NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | |
ALPHA FIDUCIARY QUANTITATIVE STRATEGY FUND | |
July 31, 2024 | |
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1.) ORGANIZATION | | | | | | | | | | | |
Alpha Fiduciary Quantitative Strategy Fund (the “Fund”) was organized as a non-diversified series of the PFS Funds (the “Trust”) on June 11, 2019. The Fund went effective on November 5, 2019, but did not commence investing in line with its objectives until December 31, 2019. The Trust was established under the laws of Massachusetts by an Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated January 13, 2000, which was amended and restated January 20, 2011. The Trust is registered as an open-end investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The Trust may offer an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest in a number of separate series, each series representing a distinct fund with its own investment objectives and policies. As of July 31, 2024, there were twelve series authorized by the Trust. The Fund’s investment objective is to seek long-term capital appreciation. The Fund pursues its investment objective using a quantitative strategy by investing primarily in a portfolio of exchange traded funds (“ETFs”) and equity index futures. The investment adviser to the Fund is Alpha Fiduciary, Inc. (the “Adviser”). Significant accounting policies of the Fund are presented below.
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2.) SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES | | | | | | | | | |
The Fund is an investment company and accordingly follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946 Financial Services - Investment Companies. The financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). The Fund follows the significant accounting policies described in this section.
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SECURITY VALUATION: | | | | | | | | | | | |
All investments in securities are valued as described in Note 3. The Trust’s Board of Trustees (“Board”) has designated the Adviser as “Valuation Designee” pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act.
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SHARE VALUATION: | | | | | | | | | | | |
The net asset value (“NAV”) is generally calculated as of the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the “Exchange”) (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) every day the Exchange is open. The NAV is calculated by taking the total value of the Fund’s assets, subtracting its liabilities, and then dividing by the total number of shares outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent. The offering price and redemption price per share is equal to the NAV per share.
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FUND OF FUND STRUCTURE: | | | | | | | | | | |
The Fund invests in portfolios of ETFs (the "Underlying Funds"). The shares of many ETFs frequently trade at a price per share, which is different than the net asset value per share. The difference represents a market premium or market discount of such shares. There can be no assurances that the market discount or market premium on shares of any ETFs purchased by the Fund will not change. For further information on how the Fund values the Underlying Funds, see Note 3. |
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FUTURES: | | | | | | | | | | | |
The Fund may buy and sell stock index futures contracts. A stock index futures contract obligates the seller to deliver (and the buyer to take) an amount of cash equal to a specific dollar amount times the difference between the value of a specific stock index at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the agreement was made. To the extent the Fund enters into a futures contract, it will deposit with the broker cash, cash equivalents or U.S. Treasury obligations equal to a specified percentage of the value of the futures contract (the initial margin), as required by the relevant contract market and futures commission merchant. The futures contract will be marked to market daily. Should the value of the futures contract decline relative to the Fund’s position, the Fund, if required by law, will pay the futures commission merchant an amount equal to the change in value to maintain its appropriate margin balance. When the contract is closed, the Fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the proceeds from (or cost of) the closing transaction and the Fund’s basis in the contract. The use of futures transactions involves the risk of imperfect correlation in movements in the price of futures contracts, interest rates, and the underlying hedged assets. The Fund may sell stock index futures contracts in anticipation of or during a market decline to attempt to offset the decrease in market value of its long positions in equity securities that might otherwise result. When the Fund is not fully invested in equity securities and anticipates a significant market advance, it may buy stock index futures in order to gain rapid market exposure that may in part or entirely offset increases in the cost of equity securities that it intends to buy. With futures, there is minimal counterparty credit risk to the Fund since futures are exchange traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse, as counterparty to all exchange traded futures, guarantees the futures against default.
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FEDERAL INCOME TAXES: | | | | | | | | | | |
The Fund’s policy is to continue to comply with the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code that are applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute all of its taxable income to shareholders. Therefore, no federal income tax provision is required. It is the Fund’s policy to distribute annually, prior to the end of the calendar year, dividends sufficient to satisfy excise tax requirements of the Internal Revenue Code. This Internal Revenue Code requirement may cause an excess of distributions over the book year-end accumulated income. In addition, it is the Fund’s policy to distribute annually, after the end of the fiscal year, any remaining net investment income and net realized capital gains.
