Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Act”), and Rule 19b-4 thereunder, notice is hereby given that on February 4, 2016, BATS Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange” or “BATS”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) the proposed rule change as described in Items I and II below, which Items have been prepared by the Exchange. The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the proposed rule change from interested persons.
17 CFR 240.19b-4.
I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance of the Proposed Rule Change
The Exchange is proposing a rule change to list and trade shares of the SPDRDoubleLine Short Term Total Return Tactical ETF (the “Fund”) of the SSgA Active Trust (the “Trust”) under BATS Rule 14.11(i) (“Managed Fund Shares”). The shares of the Fund are collectively referred to herein as the “Shares.”
The text of the proposed rule change is available at the Exchange's Web site at www.batstrading.com,, at the principal office of the Exchange, and at the Commission's Public Reference Room.
II. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change
In its filing with the Commission, the Exchange included statements concerning the purpose of and basis for the proposed rule change and discussed any comments it received on the proposed rule change. The text of these statements may be examined at the places specified in Item IV below. The Exchange has prepared summaries, set forth in Sections A, B, and C below, of the most significant parts of such statements.
(A) Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change
1. Purpose
The Exchange proposes to list and trade the Shares under BATS Rule 14.11(i), which governs the listing and trading of Managed Fund Shares on the Exchange. The Fund will be an actively managed fund. The Shares will be offered by the Trust, which was established as a Massachusetts business trust on March 30, 2011. The Trust is registered with the Commission as an open-end investment company and has filed a registration statement on behalf of the Fund on Form N-1A (“Registration Statement”) with the Commission.
The Commission approved BATS Rule 14.11(i) in Securities Exchange Act Release No. 65225 (August 30, 2011), 76 FR 55148 (September 6, 2011) (SR-BATS-2011-018).
See Registration Statement on Form N-1A for the Trust, dated October 8, 2015 (File Nos. 333-173276 and 811-22542). The descriptions of the Fund and the Shares contained herein are based, in part, on information in the Registration Statement. The Commission has issued an order granting certain exemptive relief to the Trust under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-1) (“1940 Act”) (the “Exemptive Order”). See Investment Company Act Release No. 29524 (December 13, 2010) (File No. 812-13487).
Description of the Shares and the Fund
SSGA Funds Management, Inc. will be the investment adviser (“SSGA FM” or “Adviser”) to the Fund. The Adviser will serve as the administrator for the Fund (the “Administrator”). DoubleLine Capital LP will be the Fund's sub-adviser (“Sub-Adviser”). State Street Global Markets, LLC (the “Distributor”) will be the principal underwriter and distributor of the Fund's Shares. State Street Bank and Trust Company (the “Sub-Administrator”, “Custodian”, “Transfer Agent” or “Lending Agent”) will serve as sub-administrator, custodian, transfer agent, and, where applicable, lending agent for the Fund.
BATS Rule 14.11(i)(7) provides that, if the investment adviser to the investment company issuing Managed Fund Shares is affiliated with a broker-dealer, such investment adviser shall erect a “fire wall” between the investment adviser and the broker-dealer with respect to access to information concerning the composition and/or changes to such investment company portfolio. In addition, Rule 14.11(i)(7) further requires that personnel who make decisions on the investment company's portfolio composition must be subject to procedures designed to prevent the use and dissemination of material nonpublic information regarding the applicable investment company portfolio. Rule 14.11(i)(7) is similar to BATS Rule 14.11(b)(5)(A)(i), however, Rule 14.11(i)(7) in connection with the establishment of a “fire wall” between the investment adviser and the broker-dealer reflects the applicable open-end fund's portfolio, not an underlying benchmark index, as is the case with index-based funds. The Adviser and Sub-Adviser are not registered as a broker-dealer but the Adviser is affiliated with a broker-dealer and has implemented a “fire wall” with respect to such broker-dealer regarding access to information concerning the composition and/or changes to the Fund's portfolio. The Sub-Adviser is not affiliated with a broker-dealer. In the event (a) the Adviser or Sub-Adviser becomes registered as a broker-dealer or newly affiliated with a broker-dealer, or (b) any new adviser or sub-adviser is a registered broker-dealer or becomes affiliated with a broker-dealer, it will implement a fire wall with respect to its relevant personnel or broker-dealer affiliate regarding access to information concerning the composition and/or changes to the portfolio, and will be subject to procedures designed to prevent the use and dissemination of material non-public information regarding such portfolio.
An investment adviser to an open-end fund is required to be registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”). As a result, the Adviser and its related personnel as well as the Sub-Adviser and its related personnel are subject to the provisions of Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act relating to codes of ethics. This Rule requires investment advisers to adopt a code of ethics that reflects the fiduciary nature of the relationship to clients as well as compliance with other applicable securities laws. Accordingly, procedures designed to prevent the communication and misuse of non-public information by an investment adviser must be consistent with Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act. In addition, Rule 206(4)-7 under the Advisers Act makes it unlawful for an investment adviser to provide investment advice to clients unless such investment adviser has (i) adopted and implemented written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violation, by the investment adviser and its supervised persons, of the Advisers Act and the Commission rules adopted thereunder; (ii) implemented, at a minimum, an annual review regarding the adequacy of the policies and procedures established pursuant to subparagraph (i) above and the effectiveness of their implementation; and (iii) designated an individual (who is a supervised person) responsible for administering the policies and procedures adopted under subparagraph (i) above.
SPDR DoubleLine Short Term Total Return Tactical ETF
According to the Registration Statement, the Fund will seek to maximize current income with a dollar-weighted average effective duration between one and three years. To achieve its objective, the Fund will invest, under normal circumstances, in a diversified portfolio of fixed income securities of any credit quality subject to certain limitations as described further below. The Fund is an actively-managed fund that does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index.
The term “under normal circumstances” includes, but is not limited to, the absence of extreme volatility or trading halts in the fixed income markets or the financial markets generally; operational issues causing dissemination of inaccurate market information; or force majeure type events such as systems failure, natural or man-made disaster, act of God, armed conflict, act of terrorism, riot or labor disruption or any similar intervening circumstance.
The Sub-Adviser will monitor the duration of the securities held by the Fund to seek to mitigate exposure to interest rate risk. Under normal circumstances, the Sub-Adviser will seek to maintain an investment portfolio with a weighted average effective duration between 1 and 3 years. The duration of the portfolio may vary materially from its target, from time to time.
Duration is a measure used to determine the sensitivity of a security's price to changes in interest rates. The longer a security's duration, the more sensitive it will be to changes in interest rates.
