13
1/31/10
 List all Filings 


12 Subsequent Filings that Reference this Filing

  As Of               Filer                 Filing    For·On·As Docs:Size             Issuer                      Filing Agent

 4/19/24  TrimTabs ETF Trust                485APOS                1:624K                                   Pietrzykowski Kris… R/FA
11/22/23  TrimTabs ETF Trust                485BPOS    11/28/23   17:6.3M                                   US Bancorp Fund Svcs LLC
11/28/22  TrimTabs ETF Trust                485BPOS    11/28/22   19:5.5M                                   US Bancorp Fund Svcs LLC
11/23/22  TrimTabs ETF Trust                485BPOS    11/28/22   19:5.5M                                   US Bancorp Fund Svcs LLC
 5/17/22  TrimTabs ETF Trust                485BXT                 1:678K                                   Pietrzykowski Kris… R/FA
 3/04/22  TrimTabs ETF Trust                485APOS                1:669K                                   Pietrzykowski Kris… R/FA
11/24/21  TrimTabs ETF Trust                485BPOS    11/29/21   20:2.6M                                   US Bancorp Fund Svcs LLC
11/23/21  TrimTabs ETF Trust                485BPOS    11/29/21   17:5M                                     US Bancorp Fund Svcs LLC
 9/14/21  TrimTabs ETF Trust                485APOS                4:1.1M                                   US Bancorp Fund Svcs LLC
11/25/20  TrimTabs ETF Trust                485BPOS    11/27/20   15:3M                                     US Bancorp Fund Svcs LLC
11/16/20  TrimTabs ETF Trust                485BPOS    11/16/20   36:5.2M                                   US Bancorp Fund Svcs LLC
 8/14/20  TrimTabs ETF Trust                485APOS8/14/20    2:927K                                   US Bancorp Fund Svcs LLC
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