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The Fund recognizes the tax benefits of certain tax positions only where the position is “more likely than not” to be sustained assuming examination by tax authorities. Management has analyzed the Fund’s tax positions, and has concluded that no liability for unrecognized tax benefits should be recorded related to uncertain tax positions taken on returns filed for open tax years. The Fund identifies its major tax jurisdictions as U.S. Federal and State tax authorities; however, the Fund is not aware of any tax positions for which it is reasonably possible that the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits will change materially in the next twelve months. The Fund recognizes interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense in the Statement of Operations. During the fiscal year ended July 31, 2024, the Fund did not incur any interest or penalties.
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DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS: | | | | | | | | | |
Distributions to shareholders, which are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, are recorded on the ex-dividend date.
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The treatment for financial reporting purposes of distributions made to shareholders during the period from net investment income or net realized capital gains may differ from their ultimate treatment for federal income tax purposes. These differences are caused primarily by differences in the timing of the recognition of certain components of income, expense, or realized capital gain for federal income tax purposes. Where such differences are permanent in nature, they are reclassified in the components of the net assets based on their ultimate characterization for federal income tax purposes. Any such reclassifications will have no effect on net assets, results of operations, or net asset value per share of the Fund.
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USE OF ESTIMATES: | | | | | | | | | | | |
The financial statements are prepared in accordance with GAAP, which 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 increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
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OTHER: | | | | | | | | | | | |
The Fund records security transactions based on a trade date for financial statement reporting purposes. Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date, and interest income, if any, is recognized on an accrual basis. The Fund uses the specific identification method in computing gain or loss on the sale of investment securities. Long-term capital gain distributions are recorded as capital gain distributions from investment companies, and short-term capital gain distributions are recorded as dividend income. Withholding taxes on foreign dividends, if any, are provided for in accordance with the Fund’s understanding of the applicable country’s tax rules and rates.
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ALLOCATION OF EXPENSES: | | | | | | | | | | |
Expenses incurred by the Trust that don’t relate to a specific fund of the Trust are allocated pro-rata to the funds based on the total number of funds in the Trust at the time the expense was incurred or by another appropriate method.
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3.) SECURITIES VALUATIONS | | | | | | | | | | |
The Fund utilizes various methods to measure the fair value of its investments on a recurring basis. GAAP establishes a hierarchy that prioritizes inputs to valuation methods. The three levels of inputs are:
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Level 1 - Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Fund has the ability to access.
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Level 2 - Observable inputs other than quoted prices included in level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. These inputs may include quoted prices for the identical instrument on an inactive market, prices for similar instruments, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, yield curves, default rates and similar data.
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Level 3 - Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability, to the extent relevant observable inputs are not available, representing the Fund’s own assumptions about the assumptions a market participant would use in valuing the asset or liability, and would be based on the best information available.
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The availability of observable inputs can vary from security to security and is affected by a wide variety of factors, including, for example, the type of security, whether the security is new and not yet established in the marketplace, the liquidity of markets, and other characteristics particular to the security. To the extent that valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in level 3.
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The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls in its entirety, is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.
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VALUATION OF FUND ASSETS: | | | | | | | | | | | |
A description of the valuation techniques applied to the Fund’s major categories of assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis follows.
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Equity securities (including exchange traded funds). Equity securities generally are valued by using market quotations, but may be valued on the basis of prices furnished by a pricing service when the Valuation Designee believes such prices accurately reflect the fair value of such securities. Securities that are traded on any stock exchange or on the NASDAQ over-the-counter market are generally valued by the pricing service at the last quoted sale price. Lacking a last sale price, an equity security is generally valued by the pricing service at its last bid price. Generally, if the security is traded in an active market and is valued at the last sale price, the security is categorized as a level 1 security, and if an equity security is valued by the pricing service at its last bid, it is generally categorized as a level 2 security. When market quotations are not readily available, when the Valuation Designee determines that the market quotation or the price provided by the pricing service does not accurately reflect the current fair value, or when restricted securities are being valued, such securities are valued as determined in good faith by the valuation committee, which includes the Valuation Designee, subject to review of the Board and are categorized in level 2 or level 3, when appropriate.