The Sub-Adviser will actively manage the Fund's asset class exposure using a top-down approach based on analysis of sector fundamentals and rotate Fund assets among sectors in various markets to attempt to maximize return. Individual securities within asset classes will be selected using a bottom-up approach. Under normal circumstances, the Sub-Adviser will use a controlled risk approach in managing the Fund's investments. The techniques of this approach attempt to control the principal risk components of the fixed income markets and include consideration of: Security selection within a given sector; relative performance of the various market sectors; the shape of the yield curve; and fluctuations in the overall level of interest rates. In certain situations or market conditions, the Fund may temporarily depart from its normal investment policies and strategies provided that the alternative is in the best interest of the Fund. For example, the Fund may hold a higher than normal proportion of its assets in cash in times of extreme market stress.
Principal Holdings
The Fund intends to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets in a diversified portfolio of Fixed Income Securities, as defined below, subject to certain limits described below. For purposes of this filing, Fixed Income Securities are defined as the following instruments: Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored corporations; inflation protected public obligations of the U.S. Treasury (“TIPS”); securities issued or guaranteed by state or local governments or their agencies or instrumentalities (commonly known as municipal bonds); asset backed securities (“ABS”) (which include the following: Agency and non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”), agency and non-agency commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”), and any other agency and non-agency asset-backed securities (“NAABS”); collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”); collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”); collateralized bond obligations (“CBOs”); collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”); and Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits (“REMICs”) and Re-REMICs (which are REMICs that have been resecuritized) ); stripped securities; zero coupon securities; foreign (including emerging markets) and domestic corporate bonds; sovereign debt; bank loans; preferred securities; and exchange traded products (“ETPs”) that invest in Fixed Income Securities. To the extent applicable, debt instruments that comprise Fixed Income Securities may be either fixed rate securities, floating securities, or variable rate securities.
Municipal securities are securities issued by states, municipalities and other political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities of states and multi-state agencies or authorities. The municipal securities which the Portfolio Fund may purchase include general obligation bonds and limited obligation bonds (or revenue bonds), including industrial development bonds issued pursuant to former federal tax law. General obligation bonds are obligations involving the credit of an issuer possessing taxing power and are payable from such issuer's general revenues and not from any particular source. Limited obligation bonds are payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise or other specific revenue source. Also included within the general category of municipal securities are municipal leases, certificates of participation in such lease obligations or installment purchase contract obligations.
For example, the Fund may invest a substantial portion of its assets in U.S. agency mortgage pass-through securities. The term “U.S. agency mortgage pass-through security” refers to a category of pass-through securities backed by pools of mortgages and issued by one of several U.S. Government-sponsored enterprises: Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. The Fund may seek to obtain exposure to U.S. agency mortgage pass-through securities through the use of “to-be-announced” or “TBA transactions.” “TBA” refers to a commonly used mechanism for the forward settlement of U.S. agency mortgage pass-through securities, and not to a separate type of mortgage-backed security. Transactions in mortgage pass-through securities may occur through the use of TBA transactions.
The term NAABS is used by the Fund to describe securities backed by installment contracts, credit-card receivables or other assets but does not include either residential or commercial mortgage-backed securities. Both asset-backed and commercial mortgage-backed securities represent interests in “pools” of assets in which payments of both interest and principal on the securities are made on a regular basis. NAABS also include institutionally traded senior floating rate debt obligations issued by asset-backed pools and other issues, and interests therein.
A REMIC is an entity that holds a fixed pool of mortgages and issues multiple classes of interests in itself to investors and is treated like a partnership for federal income tax purposes with its income passed through to its interest holders. REMICs hold commercial and residential mortgages in trust and issue interests in those mortgages to investors through bonds or other securities.
Stripped securities are securities composed of the separate income of principal components of a debt security. For example, stripped mortgage securities are created when the interest and principal components of a mortgage security are separated and sold as individual securities.
The Fund may invest up to 20% of its portfolio in junior bank loans.
For purposes of this filing, ETPs include those securities described in BATS Rule 14.11. The Fund may invest in certain ETPs that pay fees to the Adviser and its affiliates for management, marketing or other services. The ETPs all will be listed and traded in the U.S. on national securities exchanges. While the Fund may invest in inverse ETPs, the Fund will not invest in leveraged or inverse leveraged ETPs (e.g., 2X or 3X).
A floating rate security provides for the automatic adjustment of its interest rate whenever a specified interest rate changes. Interest rates on these securities are ordinarily tied to, and are a percentage of, a widely recognized interest rate, such as the yield on 90-day US Treasury bills or the prime rate of a specified bank. These rates may change as often as twice daily.
Variable rate securities are instruments issued or guaranteed by entities such as: (1) The U.S. Government, or an agency or instrumentality thereof; (2) states, municipalities and other political subdivisions, agencies, authorities and instrumentalities of states and multi-state agencies or authorities; (3) corporations; (4) financial institutions; (5) insurance companies; or (6) trusts that have a rate of interest subject to adjustment at regular intervals but less frequently than annually. A variable rate security provides for the automatic establishment of a new interest rate on set dates. Variable rate obligations whose interest is readjusted no less frequently than annually will be deemed to have a maturity equal to the period remaining until the next readjustment of the interest rate.
The Fund intends to invest at least 25% of its net assets in mortgage-backed securities of any maturity or type guaranteed by, or secured by collateral that is guaranteed by, the United States Government, its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored corporations. The Fund also may invest in privately issued mortgage-backed securities of any rating assigned by Moody's Investor Service, Inc. (“Moody's”) or Standard & Poor's Rating Service (“S&P”) or assigned by any other nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”) or in unrated securities that are determined by the Sub-Adviser to be of comparable quality.
The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in the aggregate in non-agency ABS.
The Fund may invest in U.S. Government obligations. U.S. Government obligations are a type of bond. U.S. Government obligations include securities issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Government, its agencies, instrumentalities, or sponsored corporations. The Fund may also invest in TIPS of the U.S. Treasury. TIPS are a type of security issued by a government that are designed to provide inflation protection to investors.
The Fund may invest in corporate bonds. The investment return of corporate bonds reflects interest on the bond and changes in the market value of the bond. The market value of a corporate bond may be affected by the credit rating of the corporation, the corporation's performance and perceptions of the corporation in the market place. Such corporate bonds may be investment grade or may be below investment grade. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in corporate high yield securities (commonly known as “junk bonds”).
While the Fund is permitted to invest without restriction in corporate bonds, the Sub-Adviser expects that, under normal circumstances, the Fund will generally seek to invest in corporate bond issuances that have at least $100,000,000 par amount outstanding in developed countries and at least $200,000,000 par amount outstanding in emerging market countries. Further, component corporate bonds that in the aggregate account for at least 75% of the weight of corporate bonds will have a minimum original principal outstanding of $100 million or more.