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Derivative Instruments (including futures contracts). Listed derivative instruments that are actively traded, including futures contracts, are valued based on quoted prices from the exchange and are categorized as Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy. Lacking a last sale price, a derivative held long is generally valued by the pricing service at its last bid price and a derivative held short is generally valued by the pricing service at its last ask price and are generally categorized as a level 2 security. If there is not a bid or ask price on the primary exchange on which the future trades, the future will be valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Valuation Committee which includes the Valuation Designee, subject to review of the Board and are categorized in level 2 or level 3, when appropriate.
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Money market funds. Money market funds are valued at net asset value and are classified as level 1 of the fair value hierarchy.
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In accordance with the Trust’s good faith pricing guidelines, the Valuation Designee is required to consider all appropriate factors relevant to the value of securities for which it has determined other pricing sources are not available or reliable as described above. There is no single standard for determining fair value, since fair value depends upon the circumstances of each individual case. As a general principle, the current fair value of an issue of securities being valued by the Valuation Designee would appear to be the amount which the owner might reasonably expect to receive for them upon their current sale. Methods which are in accordance with this principle may, for example, be based on (i) a multiple of earnings; (ii) a discount from market of a similar freely traded security (including a derivative security or a basket of securities traded on other markets, exchanges or among dealers); or (iii) yield to maturity with respect to debt issues, or a combination of these and other methods. The Board maintains responsibilities for the fair value determinations under Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act and oversees the Valuation Designee.
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The following table summarizes the inputs used to value the Fund’s assets/(liabilities) measured at fair value as of July 31, 2024:
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Valuation Inputs of Assets/(Liabilities) | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Level 1 | | Level 2 | | Level 3 | | Total |
Exchange Traded Funds | | | $17,872,236 | | $ - | | $ - | | $17,872,236 |
Money Market Funds | | | 1,683,163 | | - | | - | | 1,683,163 |
Total Investment Securities | | | $19,555,399 | | $ - | | $ - | | $19,555,399 |
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Futures Contracts - Purchased | | $ 45,600 | | $ - | | $ - | | $ 45,600 |
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The Fund did not hold any Level 3 assets during the fiscal year ended July 31, 2024. Futures contracts include unrealized gain/(loss) on contracts open at July 31, 2024.
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4.) INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT AND SERVICES AGREEMENT | | | | |
The Fund has entered into an investment advisory agreement (“Management Agreement”) with the Adviser. The Adviser manages the investment portfolio of the Fund, subject to the policies adopted by the Trust’s Board of Trustees. Under the Management Agreement, the Adviser, at its own expense and without reimbursement from the Trust, furnishes office space and all necessary office facilities, equipment and executive personnel necessary for managing the assets of the Fund. The Adviser receives an investment management fee equal to 1.00% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.
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For the fiscal year ended July 31, 2024, the Adviser earned management fees totaling $218,507. At July 31, 2024, the Fund owed $18,982 to the Adviser.
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Additionally, the Fund has a Services Agreement with the Adviser (the “Services Agreement”). Under the Services Agreement the Adviser receives an additional fee of 0.70% of the Fund’s average daily net assets up to $25 million, 0.35% of the Fund’s average daily net assets from $25 million to $100 million, and 0.25% of such assets in excess of $100 million and is obligated to pay the operating expenses of the Fund excluding management fees, brokerage fees and commissions, 12b-1 fees (if any), taxes, borrowing costs (such as (a) interest and (b) dividend expenses on securities sold short), ADR fees, the cost of acquired funds and extraordinary expenses. Additionally, under the Services Agreement the Adviser supervises the Fund’s business affairs. The Adviser coordinates for the provision of the services of a Chief Compliance Officer for the Trust with respect to the Fund, executive and administrative services including, but are not limited to, the coordination of all third parties furnishing services to the Fund, review of the books and records of the Fund maintained by such third parties, and such other actions with respect to the Fund as may be necessary in the opinion of the Adviser to perform its duties under the Services Agreement.