The Fund may invest in sovereign debt. Sovereign debt obligations are issued or guaranteed by foreign governments or their agencies. Sovereign debt may be in the form of conventional securities or other types of debt instruments such as loans or loan participations. Sovereign debt obligations may be either investment grade or below investment grade.
The Fund may invest in bank loans, which include floating rate loans Bank loan interests may be acquired from U.S. or foreign commercial banks, insurance companies, finance companies or other financial institutions that have made loans or are members of a lending syndicate or from other holders of loan interests. Bank loans typically pay interest at rates which are re-determined periodically on the basis of a floating base lending rate (such as the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate) plus a premium. Bank loans are typically of below investment grade quality. Bank loans generally (but not always) hold the most senior position in the capital structure of a borrower and are often secured with collateral. The Fund may invest in both secured and unsecured loans.
See supra note 14 [sic].
The Fund may invest in CDOs, CLOs, CMOs, and CBOs. A CLO is a financing company (generally called a Special Purpose Vehicle or “SPV”), created to reapportion the risk and return characteristics of a pool of assets. While the assets underlying CLOs are typically bank loans, the assets may also include: (i) Unsecured loans, (ii) other debt securities that are rated below investment grade, (iii) debt tranches of other CLOs, and (iv) equity securities incidental to investments in bank loans. When investing in CLOs, the Fund will not invest in equity tranches, which are the lowest tranche. However, the Fund may invest in lower debt tranches of CLOs, which typically experience a lower recovery, greater risk of loss, or deferral or non-payment of interest than more senior debt tranches of the CLO. In addition, the Fund intends to invest in CLOs consisting primarily of individual bank loans of borrowers and not repackaged CLO obligations from other high risk pools. The underlying bank loans purchased by CLOs are generally performing at the time of purchase but may become non-performing, distressed or defaulted. CLOs with underlying assets of non-performing, distressed or defaulted loans are not contemplated to comprise a significant portion of the Fund's investments in CLOs. A CBO is a trust which is backed by a diversified pool of below investment grade fixed income securities. CMOs are debt obligations collateralized by mortgage loans or mortgage pass-through securities.
The Fund may purchase exchange-traded or OTC preferred securities. Preferred securities pay fixed or adjustable rate dividends to investors and have preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of a company's assets.
The Fund may invest in ETPs that invest in Fixed Income Securities, which include exchange traded funds registered under the 1940 Act and exchange traded notes. The Adviser may receive management or other fees from the ETPs (“Affiliated ETPs”) in which the Fund may invest, as well as a management fee for managing the Fund.
The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in one or more ETPs that are qualified publicly traded partnerships (“QPTPs”) and whose principal activities are the buying and selling of commodities or options, futures, or forwards with respect to commodities. Income from QPTPs is generally qualifying income. A QPTP is an entity that is treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, subject to certain requirements. If such an ETP fails to qualify as a QPTP, the income generated from the Fund's investment in the ETP may not be qualifying income. Examples of such entities are the PowerShares DB Energy Fund, PowerShares DB Oil Fund, PowerShares DB Precious Metals Fund, PowerShares DB Gold Fund, PowerShares DB Silver Fund, PowerShares DB Base Metals Fund, and PowerShares DB Agriculture Fund.
Other Portfolio Holdings
While the Adviser and Sub-Adviser, under normal circumstances, will invest at least 80% of the Fund's net assets in the instruments described above, the Adviser and Sub-Adviser may invest up to 20% of the Fund's net assets in other securities and financial instruments, as described below.
The Fund may invest in repurchase agreements with commercial banks, brokers or dealers to generate income from its excess cash balances and to invest securities lending cash collateral. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which a fund acquires a financial instrument (e.g., a security issued by the U.S. Government or an agency thereof, a banker's acceptance or a certificate of deposit) from a seller, subject to resale to the seller at an agreed upon price and date (normally, the next business day).
The Fund may also enter into reverse repurchase agreements, which involve the sale of securities with an agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price, date and interest payment and have the characteristics of borrowing. The Fund's exposure to reverse repurchase agreements will be covered by securities having a value equal to or greater than such commitments. Under the 1940 Act, reverse repurchase agreements are considered borrowings. The Fund does not expect to engage, under normal circumstances, in reverse repurchase agreements with respect to more than 10% of its net assets.
The Fund may invest in both exchange-traded and OTC U.S. common stocks. The Fund may also invest in exchange-traded common stocks of foreign corporations. The Fund's investments in common stock of foreign corporations may also be in the form of American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) and European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) (collectively “Depositary Receipts”).
Depositary Receipts are receipts, typically issued by a bank or trust company, which evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. For ADRs, the depository is typically a U.S. financial institution and the underlying securities are issued by a foreign issuer. For other Depositary Receipts, the depository may be a foreign or a U.S. entity, and the underlying securities may have a foreign or a U.S. issuer. Depositary Receipts will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities. Generally, ADRs, in registered form, are designed for use in the U.S. securities market, and EDRs, in bearer form, are designated for use in European securities markets. GDRs are tradable both in the United States and in Europe and are designed for use throughout the world. The Fund may invest in sponsored or unsponsored ADRs; however, not more than 10% of the net assets of the Fund will be invested in unsponsored ADRs. All exchange-traded equity securities (e.g., exchange traded common stocks and exchange traded preferred securities, Depositary Receipts, and ETPs and certain other exchange-traded investment company securities) in which the Fund may invest will trade on markets that are members of the Intermarket Surveillance Group (“ISG”) or that have entered into a comprehensive surveillance agreement with the Exchange.
The Fund may invest in convertible securities traded on an exchange or OTC. Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or by the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at a stated exchange ratio.
The Fund may lend its portfolio securities in an amount not to exceed 331/3% of the value of its total assets via a securities lending program through the Lending Agent, to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions desiring to borrow securities to complete transactions and for other purposes. A securities lending program allows the Fund to receive a portion of the income generated by lending its securities and investing the respective collateral. The Fund will receive collateral for each loaned security which is at least equal to 102% of the market value of that security, marked to market each trading day.
In addition to repurchase agreements, the Fund may invest in short-term instruments, including money market instruments, (including money market funds advised by the Adviser), cash and cash equivalents, on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity or for other reasons. Money market instruments are generally short-term investments that may include but are not limited to: (i) Shares of money market funds (including those advised by the Adviser); (ii) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises); (iii) negotiable certificates of deposit (“CDs”), bankers' acceptances, fixed time deposits and other obligations of U.S. and foreign banks (including foreign branches) and similar institutions; (iv) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody's or “A-1” by S&P, or if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Adviser; (v) non-convertible corporate debt securities (e.g., bonds and debentures) with remaining maturities at the date of purchase of not more than 397 days and that satisfy the rating requirements set forth in Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act; and (vi) short-term U.S. dollar-denominated obligations of foreign banks (including U.S. branches) that, in the opinion of the Adviser, are of comparable quality to obligations of U.S. banks which may be purchased by the Fund. Any of these instruments may be purchased on a current or a forward-settled basis. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Bankers' acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.
The Fund may conduct foreign currency transactions on a spot (i.e., cash) or forward basis (i.e., by entering into forward contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies).
The Fund may invest in inverse floating rate debt instruments (“inverse floaters”). Inverse floaters are a type of instrument that bears a floating or variable interest rate that moves in the opposite direction to interest rates generally or the interest rate on another security or index.
In addition to ETPs that invest in Fixed Income Securities as described in the Principal Holdings, the Fund may also invest in the securities of other non-exchange traded investment companies, including affiliated funds and money market funds, subject to applicable limitations under Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act.
The Fund may invest in the securities of exchange-traded and OTC real estate investment trusts (“REITs”).
The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in the following derivatives: Exchange-traded futures on Treasuries or Eurodollars; U.S. exchange-traded or OTC put and call options contracts and OTC or exchange-traded swap agreements on Fixed Income Securities and/or derivatives on indices based on Fixed Income Securities (including interest rate swaps, total return swaps, excess return swaps, and credit default swaps). The Fund will segregate cash and/or appropriate liquid assets if required to do so by Commission or Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) regulation or interpretation.
Swap agreements are contracts between parties in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to the other party based on the change in market value or level of a specified rate, index or asset. In return, the other party agrees to make payments to the first party based on the return of a different specified rate, index or asset.
In the case of a credit default swap (“CDS”), the contract gives one party (the buyer) the right to recoup the economic value of a decline in the value of debt securities of the reference issuer if the credit event (a downgrade or default) occurs. This value is obtained by delivering a debt security of the reference issuer to the party in return for a previously agreed payment from the other party (frequently, the par value of the debt security).
The Fund will enter into CDS agreements only with counterparties that meet certain standards of creditworthiness.
CDSs may require initial premium (discount) payments as well as periodic payments (receipts) related to the interest leg of the swap or to the default of a reference obligation. The Fund will segregate assets necessary to meet any accrued payment obligations when it is the buyer of CDSs. In cases where the Fund is a seller of a CDS, if the CDS is physically settled or cash settled, the Fund will be required to segregate the full notional amount of the CDS. Such segregation will not limit the Fund's exposure to loss.
The Fund may also invest in Restricted Securities. Restricted Securities are securities that are not registered under the Securities Act, but which can be offered and sold to “qualified institutional buyers” under Rule 144A under the Securities Act.
“Restricted Securities,” for purposes of this filing, are defined as Rule 144A securities and may include both mortgage-backed and non-mortgage 144A securities. To the extent that the Fund's holding of Restricted Securities include any of the assets subject to limitations described below, such holdings will be subject to those limitations, as applicable.
Investment Restrictions
The Fund may hold up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid assets (calculated at the time of investment), including Restricted Securities deemed illiquid by the Adviser or Sub-Adviser under the 1940 Act. The Fund will monitor its portfolio liquidity on an ongoing basis to determine whether, in light of current circumstances, an adequate level of liquidity is being maintained, and will consider taking appropriate steps in order to maintain adequate liquidity if, through a change in values, net assets, or other circumstances, more than 15% of the Fund's net assets are held in illiquid assets. Illiquid assets include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets as determined in accordance with Commission staff guidance.
In reaching liquidity decisions, the Adviser and Sub-Adviser may consider factors including: The frequency of trades and quotes for the security; the number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers; dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; the nature of the security and the nature of the marketplace in which it trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers, and the mechanics of transfer).
The Commission has stated that long-standing Commission guidelines have required open-end funds to hold no more than 15% of their net assets in illiquid securities and other illiquid assets. See Investment Company Act Release No. 28193 (March 11, 2008), 73 FR 14618 (March 18, 2008), footnote 34. See also, Investment Company Act Release No. 5847 (October 21, 1969), 35 FR 19989 (December 31, 1970) (Statement Regarding “Restricted Securities”); Investment Company Act Release No. 18612 (March 12, 1992), 57 FR 9828 (March 20, 1992) (Revisions of Guidelines to Form N-1A). A fund's portfolio security is illiquid if it cannot be disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the value ascribed to it by the fund. See Investment Company Act Release No. 14983 (March 12, 1986), 51 FR 9773 (March 21, 1986) (adopting amendments to Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act); Investment Company Act Release No. 17452 (April 23, 1990), 55 FR 17933 (April 30, 1990) (adopting Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933).
The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company (a “RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The Fund will invest its assets, and otherwise conduct its operations, in a manner that is intended to satisfy the qualifying income, diversification, and distribution requirements necessary to establish and maintain RIC qualification under Subchapter M.
The Fund's investments will be consistent with its investment objective and will not be used to seek to achieve leveraged or inverse leveraged returns (i.e. two times or three times the Fund's benchmark).
Under normal circumstances, the combined total of corporate, sovereign, non-agency and all other debt rated below investment grade will not exceed 40% of the Fund's net assets. The Sub-Adviser will strive to allocate below investment grade securities broadly by industry and issuer in an attempt to reduce the impact of negative events on an industry or issuer. Below investment grade securities are instruments that are rated BB+ or lower by S&P or Fitch Inc. or Ba1 or lower by Moody's or equivalent ratings by another registered NRSRO or, if unrated by a NRSRO, of comparable quality in the opinion of the Sub-Adviser.
The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in securities denominated in foreign currencies, and may invest beyond this limit in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities and instruments that are economically tied to emerging market countries.
The Fund generally considers an issuer to be economically tied to an emerging market country if: (i) The issuer is organized under the laws of an emerging country; (ii) the issuer's securities are traded principally in an emerging country; or (iii) during the issuer's most recent fiscal year it derived at least 50% of its revenues, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, or profits from goods produced or sold by, investments made in, or services performed in emerging countries, or it had at least 50% of its assets in emerging countries.
Net Asset Value
According to the Registration Statement, the net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund's Shares generally will be calculated once daily Monday through Friday as of the close of regular trading on the Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (the “NAV Calculation Time”) on each day that the Exchange is open for trading, based on prices at the NAV Calculation Time. NAV per Share is calculated by dividing the Fund's net assets by the number of Fund Shares outstanding. The Fund's net assets are valued primarily on the basis of market quotations. Expenses and fees, including the management fees, will be accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV.