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For the fiscal year ended July 31, 2024, the Adviser earned services fees of $152,956. At July 31, 2024, the Fund owed the Adviser services fees of $13,287.
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5.) DERIVATIVE TRANSACTIONS | | | | | | | | | | |
The fair value of derivative instruments, not accounted for as hedging instruments, as reported within the Statement of Assets and Liabilities as of July 31, 2024, was as follows:
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Unrealized Appreciation/(Depreciation) on Derivatives |
Type of Derivative / Risk | | | Statement of Assets and Liabilities Location | Value of Unrealized Appreciation/ (Depreciation) |
Equity Contracts | | | Unrealized Appreciation on Futures Contracts | $45,600 |
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Realized and unrealized gains and losses on derivative contracts entered during the fiscal year ended July 31, 2024, by the Fund are recorded in the following locations in the Statement of Operations:
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| Location | Realized Gain/(Loss) | Location | Unrealized Appreciation/ (Depreciation) | |
Futures Contracts Purchased | Net Realized Gain/ (Loss) on Futures Contracts | $146,392 | Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation/(Depreciation) on Futures Contracts | $45,600 | |
Futures Contracts Sold | Net Realized Gain/ (Loss) on Futures Contracts | ($2,152,212) | Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation/(Depreciation) on Futures Contracts | $310,088 | |
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During the fiscal year ended July 31, 2024, the average monthly notional value of the futures contracts purchased long and futures contracts sold short were $3,664,996 and ($11,886,778), respectively.
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The table below reflects the offsetting assets and liabilities relating to futures contracts as shown on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities as of July 31, 2024:
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| | | | | | Gross Amounts Not Offset in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities | | |
Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets/(Liabilities) | Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities | Net Amounts Presented in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities | Financial Instruments | Cash Collateral Pledged/ (Received) | Net Amount |
$45,600 | $0 | $45,600 | $0 | $0 | $45,600 |
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6.) RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS | | | | | | | | | |
Certain officers and a Trustee of the Trust are also officers of Premier Fund Solutions (the “Administrator”). These individuals are not paid any fees directly by the Fund for serving in such capacity. These individuals receive benefits from the Administrator resulting from administration fees paid to the Administrator by the Adviser.
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The Trustees who are not interested persons of the Fund were each paid $1,500, for a total of $6,000, in Trustees’ fees for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2024. These fees were paid by the Adviser.
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7.) CONTROL OWNERSHIP | | | | | | | | | | |
The beneficial ownership, either directly or indirectly, of more than 25% of the voting securities of a fund creates a presumption of control of the fund, under Section 2(a)(9) of the 1940 Act. As of July 31, 2024, Charles Schwab & Co. Inc., held for the benefit of its customers, in the aggregate, 100.00% of Fund shares.
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8.) INVESTMENT TRANSACTIONS | | | | | | | | | | |
For the fiscal year ended July 31, 2024, purchases and sales of investment securities other than U.S. Government obligations and short-term investments aggregated $0 and $2,348,906, respectively. Purchases and sales of U.S. Government obligations aggregated $0 and $0, respectively.
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9.) TAX MATTERS | | | | | | | | | | | |
For Federal income tax purposes, the cost of investment securities owned at July 31, 2024, was $13,781,439.
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At July 31, 2024, the composition of gross unrealized appreciation (the excess of value over tax cost) and depreciation (the excess of tax cost over value) of investments on a tax basis was as follows:
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Appreciation | (Depreciation) | Net Appreciation (Depreciation) |
$5,773,960 | $0 | $5,773,960 |
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The Fund did not pay any distributions during the fiscal years ended July 31, 2024 and July 31, 2023.
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As of July 31, 2024, the components of distributable earnings (accumulated losses) on a tax basis were as follows:
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Other Accumulated Gains/(Accumulated Losses) | | | $ | (13,447,490) | | |
Unrealized Appreciation/(Depreciation) – Net | | | | 5,773,960 | | |
| | | | | | | $ | (7,673,530) | | |
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As of July 31, 2024, other accumulated gains/(accumulated losses) included losses on straddles of $5,773,960, deferred late year ordinary losses of $43,309 and an available unused capital loss carryforward of $7,630,221. For Federal tax purposes, $7,599,178 of the capital loss carryforward is short-term with no expiration and $31,043 is long-term with no expiration. As of July 31, 2024, the difference between book and tax basis unrealized appreciation (depreciation) – net was primarily related to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales and the tax treatment of derivatives.