Common stocks and other exchange-traded equity securities (including shares of preferred securities, convertible securities, REITs, and ETPs) generally will be valued at the last reported sale price or the official closing price on that exchange where the security is primarily traded on the day that the valuation is made. Foreign equities and exchange-listed Depositary Receipts will be valued at the last sale or official closing price on the relevant exchange on the valuation date. If, however, neither the last sale price nor the official closing price is available on the valuation date, each of these securities will be valued at either the last reported sale price or official closing price as of the close of regular trading of the principal market on which the security is listed.
Unsponsored ADRs, which are traded in the OTC market, will be valued at the last reported sale price from the OTC Bulletin Board or OTC Link LLC on the valuation date. Equity securities traded OTC will be valued based on price quotations obtained from a broker-dealer who makes markets in such securities or other equivalent indications of value provided by a third-party pricing service. Securities of non-exchange traded investment companies will be valued at NAV. Restricted Securities, repurchase agreements, and reverse repurchase agreements will generally be valued at bid prices received from independent pricing services as of the announced closing time for trading in such instruments. Spot currency transactions will generally be valued at mid prices received from an independent pricing service converted into U.S. dollars at current market rates on the date of valuation. Foreign currency forwards normally will be valued on the basis of quotes obtained from broker-dealers or third party pricing services.
Listed futures will generally be valued at the settlement price determined by the applicable exchange. Listed options will generally be valued at the last sale price on the applicable exchange. Listed swaps will be valued on the basis of quotations or equivalent indication of value supplied by a third-party pricing service or broker-dealer who makes markets in such instruments. Non-exchange traded derivatives, including OTC-traded options, swaps, and forwards, will normally be valued on the basis of quotations or equivalent indication of value supplied by a third- party pricing service or broker-dealer who makes markets in such instruments. The Fund's OTC-traded derivative instruments will generally be valued at bid prices.
According to the Adviser, U.S. Government obligations; TIPS; sovereign debt; foreign and domestic corporate bonds; ABS; TBA transactions; inverse floaters and bank loans; stripped securities; zero coupon securities; and short-term instruments will generally be valued at bid prices received from independent pricing services as of the announced closing time for trading in such instruments in the respective market. In determining the value of such instruments, pricing services determine valuations for normal institutional-size trading units of such securities using valuation models or matrix pricing, which incorporates yield and/or price with respect to bonds that are considered comparable in characteristics such as rating, interest rate and maturity date and quotations from securities dealers to determine current value. Investments having a maturity of 60 days or less are generally valued at amortized cost.
According to the Registration Statement, in the event that current market valuations are not readily available or are deemed unreliable, the Trust's procedures require the Oversight Committee (“Committee”) to determine a security's fair value, in accordance with the 1940 Act. In determining such value the Committee may consider, among other things, (i) price comparisons among multiple sources, (ii) a review of corporate actions and news events, and (iii) a review of relevant financial indicators (e.g., movement in interest rates and market indices). In these cases, the Fund's NAV may reflect certain portfolio securities' fair values rather than their market prices.
If a security's market price is not readily available or is deemed unreliable, the security will be valued by another method that the Board believes will better reflect fair value in accordance with the Trust's valuation policies and procedures and in accordance with the 1940 Act. The Board has delegated the process of valuing securities for which market quotations are not readily available or are deemed unreliable to the Committee. The Committee, subject to oversight by the Board, may use fair value pricing in a variety of circumstances, including but not limited to, situations when trading in a security has been suspended or halted. Accordingly, the Fund's NAV may reflect certain securities' fair values rather than their market prices. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determination for a security is materially different than the value that could be received on the sale of the security. The Committee has implemented procedures designed to prevent the use and dissemination of material, non-public information regarding the Fund.
Creation and Redemption of Shares
The NAV of Shares of the Fund will be determined once each business day, normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. The Fund currently anticipates that a Creation Unit will consist of 50,000 Shares, though this number may change from time to time, including prior to the listing of the Fund. The exact number of Shares that will comprise a Creation Unit will be disclosed in the Registration Statement of the Fund. The Trust will issue and sell Shares of the Fund only in Creation Units on a continuous basis, without a sales load (but subject to transaction fees), at their NAV per Share next determined after receipt of an order, on any business day, in proper form. Creation and redemption will typically occur in cash, however, the Trust retains discretion to conduct such transactions on an in-kind basis or a combination of cash and in-kind, as further described below.
The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit of the Fund generally will consist of either (i) the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) per each Creation Unit and the Cash Component (defined below), computed as described below, or (ii) the cash value of the Deposit Securities (“Deposit Cash”) and the “Cash Component,” computed as described below. When accepting purchases of Creation Units for cash, the Fund may incur additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities that would otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchaser. Together, the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of the Fund. The “Cash Component” is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the Shares (per Creation Unit) and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such positive amount. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component will be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal to the Cash Component. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable.
The Custodian, through the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”), will make available on each business day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange, the list of the names and the required amount of each Deposit Security or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous business day) for the Fund. Such Fund Deposit is subject to any applicable adjustments as described in the Registration Statement, in order to effect purchases of Creation Units of the Fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, is made available.
Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Fund through the Transfer Agent and only on a business day.
With respect to the Fund, the Custodian, through the NSCC, will make available immediately prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (9:30 a.m. Eastern time) on each business day, the list of the names and share quantities of the Fund's portfolio securities that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form on that day (“Fund Securities”). Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities.
Redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will be paid either in-kind or in cash or a combination thereof, as determined by the Trust. With respect to in-kind redemptions of the Fund, redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of Fund Securities as announced by the Custodian on the business day of the request for redemption received in proper form plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the Shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities (the “Cash Redemption Amount”), less a fixed redemption transaction fee and any applicable additional variable charge as set forth in the Registration Statement. In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of the Shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the differential will be required to be made by or through an authorized participant by the redeeming shareholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the Trust's discretion, an authorized participant may receive the corresponding cash value of the securities in lieu of the in-kind securities value representing one or more Fund Securities.
The Adviser represents that, to the extent that the Trust permits or requires a “cash in lieu” amount, such transactions will be effected in the same or equitable manner for all Authorized Participants.
The creation/redemption order cut-off time for the Fund is expected to be 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Creation/redemption order cut-off times may be earlier on any day that the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) (or applicable exchange or market on which the Fund's investments are traded) announces an early closing time. On days when the Exchange closes earlier than normal, the Fund may require orders for Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day.
Availability of Information
The Fund's Web site, which will be publicly available prior to the public offering of Shares, will include a form of the prospectus for the Fund that may be downloaded. The Web site will include additional quantitative information updated on a daily basis, including, for the Fund: (1) The prior business day's reported NAV, mid-point of the bid/ask spread at the time of calculation of such NAV (the “Bid/Ask Price”), daily trading volume, and a calculation of the premium and discount of the Bid/Ask Price against the NAV; and (2) data in chart format displaying the frequency distribution of discounts and premiums of the daily Bid/Ask Price against the NAV, within appropriate ranges, for each of the four previous calendar quarters. Daily trading volume information for the Shares will also be available in the financial section of newspapers, through subscription services such as Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters, and International Data Corporation, which can be accessed by authorized participants and other investors, as well as through other electronic services, including major public Web sites. On each business day, before commencement of trading in Shares during Regular Trading Hours on the Exchange, the Fund will disclose on its Web site the identities and quantities of the portfolio of securities and other assets (the “Disclosed Portfolio”) held by the Fund that will form the basis for the Fund's calculation of NAV at the end of the business day. The Disclosed Portfolio will include, as applicable: The ticker symbol; CUSIP number or other identifier, if any; a description of the holding (including the type of holding, such as the type of swap); the identity of the security, commodity, index or other asset or instrument underlying the holding, if any; for options, the option strike price; quantity held (as measured by, for example, par value, notional value or number of shares, contracts, or units); maturity date, if any; coupon rate, if any; effective date, if any; market value of the holding; and the percentage weighting of the holding in the Fund's portfolio. The Web site and information will be publicly available at no charge.
The Bid/Ask Price of the Fund will be determined using the midpoint of the highest bid and the lowest offer on the Exchange as of the time of calculation of the Fund's NAV. The records relating to Bid/Ask Prices will be retained by the Fund and its service providers.
Regular Trading Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Under accounting procedures to be followed by the Fund, trades made on the prior business day (“T”) will be booked and reflected in NAV on the current business day (“T+1”). Accordingly, the Fund will be able to disclose at the beginning of the business day the portfolio that will form the basis for the NAV calculation at the end of the business day.
In addition, for the Fund, an estimated value, defined in BATS Rule 14.11(i)(3)(C) as the “Intraday Indicative Value,” that reflects an estimated intraday value of the Fund's portfolio, will be disseminated. Moreover, the Intraday Indicative Value will be based upon the current value for the components of the Disclosed Portfolio and will be updated and widely disseminated by one or more major market data vendors at least every 15 seconds during the Exchange's Regular Trading Hours. In addition, the quotations of certain of the Fund's holdings may not be updated during U.S. trading hours if such holdings do not trade in the United States or if updated prices cannot be ascertained.
Currently, it is the Exchange's understanding that several major market data vendors display and/or make widely available Intraday Indicative Values published via the Consolidated Tape Association (“CTA”) or other data feeds.
The dissemination of the Intraday Indicative Value, together with the Disclosed Portfolio, will allow investors to determine the value of the underlying portfolio of the Fund on a daily basis and provide a close estimate of that value throughout the trading day.
The intra-day, closing, and settlement prices of exchange-listed instruments (including exchange traded Depositary Receipts, preferred securities, convertible securities, common stock, futures, ETPs, and QPTPs) will be readily available from the exchanges trading such instruments as well as automated quotation systems, published or other public sources, or online information services such as Bloomberg or Reuters. Intraday and closing price information for exchange-traded options and futures will be available from the applicable exchange and from major market data vendors. In addition, price information for U.S. exchange-traded options will be available from the Options Price Reporting Authority. Quotation information from brokers and dealers or pricing services will be available for Fixed Income Securities. Price information regarding spot currency transactions and OTC-traded derivative instruments, including options, swaps, and forward currency transactions, as well as equity securities traded in the OTC market, including Restricted Securities, inverse floaters, short-term instruments, OTC-traded preferred securities, OTC-traded ADRs, and OTC-traded convertible securities, is available from major market data vendors. Repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements will generally be available through nationally recognized data service providers through subscription arrangements.
Information regarding market price and volume of the Shares will be continually available on a real-time basis throughout the day on brokers' computer screens and other electronic services. The previous day's closing price and trading volume information for the Shares will be published daily in the financial section of newspapers. Quotation and last sale information for the Shares will be available on the facilities of the CTA. Information regarding U.S. exchange-listed equities will also be available on the facilities of the CTA.
Initial and Continued Listing
The Shares will be subject to BATS Rule 14.11(i), which sets forth the initial and continued listing criteria applicable to Managed Fund Shares. The Exchange represents that, for initial and continued listing, the Fund must be in compliance with Rule 10A-3 under the Act. A minimum of 100,000 Shares will be outstanding at the commencement of trading on the Exchange. The Exchange will obtain a representation from the issuer of the Shares that the NAV per Share will be calculated daily and that the NAV and the Disclosed Portfolio will be made available to all market participants at the same time.
See 17 CFR 240.10A-3.
Trading Halts
With respect to trading halts, the Exchange may consider all relevant factors in exercising its discretion to halt or suspend trading in the Shares of the Fund. The Exchange will halt trading in the Shares under the conditions specified in BATS Rule 11.18. Trading may be halted because of market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in the Shares inadvisable. These may include: (1) The extent to which trading is not occurring in the securities and/or the financial instruments composing the Disclosed Portfolio of the Fund; or (2) whether other unusual conditions or circumstances detrimental to the maintenance of a fair and orderly market are present. Trading in the Shares also will be subject to Rule 14.11(i)(4)(B)(iv), which sets forth circumstances under which Shares of the Fund may be halted.
Trading Rules
The Exchange deems the Shares to be equity securities, thus rendering trading in the Shares subject to the Exchange's existing rules governing the trading of equity securities. BATS will allow trading in the Shares from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The Exchange has appropriate rules to facilitate transactions in the Shares during all trading sessions. As provided in BATS Rule 14.11(i)(2)(C), the minimum price variation for quoting and entry of orders in Managed Fund Shares traded on the Exchange is $0.01.
Surveillance
The Exchange believes that its surveillance procedures are adequate to properly monitor the trading of the Shares on the Exchange during all trading sessions and to deter and detect violations of Exchange rules and the applicable federal securities laws. Trading of the Shares through the Exchange will be subject to the Exchange's surveillance procedures for derivative products, including Managed Fund Shares. The Exchange may obtain information regarding trading in the Shares and the underlying shares in exchange traded investment companies, equity securities, futures, and options via the ISG, from other exchanges who are members or affiliates of the ISG, or with which the Exchange has entered into a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement. In addition, the Exchange is able to access, as needed, trade information for certain fixed income instruments reported to FINRA's Trade Reporting and Compliance Engine (“TRACE”). FINRA also can access data obtained from the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (“MSRB”) relating to municipal bond trading activity for surveillance purposes in connection with trading in the Shares. The Exchange prohibits the distribution of material non-public information by its employees.