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During the fiscal year ended July 31, 2024, the Fund utilized $496,035 of short-term capital loss carryforward and $1,185,943 of long-term capital loss carryforward.
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10.) RISKS TO CONSIDER | | | | | | | | | | |
Futures Contract Risk. The successful use of futures contracts draws upon the Adviser’s skill and experience with respect to such instruments and is subject to special risk considerations. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts, which may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value and total return, are the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the futures contract held by the Fund and the price of the futures contract; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; (c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (d) the Adviser’s inability to predict correctly the direction of securities prices; (e) the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations; and (f) if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, and the Fund may have to sell securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. The Fund’s use of futures contracts for the purpose of increasing the Fund’s long and/or short exposure creates leverage, which can magnify the Fund’s potential for gain or loss and therefore amplify the effect of market volatility on the Fund’s share price.
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Leveraging Risk. The Fund’s use of futures contracts will have the economic effect of financial leverage. Financial leverage magnifies exposure to the swings in prices of an asset class underlying an instrument and results in increased volatility, which means the Fund will have the potential for greater gains, as well as the potential for greater losses, than if the Fund does not use instruments that have a leveraging effect. For example, if the Adviser seeks to gain enhanced exposure to a specific asset class through an instrument providing leveraged exposure to the asset class and that instrument increases in value, the gain to the Fund will be magnified; however, if that investment decreases in value, the loss to the Fund will be magnified. A decline in the Fund’s assets due to losses magnified by the instruments providing leveraged exposure may require the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions to satisfy its obligations, to meet redemption requests or to meet asset segregation requirements when it may not be advantageous to do so. There is no assurance that the Fund’s use of instruments providing enhanced exposure will enable the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
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Risks of Exchange Traded Funds. Investment in an ETF carries security-specific risk and market risk. Also, if the area of the market representing the underlying index or benchmark does not perform as expected for any reason, the value of the investment in the ETF may decline. In addition, due to transactions via market prices rather than at net asset value, the performance of an ETF may not completely replicate the performance of the underlying index. The Fund will indirectly pay its proportionate share of any fees and expenses paid by the ETF in which it invests in addition to the fees and expenses paid directly by the Fund, many of which may be duplicative. The Fund also will incur brokerage costs when it purchases ETFs. As a result, the cost of investing in the Fund generally will be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETFs. Additionally, ETFs are subject to the following risks: (i) the market price of an ETF’s shares may be above or below its net asset value; (ii) an active trading market for an ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained; (iii) the ETF may employ an investment strategy that utilizes high leverage ratios; (iv) trading of an ETF’s shares may be halted if the listing exchange’s officials deem such action appropriate; and (v) underlying ETF shares may be de-listed from the exchange or the activation of market-wide “circuit breakers” (which are tied to large decreases in stock prices) temporarily stop stock trading.
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Risk of Non-Diversification. The Fund is a non-diversified fund, which means that it has the ability to take larger positions in a smaller number of securities than a fund that is “diversified.” Non-diversification increases the risk that the value of the Fund could go down because of the poor performance of a single investment. The Fund may invest a significant percentage of its assets in a single ETF, ETN and/or money market fund, and at times may hold only one such position along with a cash or cash equivalent position.
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11.) CONTINGENCIES AND COMMITMENTS | | | | | | | | |
The Trust indemnifies its officers and the Board for certain liabilities that may arise from the performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Fund enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations and warranties and 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 experience, the risk of loss due to these warranties and indemnities appears to be remote.
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12.) SUBSEQUENT EVENTS | | | | | | | | | | |
Subsequent events after the date of the Statement of Assets and Liabilities have been evaluated through the date the financial statements were issued. Management has concluded that there is no impact requiring adjustment to or disclosure in the financial statements.
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