For a list of the current members and affiliate members of ISG, see www.isgportal.com. The Exchange notes that not all components of the Disclosed Portfolio for the Fund may trade on markets that are members of ISG or with which the Exchange has in place a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement. The Exchange also notes that all of the exchange-listed investment company securities, common stocks, preferred securities, futures, and options will trade on markets that are a member of ISG or with which the Exchange has in place a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement.
Information Circular
Prior to the commencement of trading, the Exchange will inform its members in an Information Circular of the special characteristics and risks associated with trading the Shares. Specifically, the Information Circular will discuss the following: (1) The procedures for purchases and redemptions of Shares in Creation Units (and that Shares are not individually redeemable); (2) BATS Rule 3.7, which imposes suitability obligations on Exchange members with respect to recommending transactions in the Shares to customers; (3) how information regarding the Intraday Indicative Value and the Disclosed Portfolio is disseminated; (4) the risks involved in trading the Shares during the Pre-Opening and After Hours Trading Sessions when an updated Intraday Indicative Value will not be calculated or publicly disseminated; (5) the requirement that members deliver a prospectus to investors purchasing newly issued Shares prior to or concurrently with the confirmation of a transaction; and (6) trading information.
The Pre-Opening Session is from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time.
The After Hours Trading Session is from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
In addition, the Information Circular will advise members, prior to the commencement of trading, of the prospectus delivery requirements applicable to the Fund. Members purchasing Shares from the Fund for resale to investors will deliver a prospectus to such investors. The Information Circular will also discuss any exemptive, no-action, and interpretive relief granted by the Commission from any rules under the Act.
In addition, the Information Circular will reference that the Fund is subject to various fees and expenses described in the Registration Statement. The Information Circular will also disclose the trading hours of the Shares of the Fund and the applicable NAV Calculation Time for the Shares. The Information Circular will disclose that information about the Shares of the Fund will be publicly available on the Fund's Web site. In addition, the Information Circular will reference that the Trust is subject to various fees and expenses described in the Fund's Registration Statement.
2. Statutory Basis
The Exchange believes that the proposal is consistent with Section 6(b) of the Act in general and Section 6(b)(5) of the Act in particular in that it is designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices, to promote just and equitable principles of trade, to foster cooperation and coordination with persons engaged in facilitating transactions in securities, to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and a national market system and, in general, to protect investors and the public interest.
15 U.S.C. 78f.
The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices in that the Shares will be listed and traded on the Exchange pursuant to the initial and continued listing criteria in BATS Rule 14.11(i). The Exchange believes that its surveillance procedures are adequate to properly monitor the trading of the Shares on the Exchange during all trading sessions and to deter and detect violations of Exchange rules and the applicable federal securities laws. If the investment adviser to the investment company issuing Managed Fund Shares is affiliated with a broker-dealer, such investment adviser to the investment company shall erect a “fire wall” between the investment adviser and the broker-dealer with respect to access to information concerning the composition and/or changes to such investment company portfolio. The Adviser is not a registered broker-dealer, but is affiliated with a broker-dealer and has implemented a “fire wall” with respect to such broker-dealer regarding access to information concerning the composition and/or changes to the Fund's portfolio. In the event (a) the Adviser or Sub-Adviser becomes registered as a broker-dealer or newly affiliated with a broker-dealer, or (b) any new adviser or sub-adviser is a registered broker-dealer or becomes affiliated with a broker-dealer, it will implement a fire wall with respect to its relevant personnel or broker-dealer affiliate regarding access to information concerning the composition and/or changes to the portfolio, and will be subject to procedures designed to prevent the use and dissemination of material non-public information regarding such portfolio. The Exchange may obtain information regarding trading in the Shares and the underlying shares in exchange traded investment companies, equity securities, futures, and options via the ISG, from other exchanges who are members or affiliates of the ISG, or with which the Exchange has entered into a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement. In addition, the Exchange is able to access, as needed, trade information for certain fixed income instruments reported to FINRA's TRACE. FINRA also can access data obtained from the MSRB relating to municipal bond trading activity for surveillance purposes in connection with trading in the Shares.
For a list of the current members and affiliate members of ISG, see www.isgportal.com. The Exchange notes that not all components of the Disclosed Portfolio for the Fund may trade on markets that are members of ISG or with which the Exchange has in place a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement. The Exchange also notes that all of the exchange-listed investment company securities, common stocks, preferred securities, futures, and options will trade on markets that are a member of ISG or with which the Exchange has in place a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement.
According to the Registration Statement, the Fund intends to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets in a diversified portfolio of Fixed Income Securities of any credit quality. The Fund's investments will be consistent with the Fund's investment objective and will not be used to achieve leveraged or inverse leveraged returns, as stated above. While the Fund is permitted to invest without restriction in corporate bonds, the Sub-Adviser expects that, under normal circumstances, the Fund will generally seek to invest in corporate bond issuances that have at least $100,000,000 par amount outstanding in developed countries and at least $200,000,000 par amount outstanding in emerging market countries.
In addition to the holdings in Fixed Income Securities described above as part of the Fund's principal investment strategy, the Fund may also, to a limited extent (under normal circumstances, less than 20% of the Fund's net assets) and as further described above, engage in transactions in the following:
Repurchase agreements, reverse repurchase agreements, U.S. common stocks, exchange-traded foreign common stocks, Depositary Receipts, convertible securities, securities lending, short-term instruments, foreign currency transactions, inverse floaters, the securities of other investment companies, REITs, Restricted Securities, and certain options, futures, and swaps.
The Fund may hold up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid assets (calculated at the time of investment), including Restricted Securities deemed illiquid by the Adviser or Sub-Adviser under the 1940 Act. The Fund will monitor its portfolio liquidity on an ongoing basis to determine whether, in light of current circumstances, an adequate level of liquidity is being maintained, and will consider taking appropriate steps in order to maintain adequate liquidity if, through a change in values, net assets, or other circumstances, more than 15% of the Fund's net assets are held in illiquid assets. Illiquid assets include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets as determined in accordance with Commission staff guidance.
In reaching liquidity decisions, the Adviser and Sub-Adviser may consider factors including: The frequency of trades and quotes for the security; the number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers; dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; the nature of the security and the nature of the marketplace in which it trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers, and the mechanics of transfer).
The Commission has stated that long-standing Commission guidelines have required open-end funds to hold no more than 15% of their net assets in illiquid securities and other illiquid assets. See Investment Company Act Release No. 28193 (March 11, 2008), 73 FR 14618 (March 18, 2008), footnote 34. See also, Investment Company Act Release No. 5847 (October 21, 1969), 35 FR 19989 (December 31, 1970) (Statement Regarding “Restricted Securities”); Investment Company Act Release No. 18612 (March 12, 1992), 57 FR 9828 (March 20, 1992) (Revisions of Guidelines to Form N-1A). A fund's portfolio security is illiquid if it cannot be disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the value ascribed to it by the fund. See Investment Company Act Release No. 14983 (March 12, 1986), 51 FR 9773 (March 21, 1986) (adopting amendments to Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act); Investment Company Act Release No. 17452 (April 23, 1990), 55 FR 17933 (April 30, 1990) (adopting Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933).
The proposed rule change is designed to promote just and equitable principles of trade and to protect investors and the public interest in that the Exchange will obtain a representation from the issuer of the Shares that the NAV per Share will be calculated daily and that the NAV and the Disclosed Portfolio will be made available to all market participants at the same time. In addition, a large amount of information is publicly available regarding the Fund and the Shares, thereby promoting market transparency. Moreover, the Intraday Indicative Value will be disseminated by one or more major market data vendors at least every 15 seconds during Regular Trading Hours. On each business day, before commencement of trading in Shares during Regular Trading Hours, the Fund will disclose on its Web site the Disclosed Portfolio that will form the basis for the Fund's calculation of NAV at the end of the business day. Pricing information will be available on the Fund's Web site including: (1) The prior business day's reported NAV, the Bid/Ask Price of the Fund, and a calculation of the premium and discount of the Bid/Ask Price against the NAV; and (2) data in chart format displaying the frequency distribution of discounts and premiums of the daily Bid/Ask Price against the NAV, within appropriate ranges, for each of the four previous calendar quarters. Additionally, information regarding market price and trading of the Shares will be continually available on a real-time basis throughout the day on brokers' computer screens and other electronic services, and quotation and last sale information for the Shares will be available on the facilities of the CTA. The Web site for the Fund will include a form of the prospectus for the Fund and additional data relating to NAV and other applicable quantitative information. Trading in Shares of the Fund will be halted under the conditions specified in BATS Rule 11.18. Trading may also be halted because of market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in the Shares inadvisable. Finally, trading in the Shares will be subject to BATS Rule 14.11(i)(4)(B)(iv), which sets forth circumstances under which Shares of the Fund may be halted. In addition, the Exchange is able to access, as needed, trade information for certain fixed income instruments reported to FINRA's TRACE. FINRA also can access data obtained from the MSRB relating to municipal bond trading activity for surveillance purposes in connection with trading in the Shares. As noted above, investors will also have ready access to information regarding the Fund's holdings, the Intraday Indicative Value, the Disclosed Portfolio, and quotation and last sale information for the Shares.
The intra-day, closing, and settlement prices of exchange-listed instruments (including exchange traded Depositary Receipts, preferred securities, convertible securities, common stock, futures, ETPs, and QPTPs) will be readily available from the exchanges trading such instruments as well as automated quotation systems, published or other public sources, or online information services such as Bloomberg or Reuters. Intraday and closing price information for exchange-traded options and futures will be available from the applicable exchange and from major market data vendors. In addition, price information for U.S. exchange-traded options will be available from the Options Price Reporting Authority. Quotation information from brokers and dealers or pricing services will be available for Fixed Income Securities. Price information regarding spot currency transactions and OTC-traded derivative instruments, including options, swaps, and forward currency transactions, as well as equity securities traded in the OTC market, including Restricted Securities, inverse floaters, short-term instruments, OTC-traded preferred securities, OTC-traded ADRs, and OTC-traded convertible securities, is available from major market data vendors. Repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements will generally be available through nationally recognized data service providers through subscription arrangements.
The proposed rule change is designed to perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and, in general, to protect investors and the public interest in that it will facilitate the listing and trading of an additional type of actively-managed exchange-traded product that will enhance competition among market participants, to the benefit of investors and the marketplace. As noted above, the Exchange has in place surveillance procedures relating to trading in the Shares and may obtain information via ISG from other exchanges that are members of ISG or with which the Exchange has entered into a comprehensive surveillance sharing agreement. In addition, as noted above, investors will have ready access to information regarding the Fund's holdings, the Intraday Indicative Value, the Disclosed Portfolio, and quotation and last sale information for the Shares.
For the above reasons, the Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with the requirements of Section 6(b)(5) of the Act.
(B) Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition
The Exchange does not believe that the proposed rule change will impose any burden on competition that is not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the purpose of the Act. The Exchange notes that the proposed rule change will facilitate the listing and trading of an additional actively-managed exchange-traded product that will enhance competition among market participants, to the benefit of investors and the marketplace.
(C) Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the Proposed Rule Change Received From Members, Participants or Others
The Exchange has neither solicited nor received written comments on the proposed rule change.
III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for Commission Action
Within 45 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register or within such longer period up to 90 days (i) as the Commission may designate if it finds such longer period to be appropriate and publishes its reasons for so finding or (ii) as to which the self-regulatory organization consents, the Commission will:
(A) by order approve or disapprove the proposed rule change, or
(B) institute proceedings to determine whether the proposed rule change should be disapproved.
IV. Solicitation of Comments
Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views and arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposal is consistent with the Act. Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:
Electronic Comments
- Use the Commission's Internet comment form ( http://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml ); or
- Send an email to rule-comments@sec.gov. Please include File No. SR-BATS-2016-04 on the subject line.
Paper Comments
- Send paper comments in triplicate to Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549-1090.
All submissions should refer to File No. SR-BATS-2016-04. This file number should be included on the subject line if email is used. To help the Commission process and review your comments more efficiently, please use only one method. The Commission will post all comments on the Commission's Internet Web site ( http://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml ). Copies of the submission, all subsequent amendments, all written statements with respect to the proposed rule change that are filed with the Commission, and all written communications relating to the proposed rule change between the Commission and any person, other than those that may be withheld from the public in accordance with the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be available for Web site viewing and printing in the Commission's Public Reference Room, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549, on official business days between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Copies of such filing will also be available for inspection and copying at the principal office of the Exchange. All comments received will be posted without change; the Commission does not edit personal identifying information from submissions. You should submit only information that you wish to make available publicly. All submissions should refer to File No. SR-BATS-2016-04 and should be submitted on or before March 4, 2016.
For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.
Robert W. Errett,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-02838 Filed 2-11-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P